…the Love This Valentine’s Day

No matter how much they want to reward their employees, many leaders just don’t have the financial resources to give out much-deserved raises and bonuses. Fortunately, according to Todd Patkin, you don’t need to spend a cent to show your people beyond a shadow of a doubt that you care about them and appreciate their hard work. He suggests showering your employees with love this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is usually reserved for showering love on your special someone. But if you’re in a leadership position at a company that’s been hit hard by the recession and its aftereffects, you probably already know that your employees could use some love too. In the battle for survival, your company may have developed a perpetually stressful atmosphere in which your employees have been asked to do more with less—often with little thanks. Of course, you don’t want to shortchange them (and in fact, the thought of doing so has probably worried you just as much as the economy!); you simply still can’t afford to reward them through the more traditional means of raises and bonuses.

Fortunately, says Todd Patkin, you don’t need a single dime to make your people happy at work or to show them just how much you care about them and appreciate their efforts. And what better time than Valentine’s Day to start showing them the love again.

“People will never admit it, but money is not the thing they desire most from their work. Instead, showing appreciation, respect, and, yes, even love are the three most important ways to make your people feel great about their work,” points out Patkin, author of Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and—Finally—Let the Sunshine In“And happy, engaged employees are the single best way to impact your company’s bottom line.”

Patkin isn’t just a talking head—he speaks from experience. For nearly two decades, he was instrumental in leading his family’s auto parts business, Autopart International, to new heights until it was finally bought by Advance Auto Parts in 2006 for more money than he ever dreamed possible. During that time, Patkin made it his number-one priority to always put his people and their happiness first.

“As a leader, I quickly found that if my team was content and their work environment was a positive one, they would be more engaged and motivated, and they would truly care about our organization’s future,” he elaborates. “Plus, it was even more rewarding for me to see that my employees were happy—and often even ecstatic—than it was for me that we were making money.”

Patkin adds, “It’s more important now than ever before to show your employees love and appreciation, because you probably haven’t been able to give them big raises and bonuses since the recession hit. Let your employees know that this Valentine’s Day will be all about making sure they know how much you appreciate all of their hard work.”

Furthermore, Patkin adds that if your employees are perpetually stressed out, they’ll be less motivated and more disengaged. And when they’re unhappy, they’ll do only what they must to avoid chastisement…and you’ll lose money in the long term. Also, as the economy turns around, they’ll be more likely to start looking for a new job elsewhere.

“If there is one thing I would like to tell all leaders at all levels and in all industries, it’s that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain—including an improved bottom line—by making your organization as happy a place to work as possible.”

Read on for five of Patkin’s show-the-love strategies that you can use as soon as today to say “thanks for a job well done!” to any employee, any time…without spending a cent:

Send “love” notes. Writing and sending a thank-you note is standard practice when you receive a gift. And what is great, thorough work other than a gift from your people to you? When you notice that an individual has done an excellent job or has achieved an important goal, send a specific handwritten (not typed!) note conveying your most sincere appreciation and admiration. This will take only one sheet of paper and five minutes out of your day…but it’ll make a lasting impression on your employee.

“When you’re a leader, you’re busy and often overwhelmed,” Patkin acknowledges. “It’s understandable that you might overlook saying the words ‘thank you,’ much less writing them. Remember, though, that positive reinforcement and sincere gratitude will increase the respect your team has for you and will improve their opinion of your entire organization. Also, it will encourage them to likewise say ‘thank you’ more often to their own subordinates within your company. Think of writing what I call ‘love notes’ as a way to invest in your company’s atmosphere and future!”

Distribute inspiration. Our society tends to think of work as a place of drudgery, obligation, and boredom, as exemplified in the now-iconic movie Office Space. People certainly don’t think of receiving inspiration and rejuvenation between nine and five. According to Patkin, though, buoying your team’s spirits should be one of your daily goals. If you help them to see the world as a sunnier place and to improve their attitudes and ways of thinking about their entire lives, their professional and personal productivity will increase too.

“If you run across a quotation or story that inspires you, don’t keep it to yourself—pass it along to an employee, and perhaps, if appropriate, also mention that the quote or anecdote reminded you of him and his great attitude,” suggests Patkin. “Alternatively, you might consider sending out a quote or lesson of the day. Yes, the idea might sound hokey at first, but I firmly believe that most people vastly underestimate the power of feeding their minds with inspirational and educational material.”

Tell success stories. Even if they brush off praise or downplay their achievements, everybody loves to be recognized and complimented. When someone in your organization has done something great, tell her that you noticed her outstanding work, and tell the rest of the team, too! Whether correctly or incorrectly, many employees feel that their leaders take them for granted and only point out their mistakes, so make it your daily mission to prove that perception wrong.

“When I was at Autopart International and I saw that one of my people did something noteworthy, I made sure that everyone else knew about it by sending the story about her accomplishment around in an email to the entire chain,” Patkin recalls. “I could literally see the glow on the highlighted employee’s face for weeks, and I also noticed that many of the other team members now worked even harder too in order to earn a write-up themselves. Remember to always praise in public as ‘loudly as possible,’ and conversely, criticize only in private!”

