Growth & Greatness

5 Things to Consider When Starting a Business

2011-09-08T11:52:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, a good friend emailed and asked what the 5 key things to consider when starting a business were. Here is what we said:

1). Do you know there is a market? Can you name, think of and profile the people or companies that will buy your product?

2) The business plan is actually for you so don't worry about what a banker needs to see and start with what you need to know and manage.

3). Know your numbers - knowing your accurate costs and also some reasonable sales targets is critical. 1000 units in month one is usually a sign of a bad plan

4) Who else is selling what you are going to sell? If the answer is no one, you probably arent looking hard enough. Rarely is a product or service so unique- even the iPod WAS competing with mp3 players initially.

5) Most plans take three times as long to get going and are two times the budget. Plan according to this even when it seems like your sure-thing, guaranteed, hit a home run plans seems fool- proof.

Starting a business is exciting and challenging. Having some guidance like a strategic business coach or mentor is critical.

When Do You Need HR?

2011-06-29T08:28:00.000-06:00

Managing your HR is not a once a year, here’s your raise, here’s where you can improve event. Managing your HR is a form of leadership and it takes place every day.

There is a formalized portion of managing the relationship with your people that means sitting down more formally a few times annually to give them feedback AND to get feedback. To possibly review their compensation and also to give them an outline of how the business is doing. It is a formalized sharing of information.

Most people perceive HR as forms, formal reviews and conflict resolution with some third party (internal or external). So many of these processes are things that should be handled by managers and leaders within a company. When a conflict escalates to needing someone outside the business to manage it – it is a breakdown of leadership.

Great leadership is about managing the most valuable resources your organization has, your people. Managing your people means taking time to manage the relationships with them daily.

Great HR is talking to your people regularly. This is true of a corporate CEO and also a department manager. It is about putting your people first and ensuring your ego is out of the way so you can best serve them.

3 tools I love to use for good HR:

1) 30 minute coffees – sit down with each of your team and just talk – not about the business but about them. What’s on their mind, what are they liking, what’s new, what’s frustrating, what’s new in their life.

2) Annual roundtables with an outside person – having an HR professional host a round table with the team to get their honest opinions, ideas and questions. Things get said that won’t always get said directly to an owner or manager.

3) Random recognition – randomly recognizing the great work of team doesn’t require a formal presentation or review. At the Monday morning meeting it should be a “play of the week”, a “customer support of the day” or some small recognition of your team’s efforts.

When people know they are valued and that HR is being well managed, they perform to their best ability. That’s good business.

Financial Metrics - Cash versus Statements - Where to Look

2011-06-07T07:36:00.000-06:00

In dealing with business owners and entrepreneurs, we are often asking questions about the financial health of a business. This is also true when we deal with departments in a larger corporation. Knowing the financial state and status of your business or department is truly critical.

It is scary to see how infrequently some business people are monitoring their financial metrics and also understandable. Most people that start out in business get annual statements from the accountant or perhaps quarterly. Managers get a quarterly summary or see published quarterly numbers. People get conditioned to waiting long periods before knowing how they are performing.

It is critical that finances and cash are monitored weekly and even daily and this doesn't mean waiting for the accountant. Financials serve their purpose and update you on the health and condition of a business. Unfortunately, changes in a balance sheet are often slow to demonstrate trends and a business owner need to know where things are constantly. Cash is King in business. Knowing your cash situation is the timely and critical means for managing business tightly.

We work with clients to ensure they are running at least a weekly financial/cash performance summary. This includes, sales, accounts receivable (current and also immediately expected), accounts payable (current and also must pays), then current cash positions. We can see cash shortfalls and manage our clients and suppliers. We have seen people grow a $15 million dollar company on cash management without being able to read a financial statement ... this isn't ideal but does show the value of cash metrics before statement reviews.

Establish your weekly Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) for team performance and responsibilities AND then set the weekly cash flow KPI's next. It is the key to growing a performing, profitable, company and team.

Strategic Plan or Strategic Execution - Where is the Best Value?

2011-05-31T10:28:00.000-06:00

Most companies have some form of strategic planning, strategic development, goal setting and business planning. In fact, when was the last time a major corporation didn't go through annual budgets or a start-up business didn't submit a business plan to the bank?   All forms of business strategy.

Developing a business strategy and a high level plan is critical whether you have 1 employee or 500. As the organization grows, the need for more strategy to unify the team and their efforts compounds.   It is critical the plan is strategic and high level but also that it has ties down to the actions required every week.   This is the downfall of most plans/strategy work; it gets done in a boardroom and never makes it into the hallways of action and tactics.

At Evolve, we love to help clients develop their strategic plan AND then help them start to implement it. Too often we find struggling companies with a solid strategic plan that is sitting in the president's office on a shelf.   A plan without action is a waste of the time committed to thinking up the plan!

So the best value is in being able to know each week, month and quarter, what actions each person is undertaking to move the strategy forward. This requires a review and discussion of strategy every week, and even daily, at times.   The regular review of strategy keeps what is important out in front of what is urgent (where most people exist).

Use some tools like the gazelles.com one page plan as an example of how your strategy should get down to a single page outline.   We then recommend you take each strategic mandate and break it into pieces that can be executed weekly.

Strategic business is like marathon running. You know when the big race is, you know what training will be required AND you know what distance and speed needs to be implemented today to make it happen.

The Key to Time Management is Condensing Time

2011-05-24T13:39:00.000-06:00

It comes as no surprise that most of us struggle with managing our time and controlling our time. With the on-going interruptions of the blackberry, the endless emails, the days of meeting after meeting and even the old fashion phone ringing ... where does someone find time to work?

Most people think the issue is FOCUS. In some ways, it is.   But the second dramatic improvement that can be made for all of us, in terms of time management, is CONDENSING time.   When you book a meeting is it always 60 minutes? When you sit down to do email, is it a set period of time, like 30 minutes?   How many 15-30 minute breaks do you have between events in a day?

One of the best exercises to condense your time is taking a 5 day week and being forced to condense it into a 3 day week.   You are instantly forced to look for opportunities to save time and put limits on things that can be limitless (ie. email).

Here are 7 other tips:

1) Set time to review email ... and then TURN IT OFF.   Yes, I am saying that to really maximize your time, you need to cover off emails early in the day and again later in the day but turn off the incessant bings, alerts and notifications.

2) Cut your meetings from 60 minutes to 45 and then to 30 minutes.   Try odd numbers to make the time limit more obvious and conscious - 28 minute meetings work better than 30 just like 43 works better than 45.

3) Stop accepting every meeting that is requested of you.   Review all meeting requests once a day and book in only those that add value to your role or work.   Have someone else in your office cover the meetings that "might" add value - get a report in 5 minutes instead of a 45 minute meeting.

4) Know what the top 3 ways you create value are and ensure that 80% of your time is dedicated to these focuses.

5) Move weekly meetings to bi-weekly with slightly more time.

6) Have stand-up meetings and daily huddles with your team - 10 to 12 minutes tops!

7) Set meetings back to back with 5 minutes to transition; have your meetings 3-4 in a row to cover them off in a half day and then enjoy a half day back at your desk where you can get some work done.

8) Work outside of your office in a meeting room or outside place (a coffee shop) to avoid interruptions and distractions.

9) Don't set any meetings until 10am. Create a work period for yourself which your team and colleagues know is a Do Not Disturb period.   Buy a sign for your door if it isn't clear to others. If that fails, buy a lock.

10) Review meeting agenda's and participate in only the pieces that affect you. Excuse yourself when you are not vital to a conversation. A 60 minute meeting may only require you for 20 minutes.

As you start to condense your time and create urgency it will be something people begin to respect and honor (maybe not in the first 4 weeks but soon after that).   Move your 5 days into 3 days and watch how you suddenly feel a new control on your time and your workload.

Plan for Booming Business Year-Round

2011-01-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

So many people return from holidays and realize they haven't done nearly enough planning, scheduling and preparation with clients. They spend most of January trying to connect, get started or re-kindle lost momentum. In order to reduce slowdowns and eliminate being at a standstill, you’ve got to have a plan in advance! There are 2 key things to remember to ensure you are ahead of the game, not falling behind….

Plan Future Projects

Whether you’re a business owner or in sales, often our relationship with clients is only planned out as far as the next transaction. Ideally you want to engage clients in conversations that get them thinking about their future purchases and also the timelines to those things. Often clients say, lets tackle it in the spring. Well, let’s set some dates! The other issue is does the client realize what type of preparation and lead time is necessary to hit "spring"? We need to be asking clients about future projects and purchases while they are in the thick of the existing ones. We need to educate them on all the steps and time requirements (which often educates them on just how much value you provide).

