Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 09:40 AM
It's one of the first days in weeks that the weather has been actually MISTY...not raining...just MISTY. I've been working on lead generation all morning and I'm weary. It's tough facing the battle each day of convincing potential clients that YOU are the missing link in their business success. IF you are a small business owner, you must know the same frustration. We are in a sputtering economy and the sales cycle is disturbingly long. Certain industries seem to be riding the waves, occasional dips in sales revenues, but still holding steady. Other industries, which rely upon the health of the construction or real estate markets are hurting.
We know this will, at some point, turn around. When is the question and how do you survive until this happens. I've been reading a book, Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port. He devotes quite a bit of time, talking to his readers about finding a target market. He asks his readers to think about what they know, what they really enjoy doing and what they are good at. He asks you to think about how to link your interests and hobbies to your business. People typically buy what you are selling because you demonstrate passion, excitement and enthusiasm about the product. It doesn't matter whether you provide a service or a system. Your own enthusiasm should be contagious.
So many successful business owners find their target market because they are engaged in their business. If you enjoy staying in good health and belong to a gym, can you offer your services to that market? If you a graphic designer and your entire family is in the restaurant business, can you offer your services to that market. It would certainly be easier to get excited about working in an environment that you know and love.
Next Port talks about identifying the urgent needs and compelling desires of your target market. If I return to my earlier comments, if I were a franchise owner of a health club, then I would be concerned about customer satisfaction. Is my club meeting the needs of a diverse population? Are we delineating ourselves from the competition? Do I have a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Sometimes we're too close to the service to spend time thinking about what we need to do better.
Michael Port states: Offer investable Opportunities. "Do potential clients within your target market see your services and products as opportunities that will give them a significant return on their investment? If you want to succeed, then the answer to this question has to be YES!
If you are looking for a business coach that can help you identify your target market, then pick up the phone TODAY and call us. We are experts in helping you unleash your values and your passions. What do you have to gain? With one quick call...we can help you gain more revenue, more profitability and more opportunity for you to enjoy your own passions while you work IN your business not AT your business!
Posted by Celia Couture on Thu, Aug 12, 2010 @ 09:34 AM
The recent incident that occurred on Jet Blue has caused quite a stir on the internet. Since I don't know what "actually" happened, I'm simply going to write this blog as a business coach! The actions of ANY employee that endangers ANYONE in the work place should not be tolerated. The actions of Steven Slater placed co-workers on the ground in danger. His actions perpetuate the idea that workplace violence is OKAY. It's NOT okay.
I've read postings from young workers that are more alarming each day. Each one filled with venom and suggestions of violence against employers. We have all undergone a bad day. We have all had poor management. We have each endured poor customer service and we have each been dreadful customers at one time or another. It doesn't mean that reacting impulsively is the way to deal with any of these frustrations.
We are appalled when young people take guns on to school campus and shoot each other! Yet, some people treat this incident completely differently. What if a passenger had been injured? What if a co-worked, on the ground had been killed? Would our "hero" worship be the same. I think not and hope not.
Being a leader means learning HOW to deal with disgruntled employees. Being an employee means controlling emotions and being able to use "WORDS" to articulate frustrations. Arguing, swearing and demeaning others does very little to solve problems in the workplace.
If you can't handle the situation, then seek help. If you are uncomfortable about going to your own HR team, then seek out a manager you trust or go through your companies EAP program. We need to ensure that the workplaces, like our schools are SAFE.
I challenge each of my readers to think about what you can do TODAY to ensure that you perpetuate a safe work environment for all. Be a LEADER! Lead the charge! Talk about what is working and what is not working. Come up with methods for workers to express frustrations in a confidential way so that they feel safe.
Regardless of the facts, Steve Slater could have HURT someone. His action are not those that should be admired or replicated.
Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 @ 09:45 AM
No matter what business you're in, from time to time you WILL be asked to speak. Speaking in front of a group is the number one fear, next to DEATH, that we all share. The good news is that we all SHARE it. The better news...you need to learn how to overcome your fears so that presenting becomes an integral tool in your professional tool kit.