Identify stars. According to Patkin, identifying stars is taking the concept behind telling success stories to the next level. Yes, recognize achievements whenever you see them, but also make celebrating your stars a regular event. Sure, some team members will roll their eyes at “Employee of the Week/Month” programs, but you can rest assured that no one is going to turn down this honor.

“Instead of singling out just one person, as a special treat for Valentine’s Day, you might even consider recognizing every member of your staff,” Patkin suggests. “For example, I always wrote about several store managers in our ‘Managers of the Month’ newsletter. Later, I included assistant managers, store supervisors, store salespeople, and our drivers in this letter of champions as well. My profiles for each star would often be a full page in length, lauding both their professional achievements and wonderful personal qualities. The newsletters themselves were often thirty pages in length when finished. But I know many within the team loved to read these personalized recognitions each month, and they motivated lots of the employees to work even harder to earn a spot on the pages themselves.

“Consider putting out a special edition of your company newsletter for Valentine’s Day or creating a newsletter for the occasion if you don’t already have one. If you have a small number of employees, include a write-up about each employee, what you love about them, and how proud you are of their accomplishments. If you have too many employees to thank them individually, include a heartfelt thank-you letter that points out what goals the company met because of all of your employees’ hard work.”

Make it a family affair. Whenever possible, engage your employees’ families when praising them. Having a leader validate all the hours each team member spends at work will be remembered far longer than a bonus (really!). Plus, when spouses and kids know what Mom or Dad does at work and are “on board” with it, your employee’s performance will be buoyed by support from the ones he or she loves the most.

“For example, if an employee did something really tremendous, I would call his home, generally trying to get the answering machine and not a person,” Patkin shares. “Then I’d leave a voicemail like this one:

“Hi, (name of spouse and kids), this is Todd Patkin from Autopart International where your husband and dad works. I just want to tell you that your husband and dad is the most incredible, wonderful, amazing person in the whole world. He just broke our Nashua, New Hampshire, store’s all-time sales record. Guys, that is incredible!! So, please, kids, do me a favor. When your dad comes home tonight, everyone run up and give him a huge hug and tell him how proud you are of him and how great he is. And, (name of spouse), I hope you too will give him a big hug and a wonderful kiss to make sure he knows how much you love him and how much he is appreciated for all he’s doing for our company. Thanks, guys.

“And in fact, years later, many employees whose families received these phone calls told me that although they didn’t remember how much their bonus checks were for that year, that extra-special homecoming was still clearly etched in their memories.”

“Trust me, showing people love, appreciation, and respect trump money just about every time when it comes to building long-term motivation and boosting employee morale and loyalty,” concludes Patkin. “If you haven’t been showing your employees appreciation, let Valentine’s Day be the time for you to get back on track, and if you have been, think of creative ways to step up your efforts. When you take the time to make your employees feel valued, they’ll know that you care about them on a more personal level, and they’ll be much happier at work. And in the end, when you’ve achieved a really positive atmosphere at work and the improved bottom line that will surely come from it, you’ll feel amazing too!”

About the Author: Todd Patkin grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. After graduating from Tufts University, he joined the family business and spent the next eighteen years helping to grow it to new heights. After it was purchased by Advance Auto Parts in 2005, he was free to focus on his main passions: philanthropy and giving back to the community, spending time with family and friends, and helping more people learn how to be happy. Todd lives with his wonderful wife, Yadira, their amazing son, Josh, and two great dogs, Tucker and Hunter.

By Heidi Richards Mooney

Want to do good in the community AND grow your business? Read on to find out how.  

onPhilanthropy published a report on cause marketing sponsorship by American businesses and how their has been steady rise in small and large businesses adopting a cause that resonates with their company philosphy AND with their customers/clients.

In fact, for many years BIG BUSINESS has understood the potential benefits of cause marketing for nonprofit organizations that includes reachign a wider audience in which to promote the nonprofit organization’s cause, increased accessibility of potential donors and supporters through a company’s customer base.

The potential benefits of cause marketing for businesses big or small include promoting your company in a positive way, improving your relationships with your current customer base, and attracting your target audience. Cause-related marketing can make your company stand out from your competitors and heighten your company’s reputation within your target market.

In the book Brand Spirit: How Cause Related Marketing Builds Brands by Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson the authors say: “Nothing builds brand loyalty among today’s increasingly skeptical, hard-to-please consumers like a proven commitment to a worthy cause on the part of a company.”

Some ways you can implement a cause marketing campaign include giving a portion of the profits of sales of a product to the cause. Companies have created programs to donate a percentage of their sales to a nonprofit organization through the use of auctions. You can align your company with a cause to brand your business as the official (name of industry) of (name of cause). You can adopt a program and get your staff involved to help implement your marketing efforts such as participating in an event hosted by the cause as a TEAM effort, donating time to mentor youth in the schools or community, giving blood, to name a few.