Know your Client

When I go buy clothes in the winter, my favorite clothing salesperson, Carmen is already asking me if I golf and telling me when the spring/summer lines come in. Then she always asks if she can call before then to book a VIP appointment so I have first pick on new items. She made me feel special by taking an interest in my hobbies, positioning things so I was a VIP and ensuring I committed to a future appointment.

Another great example is the printer that calls 3 months after you order business cards as a courtesy to ask if you need cards again now or in one more month – note that NOT re-ordering wasn't a choice.
Or how about the pumps/compressor salesman asking clients about 24 months of upcoming projects and selling 5-10 units at a time simply by suggesting clients look at their long term needs (and again created more value for customers as a planning facilitator versus just a salesperson).

Sit down with clients and plan for this coming summer now. There is no reason to be slow this summer if you start to book up the whole spring now. When you're in demand and make the effort to plan and guide people on when they need to buy, they will!

Your Elevator Speech

2011-01-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

How do you respond when someone asks 'what do you do?' There are a couple of key things to consider and unfortunately most people do it wrong. Most people just answer the question: their role, company they are with and products/services they offer.
Unfortunately, they stop there.

It results in something like:
"My name is John, I work for Johnson Manufacturing, we make kitchen countertops and pre-fab stone structures."

Wow! Gripping! Who wouldn't walk away from John after this uninspiring speech?!

This is where the elevator speech comes in. Basically it is your short window of opportunity (similar to a ride in an elevator) to educate someone on what you do in a way that is inspiring, intriguing and BEGS for questions to be asked!

Start with what you offer: Your audience is judging whether they want to keep talking to you based on what is in it for them. So tell them.
Make it sound exciting: Don't just manufacture something - own the industry, be cutting edge, hold a record. Your tone of voice will also say everything you're not - BE excited, smile and share your passion and energy!
Ask a question: Engage people in order to get them talking about what you do and what they need. Make it an open ended question not a yes/no answer.

A replay on John's speech should be more like this:
"My name is John, I turn people's kitchen into works of art that make having dinner parties thrilling for our customers. I work with Johnson Manufacturing and we lead the industry in creativity. When was the last time you had your kitchen upgraded?"

Final tip: Practice it. Moving to a new, interesting elevator speech is awkward for most people. Repeat it to yourself 50 times, to others 20 times and then take it out to the next meeting or network event.

4 Client Gift-Giving Guidelines that make YOU stand out

2010-12-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

So often this time of year your mailbox is bombarded with holiday cards from business associates, your realtor, and friends. The ones from friends tend to be the most effective because they usually take the time to write a personal message that sticks and impacts you. As well you get boxes of chocolates at the office … how many pounds of sweets do you really need? Here are 4 great ideas for giving gifts that make an impact and stand out:
1) Give gifts or cards to clients, employees and key alliance/vendors/partners. Don’t leave people out.

2) Make the card handwritten. Pre-printed cards or a Hallmark with just your signature actually can send the message that you don’t care enough to actually write something yourself.

3) Gifts should be for the individual and not for the office (unless you deal with a whole group of people). So often I get a gift for the company (coupon for discount) or for the office (giant box of cookies).

4) Call an assistant or co-worker to really find out what makes that person tick or where their interests lie. A gift card from their favorite running store (if they run) or for the movies (if that’s a love of theirs) is a always more memorable. Memorable means relationship and relationship means more business in the new year..

Get 2011 off to the right start. Many companies have good ideas ... at Evolve we ensure that action and accountability are in place to make it a reality. Our philosophy is that any business can move from being good to great with the right tactics, strategies and implementation. What is your goal and how can we help you achieve it? Contact us for a free assessment.

Tips on Tactfully Collecting Receivables

2010-12-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

First off, stop being so apologetic. It is your money. It is owed to you. You and your team have worked hard for it, so make sure you remember that you are in the right and not the wrong. Often people dealing with receivable calls will try to put you in the wrong, will be vague or occasionally, even aggressive. When you call about a receivable owing be prepared, have the reference number, invoice number, date sent, all ready to go for quick reference. The best way to dodge calls and commitments is to say "its in process" or "we have it in for payment". Most people then are satisfied and hang up. Wrong!! Its in process?! How long is that? It's in for payment? This year?

The objective is to get specific commitments. When someone says it will be ready next week, you have to ask, Is that Monday or Friday? (because next week is a period not a time) What day will it be ready? Will that be morning or afternoon? Ask people to hold the cheque for pickup. Then it never gets lost in the mail (It's in the mail; a classic!). I often send a courier because $8 on a courier is always cheaper than not having control of money owed to me.

Be as friendly as you can be. Try to kill the person with kindness but be firm and persistent. The person who is pleasant but calls consistently get the early payments.

Dealing with Client Relationships

2010-11-12T13:58:00.002-07:00

Every person in business has good client relationships... and then some that aren't as connected. There are so many variables to how to manage a relationship with a client in order to ensure its long term, honest and strong. Here are 5 key things to think about in caring for your client relationships:

1) It is YOUR responsibility to make the relationship work. Yes, yes, it is both parties responsibility in a relationship but the bigger person and the driving force behind the relationship is you. You initiate communication with clients. You call to check in. You present ways to communicate regularly that might work for them. If you wait for the client to manage things, you are not owning that responsibility. (Tough conversations are also yours to start).

2) Get Results. Business relationships are fundamentally built around the work. So you can be the greatest person on earth but if your project or service is being poorly delivered, then the relationship will ultimately fail. Sure, a good personality and friendship might give you some extra chances but make no mistake, results are what a client needs.

3) Systemize the communication. Formalize the methods you use with a client so they get updates, reports, emails and status on things regularly, on time and at the same time daily or weekly. No news or silence is not a good idea. People always think the worst when they don’t hear from you. You are better to send consistent reports that say, no change, than to provide no word at all.

4) Ask for Feedback. We all dread the idea of asking for feedback but it is essential to knowing where your client relationship stands. People who are surprised when a client ‘lets them go’ shouldn’t be. They are only surprised because they never had the courage to ask the client how things were going and where they could’ve improved.

5) Be Courageous. Tough conversations around price, delivery and client cooperation are going to come up. If you are feeling bad or there is the proverbial white elephant in the room, your job is to bring up the issues before your client. You are proactive about issues, able to voice concerns for the client from their perspective and willing to admit mistakes. People appreciate courageous communication.

How to Win Every Challenge Before it Begins

2010-10-05T12:25:00.001-06:00

Have you ever had a favorite competitor or team that was so dominant, they had destroyed the competition before they even got on the field or reached the start line? These athletes have a success mindset and it’s a necessity for you, in business today.

You, your customers, your team and co-workers all have pre-conceived notions and ideas that form your beliefs around work. It could be beliefs around pricing, effort, money, whether you’re better at sales. The beliefs you start each day with determine your effectiveness in sales, in customer service, in leadership. It impacts what you make each year as income.

Here are some key exercises to master your mindset and identify your limitations:

How do you define your skills and abilities? Ask yourself this, what am I not good at? Make a list. Now let us ask, how do you know? Is it an opinion, or a fact? Very often people’s limitations are based on a belief about what they can’t do. It’s an opinion that they are “not really creative”, “not good with numbers” or “bad in front of clients”. Is this really true? Most of the time it is a lack of practice and a belief in that limitation which creates the result. Look at what your list is; now write out what you would need to do to get good at these things. What would you need to practice? Where could you get help? Who could mentor you? Creating an action plan of steps to improve a limitation often uncovers its temporary nature.
Play Out the Ideal in Your Head – if you want to get comfortable with a new belief you need to play with it in your imagination. For example, if you aren’t making enough money, you need to start to imagine what it might be like to make double or triple. What would you spend it on? What would those big paychecks feel like to receive? Write one out to yourself. Once you really start to enjoy imagining the new situation it is easier to start to say, how could I do it? It starts with you feeling comfortable before you start to create it.

Get on the right track - Join us for Success Mindset- the first seminar in the Leadership Selling Series beginning Monday October 18th.

Managing Time Versus Energy

2010-06-30T17:13:00.003-06:00

Evolve Business Group was one of the sponsors of a WIIFM Productions presentation June 29th featuring Russell Hunter from the Human Performance Institute (http://www.hpinstitute.ca). During his talk, Russell likened a business person to a high performing athlete. There are chronic demands on energy and over time if the appropriate measures are not taken the life span of a “corporate athlete” is diminished. The key point is that energy is the fundamental currency of high performance.

