09/01/2010

Preparation is key to handling emergencies in the workplace
Does your company have established protocols for emergency planning? Shockingly, many companies not only lack these critical protocols, those that have them fail to practice their protocols semi-annually or annually. This lack of practice typically means that most employees will have little or no knowledge of how to act in an actual emergency situation.

08/25/2010

Recognition programs a way to improve employee morale
I have observed that companies with an employee recognition program almost always develop work cultures that put the customer first. Too many employees complain about never receiving the recognition they deserve for the hard work they put in for the company. Much of this complaining is warranted as many companies that would benefit from such a program rarely get around to implementing it.

08/18/2010

Leverage your team sports experience in the business world
There are many of us that competed in team sports for years prior to entering the work force. There is no question that the skills you learn on the athletic field can translate effectively into the workplace. Unfortunately, too many of us struggle to effectively communicate what those transferable skills are and how they can help us be successful in the business world.

08/11/2010

The power of note taking only adds to your office credibility
It is amazing how powerful note taking during businesses meetings can be. During a recent lunch, a business associate commented to me that he was thoroughly impressed with a new hire he had made. Naturally, I asked him what he liked most about this young woman.

08/04/2010

Attention to detail in the business world can save your neck
I had a close friend get married recently, and his lovely new bride requested that the groomsmen (I was nominated the best man) wear their neck ties using a Windsor knot. It seemed like a silly request at the time, but I honored it for the bride's sake.

07/28/2010

Meeting deadlines is essential to customer satisfaction
Meeting deadlines is a critical goal in successfully managing your business relationships. I am amazed at how many business people miss deadlines.

07/22/2010

Give back and stay in contact with your alma mater
I absolutely hate reunions. So, with that admission on the front end, it may seem a little odd that I would actually promote the idea of staying in contact with your Alma Mater.

07/14/2010

Motherly advice: Business-minded travel tips that work
It's easy to get sidetracked when traveling for business. Your unfamiliarity with local customs, traffic, weather and social events can turn something as mundane as catching a cab into a nightmare of missing a key meeting, losing a critical file or jeopardizing your own physical well-being.

07/07/2010

Network way to success, one day, one person at a time
I cannot tell you how many business people fail to effectively network.

It is fashionable to pay a lot of lip service to the importance of networking. It is quite another task, however, to actually engage in effective networking. What is networking? How do I do it? Why is it so important? Can I be taught to be a better business networker?

06/30/2010

A game plan can help group projects go more smoothly
Most of us have heard the expression "two heads are better than one." There is a surprising amount of truth to this statement.

06/23/2010

Discipline in addressing troublesome areas will be rewarded
I can look to almost every problem I have ever encountered as a business person and quickly determine that the problem was, ultimately, traced back to an absence of discipline.

06/16/2010

Why you should always negotiate price before finalizing deal
A surefire way to ruin a business relationship is often the failure to negotiate the price of a given business transaction prior to the start of the project. I religiously negotiate price on all of my projects as a general rule, but I elected to "toy" with a prospect that was stringing me along on a project that eventually went nowhere. I tackled a proposal assignment for a local manufacturer based naively on his verbal commitment to "pay me."

06/10/2010

A good business coach can be key to your career success
Do you have a business coach? Many people do not, but most of those people could certainly benefit from having such a person assisting them.

06/03/2010

Learn to evaluate calculated risks in measuring potential
There are a lot of people out there that simply are unwilling to "risk it" for a very positive, life-changing opportunity. The average person is risk-averse. This aversion to taking calculated risks costs these people thousands of dollars every day (sometimes millions).

Are you ready to start teaching yourself how to take a calculated risk?

05/26/2010

Listen up! Ability to hear, learn, react can drive business
Have you ever spoke with someone in a business setting only to realize that they are really not listening to what you are saying?

How should someone listen in a business setting?

There are a handful of techniques you can use to be a better listener in a business setting--or any setting for that matter.

Are you ready to learn how to become a better listener?

Here is what you need to do:

05/20/2010

First step to avoiding collections is a solid credit application
There are very few business people that enjoy making that follow-up email or telephone call to inquire into their missing check. What do you say? How often do you call? What happens if the check just never comes? Do you hire an attorney? These are relevant questions that many business people find themselves asking when a relationship starts to head south.

05/12/2010

Are you sick of going to the bank to make your deposits
I absolutely hate going to the bank to make my deposits for my business.

Do you hate it as well?

I can honestly think of about 1,000 things I would rather be doing then opening up my mail box, removing a check, driving to the bank, filling out the deposit slip, standing in line, depositing the check and driving back to my office.