Think BIG ~ The Let’s say Thanks Campaign by Zerox created a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through the LetsSayThanks website you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.

Arrow, The Authentic American Brand created the “We are Ellis Island” campaign which ito raise money to restore dilapidated buildings on the south side of Ellis Island. Through association with Save Ellis Island, the Arrow brand is committed to preserving Ellis Island with the help of the National Park Service. Arrow launched the website www.WeAreEllisIsland.com for visitors to post their family stories, share inspiring stories of hope, courage and perseverance, all in the name of living out the great American dream. When you visit We Are Ellis Island you can read thes stories and donate money to the causes Arrow has committed to donate 1% of its 2008 wholesale sales to the project. To learn more about Arrow, visit www.arrowshirts.com.

Start small ~ You don’t have to be a BIG company to adopt a cause. Just look around your community to see what the needs are, what is missing, lacking or could use a little (or big) boost in support. Check with non-profits you believe in, with local chambers of commerce, business groups, niche groups, your trade associations, ask your vendors and customers for ideas. Find out who your target audience supports and see if it meshes with your values and your company’s mission. If so, you are on your way to getting out and doing good. And it is a great way to raise your profile in the eyes of the media. A local retailer could run a promotion donating a portion of the sales goes to support a local school project that is underfunded or donating your products to bring joy to less fortunate families in your communities during the holiday season.

One success leads to others and you can build upon those to get more creative and grandiose in your ideas and strategies. After all, America’s economy is fueled by small business and the companies we keep.

©Heidi Richards Mooney – is a Professional Motivational Speaker, Business Coach and the Author of 7 books including: “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget ~ How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.”  She is also the Publisher of WE Magazine for Women. Stop by http://bit.ly/QuirkyBook  to get a FREE copy of Chapter 1 and 2 of “Quirky Marketing: 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays” today!

Five Ways to Show Gratitude, Love, and Respect to Your Team This Holiday Season

No matter how much they want to reward their employees, many leaders just don’t have the financial resources to give out much-deserved raises and bonuses. Fortunately, according to Todd Patkin, you don’t need to spend a cent to show your people beyond a shadow of a doubt that you care about them and appreciate their hard work.

In a perfect world, we’d all be looking forward to the holiday season without anxiety. Unfortunately, for most employees, that isn’t even close to being the case. Times have been tough, and for several years, workers have been stretched thin as they try to do more with less. They’re feeling discouraged, tired, and perpetually stressed, and to make matters worse, many individuals are worried about the higher-than-usual personal expenses associated with the upcoming holiday season. As an employer, you might want to thank and reward your people for their hard work with a raise or holiday bonus…if only you had the funds.

While you can’t distribute money you don’t have, according to Todd Patkin, you can take decisive steps to make your employees feel happier and more appreciated. And all you have to do is tap into the Thanksgiving spirit.

“People will never admit it, but money is not the thing they desire most from their work. Instead, showing appreciation, respect, and, yes, even love are the three most important ways to make your people feel great about their work,” points out Patkin, author of the new book Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and—Finally—Let the Sunshine In.

Patkin isn’t just a talking head—he speaks from experience. For nearly two decades, he was instrumental in leading his family’s auto parts business, Autopart International, to new heights until it was finally bought by Advance Auto Parts in 2005. During that time, Patkin made it his number-one priority to always put his people and their happiness first.

“As a leader, I quickly found that if my team was content and their work environment was a positive one, they would be more engaged and motivated, and they would also treat our customers better,” he elaborates. “Plus, it was even more rewarding for me to see that my employees were happy—and often even ecstatic—than it was for me that we were making money.”

Patkin adds, “It’s more important now than ever before to show your employees love and appreciation, because we’re in the midst of an economic downturn, so you probably won’t have the money to give big raises and holiday bonuses that you once did.”

Furthermore, Patkin adds that if your employees are perpetually stressed out, they’ll be less motivated and more disengaged. And when they’re unhappy, they’ll do only what they must to avoid chastisement…and you’ll lose money in the long term. Also, when the economy turns around, they’ll be more likely to look for a new job elsewhere.

“If there is one thing I would like to tell all leaders at all levels and in all industries, it’s that you have nothing to lose and everything to gain—including an improved bottom line—by making your organization as happy a place to work as possible.”

Read on for five of Patkin’s show-the-love strategies that you can use to say “thanks for a job well done!” to any employee, any time…without spending a cent:

Send “love” notes. Writing and sending a thank-you note is standard practice when you receive a gift. And what is great, thorough work other than a gift from your people to you? When you notice that an individual has done an excellent job or has achieved an important goal, send a specific handwritten (not typed!) note conveying your most sincere appreciation and admiration. This will take only one sheet of paper and five minutes out of your day…but it’ll make a lasting impression on your employee.