We do so much today with technology that creating a nice set of slides to augment your talking points has become easier. There are those that still think that putting massive amounts of information on a PowerPoint presentation is the way to go. Not so, say the presentation guru's of the world! You want to make sure that when you deliver a presentation that YOU are center of attention. If the slides become a distraction, then you are defeating the purpose! You need to be seen as the expert in the room or the person leading the discussion. You are upstaged by a set of slides then soon the presentation will be about the slides and not the topic.
Basic fundamentals of public speaking often involve common sense. Here are a few things to think about when you are preparing your next presentation!
- Make sure your slide set is in BULLET format. Use key words that are going to assist you in remembering what you want to say.
- Work the room BEFORE you start. You want to make sure that you know your audience. By spending time with attendees before your speaking engagement you can make reference to discussion and the person you spoke too. This technique makes people feel good and demonstrates that you also LISTEN.
- Use the art of storytelling. Nothing is more effective in speaking engagements then telling a story pertinent to your topic. It helps your audience relate to the material and puts them at ease.
- PRACTICE. You can't claim you are an expert then spend the entire time reading from a script. You have to KNOW your material and you have to know the KEY points. If material can be read elsewhere then use handouts. Your job is to provide information that the audience can't get without your facilitation.
- Be Creative. Remember you own the floor. Whatever time has been provided means that you can be as creative as you want to be in the delivery of your material. A combination of visual, hands on and verbal techniques work best. Remember each member of your audience learns differently. Your speaking engagement should include a number of different activities to drive your point home.
Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Aug 03, 2010 @ 09:54 AM
You finally received the news you've been waiting for...you've been offered the promotion from Supervisor to Manager. Now you have a team of supervisors reporting to you. This team will be looking for leadership, strategy setting, and assistance with employee productivity and accountability.
You now have to deal with the transition from PEER to BOSS! Are these the SAME people you used to have coffee with everyday? Yes they are, but the stakes have changed.
Taking on a management role is challenging and demands that you think differently and act differently in order to be successful. More challenging is dealing effectively with members of your team that were once peers. You need to change peer relationships into manager-employee relationships.
Here are some transition tips to think about:
- Make sure your personal relationships and professional relationships are separate. You can remain friendly with a former co-worker, but you must make clear that the relationship can't cloud your decision-making or how you assess that employee's performance. You may need to change the frequency of your interaction with the employee as some may perceive your relationship as threatening. Perceptions about favoritism are also at risk.
- Make sure you discuss your role as a manager openly and candidly. Exercise your right to define expectations, goals and responsibilities. You may have had the respect of this team as a peer, now you need to earn their respect as a manager. You don't need to be heavy-handed, but you do need to make sure they now what you expect as it relates to their work responsibilities.
- Make sure everyone is treated fairly and equitably. Don't play favorites. Don't be influenced by what you think you knew when you were a peer. You may not have ALL the information or the background. Provide feedback and help employees improve in their roles and most importantly, make up your OWN mind about an employee’s contribution.
- Get HELP! There is no crime in asking for assistance. Being a manager and managing other employees in supervisory roles is a different animal. Use other leaders as mentors. They have more experience and most likely faced or a facing similar situations. Don't feel that becoming a manager means you have to have all the answers.
Making the transition from peer to manager can be a great move for you as you grow in your career. Like any other skill, management requires practice and training. Respect the position and respect the employees that now report to you.
Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 @ 10:37 AM
We have all had bad hires. Not necessarily, bad employees, but something about them just didn't work with the culture of the company. Bad hiring decisions are costly. Bad hiring decisions drain a company of resources and time. In today's economy, with so many outstanding people out of work, there is not a lack of qualified people to hire. As a matter of fact the top 5% of people out of work are still challenged in finding a good job match. Despite their credentials, experience and excellent track records, most people are averaging 12-18 months out of a job. The market seems to be recovering, but at a snail’s pace.
As a hiring manager, you have a responsibility to do your homework. What we use to take for granted prior to 2009, is no longer the norm, so you need to hire new members of your team with great care. You already know the everyone pads his or her resume, right? Maybe, but employers need to know who they are hiring, and for job seekers wanting to better their chances, the Internet can either be an asset or a mechanism to create fake diplomas to fake references.