05/06/2010

Tap into your mode of inspiration to find new customers
Every business owner I speak with talks about the seemingly endless quest to find new customers for the business. It never seems to end: customers come and customers go and very few companies ever seem to get off the Merry-Go-Round of prospecting for new business.

Are you looking for some inspiration to find your next customer?

Consider these thoughts as you pick up the telephone and dial:

04/28/2010

Offer incentives to help buffer reaction to price increases
Raising prices on your customers is never fun for any business owner. The reality is there will always be a certain percentage of your customers that will react negatively to a price increase and walk away from the business. This is every business owner's sincere fear.

04/22/2010

Allowing pets in office can wag the tail of happy employees
I have witnessed many companies experiment successfully with allowing pets in the workplace. I believe that the advantages of having pets in the workplace outweigh the disadvantages as long as some basic ground rules are established.

04/14/2010

Tips to take the chore out of writing business documents
Writing and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand, and it is not uncommon for a business owner to find him or herself in a position to write a variety of documents including employee manuals, business plans, mission statements, etc. There are a lot of documents owners wind up writing whether they enjoy writing or not.

04/08/2010

Take a few steps to prepare for a flat short-term future
I have been reading, extensively, about the current economic climate for business in the United States, and at best I am getting mixed reviews.

Is the short-term future going to be good, bad or just flat on the whole?

Based on everything I have read to date, the answer appears to be "flat."

04/02/2010

Invest in targeted research in order to find great clients
Have you ever gotten one of those calls from an information broker promising to sell you a "magic list" of companies that are just dying to do business with you?

I have received those calls, and I laugh every time I get them.

03/24/2010

Why you should consider letting your employees work from home
The stigma associated with working from home seems to be fading these days.

In fact, many companies are beginning to quietly encourage people to start working from home rather than commuting into the office.

03/11/2010

Exercise key to finding energy at work
I did not fully understand the power of exercise until I stopped exercising.

I hit a low point several months back and hung up my sneakers.

Big mistake.

03/04/2010

Time-saving tips for your busy workday
Do you find yourself looking for an extra half hour every day?

It happens to most of us.

In this busy society, it is very easy to lose track of time and realize--at 4:30 p.m., the scheduled time for your day to end--that you still have two hours of work left to complete.

02/24/2010

Transparency helps drive business
How well does your company communicate with its customers and employees? I would venture to guess that there is room for improvement.

02/18/2010

Profit sharing a worthwhile investment
I always get a kick out of listening to ownership groups complain about not being able to find qualified applicants. "I just can't find a good people," one gentleman confided to me several years ago. "People just do not understand the value of hard work anymore."

02/11/2010

Easy steps to humanize your business
How did it feel when a business person surprised you by acknowledging your birthday?

It probably felt pretty good.

02/03/2010

Preventative computer care: Do you actually do it?
I recently took an informal survey of my business associates and asked a simple question: What exactly do you do to maintain your computer systems on a regular basis?

The most common answer stunned me: nothing.

01/27/2010

Patience will pay off if process yields quality
As business people, we are accustomed to quantifying time. Most of us--regardless of our titles--make a career out of trying to predict how much business we can do within a certain period of time. This process is as understandable as it is futile. I will openly concede that there is a loose correlation between time and productivity; my regret is that most often this correlation loose at best.

01/20/2010

Qualities of an Interested Prospect
As an accomplished salesman in my own right, I have discovered a number of common characteristics or qualities in the people that I sell my products and services. Surprisingly, every now and then, I find myself pursuing prospects that exhibit one or two of these qualities but lack a healthy mix of the qualities I know I need to successfully sell someone.

01/13/2010

Objectivity is priceless: Hire a consultant
Have you ever felt that maybe you are too close to the business? A lot of business people have.

01/07/2010

Have you revisited your mission statement lately?
Have you revisited your mission statement lately?

Maybe you should.

Mission statement? Oh, you mean that one sentence thing on your web site that starts with a preposition (typically "to") and ends with a noun? Often it reads "to provide outstanding products and services to our customers with the guarantee of value and timely delivery."

Here's a hot topic: Sex in the workplace
Racy headline, huh?

Here is a column that is destined to be read . . . unfortunately, for those of you looking for salacious content, this column may disappoint you.

A simple test to see if others can earn your trust
Trust is maybe the singular ingredient that makes any business successful.

How can any business function without trust?

It is hard to imagine a trust-free company that remains in business.

Proceed with caution before accepting a counter offer
Whether to allow a prospect to negotiate terms and pricing is a difficult decision for any sales person or business owner to tackle. You have identified a prospect, gone out to visit the prospect and now the prospect counters your offer with a shorter term at a reduced rate. Do you accept the counter offer or walk away?

The best answer I can give you is it depends on where you are sitting.