In order to perform at one’s best there are four principles of personal energy management to assess:

Principle number 1 is energy is four dimensional. The four dimensions of energy are: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. All four dimensions are connected and work to create either physical or emotional based energy. The ideal situation is to move between quadrants of high physical energy & low physical energy along with positive emotional energy. This allows for opportunity based energy.

Principle number 2 is energy investment requires renewal. It is important to be able to have “micro-recovery” so that you can have sustained performance. Check in with yourself and ask what are already doing to recover in small ways throughout the day? Some examples are: getting up and stretching periodically, walking at lunch or taking a book and reading over a break.

Principle number 3 is stress is not the enemy. Stress is created simply by how we frame situations and things and attach meaning to them. Studies have shown that by experiencing “training stress” the capacity for performance increases. In other words stress is important in stretching our abilities and creating learning.

Principle number 4 is willpower is overrated. 95% of how we perform is determined by non conscious habitual behaviours. Only 5% is conscious and self-regulated behaviours. By creating specific performance rituals, these will become embedded in the 95% of non conscious habitual behaviours.

By doing a quick self assessment and a process of development based on these 4 principles, you will be on your way to becoming a corporate athlete. Enlist a partner to create performance rituals or consult us at Evolve (results@evolvebusinessgroup.com) and get training!

Tips to Success at Work and in your Health:

2010-01-11T10:07:00.002-07:00

So you are sleeping poorly? Too stressed? Not eating as well as you could from your desk? Exercising monthly? All business people have periods like this. They do. Some people take a different approach to solving these issues though. Exercise is incredible for reducing stress, improving sleep, giving you energy, clearing your head, even improving what you eat (no one wants potato chips after a workout).

So why aren't you making health and exercise a part of your weekly routine? Can't find the time? Can't get out of the office? Can't get all the way to the gym? Maybe 2010 is where you need to start.

Here are some critical tips for making fitness part of your life in 2010:

Find a gym close to your house or close to your work - if you have to drive more than 10 minutes you won't do it. People tell themselves they will drive 30 minutes to the gym ... no you won't.
Go at a time when you are energized ... if you are not a morning person then quit trying to convince yourself you will get up at 5am. If you do get up early, set 2-3 alarm clocks to ensure you succeed.
Get a trainer - they will give you routines, exercises, ideas and companionship for every workout.
Find a sport or activity you like - if you hate weights, don't lift them. If you hate swimming then don't swim. What do you like to do?
Learn more ... most people know little about kinesiology, bio-mechanics, caloric intake, exercises for different parts of the body, etc. Get interested and become a student of health.
Get a trainer - they will push you harder than you thought you could ever go and will show you what you are capable of.
Find a partner - people who workout with a partner are 4 times more likely to stick with it. Find someone at work, at the gym or get a trainer to help you.
Tell your boss or co-workers ... I know, it seems crazy but telling those you work with about your commitment to fitness and health will increase their understanding and support of you hitting the gym.
Get a trainer - they will encourage you, hold you accountable, teach you, hug you, make you successful!

Personal Touch Your Way to Success

2009-12-09T14:04:00.001-07:00

Personal Touch Your Way to Success:

No matter what position or role you play in a company, personal touch matters. How are you putting a personal touch on things with your co-workers? Your suppliers? Your customers? Sure people all send out those chocolate boxes or a fruit basket this time of year. What about next month in January? Adding a personal touch is something you need to do each day, week and month. It doesn’t have to be big things. Here are ideas you can use no matter what time of year or what position you are in:

Personalized notes – attach a little handwritten note of thanks whenever you send papers out.
Personalized cards – send a card out saying thank you, great job or sharing some admiration. You appear more human than an email ever will.
Bring Food – send cookies to a client and watch the reaction. Bring donuts to the Monday meetings and show someone you thought of the team.
Send Kudos to the Boss – send a message to the boss letting him/her know what a great job was done by them (they’re people too).
Magazine subscription – get a client a magazine subscription they will love. It’s a gift that gives for 12 months!
Inspirational Sayings – put some inspirational message in the kitchen or the boardroom for people to read and appreciate
Wrap it Up – next time you send a report, a book, a part – wrap it up like a gift. Amazon does it with books and people love it.
Gift cards – send someone a gift card every week with a note telling them how they impact you.
Take Someone for Lunch – who never seems to leave the office? Take them out for lunch on you and get to know them.

Use little extras like this to make a big impact on people … during this festive season but also in all of 2010.

Plan B

2009-10-27T09:21:00.002-06:00

With many of our coaching clients at the ownership and management levels we talk about Plan B. What is your plan to generate income that doesn't rely on your current job or your current company? If you assumed no one else was going to cover your retirement or long term well-being, what plan do you need in place? Now some people think this is about being a financial planner. It's not. It is about business strategy for you as an individual and as a company. It is critical to know that you have a second income stream, second opportunity and cushion if things ever finished up quickly with your primary role/job.

Where are your interests? What things do you love? Real estate? Stocks? Makeup? Organic Products? Find your interests and see where Plan B can fit around those. If you had to spend 3-4 hours a week working on your future then you have the makings for a Plan B. Do it with your spouse. Know that getting rich and being independent isn't based on what your financial advisor tells you - he or she has hundreds of clients and isn't watching your money every minute of the day. It is based on you taking time to find a hobby called Plan B that will continue to grow your knowledge in business and your wealth outside of your first role/career.

Money is the Result.

2009-10-27T08:54:00.003-06:00

So many people are focused on making money in their companies and in their careers that I thought it was important to write about how they can do this. The fundamental problem most people have is that they don't recognize that more cash, bonuses, sales, commissions and salary are results. They are an output and not an input. Therefore, by just focusing on the result of things (I need some more money personally, we want more sales this quarter) we are missing the critical focus - the inputs that create money for us.

In your job you should know exactly why you get paid what you do. What is expected of you in order to earn your salary? My experience is many people aren't quite sure. Well, you need to know in order to be able to increase your inputs to get more output (money). Talk to your boss and your co-workers, AND your clients and see what generated results for them. Then you have a sense of what you need to produce more of in order to get more money. A raise doesn't show up without more effort and results. You don't get a bonus at the start of the quarter, it's at the end when your results can be measured. So start today in knowing what you need to do to serve more people and to create more results worthy of more cash.

As a business owner or manager, how can your organization serve more clients and better serve the clients you have? So often companies think that clients deal with them because of their base product or service. Well, your clients can get your product or service from probably 50 different suppliers (or at least 5). So why are they dealing with you? You need to know in order to create more value. As you create more value for clients you create more buzz, strengthen your reputation, advance your product offering and generate more results for clients. It is a cycle. So figure out fast what you offer. Then set some new goals based on how many people and companies you will help this quarter. That is the input you control and revenue is the result.

Business Plan Tips

2009-10-25T09:11:00.003-06:00

I had a good friend ask me about doing up a business plan for a new business idea he has. He had gotten all sorts of answers and templates from the bank and friends. I thought, they really don't know what people often look for so based on my experience of launching 11 companies, I'd throw in my two sense ...

Here are some things that I think are critical to a good plan:

1) A summary that makes simple sense. It amazes me after reading people's summary of their idea and business that I still don't get it. Because they drink their own kool-aid, they think its clear but to most outsiders it is clear as mud. So be able to explain the idea in 1-2 sentences. Like I say for Evolve - we are like personal trainers for your business - working business parts to make them stronger, leaner and more profitable. People see to register with that better than some long winded explanation with big words.
If you have a story then tell it too. You survived a fire and in that moment you knew that making people's skin clear was your life's work and calling ... (well, something like that).

2) If you are looking for investment have a summary of what you want, how you are going to spend it, how I get my money back and also what return I get. This should be a one pager. It is a page that most people don't include and then investors get frustrated trying to figure it out on their own. Most money people are impatient and will not read pages to figure out their role - they'll just decline.

3) If there is a business you are modelling anywhere in the world then get stats, pictures and stories of it. This tells people that you aren't a pioneer and that the idea works (even if its in Europe). Include photos just because people seem to love photos - seriously, I have had people look at photos for long periods of time of just concepts. Way more effective to get the ideas across.

4) Include a section on operations (how its going to run), marketing (how we are going to promote it), opportunity (why it is different and why you believe it will work), bios on the key players (people buy people), Threats and how you have already addressed them.