Unfortunately, it means that employers need to think about background checks and how important this activity is in your hiring practices. Background checks, by reputable companies, catch many facts applicants don't want you to know including criminal records, driving infractions, evictions, lawsuits and phony diplomas. Many businesses don't do much more than a cursory reference check. Larger companies, fearing lawsuits, are more likely to conduct extensive checks.
Regardless of the downturn in the economy, a background check can protect both large and small firms. Think about the money you spend on-boarding employees. To protect your assets and your pocketbooks, don't miss this important step. You may think you can rely upon your gut reaction, but candidates desperate to find work, may embellish a resume, just to get the job.
Remember, there is a legal requirement to inform candidates if an outside agency is going to conduct the background check. Legal notice must be given to the applicant and the applicant has to consent. Some information can't be used to decide an applicant's hire ability: bankruptcies, genetic information. Make sure your job applications include a sheet giving notice that the process will involve background checks. Employers must get permission from applicants to run a check and be clear that a satisfactory background check is required for employment.
We have all had bad hires. Not necessarily, bad employees, but something about them just didn't work with the culture of the company. Bad hiring decisions are costly. Bad hiring decisions drain a company of resources and time. In today's economy, with so many outstanding people out of work, there is not a lack of qualified people to hire. As a matter of fact the top 5% of people out of work are still challenged in finding a good job match. Despite their credentials, experience and excellent track records, most people are averaging 12-18 months out of a job. The market seems to be recovering, but at a snail’s pace.
As a hiring manager, you have a responsibility to do your homework. What we use to take for granted prior to 2009, is no longer the norm, so you need to hire new members of your team with great care. You already know the everyone pads his or her resume, right? Maybe, but employers need to know who they are hiring, and for job seekers wanting to better their chances, the Internet can either be an asset or a mechanism to create fake diplomas to fake references.
Unfortunately, it means that employers need to think about background checks and how important this activity is in your hiring practices. Background checks, by reputable companies, catch many facts applicants don't want you to know including criminal records, driving infractions, evictions, lawsuits and phony diplomas. Many businesses don't do much more than a cursory reference check. Larger companies, fearing lawsuits, are more likely to conduct extensive checks.
Regardless of the downturn in the economy, a background check can protect both large and small firms. Think about the money you spend on-boarding employees. To protect your assets and your pocketbooks, don't miss this important step. You may think you can rely upon your gut reaction, but candidates desperate to find work, may embellish a resume, just to get the job.
Remember, there is a legal requirement to inform candidates if an outside agency is going to conduct the background check. Legal notice must be given to the applicant and the applicant has to consent. Some information can't be used to decide an applicant's hire ability: bankruptcies, genetic information. Make sure your job applications include a sheet giving notice that the process will involve background checks. Employers must get permission from applicants to run a check and be clear that a satisfactory background check is required for employment.
Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Jul 20, 2010 @ 09:40 AM
As business owners, we are also responsible for hiring. There are a whole hosts of steps to the hiring process, but none more important than the offer letter. Offer letters, set the stage for what an employee can expect from an employer, but it also sets the stage for what the employer expects from the new employee!
Offer letters must be coherent, informative, and legally sound. In many cases, these letters must satisfy the goals of avoiding, reducing, or resolving liability. For example, it is in the employer’s interest to preserve the at-will relationship. Under the at-will doctrine, which is the standard in the vast majority of states, either the employer or employee may, subject to certain exceptions, terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, or for no reason. Courts have found that statements made in offer letters and other written statements made to employees can create an implied contract that alters the at-will relationship.
In the case of offer letters, the most important thing an employer should do to preserve the at-will relationship is to include a disclaimer prominently in the offer letter. State courts have set different standards for how and when an implied contract may be created, and employers must make sure that the disclaimer contains the language required in their state. Employers should also have their legal counsel review letters.
