Want Great Customer Relationships? Know Your Deal-Breakers! Six Questions to Help You
I came across an article in The Providence Journal last month, when we were in Rhode Island for a family event. The article advised readers to identify their dating “deal-breakers” before jumping into the online dating world. The idea of “deal-breakers” came up again last week during a client coaching session, but this time I was discussing them in the context of customer relationships.
Building Employee Relationship Equity: Three Steps to a Great Weekly Huddle
One of the most rewarding aspects of working with small businesses is seeing them grow. Growth usually translates into new hires. For many of my clients, we’ve created processes and strategies to lay a foundation built on transparent communication, clearly defined goals, and aligned expectations.One of the most effective actions a company can implement is the weekly huddle. This time together ensures that all employees (and other valuable team members) are kicking off the week in complete unison. It is a time for the CEO to communicate weekly goals and expectations, and to learn from direct reports what employees have on their agenda.This is a high-level meeting, and is a two-way dialogue so that all attendees know that their contributions matter, and that their voices are heard. These touch-points create positive energy for the week, and build relationship equity among the team members.
Double Vision Versus Tunnel Vision: Which One Do You Have?
Vision without execution is just hallucination."Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.""The very essence of leadership is that you have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion.”"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious."Vision and leadership are two sides of the same coin. One can’t lead if they don’t know where they are going. I’m often asked how a leader can develop “vision.” There’s no simple answer.
How to Restore and Refresh for Greater Leadership Results
I’m writing this column from Bethany Beach, Delaware, which has been our family escape for 17 years. As we were packing, I checked quite a few times to make sure we had our chargers, my laptop, and my iPad which I loaded with several business books to read.Fast forward six days… I didn’t read one business book, and I responded to less than 20 emails. Instead, I picked up a great beach read that chronicled how the lives of three very different women interconnected.
The Seven Simple Secrets to a Successful Company Launch
So you’re finally taking the plunge. You’ve had it with fulfilling someone else’s dream, you know you have a unique value to bring to the world, and you’re ready to get it out there. The problem is, you have no idea what to do first.Here are the seven simple secrets to setting yourself up for success.
The Two Steps You Need to Take to Triage a Bleeding Company – and Five Things to Avoid
A very successful business owner who is going through a rough patch asked me, “Marissa, what’s the one thing you recommend I do to triage my company, and turn it around?”As the owner of a 20-year company that has experienced multiple government shut-downs, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the implosion of several industries, major contract protests, and even a lawsuit from an unethical subcontractor, I have a lot of experience with triage.
Six Strategies For Managing Toxic People
Can we be honest with each other? As much as we love our work, we don't always love the people we work with. What happens when you encounter someone in the course of your workday that can potentially suck the life out of you while you are trying to succeed in the workplace?In my coaching with dozens of CEOs, this issue presents itself over and over. Potentially toxic situations manifest with customers, vendors, employees, or other industry colleagues every day, in virtually every environment.
Riding Shotgun is Completely Over-Rated: 9 Steps For Taking Control of the Driver’s Seat
“I CALL SHOTGUN!”I’ve always been amused when kids fight over the front passenger seat. Maybe it’s because when I was growing up, I never had a shot at the front seat, since I’m the youngest of three, and the only girl. I was always relegated to the middle seat in the back with the hump. But that’s a story for another day.Kids are under the illusion that the “shotgun” seat holds more importance than the back seats. Actually, the only seat that really matters is the driver’s seat, because it’s the seat that controls the journey.In business, this is often the case as well.
Say No To FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
When you’re in business growth mode, two ideas constantly rent space in your head:1: I need to get this done yesterday.2: I need to spend as little money as possible.This thought process actually undermines the decision process we desperately need to follow when building a business.In an ideal world, we would make all of our business decisions, carefully, slowly, and thoughtfully. We wouldn’t be driven by artificial deadlines or lowest price. We wouldn’t rush to quickly check important decisions off our list. We wouldn’t be attracted, like a moth to a flame, to offers that seem too good to be true. But entrepreneurs invariably are attracted to the light.
VIDEO: Making Internships Work for Your Business and Intern
Well, it’s summer, which means it’s time for beach trips, outdoor concerts, BBQ’s – and internships. My 20-year old company Information Experts has hired interns for more than 10 years to support all types of marketing and communications initiatives, and Successful Culture has two great interns this summer.