5) Finances is a key section. People want to see you have done your homework so include substantial projections and numbers. Most people show they are going to make $500K the first year or sell 1000 memberships the first month. It never happens. Bankers and investors presume that you are overstating your projections unless you can explain your assumptions (a key separate sheet with the numbers for reference). I would expect to be able to show a small loss or breakeven in the first year and then some good growth in year two. That's the typical business path. It takes 6 months before things start to roll. I would include cash projections, sales projections and even a balance sheet (although it will be really simple). It shows you understand the numbers which is a key.

6) The projections and numbers have to demonstrate that a payback of the loans or investors is possible. Sometimes I have seen plans where the business makes $60K a year profit and somehow the business is paying back investors 100K on some other page. Seems obvious but its not.

7) If things go sideways, can you outline the worst case scenario. For example, at the restaurant we say we would liquidate the equipment as the worst case (.20 cents on the dollar) but would list the restaurant for sales before that because as an on-going concern we can get approximately .70 on the dollar. This is the reasonable downside. People like to know the worst case.

8) Make it pretty. Glossy, professional, photos, logos and brand, all of that gets people emotionally and has an impact.

I think those are some of the key items that most business plan templates miss. Often your answers verbally when people sit down with you are the most important. If I can talk with you and you seem to know every figure, detail and component then I think, wow, this guy knows and that has more impact than anything on paper. I have had people invest and buy after talking without ever opening the business plan. They are buying you.

Sales Tip: Master the Mental Battle

2009-09-17T14:05:00.001-06:00

Going out and selling each day is a tough job. You face adversity and challenge that most people don’t know. One of the keys to selling is the commitment to winning deals. This commitment starts in your head. Many sales are won or lost based on your commitment and will to get a sale. When you enter a sales situation you need to be more committed to working with the client than they are about not working with you. If they are wishy-washy and you are committed, who do you think wins? You do.

If you approach each sale driven with hope instead of commitment – then you are as wishy-washy as your prospective client and that will never aid you in getting deals.

Get up each day and know that you are going to win some new clients. Remind yourself as you walk into each meeting and see how your mastery of mind wins people over.

Leadership Tip: Make a List of All the Things You Hated

2009-09-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

What are the things you have hated about every job you ever had? What things did your old boss or manager do that drove you wild or made you feel bad? Often realizing what didn’t empower you gives insight into what you need to avoid as a leader.

Although we like to work in the positive of “do these things”, we also can formulate those by recognizing what didn’t work with us and making sure we don’t do it to others.

Sales Tip: Give Me Something For FREE

2009-09-10T14:30:00.000-06:00

People love FREE. It’s usually something they want or can use, sometimes not, but people always respond to free. When you are selling into a new account or company you need to provide some value without asking for anything. Free is a great way to do that. I don’t know you. I don’t trust you. But when you offer me something for free I start to think I can trust you and you are looking out for me – which builds trust fast. Make it a free trial, a free demo, a free sample, a free whitepaper, a free study, a free assessment (a real assessment not a sale wrapped as an assessment).

Find something to give away and people will open their doors to you for more sales.

Leadership Tip: Make a List of All the Things You Loved

2009-09-04T13:00:00.002-06:00

Every leader – whether good or bad – was at one point an employee. As an employee we all have things we loved about our previous bosses. We often also have things that we hated. Take a moment to think about all the things you loved as an employee. What empowered you? What made you feel great?

Make a list of these things and post it in a place where you will see it and do those things with your team.

Sales Tip: Stop "Touching Base:

2009-09-03T14:30:00.000-06:00

How many times do you call back people that are just calling to touch base? Well, for most people it is rarely. We get too many calls, emails and have too many tasks to get around to touching base. I have friends that I really do want to catch up with and we still have trouble finding time – and they are friends!

When you call someone or leave them a message give them a reason to call back. Tell them about new features they may want. Tell them about a new program you have. Give them an update on news in the industry.

Elude to them there is reason for your call and benefit to them. If you do this well, getting people to return your call will be easier than ever!

Abdication Versus Delegation

2009-08-25T08:13:00.005-06:00

So many times when we work with clients in our coaching programs, we start to move the owner to a higher level of management - getting them away from all the day to day issues. This means more and more decision making and responsibility gets shifted to the team. This works great every time, except when we start to ask the newly time-rich owner details about where things are at. It normally starts to sound like this - "So how are sales this week?" "I'm not sure, I don't generate the sales reports anymore." "How are your largest two accounts and their project launch dates?" "I am not sure, I haven't heard back from the team."

You get the idea that instantly, through leveraging your management team, your distribution of responsibility and decision making can be lost. It is key to delegate those responsibilities and roles but still retain a feedback loop so you are in the know. Delegation ensures there is reporting and updates regularly so you know what is happening - without having to do it. Abdication is the hand-off of responsibility without any feedback or response - someone else now handles it and you don't know what is happening.

So often the next step of business owners and managers that abdicate is to realize they have lost all information flow and to take it all back. All the decisions, all the responsibility and all the long hours. Don't do it! Delegate everything you can to others with strong training and a regular reporting method so you know what is happening but don't need to be doing it.

Sales Tip: Forget "Closing"

2009-08-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

The idea of "closing" a sale has both a positive and negative meaning for most people in sales. First, nothing feels as good as closing a sale and gaining a new client, being able to work with a new organization and, of course, collecting a commission! On the other hand, closing is also that build up of pressure, anxiety and the moment everything has been building to!

What if we told you that closing doesn't work? Most successful sales people know that getting the contract/agreement or go-ahead is only a small step in the process. When you LEAD a prospect through a good selling process, they will follow you easily through the step of going ahead, getting the nod and moving forward. Step to the decision and let them know what the steps after that will be.

If you guide them through each step, most prospects follow and your sales increase.

Leadership Tip: Lead In All Areas of Your Life

2009-08-14T13:34:00.003-06:00

Often great leadership is demonstrated to your team in how you manage your whole life. Many business leaders think it's only about how they operate in the office and how they lead in meetings, campaigns or with staff. Your team is gauging your leadership in your management of your health, your family, your marriage, your personal finances, your car care, your hours, etc. All of this happens in addition to how you lead in the office.

Make sure that leadership development is holistic in your life and watch your results within the office improve too.

Service Tip: Ask Your Clients For Their Definition of Service

2009-08-14T13:27:00.004-06:00

So often we ask our clients, "what makes for great service for your clients?" They often start to answer the question with "I think..." and "we think...". Then the next question becomes obvious, "well, what do your clients think?" Most companies and most service/sales people don’t take time to ask clients what the best service steps can be. Start asking your clients, what other things can we fix, do better, upgrade, make special? The answers will surprise you. Another way to ask is, "if we were going to provide our service and absolutely wow you, what would we change?"

Get clients involved in the process of building your service program and it will create loyalty, create value AND create an ideal program for them.

Service Tip: Stop Cutting Corners in Conversation

2009-08-05T10:30:00.001-06:00

We had a staff lunch a few weeks ago. Our hostess had so much experience she was able to take the whole interaction down to three words. "For Four? Menus? Coffee?" And she was gone. Sure, we got the meaning of each question but, "For four?" is not the same as “Hi, how are you today? Are there four people in your party?”. By shortening the interaction and the number of words it may not lose the meaning (it does to some) but it certainly loses the hospitality.

Make sure that everyone in your call center, service center or client relations has the ability to use full sentences to clearly outline a question, an answer and a solution. It is a way to create better clarity but also more hospitality.

Sales Tip: Invite Old Clients Back

2009-08-05T10:15:00.002-06:00

Have you ever been in a conversation about a past or old client and suddenly thought or said, "I wonder what happened to them?" Apathy or perceived apathy is still the number one reason people leave a supplier. Beyond price or service. The easiest way to overcome this is to constantly invite old clients back. Make them feel welcome over and over. Your past clients should become your base of VIP’s and should be the easiest sales in the world. Too often we take those past relationships for granted or forget about them all together.

If you are doing a decent job then most of your clients will be willing to purchase again … so invite them back to the table to work with you over and over. Introduce new products to them first and have a circle of people that always buy and continue to refer you year after year.

Leadership Tip: How Are You Today - Your Thermostat for Success

2009-08-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

Many times leaders and managers want to get a sense of where their team is operating and how they are feeling. People have an easy way they project their level of energy, enthusiasm and optimism. It is when they answer, how are you today?

Choose people for your team that are “great today” or “excellent this morning”. Stay away from hires and people that are “okay”, “not bad”, “I’m not bleeding” (one of my favorites). When someone answers that question you know their whole approach to their job, their project and their life in an instant. Get your team thinking about how they are setting their bar for the day – fine, good, great, fantastic or beyond. It shapes the way people feel and how they perform for their leader and team.