A job offer letter could become a legally-binding employment contract of sorts, should the employee later dispute what you offered vs. what he or she actually received on the job. So, make sure that you can deliver what you offer in writing. (Consult legal council if you have any doubts about writing a job offer letter.) But do include as many details as practical in your job offer letter or as attachments or enclosures, so that your job candidate has enough information to make an informed decision. Remember, candidates might receive other job offers. Consequently, you might be competing for their attention.
Posted by Celia Couture on Thu, Jul 15, 2010 @ 09:25 AM
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What is a Millennial? Simply put, these are the folks in our workplace that were born between 1978 and 1997. These are the folks that were HIGHLY influenced by the world of technology. Today's younger worker is the first generation to grow up surrounded by digital technology and they can't imagine a world without it!
Millennials don't want to be TOLD what to do. They pride themselves in invention. They communicate in chat rooms and on FaceBook with ease. They collaborate, make plans that involve many people in a matter of seconds and they prefer "sound bites" to lectures. They want things to be done quickly and efficiently and don't have patience for a lot of rework.
As managers what do we need to do to manage Millennials effectively? If we want to be a company that keeps the best and the brightest then these are the characteristics that we need to value: confidence, creativity, and independence. It is due to these qualities that we find ourselves needing to manage differently.
Millennials crave constant feedback. They have seen what happened to their baby boomer parents and they demand work/life balance and strong workplace relationships. Business leaders need to take a strong look at their company values and how they approach management and begin to alter the environment to meet the needs of these young workers.
The trick here is balance! Don't forget that you have older workers as well. These workers need to be educated about what to expect from their younger colleagues. We need to make room in our company vaults for the use of FaceBook, Twitter and other social network sites during the work day. The net is the key to their success. If we block access, we block creativity and we block freedom. We run the risk of unhappy workers.
We used to call them coffee breaks...now we need to make room for "virtual breaks!" The younger worker needs time during the day to connect. Sure, we need to monitor use of social networks during the workday, but research of the younger worker has shown that by allowing them the freedom to "virtually break," we create a more focused work team.
Think about how social networks have changed how we do our jobs. Virtually every company uses social networks to profile and hunt for job candidates. Studies indicate that more than 40% of employers use social networking sties to examine the profiles of job candidates.
Best-selling author Don Tapscott says, "The old HR model--recruit, train, supervise and retain--should be shelved. Instead, companies should adopt a new model--initiate, engage, collaborate and evolve. Employers have many ways to make themselves attractive to a potential Net Gen employee: customize job descriptions, use game0based training to train employees for short-term projects, and keep in touch with former employees to find new people and get new ideas." "My research has shown that companies that selectively and effectively embrace Net Gen norms perform better than those that don't.
Posted by Celia Couture on Wed, Jul 07, 2010 @ 09:18 AM
As much as our business school educations thought they would prepare us for management, we soon learn that whatever might have been placed in a textbook is NOT reality. Strong management skills are learned though experience.
A classroom is a place to share management practices, debate the latest styles of management, but it is not the place where managers learn how to be socially responsible business leaders. The recent BP disaster on the Gulf Coast is a good example. I'm sure the BP CEO is a great guy, but his choice of words and his immediate response to the disaster was not what people needed to hear.
Business leaders are under attack as a result of their response to the economic crisis. Many have been criticized for putting their own interests ahead of those of employees, customers, and even stock holders.
It's time for business manager to take an inventory of what they need to lead! Typically, business managers are promoted based upon their functional expertise. Is it fair to assume that if you are a wonderful sales person, you can easily make the transition to a great sales manager? A manager must have the ability to integrate skills that help to define effective and strong leadership ability as well as functional knowledge.
It took an educational crisis in the United States before curriculum change occurred. It may take the same effort to engage our prestigious, business schools to begin looking at how they prepare managers to lead. In a recent article written by Richard Barker for the Harvard Business Review, he writes, " The key is to recognize that integration is learned rather than taught: it takes place in the minds of MBA students, who link the various elements of the program. Business education is not one-size-fits-all, and, most important, it should be collaborative rather than competitive."
Posted by Celia Couture on Tue, Jun 29, 2010 @ 09:22 AM
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review written by Matthew Dixon, Karen Freeman, and Nicholas Toman state the following: "Stop Trying to Delight Your Customers." The authors go on to state, "what most people really want--but rarely get--is just a quick, easy solution to their service issues. Here are five quick tips every company should adopt according to the authors.