Three Ways You Can Excel in the New “Insight Economy”
I attended Matt Dixon’s presentation on The Challenger Sales Model last month, which was particularly relevant for today’s selling environment. The last few years have been especially tumultuous and challenging for many industries, and connecting with your customer in a meaningful way has never been more important.
“Verizon, My Other Cable Company’s Not Working. Can I Get Your Service For Free?”
Have you ever walked into a clothing store, saw something you loved, and just walked out with it without buying?Or, have you ever called a service provider who is the competitor of a current provider, and asked them to help you for free because their selected vendor isn’t doing their job well?
Does Your Attunement Need a Tune-Up?
When I was in college, I waited tables to have money for my "essentials." I loved the work because I could talk with so many different types of people, I was part of a (really fun) team, and I made good money. Looking back I realize that one of the reasons I was a successful waitress was because I can quickly read people and connect with them in a way that makes them comfortable.
The REAL Differences Between Leadership & Management and The Two Tools to Help You Excel
I attended an exceptional Young Presidents Organization (YPO) learning event last week, where Steve McLatchy, author of Decide: Double Your Results, Reduce Your Stress & Lead By Example, spoke. Many people speak at a high level about the differences between management and leadership, but few articulate it well. Steve nailed it.Leadership is a result you produce. If things are exactly where they are when you arrived in a “leadership” position, then you’re providing maintenance, not leadership. A true leader never “arrives” at leadership. The moment you’ve arrived there, you are a manager, and in maintenance mode.In a nutshell, leadership = improvement, and management = maintenance.
“I Know You’re Busy But…”
“I know you’re busy, but….”“This may sound [crazy/stupid/silly], but…..”In one of my recent coaching sessions, I worked with a client who is having difficulty engaging with an aggressive, somewhat disrespectful colleague. Let’s face it; we all have to deal with difficult people at some point in our careers. They are as predictable and enjoyable as taxes.
BIG PR on a Small Budget: Five Surefire Strategies to Get the Buzz Your Biz Needs
As a small business owner, I know first-hand how important it is to have a PR plan, but I also know that time, money, and resources are scarce!So how does a business owner communicate their value - especially in an information-overloaded world, and rise above the noise?The two questions small business owners must always ask when trying to get good press is:
5 Luxuries No Business Owner Can Afford
I was paralyzed with indecision. Then, my coach and 20-year advisor snapped me out of it. "Marissa, you don't have the luxury of standing still." The word "luxury" struck a chord. In business, time is money. Energy is money. If a business isn't smartly applying these two valuable resources wisely, it means they are applying them poorly. There's no in-between. There's little margin for error.
F.O.C.U.S.
One of my favorite writers is Seth Godin. He has a way of framing brilliantly simple concepts in a succinct way that makes you go, “Why didn’t I think of that??”One of his blogs last week was Cracking the Pottery. He talked about how we need to be able to let go of what’s not working for us, even if we’ve invested a lot of time/money/energy in it, so that we can be free to work on what IS working.This is a conundrum that most entrepreneurs face for these reasons:
Boxed In? 4 Ways to Transform Your Corner into a Doorway
One of my favorite books when I was growing up was “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” With the stroke of a purple crayon, Harold designs the life he imagines. When he wants to go for a walk, he draws a moonlit path. When he’s hungry, he draws himself a lunch. When he becomes scared of his own illustrated dragon, he creates an ocean and a sailboat to escape just in time.Harold uses his creative thinking to escape from life’s corners that constrain him.People with big vision often find themselves painted into a corner. We set upon our path, often underestimating or unaware of the obstacles that may get in our way of progress. Or, we over-commit, and find ourselves completely overwhelmed with what we have promised to others. Wouldn’t it be great if we could draw ourselves an ocean and a sailboat, and simply sail away to a far-away land?We can’t do that, but when our backs are up against the wall, we can create additional paths to lead us out of our corners. We can transform our corners into a doorway.
Driving an Intrapreneurial Spirit and Mindset
I'm working with a great company who's committed to moving to the next level of growth. The owner/founder has done a very good job of establishing himself as a highly dependable and reputable subcontractor, but wants to triple the company size, and evolve into a prime contractor over the next 3 years. We have a lot of work to do. To make this pivot, we have to build his infrastructure, implement required processes, and align with the right people.One of our most immediate tasks is to evaluate and shift the mindset and commitment of his current team. Growth can't happen alone. It takes a village to build a business.