Four Steps to Diffusing a Customer Disagreement
A client called me last week to coach her through a delicate situation with a customer. Her customer had entered into a legal agreement, and at the last minute, wanted to change the terms of the agreement without consent from the other party. This would have jeopardized the entire transaction. Furthermore, her customer insisted that she had told my client about her decision prior to signing the contract (which was not true). My client was on the hook to talk her customer out of a really bad decision, even though her mind was made up.
Four Easy Ways to Get Excited About Prospecting!
I coach a lot of small business CEOs with BIG visions. Visions of tremendous growth. Visions of huge impacts. Visions of organizations with amazing cultures. Visions of….delegating the prospecting to other people.
Four Steps to a Successful 360-Degree Hiring Process
A client asked me, “Marissa, should I involve my other employees in the interviewing process?” My answer was an enthusiastic YES. From the intern to the executive, the CEO should never unilaterally own a hiring decision.
Five Things to Do to Conclude Your Day
As a follow-up to last week’s column, “Five Things to Do to Start Your Day,” I’m sharing five things to conclude your day, and set yourself up for a fresh start the next day. Admittedly, I don’t have success every day with all of these. The idea is to Strive for Five. Doing one or two will make a huge difference in your anxiety levels, and maybe even improve your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Avoiding SP-RH Syndrome
It's all coming back to me....the early days of building a business, and laying a solid foundation to support healthy growth. I find myself with lengthy to-do lists that require many sets of helping hands. It's tempting to simply throw new tasks over the fence to those that have already proven to be experts as I grow Successful Culture.But wait. I've been down this road before with Information Experts. I've bitten off more than I can chew, and then tossed the overflow to a team mate. Eager to please, they say yes, even though my new request is outside of their core expertise... setting us both up for disappointment.
The Three Things Companies Need to Thrive
I've had a slew of podcast interviews over the last few weeks, and virtually all of the hosts have asked me what I think is the necessary ingredient for continued business growth. I speak from a place of making mistakes, and from getting things right over the last 20 years.The three things I believe companies need to survive are a market niche, relevancy, and a mindset of greatness. I've named them in order of difficulty.
It's Not Personal; It's Our Values
Values dictate every major decision and action in an organization - from the clients that a company engages, to the people that a company hires, to seemingly simple behaviors such as leaving a door open or closed. Values determine our behavior when others are not around to watch us. They are the core of integrity - which manifests when values are integrated with our actions. Personally and professionally, they frame the most important aspects of who we are, and what matters to us.
Increasing Productivity by Taming the Daily Calendar
When Sunday arrives and you take a peek at the work-week ahead, what physical reactions occur in your body? Does your heart race a bit faster from anxiety? Does your stomach tighten? Do you feel stress in your neck and shoulders? Have you ever thought about these reactions?
The Most Dangerous Four-Letter Word
How many times a day do you mindlessly look at others that are different than you with a "THEM" frame of mind? This could apply to people who look differently, perform different jobs, practice different religions, engage in different hobbies, or any other type of difference. We probably all do it without being aware of it. Even though I strive to come to all experiences and people with an open mind, a blank canvass, and free of judgment, human nature causes all of us to evaluate those that we see based on societal prejudices that seep into our subconscious.
Leading From A Mindset of Abundance; Embracing Healthy Competition
There's no disputing the fact that business is cut-throat. One day your most important strategic partner is bringing you into a great business opportunity. The next day, they are submitting a proposal to win business from your client. To sustain the ups and downs of career development and business growth, you require a thick skin. So how do we stay tough and protect our interests, while maintaining a mindset of abundance and compassion?
Personal Development IS The Goal
Personal development is not a tool for reaching a bigger goal. Instead, becoming a “complete human being is already the biggest and most noble goal you can aspire to.” Most of us are on a quest of continuous self-improvement, with the goal of attaining greater success. “If I attend this school, if I obtain this certification, if I achieve this milestone, then I will be able to attain another level of achievement.” The personal development is often tied to a desired outcome that moves us from one level to another.
Why Am I Here? Finding Your Path to Authentic Leadership
How do we define our deepest desire? And if we don't know it, how can we get to where we are supposed to be? How do we reach our destiny? It's so easy to lose sight of the "why" behind our daily deeds. When we lose connection to the "why," weariness and hopelessness creeps in. We often work in a reactive mode, answering phone calls, emails, and the needs of others. We envelop ourselves in deadlines. Every day that we go to work, we are slaves to checklists. What is our larger purpose behind it all?
Making a Partnership Work
Businesses can't grow without strategic partnerships. When thoughtfully selected, the right partner can enhance a company's client base, capabilities, market presence, and overall brand. When selected poorly, the wrong partner can result in wasted time, energy, and resources, with nothing to show for your efforts, and can potentially harm your company or reputation.