“When you’re a leader, you’re busy and often overwhelmed,” Patkin acknowledges. “It’s understandable that you might overlook saying the words ‘thank you,’ much less writing them. Remember, though, that positive reinforcement and sincere gratitude will increase the respect your team has for you and will improve their opinion of your entire organization. Also, it will encourage them to likewise say ‘thank you’ more often to their own subordinates within your company. Think of writing what I call ‘love notes’ as a way to invest in your company’s atmosphere and future!”

Distribute inspiration. Our society tends to think of work as a place of drudgery, obligation, and boredom, as exemplified in the now-iconic movie Office Space. People certainly don’t think of receiving inspiration and rejuvenation between nine and five. According to Patkin, though, buoying your team’s spirits should be one of your daily goals. If you help them to see the world as a sunnier place and to improve their attitudes and ways of thinking about their entire lives, their professional and personal productivity will increase too.

“If you run across a quotation or story that inspires you, don’t keep it to yourself—pass it along to an employee, and perhaps, if appropriate, also mention that the quote or anecdote reminded you of him and his great attitude,” suggests Patkin. “Alternatively, you might consider sending out a quote or lesson of the day. Yes, the idea might sound hokey at first, but I firmly believe that most people vastly underestimate the power of feeding their minds with inspirational and educational material.”

Tell success stories. Even if they brush off praise or downplay their achievements, everybody loves to be recognized and complimented. When someone in your organization has done something great, tell her that you noticed her outstanding work, and tell the rest of the team, too! Whether correctly or incorrectly, many employees feel that their leaders take them for granted and only point out their mistakes, so make it your daily mission to prove that perception wrong.

“When I was at Autopart International and I saw that one of my people did something noteworthy, I made sure that everyone else knew about it by sending the story about her accomplishment around in an email to the entire chain,” Patkin recalls. “I could literally see the glow on the highlighted employee’s face for weeks, and I also noticed that many of the other team members now worked even harder too in order to earn a write-up themselves. Remember to always praise in public as ‘loudly as possible,’ and conversely, criticize only in private!”

Identify stars. According to Patkin, identifying stars is taking the concept behind telling success stories to the next level. Yes, recognize achievements whenever you see them, but also make celebrating your stars a regular event. Sure, some team members will roll their eyes at “Employee of the Week/Month” programs, but you can rest assured that no one is going to turn down this honor.

“Instead of singling out just one person, you might even consider recognizing multiple individuals every month,” Patkin suggests. “For example, I always wrote about several store managers in our ‘Managers of the Month’ newsletter. Later, I included assistant managers, store supervisors, store salespeople, and our drivers in this letter of champions as well. My profiles for each star would often be a full page in length, lauding both their professional achievements and wonderful personal qualities. The newsletters themselves were often thirty pages in length when finished. But I know many within the team loved to read these personalized recognitions each month, and they motivated lots of the employees to work even harder to earn a spot on the pages themselves.”

Make it a family affair. Whenever possible, engage your employees’ families when praising them. Having a leader validate all the hours each team member spends at work will be remembered far longer than a bonus (really!). Plus, when spouses and kids know what Mom or Dad does at work and are “on board” with it, your employee’s performance will be buoyed by support from the ones he or she loves the most.

“For example, if an employee did something really tremendous, I would call his home, generally trying to get the answering machine and not a person,” Patkin shares. “Then I’d leave a voicemail like this one:

“Hi, (name of spouse and kids), this is Todd Patkin from Autopart International where your husband and dad works. I just want to tell you that your husband and dad is the most incredible, wonderful, amazing person in the whole world. He just broke our Nashua, New Hampshire, store’s all-time sales record. Guys, that is incredible!! So, please, kids, do me a favor. When your dad comes home tonight, everyone run up and give him a huge hug and tell him how proud you are of him and how great he is. And, (name of spouse), I hope you too will give him a big hug and a wonderful kiss to make sure he knows how much you love him and how much he is appreciated for all he’s doing for our company. Thanks, guys.

Todd Patkin grew up in Needham, Massachusetts. After graduating from Tufts University, he joined the family business and spent the next eighteen years helping to grow it to new heights. After it was purchased by Advance Auto Parts in 2005, he was free to focus on his main passions: philanthropy and giving back to the community, spending time with family and friends, and helping more people learn how to be happy. Todd lives with his wonderful wife, Yadira, their amazing son, Josh, and two great dogs, Tucker and Hunter.

This article is excerpted from the Holiday Gift Guide for 2011. Be sure and check it out and read other articles about the holidays. It’s also great to add to your online shopping experience! While you’re at it be sure to check out KLEEN SLATE – one of our special vendors in the gift guide. This would make the perfect gift for a person of ANY AGE.

Visit KleenSlate.com to find out more and purchase this Edutaining Product!

During the holiday season, you may have the opportunity to interact with superiors in your organization. This is the perfect opportunity for you to be heard confidently and clearly by your bosses, colleagues and office mates.