To really win customer loyalty, get back to the basics.
- Don't just resolve the current issue--head off the next one. The biggest cause of excessive customer effort is the need to call back. If you do a good job at customer service you should have some mechanism to capture the customer issue without having them repeat it. When you pick up the phone you own the customer issue and the follow up, to ensure that you close the loop with the customer.
- Arm representatives to address the emotional side of customer interactions. Avoid words like "can't," "won't," and "don't,"--use alternate phrasing. Instead of saying, "we don't have that item in stock," a rep might explain, "we'll have that item in stock in two weeks." Simple changes in how reps respond to customers decreases their emotions and helps them focus on what you helped them accomplish.
- Minimize channel switching by incrreasing self-service channel stickiness. Don't overwhelm your customers with multiple interactive self-service options. Customers are bombarded with social media such as Facebook,Twitter, and so on---they don't always know the right resource for them. Work on the help section of your websites so that customers know how to find what they need quickly.
- Use feedback from disgruntled or struggling customers to reducde customer effort. Many companies survey their customers, but then never use the information they have been given. If companies receive poor scores on surveys, representatives need to be taught how to make calls to those customers to resolve their problems. This approach solves three problems: it helps the customer believe you care about what information they have provided, you are able to collect more data and you are resolving the current problem and avoiding the potential for additional problems
- Empower the front line to deliver a low effort experience. Don't value speed over quality. If you want to reduce customer satisfaction issues, empower your representatives to spend quality time on the call. Ensure that they ask the customer, if the service they provided met their needs. EVERY outbound customer call should end the same way. DID WE SATISFY YOUR NEEDS? So many companies don't take advantage of asking this critical question when they have the opportunity to.
The bottom line: reduce customer effort and you increase customer loyalty and build a much stronger customer service organization.
Posted by Celia Couture on Thu, Jun 24, 2010 @ 09:59 AM
Every January, I make a concerted effort to set a weight loss goal. Every year, I dread the thought of eating the last piece of apple pie after the holidays, so that I can hit the gym three times a week. About mid-February, when 6:00 A.M. arrives and the temperature is below zero, I find it very easy to find excuses for why I don't need to go to the gym today and why just ONE piece of pie isn't going to kill me! Sound familiar? I bet it does.
In a few weeks, I'm going to be leading a workshop on goal setting and action planning. I want to be able to leave workshop participants with easy to use suggestions that can be implemented the minute they leave the workshop. I tried to extract what makes goal setting and action planning successful. I contribute goal achievement to four key success factors: passion, motivation, accountability and incentives.
Passion is an interesting step in the process. Ask yourself; is this a goal you are setting for yourself or for someone else? If it is not a goal you can relate to or derive some personal benefit from, then you may not be personally invested in achieving that goal. Passion means LOVING what you are doing to the degree that NOTHING stands in the way of accomplishing the goal. (Not even below zero temperatures in February).
Motivation is also a key to achieving goals. What is motivation? We often hear that some people are SELF-motivated. They find their own good reasons for sticking to a goal or accomplishing a task. Others find intrinsic value from setting a goal that is a means to an end. A successful interview that leads to a job, a training program that leads to a promotion a coaching session that leads to a better golf game. Simply put, motivation means you are willing to take ACTION.
Accountability is the make or break for achieving a goal. Is there someone or something checking in with you to make sure you are following a prescribed path and encouraging you when you just don't think you can take one more step? Remember that everything around us is energy. In order to sustain achieving the goal you need to be held accountable.
The final step in goal achievement is having a strong incentive. In some cases it can be as simple as fitting in to a smaller size dress or getting a good grade on a test. For others, it may an incentive that involves financial gains. The key is to define incentives along the way to achieving your goal. Small rewards provide an impetus to continue toward the goal. You don't get discouraged because you are being rewarded along the way.
Finally, don't beat yourself up! If you falter along the way, look to those people who are there to support you for encouragement. Goal achievement and action planning is not something you want or can do alone.