My mother never taught me to cook. But she did teach me how to succeed.

My mom is a GREAT cook!

Growing up, our kitchen was like a New Jersey diner, where after a full day of work, my mom came home and often (by request) made different dinners for each of us all EXACTLY to our liking. But, since she did all the work, I never learned to cook.

Instead I learned her most powerful quality: how to succeed.

Our dinner table conversations (me, mom, dad) were a real-world MBA Id listen with intent to understand and keep up with the conversation, and Id learn through my parents dialogue how to run a business.

I picked up life-lessons from my mom by observing, listening, asking questions, trying different ideas, and of course through our one-on-one mommy-daughter conversations.

As I celebrate her 32nd Mothers Day, I took some time to reflect, gather thoughts, and be grateful for her insight and wisdom.

Here is Mama Gluckows 18-part recipe for success:
1. Just a spoon full of sugar. Be nice to people no matter what. (This can be difficult sometimes in the Northeast.) Smile, look others in the eye and say hi, and get to a laugh (rapport-building) in your relationship as soon as possible. My mom got along with everyone and made the stop and chat her thing (it still is). My mom taught me to be nice to others, even in New Jersey.

2. Dont run outta food. I never understood this when I was younger we would have 20 people over for a holiday and my mom would cook for 30. Of course we all have relatives who eat for two, but thats not why my mom did it. I later figured out that my mom cooked for more than would arrive so that we would never run out of food. We had leftovers for weeks! She always offered more than was needed when you go above and beyond, its noticed and appreciated.

3. Be the hostess with the mostest. After the food was procured and prepared, she made sure each person knew each other. If there was someone who didnt know the others, I watched her make them feel comfortable by pulling out their commonalities and help make the connections for them. Shed then walk away to check on other guests and theyd be talking about whatever it was they had in common. She was a born networker. My mom worked the room guest-by-guest. She made (and still makes) everyone feel comfortable.

4. Delegate to trusted people. As a business owner, my mom sometimes needed help transporting me to my activities (Uber wasnt around yet.). She delegated to only her most trusted friends and family. This made us both feel comfortable. Challenge yourself to delegate 25% more of your workload and tasks to trusted individuals. Youll be amazed by how much more you can accomplish.

5. Work your butt off. Mom is a tireless worker. Almost by instinct. She raised me, worked more than full time, cooked dinner like it was her job, made time to be a leader in her industry groups, and still had time to be my mom when I needed her. This lesson is simple: Work your butt off for the things that mean the most.

6. Show your customers appreciation. Genuine appreciation. My mom looks for personal customer gifts all year round. As a result, she is able to send her customers something meaningful TO THEM. For example, one customer loves pansy flowers. So each year my mom finds her something special with a pansy. Another one loves Coach so my mom gets her something by Coach. These customers are top-of-mind for my mother all the time, and after sending them meaningful holiday gifts my bet is she is top-of-mind for them all year round too. My mom taught me that by finding something personal for your customers, you will remain meaningful to them all year round. I tried it. It works.

7. Serving and delivering leads to loyalty and trust. My mom and dad set industry standards. They did things different from their competition, including how they served their customers. To this day, my mom gets calls over the weekend and at night from customers needing help. She not only takes their calls, but she stops what shes doing to help them. Customers know my mom is on their side. Some of these customers have been working with my parents for more than 30 years. Theres a reason (besides the gifts) theyre so loyal! When my parents sold their business, their customers still wanted to work with my mom (and dad) because they TRUST she will get the job done. She taught me that by providing amazing customer service and delivering as promised leads to trust and EXTREME LOYALTY.

8. Learn the other guy’s language. Many of her employees spoke Spanish. I didnt know my mom spoke Spanish until I watched her conduct interviews 100% in Spanish, and make hiring decisions based on those interviews. Wow, it was impressive. My mom communicated with employees by speaking THEIR language.

9. Invest in education. My parents are smart and well educated – sometimes from school, sometimes on-the-job, and sometimes from THEIR parents. My mom and dad always sent me to the best schools they could afford. They placed an incredible value on education. And to this day, I am a life-long learner (as long as Im picking the subjects). My mom knows the importance of education, dedication to life-long learning, and looking for educational moments everywhere. I have done the same.