Post-Stampede Networking - now is the time!

2009-07-13T11:18:00.005-06:00

So today is the day people wander back into the office from days of Stampeding and whooping it up in tents, bars and hotels (ballrooms and conference centers I mean). You look in your pockets and on your desk and see all sorts of cards from the last 10 days. Business cards, scraps of paper with names and numbers. Now is the time to act!

You can take the approach of most people - can't completely remember where you met each person, didn't make any notes on their cards and generally feel a little uncomfortable with just the idea of randomly calling people. No real agenda or reason to call (that you remember). So the cards will sit until next week. Hopefully then you will have more initiative and courage to make those re-introduction calls. Or maybe not.

Then there's the approach of people following our Stampede networking tips. You, like everyone else, return to your office with a stack of business cards and phone numbers. You have made notes on everyone of those cards and can at least piece together where you met each person and what you talked about. Now is a critical point ... what are you going to call about?! Too often people call with the "Hey, I am just touching base" message. Completely ineffective! So with each person you are going to call, plan to:

a) Remind them where you met;
b) Make reference to what you talked about in the beer tent (regardless of if it was personal or work); and
c) Give them a reason for you to keep talking, get together and build a relationship.

If you use these three keys and get back to each of the cards you have this week (starting Tuesday because Monday might be a little quick to pounce) then you are going to find business in those cards! Guaranteed!

Don't waste the opportunity to make use of all those great Stampede moments and contacts! Now is the time to act with a great offer and strong confidence that, even sober, they need what you are selling!

Stampede Networking

2009-06-30T12:16:00.008-06:00

Its that time again in Calgary, time for the Calgary Stampede. It is also time for some of the worst networking practices I have ever seen. Sure, the amount of alcohol plays into that ineffectiveness so then we need to plan for it!
These networking ideas can apply to really any cocktail party, social event or networking breakfast:

1) Drink less than the people around you - seems like an obvious place to start but sometimes we forget.
2) Carry a pen and a piece of paper. This is key. Too often people don't have a card to write their information on, so you should carry a pen and paper to get their number or email. You can use the back of your own card if it has white space.
3) Focus on collecting cards instead of handing them out. Too often people return from a networking or Stampede event and say I handed out over 500 cards this week! Now who has the power in that situation? Unfortunately the people with your cards. Don't leave it to them to follow-up (or more likely not). Forget giving out information, get it! Get their information so you can follow-up with them forever.
4) Write information down on the back of every card you get. This is also critical. I will not remember you from the event. BUT, when you call and say, I met you under the big tent on Thursday, we were talking about how we played in the same hockey league and then you said to call you this week about the widgets we sell ... it will produce very effective results. Write down what you know you won't remember later.
5) Be memorable! This applies to your introduction, your explanation of what you do and your general level of energy. If I am going to meet 20 people this afternoon Stampeding, how will I remember you? If your typical introduction goes like this, Hi, my name is _________ and I work for _________, we do __________ ... then you need some help. Make what you do sound exciting. My friend Van says that insurance is the greatest product ever developed by man! It's insurance! What is he talking about?! Well, people remember his line, his passion and he gets conversations started.
6) Take an interest in everyone else first. People love to talk about them, not you. So become a master at asking questions to keep others talking. People will remember the great conversation they had with you - because they were doing all the talking. When you make others the focus, you see ways to work with them and sales will result faster than if you talk about you. Seems counter-intuitive but it's not. Talk about them.
7) Figure out how you can help. Look for ways to help the people you meet. Introduce them to others, figure out who they should meet, give them a prospect, buy them a drink. When they see you as an ally and someone who is prepare to help them, your stock rises and your relationship builds (so does your memorability).

Start with that. Above all that - have fun. People are drawn to those at any function that appear to be energetic, approachable and fun!

Who Owns Your Time?

2009-06-09T13:12:00.003-06:00

Just returning from a networking/peer luncheon, one of the resounding issues was that of time management and who has ownership of your time. In your 8 hour day, how much of it do you dictate and how much of it is dictate and determined by you? If you are spending more than 50% of your time with your tasks, timelines and schedule being dictated by someone else then you have a productivity problem!

While other people are all too willing to fill your calendar, fill your task list and fill your head, your job is to fight them off and take control again. Your job is:
1) To recognize that your time is YOUR time and that no one makes you do anything ... you accept it.
2) Allow people will work around some of your guidelines for your time when you set them, communicate them and stick to them
3) Each day establish what is most important in your day and what YOU need to get done to maximize the impact (not just the workload) you can make.
4) To set time guidelines that give you more freedom and not become more cumbersome
5) Look at what you can delegate in your work and personal life to free up time ... list off 10 things you don't like to do and start there.

Taking all your cues from other people and allow them to manage all your time is easy. No, it is. Unfortunately it also put someone else's convenience, plan and agenda ahead of yours.

You need to start to test the boundaries of what you can control TODAY. When people take control of even small pieces of their time they start to realize they control all of it! Recognition of control is the first step in time management that many courses and books forget to mention! Yet great time management starts in your head not in your calendar. Need help breaking through the barriers on your time, ask us for help.

Service Tip: It's My Pleasure!

2009-06-05T17:05:00.003-06:00

When did "No problem" become the acceptable response to helping someone out? It suggests that normally things are a problem but in this case it is "no problem". The Ritz Carlton has it right when everyone in their organization helps out and then responds, "My pleasure Sir/Madam." They know that the simple change of words means that each customer feels more valued, deserving and respected. It is never an effort to help at the Ritz. It is the reason they are there and it is always a pleasure to help.

How different an experience can be and the spirit of service when your team starts to respond to customers, "It was my pleasure!"

Leadership Tip: Leadership is Like Cars

2009-06-05T17:02:00.008-06:00

Quality, performance, value and experience. All things you might be looking for in a car. Also all things that people list when talking about a strong leader.

If your team had to describe your leadership style in terms of a car, what kind of car would you be? Would you be a Mercedes or would you be a Saturn? It is a great exercise to allow people to describe you without directly describing you. It is essential to know what vehicle you are trying to BE and trying to represent. It is also easier to picture that car in your mind all day or week long versus trying to remember all the words that describe it.

Start your week being a Mercedes or a Hummer and see how your team's response changes and improves.

Sales Tip: Build Your Sales Case

2009-06-05T16:47:00.006-06:00

How many times have you seen a salesperson who can't think of more than one or two good reasons to buy their product? A strong sales case has at least three reasons for every potential objection to your product or service.

If you can't overwhelm prospective clients with great reasons and ideas to buy your product, don't expect them to think of the reasons on their own. It is your responsibility to build a case for your product, not theirs.

Create a cheat sheet of ideas for product and service. Make a huge list of reasons and advantages - then internalize it. Know it well enough it comes to mind easily and instantaneously.

With a strong case you can win almost any deal!

The Need for Accountability

2009-06-03T06:36:00.003-06:00

Who keeps you accountable? Maybe your first response is your spouse. What about at work? Who is providing you with accountability? Who is keeping you focused and on target with the things you say you will do or the things you want to do? It is a critical role. Every professional athlete has a coach and one of their key roles is accountability. Can Tiger Woods hit a golf ball? Of course he can. Will he occassionally cut a practice short or hit a few less practice balls? Of course he would if someone wasn't providing accountability.

I chuckle when a business owner says that his team makes him accountable. I chuckle because when I ask the team, typically they say they have no power to hold the president/owner accountable because he's the boss. One of the things I absolutely encourage is to find someone to be an accountability source for you. I have a friend that holds me accountable to my vacation planning. I have a personal trainer creating accountability for workouts and health. I have a business coach (www.evolvebusinessgroup.com/coaching) for my strategic planning and accountability of our corporate performance. Without these people I would be less vacationed, more stressed, fatter and wouldn't have the professional success I do.

Whether it be family, friends, co-workers, a business coach or mentor ... find someone to create accountability and help you plan out each area of your life. Let them help you ensure success in all aspects of your life.

Outlook on the Economy

2009-04-28T07:32:00.003-06:00

Here is a link to one of our favorite sales professionals and gurus, Jeffrey Gitomer. We are always talking about the focus on how much of the market is there when sales are down. After reading this article we couldn't have said it better ourselves:
http://www.gitomer.com/articles/ViewPublicArticle.html?key=ajcdMibak3MNmHBSdoygJQ%3D%3D

Compensation for Contribution

2009-04-27T16:10:00.007-06:00

So often we fall into this idea that we get paid to show up at work. Really that is true only for a short period of time. In the longer term analysis, as people realize your limited contribution and effort, you jeopardize your position and security. Contribution is really what you are being compensated for. Not just contribution to the widget or service your company produces but also contribution to the culture, contribution to the community and even, on a daily basis, to the energy of the group.

