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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