A week or two before your office party, leave yourself a voicemail on your office line, and listen to your voice the next time you’re in the office. Analyze your message critically. Is your voice too highly pitched, too gravelly, too loud or too soft? Do you speak too fast or ‘uptalk’ at the ends of your sentences?

Start using your voice more effectively and powerfully. Try these strategies:

Too High a Pitch: When we speak loudly above the noise of the gathering, our vocal folds, throat and jaw can tighten which causes our pitch to rise. Take a deeper breath into your lower rib cage and open your throat as you speak. Your vocal folds will remain relaxed and your pitch will remain lower.

Gravel: Be sure to keep your volume constant through the end of your sentences and pronounce the last word. Frequently, we are ready to move on to our next thought and let our voices trail off or become gravely. Practice singing songs and then speak the songs so that you breathe through the last word.

Uptalk: You sound less confident and certain if you inflect the ends of your sentences upward as if asking a question. If you uptalk, practice stating the last word as a fact. Write down sentences and practice:

Instead of: My name is Sarah Monroe? I work in legal affairs?

Say: My name is Sarah Monroe. I work in legal affairs.

Rapid Rate of Speech: Sometimesyourspeechallruns togetherwhenyouspeaktoofast. Say “Didn’t we work together on the gov-ern-ment’s contract for health care management last year?” Speak smoothly, but remember to say the ends of words and all the syllables in words with many syllables. This strategy will slow you down and assure that you’ll be heard and understood the first time.

Practice these vocal techniques while reading your emails out loud, or by leaving yourself daily voicemails at the office. Start today to unlock your most powerful tool: your voice!

Susan Miller, Ph.D. is a voice and communication coach and founder of Voicetrainer, LLC located in Washington, DC. Her book Be Heard the First time: The Woman’s Guide to Powerful Speaking trains women to maximize their impact every time that they speak. Learn more about her at www.voicetrainer.com.

This article is excerpted from the Holiday Gift Guide for 2011. Be sure and check it out and read other articles about the holidays. It’s also great to add to your online shopping experience! While you’re at it be sure to check out Susan’s special offer for readers of WE Magazine for Women below (click on the link above the ad to view her site):

www.voicetrainer.com

Low Prices Have Killed Brand Loyalty

Darlene Quinn knows what it’s like to be loyal to a brand name.

Quinn, a former senior executive with the Bullocks Wilshire department store chain understands the inner workings of the fashion retail industry as well as she does consumer trends, and her conclusion based on what she’s seeing in the marketplace aren’t encouraging for some of America’s oldest brands.

“Some of our most recognized and best-loved brands are falling victim to an economy in which price is the paramount concern for consumers,” said Quinn, author of Webs of Fate, a novel about the retail fashion industry from Greenleaf Book Group (www.darlenequinn.net). “We’ve ended the era of the brand-loyal consumer, and entered the age of low prices.”

Quinn’s argument is that major national brands and some regional brands will soon watch their final sunsets as the hunt for low prices currently outweighs old-fashioned consumer brand loyalty.

“Brand loyalty used to mean something in the retail business,” Quinn said. “We are now hardwired to look at paying less than full price. The status symbol has become ‘how much did you save?’ Although there are many of us who are less than happy with the outcome and who are willing to pay more for quality and service, it will take a long time, if ever, for a reversal. I would love to see the return of brand loyalty, but with the economic outlook starting to dim again, I don’t see it happening.”

Brands recently targeted by the Wall Street Web site 24/7 for fading away include two great American traditions:

• A&W Grills – A&W Restaurants is owned by Yum! Brands, a fast food holding company that also owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s. A&W was originally founded in 1919, and the company helped introduce the “drive-in” fast food concept. It was so successful that they started selling their sodas in cans in 1971, a side of the business that was sold to Dr. Pepper/Snapple a decade later. After World War II, the chain had 450 franchised locations, which has since dwindled to 312 US stores by last year. In the era of the mega franchises, like Subway and McDonalds with about 35,000 locations each, A&W can’t survive. The brand has been for sale since January, and if a buyer isn’t found soon, the drive-in could be closed forever.

• Sears – Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century. As Wal-Mart became the dominant department store during the 1990s and 2000s, Sears began to struggle, so the company merged with Kmart in early 2005, creating the Sears Holdings Corporation. The problem is that joining forces strengthened market share, but not revenues. Two dying giants who merge only create one larger dying giant. The competition between the two brands continued, simply under the same roof, with Sears losing the battle. Kmart reported a 1.6 percent decline in sales in the first quarter of 2011, while Sears dipped 5.2 percent. The end result? Look for New CEO Lou D’Ambrosio to shutter the lesser performing brand, Sears, and use the additional resources to bolster Kmart.

Darlene Quinn is an author and journalist from Long Beach, California. Her novel, Webs of Fate is set in the mid-eighties before the greatest onset of LBO’s which ended up bring Wall Street to its knees. A time when the greatest completion for department stores was other department store merchants who drastic dropped the price on merchandise which just hit the sales floor in order to gain market share. A time when we still had regional department stores which were not named Macy’s and before the status symbol became how much did you save.