So when you arrive at work each day, how many ways are you thinking about contribution? Are you showing up to manage your coffee and your email? Probably not. Most people are there to give some input and help in some capacity. How committed are you to really contributing to the success of the organization? Do you know what type of contribution is even expected of you?

If you aren’t contributing each day in a variety of ways then you aren’t giving it your all. You need to look at the way you work and the approach you take and ask yourself; am I contributing like this today:

1) To the morale and betterment of the people in my office and organization?

2) Am I giving energy to the people around me?

3) Am I giving energy to the solutions to our problems (or just keying in on the problems themselves)?

4) With new ideas, original ideas or collaborative ideas (you get paid to think)?

5) To the community outside of my organization – independently or with the company?

6) To the profitability of the business or organization?

7) To the improvement of my skills, knowledge and expertise?

Focus on contribution in all of these areas and watch your career effortlessly expand and flourish as you reap what you sow.

You are NOT your business

2009-04-22T10:57:00.001-06:00

I was talking with my girlfriend over the weekend and I said, I had not paid the utility bill. She said, I thought we had. I responded, no for one of the restaurants. She said, did you know you always talk about your businesses in the first person?

It was a moment of realization. For a guy that is constantly telling people that their business is a separate entity I had fallen into the same trap of thinking of my business as me. But it's not! She went on to say ... and this is the bad part, that when something good happens in one of your businesses you say its the business. When something bad happens or something gets missed you reference it in the first person. Wow, what an insight into a mindset.

So I am telling me and all the other business owners out there - while loving your business is important and caring for it is critical; it is not you. The same way you separate the accounts and operations (home versus office) you need to mentally separate the business from you. A perfect goal it to grow the business and structure its operations so that it runs without you (that's what our coaching programs are for). Then if you can be absent the business is clearly it is own entity and liveblood. Unfortunately, this separation needs to start between your ears. It needs to begin with recognition of its operation outside of you.

So I am catching my language when talking about all my companies - they are not me. With a little help from my girlfriend as an accountability coach, it will be even easier :o)

What's In Your Name and Message?

2009-04-02T12:26:00.002-06:00

I am in traffic the other day and a van pulls up to me with the company name and logo painted on the side of it. Affordable Painting! it says. Instantly I thought this is the worst name in the world. Why? Because the name makes every client interaction about price. Affordable becames one of those words that is subjective but always moves towards the low end of the value and price scale. It certainly doesn't indicate luxury brand or premium pricing.

How does your company name, slogan or brand impact the clients and rates you get paid? What about your sales presentation; do prospects perceive you to be at the top of your industry and are willing to pay you for expertise, experience, knowledge and relationship? No one should start out or move towards operating at the bottom end of the market ... unless you are Wal-Mart and you are going to dominate that whole space.

This poor painter fighting with each prospect to cut his rates, reduce his prices and become more "affordable". How does this translate into his payment terms? Not well I bet. Bad debts, likely. The clientele that you attract start to be attracted to your business and you based on the message you give off. If you want to be getting more and able to offer more then everything about your process and offering has to scream more, more, more. That's more value for more dollars.

Take an outside look at every sentence in your materials, every slogan and every message to customers. Do all those messages match up with your offering, your price point and where you want to be in the market. If not, start making changes today!

Plan B - Your Backup Plan for Wealth

2009-03-31T17:41:00.003-06:00

In helping entrepreneurs develop their businesses, we often get talking about what you would do once the business is up and running without all the time commitment; once everyone is doing it for you and cash is rolling in. I refer to it as Plan D. It's the Plan D, for Dreams. If you had unlimited time and money, what would you do?

I also talk to people about Plan B because sometimes our business or career doesn't roll the way we want it to. Sometimes we also recognize that the current operation or current role doesn't give us the cash we are going to need to live like kings and queens into our 90's. Plan B is the idea that no matter how good things are today (or more likely not as good as it was) that you need a second backup plan. What if your business went down? Would it take all your wealth or do you have enough stashed away in real estate and investments? What if you career ended tomorrow? Do you have any other passive income? Seems pretty obvious doesn't it.

My experience is that most people don't have a Plan B. I have had clients making $400,000 annually but realized they needed to work every year until death because that just covered their expenses. Living large but no Plan B. This could be a second company or little business like a MLM or a vending machine business that requires a couple hours a week. It can be real estate or cars. It needs to be something that you can generate cash out of or hide cash in for the long term. As so many people in large corporations are discovering you need to plan for zero income and those people that even have $2000 a month coming in from somewhere else are far, far ahead of the pack. This is true of business owners too. Find a way to get some income going from somewhere besides your main business.

Don't have a plan B? Get started on one today. Not sure of what it can be? Maybe I can help you define it. The point is, self-sufficiency in good times and in bad is based on a strong plan A ... AND plan B.

Since When Is Service a Reduction of Words

2009-03-26T21:07:00.004-06:00

I was down in Montana and had an opportunity to visit my favorite breakfast place. It is famous for its breakfast. Unfortunately my service experience was something different. It was the experience of minimal speech! "Two?" "Coffee?" "Ready?" Can you see it? We walked in and in a word she confirmed how many in our party. In another word she had covered off the drinks order. Finally she got things ordered with one more word. Efficient.

One of the keys of service is the idea of hospitality. Hospitality is communication. When did, "Good morning. How are you today? How many people in your party?" become "Two?" Sure I go out enough that I understood her meaning and I got through it without injury. But her elimination of words made communication impersonal and at times confusing. We were definitely a number not a customer.

Whether it be through service training (http://evolvebusinessgroup.com/training/serviceTitans.php) or just through systematic reminders for your team to talk to your customers and make it an experience for them. You have to ensure that common place never takes the place of service. This is a common pitfall of any staff who talks to customers. It becomes commonplace for them and they forget its new for each customer, everyday. Service scripts are a first step and hospitality is the next step. Establish plans for both in your operations.

Keep using the right words and remember the words create the experience for customers.

Learning is the "How"

2009-02-11T14:58:00.005-07:00

Everyone wants to make more money in their work and know that they are secure. As a business owner they want to keep growing and improve their business. So how does knowledge tie into that? People’s careers and owner’s business stop improving when they stop learning. We have heard that before. So what type of learning is key? Any learning. The only way for a career or a company to grow is through new ideas and new knowledge applied.

You want a new raise, new sales goals or even just to hang on to your job – then get learning. Continuing to add value to your clients, your co-workers and your industry is how you grow. So you need new ideas and ways to offer new value. It all comes from reading a book, listening to an audio tape, reading a periodical, checking out online resources. It is more about what you can bring to the table with your mind than it is your hands for most of us. If you never show up with a new idea or engage in a new strategy/tactic in your career or business, how do you expect to continue to add value? Not sure what to learn. Ask your boss, ask your clients.

Fresh businesses and fresh people are always learning and applying in their work.

Gratitude is Key

2009-01-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

With all the talk of economic slowdown (whether you choose to participate or not), now is a great time to focus on time tested keys that can help you and your organization. Gratitude is key because, first, it strengthens relationships. When you consistently let clients and customers know you appreciate them and thank them for their business they come back. What they buy may vary but they become more and more loyal through strong gratitude. Secondly, gratitude is terrific for focusing your organization and team on what is going well. It can also be just for you in your own role. What is going well? What are you grateful for?

TIP...

Start to list off all of the things that still are advantageous and you are lucky to have. People feel better. Teams come together. It builds morale in a company quickly. Is gratitude part of your staff meetings?

Finally, as you talk about what you are grateful for you focus on opportunity. Opportunities are available in all economic conditions. Many people stop trying to see them. Starting with gratitude about last year’s big sales, great clients and big wins can spur the conversation of where this year’s opportunities will lie. Take time to work gratitude into your daily routine (a thank you card a day) and that of your team’s (team meetings, announcement, rituals).

Take Notice then Take Notes

2008-12-09T20:04:00.003-07:00

In your work, what do you know about your peers, your boss or your team? Do you have any information on them personally? Do you actively look for ways to build relationship and enhance your daily work experience? So often people say, well when someone takes an interest in me then I'll take an interest in them. Unfortunately, if you want an interest taken in you, you need to go out and take an interest first. Give to get. Want to create value so that your job, your department or your company are so valuable that you can never be fired, downsized or fail? Go after all the relationships you can. Internally and externally. Sure performance is still important but when combined with strong relationship it is unbreakable. Your clients, co-workers and employees will go the extra mile only when they know you, like you and share with you.

