In the business world, we are notorious for putting fun last on our list of priorities and as a result, never getting to it. We’re so busy during the year trying to meet our sales, revenue, expense, quality and customer satisfaction goals that we don’t schedule time to have fun. That needs to change.
Are you having fun yet? If not, here are some things to consider in order to put fun back into your workplace. Continue reading…
Can we talk?
A few short years ago this would have been a ridiculous question. But today in a world that is dominated by “drive by” communications, it has become much more challenging to have a simple conversation.
When was the last time you sat around the dinner table as a family or with friends and just talked? Talked about nothing in particular, just had a conversation? Are you finding it more difficult to get your telephone calls returned, or to get responses to your emails these days? Or, to get someone to take 5 minutes out of their busy day to speak with you?
In this modern era of voice mail, email, text, chat, IM, tweets, etc. we have relegated conversations to sound bytes, 140 characters, or the 30-second elevator pitch. Continue reading…
The economic indicators during the past couple of weeks have given us eternal optimist’s a glimmer of hope that the recession has finally run its course, and the worst is now behind us.
Although we should continue to proceed with caution until all signs clearly point to the north, there are some things you can do and should be doing now to improve your business results in the recovery-based economy that is ahead of us. Continue reading…
Globalization, mergers, acquisitions, downsizing, bankruptcies, and the pandemic have collectively turned our economy and traditional business models upside down. However, despite the churn, despite all of the complexities and changes that we have seen to our business ecosystem, there still exists one simple, basic business truth.
“Nothing happens until somebody sells something”.
The sales organization is the most important resource for any business, and your sales people are the life-line to the customer. Building a high-performing sales organization is absolutely crucial for any company that wants to achieve sustainable business growth and profits. Continue reading…
In “Become a Leader in Your Market Niche – Part 1”, I covered some of the basics of how to get started in positioning your company as a leader in your industry. Now it’s time to fill in the blanks. At this point, you have completed a competitive analysis, a customer assessment, compiled your list of JVs and partners, and received expert advice on how to integrate social media marketing into your overall business plans.
So, what’s next?
Identify your leadership target(s). What do you want to be known for, or a leader in? And what are your recognized strengths that can be leveraged as a competitive advantage? Are you perceived as an innovator or technology leader? Do you offer superior products or services? Is your company recognized for quality or operational excellence – i.e. Six Sigma, ISO 9001? Do customers rank your company’s service ahead of the competition?
Does your company receive high praise from its employees as a great place to work, or from the community at-large for its charitable donations and volunteer work? Select your leadership target(s) carefully, and make sure they are in alignment with how the market perceives your business today. Continue reading…