As part of a nine-member management team for the Bullocks Wilshire Specialty Department stores, Quinn has the insider’s perspective on the rise and fall of major department stores. She is currently embroiled in the battle for Macy’s to restore the Marshall Fields store brand stores that they purchased and turned into Macy’s locations in Chicago.

By Dickie Sykes

Years ago, I watched the Dr. Phil McGraw show and he said “If you are going to sell things that Betty buys, you better see life through Betty’s eyes.” I never forgot it and if you’re in business, neither should you. Researchers Colleen Butler and Paul Chinowsky identified the interpersonal skill of empathy as one of five key emotional intelligent behaviors that need additional attention during the development of executives. To be empathetic is to understand the emotions of others; to walk in another person’s shoes. To continually grow your business, you must seek to understand the needs of your customers and see life through their eyes. If you were sitting on the other side of that desk what would you want to hear? You would want to hear the benefit of the product or service, what sets it apart from its competition and its value to your organization. Abraham Lincoln said, “When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking about what they want to hear and one third of the time thinking about what I want to say.” Based on your customers’ needs, challenges and products, what do you think they want to hear?

Before you show up for your next business meeting take time to research who the client is, what they do and how you can service them. Whatever you do, don’t focus on problems, have a solutions focused mindset on how you can help your clients achieve their goals. Coaching psychologists Dianne Stober and Anthony Grant found that having a solutions focused mindset enables people to access and use the wealth of personal experience, skills, expertise and intuition that resides within all of us. With that mindset, determine the goal of the meeting and what action you want to happen. A goal expressed plants a seed in your client’s mind and with the right action plan can grow. Action planning is the process of developing a systematic means of attaining goals. This is extremely important let me tell you why.

When you show up with a goal and action plan, the conversation has structure like a good speech, it has a beginning, middle and end. You are not floundering; you know what you want from the client and the action needed to get it. Your client may not know the action needed. It is not their responsibility to know how to get you what you want but with a goal and plan, they are more likely to discover during the course of conversation ways in which they can be of assistance. The best goals will fall by the wayside without a concrete plan of action. You should create mind mapping exercises at your office based on mock client responses. This gives you direction and ideas on what you can say to keep the conversation flowing towards the goal.

Finally, be your authentic self; No one likes someone who comes off as disingenuous or fake. It’s bad, bad business. High-performing salespersons are significantly more self-aware and authentic (which is a function of emotional intelligence) than low-performers. On the day of your meeting show up wearing confidence and have points in your discussion that excite you, points that you are passionate about and let that enthusiasm shine through. Deliver your ideas with commitment and passion and remember to remind your face that you are excited about what your team can bring to the table. The conversation should have rhythm let your voice rise and fall throughout your presentation so the conversation doesn’t come off flat, monotone and emotionless. Make direct eye contact, smile and ask for their business. Before you leave the meeting ask the client if there are any next steps, anything you can do to make their decision easier. After that, you can leave knowing you arrived prepared, seeing life through Betty’s eyes.

Connect with Dickie Sykes at Examiner.com and leave a comment.

How are you and your business at keeping your promises?

Well, how you answered this questioned just defined your brand and your culture. Yes the two are connected, and this connection can be either:

Strong and reinforcing – they are in alignment

Strong but negatively reinforcing – they are competing or demonstrating dissonance

Weak because they have not been defined and developed

Creating the Promise – Your Brand

To grow your business, you must identify your target market. This is the market niche you want to focus on and the position you want to hold within that market. You need to know and understand exactly:

What products or services you want to provide to your market

What you can do and what you do not want to do

Your competition and why you are different

This provides the essential elements for branding your company.

Branding presents you to the marketplace. It defines you in the mind of your customers and prospects. It creates the promise: what your clients can expect from you when they do business with you. Think of Apple, Google, Zappos, Amazon.com, Nordstrom… We know what to expect from them, and we are rarely disappointed.

Branding expresses this promise in the:

· Logo

· Website concept and content

· Tag line

· Advertisements

· Marketing materials

· All forms of internal and external expression/communication about the company.

There is a consistency that should carry over to all methods of interacting with the customer and the prospect. Regardless of how your prospect and customers enter your sales cycle, they should see, feel, and interpret who you are, what you stand for and what they can expect based on your branding.

So, you’ve got their attention with relevant and compelling branding.

You’re done, right? No, not so quickly.

Creating the Culture to Deliver the Promise

Now it’s time to deliver: to keep the promise made in and through your branding.

Culture is the way work is done in your company. It’s how people work together, how you build your teams and processes to deliver on your promise. It represents how strongly you believe in your promise and builds your repute.

Culture is grounded in the understanding and practices around the Purpose/Mission, Vision and Guiding Values of the company. It drives how decisions are made, how responsibility is assumed and your behavior in front of customers and within your group. It should be reflected in the standards and consistency with which you deliver your product or service.