Try this. Take time each week and call a client and talk to them. Not about the product/service but about them. Sure, it will seem strange the first week but you will get it soon enough. Just call and talk. Start with the weather and have 5 other generic topics to cover. Now go do the same things with someone in your office. Just go to their office and talk - about them!! Not for 2 hours but for 10 minutes. Learn something new about that person. Finally, log the information in a database or on a notepad. Why? Because we can't keep all the details about every person in our head! Yes, cheat a little. Cheat with the notes but be sincere in expanding your work relationships every week.

BUSY-NESS IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS

2008-11-12T14:40:00.002-07:00

Too many people in too many companies judge someone’s performance based on how busy they appear to be. I have worked in offices where someone’s job appeared to be filling up the 8 hours with whatever they could. Stay busy, your head down and no one gets hurt. It is a crazy way to operate but its more common than it should be.

Strong organizations realize that busy doesn’t count for much. They take steps to establish other ways to judge performance. They evaluate and measure actual outputs or impact on clients to see where value is being created. As an entrepreneur, what is your company measuring?

As an individual, how are you finding a balance between busy and effective at work? How are you maximizing your impact? Let me offer some ideas:

Start your day with what is important. This means look at what is important for you to do and start with it first. No! Not after you check voicemail and emails. Before you do anything else, get to what is important to you and your company or client. The major pitfall of most people at work is starting with items that appear urgent or are easy to tackle like emails. But email is rarely the most important thing. People get working on miscellaneous items and suddenly its 4pm and they never got to the work they needed to.

Secondly, most people think their time is dictated by others. Actually there is only one person that controls your time, you. When the phone rings, you pick it up. When someone walks into your office, you allow them in or to stay. You have the ability to choose where you start, how long you work on something, what your priority is. Owning your time and explaining to others around you how you are going to be spending it is critical.

Start your day with what is important and watch your productivity rise. Your new focus will make you a stand-out in the crowd of busy-ness.

SPEAK UP!

2008-09-29T21:16:00.006-06:00

In my experience with corporate environments, often the loudest voice is really just the biggest opinion and not always the facts. In your workplace, if you have an idea, an ambition or a passion you need to pursue it. You may run into people who don’t see the same opportunity or vision but that doesn’t mean yours is wrong. In fact, often the more innovative you are the less others will adopt your ideas … initially. Watch out for the voice of experience, the voice of reason, the voice of “I’ve been in this business for …” All of these voice stifle real breakthroughs.

In your company you need to be the one coming up with fresh ideas and fresh ways to tackle the work. That is really what the boss will value. So how often are you quietly seeing opportunity and then allowing an internal voice or the one in the next cubicle to tell you otherwise.

As a great exercise, start to come up with 5 solutions for every one of the problems you have in front of you today. The first 1 or 2 are easy. Then 3 pops up and then you really start to hit some new territory when you find 4 and 5. Maybe it’s a hybrid of 3 and 5 that you present in the next meeting. Maybe you float your new idea quietly over a coffee … but get it out there. The best ideas come from the people in the business every day. The same people often thinking, no one will listen to my ideas. Are you saying them out loud?!

Business owners and managers love people that are creative, innovative and always working to solve a problem. They won’t take all your ideas and implement them but they will appreciate and remember your voice and efforts. So speak up.

Step Up & Stand Out

2008-09-01T22:06:00.008-06:00

One of the worst expressions from any staff member or service person is, that’s not my job. It appears people are so quick to push off responsibility and do the bare minimum in their jobs. When was the last time you had the chance to go further for a client or for a project and stopped, using the idea that it wasn’t really your issue or responsibility to improve it.

Every employer I have ever worked with has wanted more from their staff; more initiative, more effort and more responsibility to solve the issues at hand. Contrary to that popular quote, you DO get paid to think. Most of your income and value comes from your thinking and solving problems. So own it. Initially you get paid to do a certain function or role. So own that and be responsible for everything in it. If its in charge of admin supplies then make sure everything is stocked, inventoried, you’ve asked about everyone’s needs, you’ve compared prices. When you take full responsibility for your area (no matter how small) it demonstrates you can do more. It demonstrates all those great qualities all companies want to showcase – pride in work, organization, initiative and, of course, personal responsibility.

You want to get paid more? Then demonstrate your level of personal responsibility to your tasks and your area of the business. Take whatever you are supposed to be doing as the most important thing in your life. Oh sure, maybe its not but do your customers or your employer want to know that?! No.

When you stop making excuses for your job, things change. It’s no longer the traffic, the bad customers, the desk you use, the lack of sales materials, the old computer, the bad boss. It is you that makes the job great. You can overcome any surrounding circumstance to stand out. So do it.

Think BIG Every Day at Work

2008-06-16T20:13:00.023-06:00

Most of us start each work day off with the same routine ... coffee, voicemail and email. Before we know it, its lunch time and we have more emails and voicemails than we did at the beginning of the day. We show up at meetings with a passive participation and sometimes look to kill that last hour before we head home.

So how do we move from that work existence to one that breathes more life into us and also produces results that get noticed?

First off, what are you working for? Most people have a vision for their work that ends at a paycheck. If all you are working for is a payday then your chances of growth, challenge and opportunity are limited. If it's your company, you had better really be focused on something larger.

Here are my suggestions for bigger and better ...

1. Have a career path for yourself within that company and also for the long term. Lets say you want to be the creative director and you are currently a designer, then know the roles you will need to fill to get there. MOST important is to let people know what you goals are and to discuss how you could move towards your ideal role - leaders want to know which of their people are ambitious and focused.

2. What is it about being the boss that seems better than your current job? Often it can be achieved without changing roles. A friend of mine liked that the boss got to take days off to be with his kids. Rick approached the boss and made a case for working flexible hours to be with his kids and in exchange would work an extra 2.5 hours a week. The boss jumped at the offer and Rick got the freedom he wanted; the freedom he thought was outside his reach.

3. With each day you need to make an impact not just be present. When you start your day, look at what needs to be done and start with the item you can see will make an impact. Start with most important when everyone else starts with most urgent and you will stand out (if you are not sure, ask. Just having a team member who is thinking about impact makes a difference with most owners/managers).

4. Go the extra mile - it is an old clique from Napoleon Hill but going the extra mile and demonstrating that you are thinking about the business beyond just your role makes a huge impact on the boss and the organization. When my marketing manager came to me last month and said she had been thinking about online marketing and had create a report for me with a suggestion of sites, ad ideas and alliances, I was thrilled.

5. Create value and all the opportunity you want can be yours. At the end of the day, your compensation is a result of your work. The result. You want more, create more. Not sure how, ask someone. Brainstorm with a co-worker. If you are the owner then your role is to create more value for your team and your clients. Big value starts with big thinking and ends with the big reward.

Leadership is not Reserved for Anyone

2008-06-06T12:43:00.003-06:00

In most companies, there are owners and managers - yet sometimes the leaders of the business aren't in either one of those groups. Sometimes they are the person who leads the weekly revolt against management. Sometimes they are the person who isn't in management but can get a message across, and can get the team organized to execute.

If people wait for their title to suggest they're a leader or they look for some authority to be given, then they will undoubtedly miss opportunities each day. Leaders in your company can be at any level. This is because leadership is about inspiring, guiding, supporting and directing. It is something that can be delivered and offered by many people in any company. People like you.

Here is the start of my list on how leadership can be shared in a business. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it may get you or the people in your organization started down the path to being better leaders, which will create a better organization to work with and for:

1. Give people the chance to be president for a week
2. Have rotating chairs for meetings so that everyone gets the chance to run a meeting
3. Everyone has to organize and offer a "Lunch and Learn" to the entire office once a year
4. Every team member gets to vounteer time in the community where they are a leader (the life skills and experience give confidence back in the office)
5. Create mini-departments that every one gets to run
6. Become a deadline, timeline and metrics driven organization - it forces pressure and teaches leadership under pressure.

I Need a Leader, Not a Salesman

2008-06-06T12:06:00.005-06:00

Have you ever bought something or had to shop for something where all you wanted was some guidance to the best product to fit your needs? Let me guess... it was probably just last weekend!