10. No often means not right now. To get what you want, or feel you deserve, you must be persistent. In business, the first “no” often means “not right now.” Dont get discouraged by a No. Instead, let it inspire you and increase your drive for “YES.” Moms example: Define your level of desire for what you really want. Find out whats important to the other guy and create allies from within to advocate for your cause. When others see your desire and drive, they want to join you. My moms desire for what she wants is immeasurable.

11. Its all in the details. My mom would challenge me to find hidden objects when we were in a restaurant or on a car trip, and I loved to try to find them. From a very young age this trained me to both seek and observe the smallest details. Now when Im on a sales call, I cant help but notice the hard-to-find details. And its amazing how often those details are the most important clues to getting an order. Not just trophies and family photos voice and tone. My mom taught me to look at and listen to your clients non-verbal clues observe their gestures, body language, and eye contact, listen to their questions, and interpret their subtle messages. My mom could uncover the details underneath the big picture that lead to more sales.

12. Prove your value and dont accept less than youre worth. When I graduated college, I was ready to accept any job where I saw a future, as long as it met my minimum salary expectations. My mom pushed me to negotiate for a higher and higher starting salary, explaining that I was worth it and that every raise thereafter would be based on my very first salary. And she was right. Not knowing the business world and how hard it can be to find good employees, I didnt recognize my own value at the time. Sometimes you need others to show you how much youre worth. Make sure you have a mentor to encourage you, inspire you, and push you to push yourself. My dad is my mentor. My mom is my mentor.

13. You dont have to wear pants to be in charge. Ive never seen my mom wear pants. Well, shorts once, at the gym. She wants to look her best and feel her best, and she knows that skirts work best for her. My mom taught me to concentrate on feeling good about my appearance to project confidence.

14. Dont take the first table. When we go to a restaurant, my mom almost never accepts the first table the hostess offers. She usually sees another one that she likes more and requests it. Maybe it seems a little much but our meals are always more enjoyable when my mom chooses the ambiance. My mom taught me to look for comfort, good service, and the best atmosphere to enjoy the meal or the meeting.

15. Multi-task to greatness. My mom has many projects going on at once. By prioritizing, delegating, and managing these projects, she is able to accomplish 1000% more than the average person. I watched my mom make lists, prioritize, and delegate, then manage she instinctively knows when to pay attention to the details vs. deal with the big picture.

16. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Growing up my mom used to preach, Jennifah, (New York accent) if you dont ask, you dont get. I finally got the message at age 12, just in time for the holidays. My holiday list doubled that year Im sure my parents loved that! My mom taught me to ask for what I want. Starting with simple rapport building questions up to and including asking for the sale.

17. Never buy retail. Ok, maybe sometimes, but almost never. At some point everything goes on sale, and if you make a friend in a department store, they may even call you the minute the stuff you like goes on sale (a specialty of my mom). Theres a feeling you get of loving an item more because you got a deal vs. just buying it at full price its a sense of winning and saving. My mom taught me to shop for the right thing at the right price.

18. Never retire. If you do what you love, you can do it forever. After my mom sold her business, and her non-compete was up, she went right back into the industry she loved. She showed me that if you do what you love, youll do it well, and youll wanna do it, everyday. By example, my mom taught me to find something I love to do. I had to dig and work hard to find it, but now that I have the career that I want, I have my mom to thank for providing the inspiration and the example she set.

Life gives everyone the same number of mothers. ONE. Shes, by birth, the closest person to you. Forever. Through all kinds of situations. Through all of lifes curves. Through all of lifes joys and sorrows.

I am grateful for mine. 32 years of love, support, and encouragement. Her work and her accomplishments have impacted me and molded me, and my appreciation is more than Mothers Day it is every day.

Thank you, mom.
I love you, mom.

2016 Jennifer Gluckow and Sales in a New York Minute
www.SALESinaNYminute.com Jen@SALESinaNYminute.com