One quick point: Are organizations with a strong positive culture and good brand expression perfect? Far from it. They are just much better than their competition, as they know how to course correct when required, and they know why they exist as a business.

Brand + Culture = Market Growth

Without a strong base (your culture and brand) it is nearly impossible to deliver consistent and high quality products and services to your market. (In this case, what you end up delivering are excuses.)

Companies with a strong brand and a strong culture are leaders in their market, whether it’s a small local market or a large international market. It doesn’t matter. A positive brand and cultural alignment is a powerful competitive strategy!

The greatest opportunity for performance improvement and growth is to concentrate on building a strong brand expression (the promise) and focusing your culture in delivering on that promise.

Identifying your market and building a strong base (culture and brand) to deliver to that market is a competitive differentiator. Why? Because many of your competitors (and could be competitors) will not take the time to do this. And your clients and customers will notice and will reward your efforts.

About the Authors: Management Consultants and Business Performance Improvement Specialists Sara Laforest and Tony Kubica have 50+ years of combined experience in helping small and large businesses accelerate their business growth in record times. Failure to make and actually keep your promises is just one way to sabotage your business growth. Get the full report on Self-Sabotage in Business now at: http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/resources.php

When the moment arrives and you finally decide to branch out to start your own business it becomes all too clear that there is more to having your own business than meets the eye. Not only do you underestimate the actual demands. The extra hours and constant decisions. You soon discover all too quickly that you turn into the ultimate go to person. Yikes!

What you can also underestimate are the many rewards. Sure you know you are in the driver’s seat. You know that are now free to set your own schedule and choose who you will work with. You like the idea that you are able to make as much or as little as you desire while spending each day focused on what you love to do. But one thing that really caught me by surprise is the pure sense of satisfaction you feel inside when you start seeing results. No, I’m not just talking about results within your business. I’m talking about the satisfaction you feel when you see your clients fly on their own. When you see that all the hard work, conferences, training, back and forth, mistakes and the ‘just getting to know’ one another phase finally comes together to create a flow. The moment when you see your client, who first came to you not knowing which direction they were headed or what to do next, has now morphed into a person who has a higher level of confidence and a true understanding of their abilities as they work within their own passion and expertise. You see traction. You see speed. You see flight. Now that’s true client satisfaction!

It is within moments like these that you feel validated by your your decision to strike out on your own. Mostly because you know you have made a difference in the life of another human being. You have brought your client closer to their aspirations. Closer then what they were able to do on their own. It is a feeling that is closely associated to seeing your child take their first steps and then move on to their first day of school. You feel proud and happy. You feel satisfied. Especially since you know you’ve been there every step of the way. You also know that one day graduation will come and so you decide to enjoy the moments while cultivating your ability to craft true ‘client satisfaction’ for both you and your client. Take a moment to reflect on your most satisfying client moments and share them below. ~De

De Harris brings over 17 years of expertise as a manager, business owner, and personal & business development coach. As the Founder & President of The WOWNetwork Alliance & CEO of AllBiz Web Support, she has worked with a wide variety of large & small businesses, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs to formulate their voice and presence through on/offline branding, organization and marketing systems that build better business. De is passionately dedicated to keeping the web/tech challenged expert ‘in the know’ by offering solid networking connections and support through educational opportunities with experts from around the world. Subscribe and learn more by visiting DeHarrisOnline.com

Direct Sales is a growing industry and each year new millionaire’s spring up as thousands begin a career within various direct selling companies (also called network marketing companies).  Most entered in order to make an extra income and soon found out that their perseverance paid off with a very substantial income. You are probably networking and prospecting for your own business or company and may be missing out on the benefits associated with the direct selling industry which pays high dividends as others grow and succeed. Make an effort to do a bit of research of what companies are out there and become part of one. Now! The control, freedom and flexibility cannot be beat.  You will find it is a great alternative to either finding another job or starting a company from scratch. When seeking out options make sure to seriously consider the Direct Sales industry since it is the perfect vehicle that will reward your efforts without all the risk.

Direct selling is marketing a product directly to the consumer with no middleman involved. The top firms are members of the National Association of Direct Selling Companies. The tremendous draw of so many people to these companies is the low cost of entry, being your own boss, flexible hours and an unlimited earning potential. There is a learning curve but with discipline, consistency and duplication you are bound to succeed within this environment and can only result in a freedom that the corporate world cannot even compare.

Beginning is as simple as starting with a sale to a friend or relative. Then as you gain experience the courage starts to grow. There are challenges but when the going gets tough, and you get rejected by others this is the time to dig your heels in even more. Most consultants quit before learning the flow. Whenever you are learning something new, or when coming out of your comfort zone the process takes time. If you think you can succeed then you can. Begin with your belief in your own ability to succeed and give your self a chance.  Just remember to persevere and never give up and you will open the doors to many possibilities and opportunities.