When we bought new computers for our office, we needed to know what was going to work best to suit our office, our staff and our plans for growth. What configuration, what features, what software, etc. What I needed was not so much a salesman as a leader to guide me through my decision. I needed someone with solid experience and expertise in office computing solutions to efficiently and effectively get me a solution. A sales leader! That is what I want most of the time - and that is what most clients want. Someone who really can find me MY SOLUTION easily.

How often are you letting a prospect determine what they need to solve their problem? They don't know! Sure, sometimes they have a general idea, but it's more likely that they don't. Men like to appear knowledgeable so they can save face, but when presented with numerous possibilities, they often don't have all of the details required to choose the best option. This is where an effective sales leader comes in. So how do you quickly become a sales leader and not a salesperson? Easy. Follow these steps ..

Approach your prospect and see if you can ask them some questions in order to serve them better (no one ever says no). This allows you to start controlling the conversation and guiding them to the best solution.
Ask questions about their needs. Forget features and benefits! Ask them questions with all the different variables that might impact the solution you recommend. Will you use product ABC indoors, at night, with friends, with headphones, in the car, in matching colors, for how long, etc. These questions demonstrate your knowledge as well as your interest in them.
When you finally have a recommendation (or maybe two) give them all the reasons that product matches their needs.
Tell them what the next steps are. This is key. Most people wait for a prospect to tell the salesperson how they want to proceed. Often, people want to buy but don't know what's next in the process. So tell them and guide them to the next step, nice and relaxed.

For more information on Leadership Selling, email us at resources@evolvebusinessgroup.com.

Service Leaders Anticipate Needs

2008-06-06T12:00:00.010-06:00

After being in the hospitality industry for 9 years, I have a pretty good sense of what makes great service people. Most often it's a combination of caring and leadership. If your business or job is in customer service (which one isn't?) then proactively developing a program or process to anticipate the needs of clients is critical.

Great leadership in service is about recognizing what a customer would likely need next and suggesting it to them in advance of them having to ask. Ever stay at a hotel where you have had to call down to the front desk repeatedly? Have you ever been to a restaurant where you are constantly asking for attention with a Miss? or Sir? It is the norm more often than the exception.

So what is the solution? Start to look at how you interact with your customers every day and build a list of moments or steps where you can anticipate their needs.

Start simple by making a list of what your clients are asking for everyday - just observe and document.
Review each of the major steps in your customer's interaction with you and your business - what are the logical peripheral needs at each step? For example, when a customer gets a proposal that is quite technical, it should come with a glossary of technical terms and links to sites they may want to reference.
Get creative by asking clients and brainstorming with others about what else you could offer. Clients come to the office and you offer coffee or water - what attention is paid to other choices, the mugs, the condiments, the details of each step?
Most importantly, start to implement these things! Evaluate the cost of each new idea first. Then look at bringing one new idea into the program each month - you need to manage how much change clients and staff can incorporate into their routines comfortably. Build that extra service into the process so it's standardized.
Ask for feedback on each new step and ensure people are loving it.

Creating Innovation at Work

2008-05-15T14:55:00.010-06:00

According the Hippocrates, every living system is either growing or dying. If that is the case, your living, breathing business (or career) is either growing and improving ... or not. Too often, companies reach a certain size or level of success and innovation stops. One of the key secrets of companies that consistently grow and improve is the willingness to try new things, to nurture innovation in their product, service, or process.

Getting adventurous with your business can be external or internal. Externally it may mean a new product line, a new sales approach, or a new marketing campaign. Or, it can be as simple as a new paint job for your company vehicles. Think of cutting edge companies ... they are typically companies that looked a their industry and said "we are going to do it differently." These are businesses that looked for new, adventurous ways to approach an old problem.

Internally, companies can be innovative and adventurous with their staff, their workspaces, their hours, their social options. I worked at a company with a foosball table and the Friday afternoon tournaments made it more interesting than most offices. Beer fridays (just 1) made the end of the week enjoyable. Being able to decorate your cubicle is easy and impacting (as a rule people don't like plain cubicles, or cubicles in general).

Looking for more concrete steps to get adventurous in your business? Watch for the release of my newest program, "Creating Adventure to Create Results." I will be hosting a free teleseminar to help you nurture change and innovation. Coming this June!

In the meantime, here is my tip this month: Each month look for at least 1 innovation to bring to your business (or your job) both externally and internally. Start a list of items from the team on innovations and adventurous changes they want to see. What is going to make people laugh more, buy more, cheer more and brag about the place they work?!

A great way to improve the morale of a team is to take their innovations or new ideas and select a 1-2 month term to implement them. This shows that you listen and support them, it gives them what they want, it creates accountability by involving them in decision-making, and it usually helps the productivity and bottom line of the business.

7 Signs That You Need Outside Help

2008-05-06T12:29:00.007-06:00

Many business owners and staff members ask how they can know when it's the right time for training, coaching or external support. The easy answer is, right now! The more correct answer is based on where in the marketplace your business is found , the time of year, the level of innovation and the clarity of your goals. It is also based directly on your team's skills, attitude, openness and time commitment.

Here are some great ways to know when you need to get outside help from a coach, trainer or consultant ...

1. When you look at the problems in your business and the solutions are always the same.
2. When you think of your last innovation and you need to flip to last year's calendar.
3. Your internal process is the same as it was in the first year of the business, or on your first day of work.
4. There is no focus put on new tools, information or innovation for your people. Either that, or they don't take advantage of what is offered.
5. The limits of the business match the limits of the owner or managers.
6. The team or owner needs a fresh set of ideas, new approaches or insights into the industry.
7. Apathy has become one of your key culture words.

Evolve Business Group offers coaching and training programs for performance and growth. We will help to transform your performance, grow your business and take ownership of your marketplace. We focus on growth areas of each client's business: strategy, leadership and innovation for ownership and management; sales, customer service and personal development for teams.

Email us for a questionnaire on what your business might need and we'll send it to you right away. Don't wait to grow your team, your business or your personal performance!

Where does Training fit in?

2008-05-06T10:47:00.006-06:00

We have likely all been on training courses - good ones and bad ones. Training is typically designed to give new ideas, processes or tools to people at any level of an organization. At Evolve, we typically use coaching with the owner or the executives. Training services are used with the team.

Training is effective when you need to get a consistent message or program out to multiple people - like a sales team or a customer service department. Training is also great for interaction with a group - when you want people to share, collaborate and learn from each other.

Keys to good training programs:

1. One of the keys with good training programs is the type of follow-up they implement. It has been proven time and again that, when placed in a classroom-style training program for a day or more, people retain a very limited amount of information. This means it is essential for the follow-up component of the training to be extensive and to reinforce the content repeatedly.

2. Good training also impacts the processes of a business so that people can use their new information easily. Ensure that the new information works with the business policy and process so that integration is smooth and immediate.

3. Pre-work is another great training tool. With every training program, it quickly becomes apparent that not all participants are in the same place or posess the same skills. Knowing the starting point of each person can make training dramatically more effective and interesting. Knowing the audience creates a chance to really engage them - personally and directly.

4. Measurable results - if you haven't figured out, in advance, how the training should impact your team, the biggest opportunity is being missed. Choose metrics in advance that can be monitored for results and upswings from your training program.

Consulting versus Coaching

2008-05-06T09:05:00.012-06:00

Having been in the coaching industry for the past 8 years, I still run into people that were consultants yesterday and are coaches today. Does that make them the same thing? Not in my experience. Let me outline my definition and the distinct characteristics of both.

Keep in mind that this is my simple list of the most distinguishing features I have found. This may not represent ALL consultants or coaches.

1. Traditionally, consultants come into your business or office to solve a problem for you. They are hired as an outsourced solution provider. They roll up their sleeves and get working (usually on an hourly basis). A coach, on the other hand, typically has the client do the work. The coach provides guidance and ideas but has the client work on the solution directly, so they know what is being done, they learn through participation and they can take pride in their results.

2. Consultants tend to be shorter-term engagements. Much like my accountant, they come in during a specific season or for a particular project. Once it is done, they send a bill and move on. Coaches tend to be longer-term participants and will often oversee a variety of projects. Consultants could be on a two week project while coaches are often with a client anywhere from 2 months to 2 years or more.

3. Consultants often come in to solve a problem, but don't necessarily share every step of the solution with a client. They may give an overview of the process, but knowledge transfer is limited. Coaching tends to be more of a knowledge transfer to the client, perhaps because there is more time and interaction in coaching. The coach often walks a client through each step, so that the client ends up with full working knowledge of what they need to do when they are faced with future challenges.

Both consultants and coaches have their place and effective use.