It is important to look beyond the earning potential. Yes, this is the draw but it won’t sustain you. Most people join only to make money. If they don’t make money in the first few months, they become discouraged, quit and look for another company with what they think is a better compensation plan. This is not the way toward success in direct sales. You have to join direct sales in the spirit of helping yourself and others achieve success. Belief in the product is important but helping others is what is going to create momentum toward success.

As long as your product is of quality, gives value, and is beneficial to the consumer this will help you succeed in Direct Sales/Network Marketing. Always be honest as people really appreciate authentic communication. Take action with little delay and you will increase the probability of you actually getting what you desire before the window of opportunity closes. Develop a just ‘do it’ mentality.  Remember you are in control. Persistence is developing patience which will enable you to get to what you desire even though it might take just a bit longer than you thought.

Bonnie Gortler is a successful stock market guru who is passionate about helping people reach their dreams, persevere, and live life to the fullest. She has successfully lost 65 pounds through her shift of living a healthier lifestyle focused on personal growth, mindful eating & exercising. Bonnie invites you to visit her blog where she posts weekly on the topics of business and health & wellness. Feel free to download, Twitter Magic, her FREE informative straightforward guide packed with great tips that will allow you to make friends, build lifelong connections, and grow your business. Create an excellent week! ~Bonnie

Connect via Twitter & Facebook   Subscribe to blog at BonnieGortler.com 

E-mail at BonnieGortler@gmail.com

Ladies First

I am going to start this piece by going back a few years ago to when I was in my first job as a trainee recruiter. I remember greeting a Senior Engineer who had come into our offices to meet with me to discuss a confidential role I was working on. I greeted him with a firm hand shake and took him through to the interview room. I then left him to get us a both a coffee, maybe I should have left him with one of my business cards to mull over, it may have stopped him making a complete and utter fool of himself. Oh and he also lost any respect I had for him as a Senior Professional within our shared working industry and network.

When I returned with our refreshesments, I sat down and began to thank him for taking the time to meet with me while I pulled out his CV (which I had to edit for him), however he interrupted me with;

“Sorry, are you doing this? I thought you were the coffee girl! Do you even know what I do?” he questioned while giving be a long and drawn out examination.

I felt sick. I didn’t really know how to react. I had never been spoken to so rudely before in my career. Had he no respect? Even if I was a coffee girl, since when was it ok to doubt someone’s intelligence simply because they are female? Regrettably, probably because I panicked, I just ignored his comment and continued. He must, however, have noticed he had offended me as I received an email quickly after he had left with his… Wait for it… his ‘sincere’ apologies.

Let’s go back further, to the Victorian times, when this was deemed by the majority as socially acceptable. I spent some time researching into this, to try and establish why some men were so narrow minded. It turns out that a large number of women in Victorian times in the UK carried out both household duties and managed to look after their families with a substantial income. However, their primary function was to act as full time mother or wife, so some woman kept their earnings secretive from their husbands. An increase of new ideas and technologies provided many new jobs for woman in a mid-Victorian boom, as men frowned upon change. Basically, we were offered the jobs that men didn’t want, lucky us! This was great for employers too, as woman provided much cheaper labor. Whereas all the sought after careers were not in our sight, let alone reach.

If this was in the 1840’s surely it can’t be going on? Sadly, the figures show that a large amount of woman in the UK today feel like they have been looked over for promotions, and training opportunities because of their sex. The term ‘glass ceiling’ is used frequently when discrimination against females is studied in the news and online.

In the UK we now have several laws to ensure equality to men and women. The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, The Equal Pay Act of 1970 and the Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations of 1999. These have been put in place, and that’s great that some of the ways woman were treated have been noticed. However we can’t change everyone attitude it would seem.

More recently I was encountered again by a Senior Professional, who it would seem, had an ego which was even bigger than his wallet. He approached me and asked me if I was looking for or ‘needed’ a man with a lot of money. Cringe. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t interested and his attempt to show off and attract me actually had the complete opposite effect. I didn’t need to crush his ego more by rejected his interest in front of his friends, he had already embarrassed himself.

Genetically, we don’t think alike, men and women. Us females are more inclined to listen to ideas from others and like to analyze our own thoughts as opposed to just throwing suggestions out there, could it be that our perfectionism and patience doesn’t serve us as well as it should?

I really feel for all the sexist men in the business world today, it seems that they are not capable of understanding that there is room for both men and woman to succeed. However I feel even worse for the unfortunate, if few, women who have had to deal with such discrimination. I would like to think that my male colleagues respect me and appreciate the knowledge I can share, regardless of the fact my own a handbag and wear high-heels to work. Getting up the career ladder should be just as easy for us as it can be for men. Looking into the future, if I was to have a family of my own, I would like to think I could fit work successes around this. If anything I would think that having children would encourage me to work harder in the office to ensure I can provide for them, similar to the Victorian times, with the only difference being, I would definitely not hide my successes. So if anyone comes across a shallow, sexist male ego, challenge it! I know I will, you have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain.