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Glenn Ebersole Articles
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“Your Strategic Tool Kit of Commitments For Success During Radical Change, From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” - Click To Read Article Dealing with and handling change and uncertainty is one of the major challenges each of us faces in today’s world. And we face it in our business and personal lives. It can be said that change and uncertainty arrive together and that most people find it much more difficult to manage and endure ambiguity and waiting than to deal with changes as they happen. And, in my opinion, on thing is certain – each of us will face some type of change and uncertainty at multiple times during our life. So, what are some strategic actions we can take to deal with this change and uncertainty? Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach researched this question and developed seven (7) strategic actions to recommend dealing with change and uncertainty in business and life. The seven (7) strategic actions are: Ten Actions To Take Strategic Advantage Of Business Slowdowns, From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article One of the realities of business in today’s world is that there will be times that business slow down for a variety of reasons. The traditional reaction to these slowdowns is to run some major sales, which cut prices to gain more business. I believe that by using some strategic thinking in these slowdowns, you can look at doing things that will build your business in the long term – the things you talk about doing but never do because of not having time to do them. Well, here is an opportunity to take a strategic advantage of the time you have during a slow down in business. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach offers ten (10) actions so you can gain this strategic advantage. How To Benefit From The Awesome Power of Two Simple Words –Thank You! According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article Please think about how many good deeds & intentions you witnessed or were personally involved with or impacted by in the past week. How many times did you witness someone expressing thanks or if you were directly involved, did you take a moment to express your thanks? I believe the responses to the questions would be very interesting and disappointing. Two simple words “Thank you!” have awesome power that binds and builds relationships. Yet, so many people never say thanks. A Lenox etiquette poll found that nearly 5 out of every 10 people don’t always say thanks. Writing sincere thank you notes is a very effective differentiator since it is “the exception” in today’s world. Expressing thanks has awesome power. Here are 7 tips from your strategic thinking business coach to gain that awesome power of thank you. The Critical Importance of Business Ethics For Effective Leadership, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article How important are business ethics to being an effective leader? According to the American Management Association, it is an important characteristic of effective leaders today. In a survey of 462 executives who were asked, “What characteristics are needed to be an effective leader today?” 56% ranked ethical behavior as an important characteristic, followed by sound judgment (51%) and being adaptable/flexible (47%). However, with all due respect to the AMA survey, I strongly believe it is much more than “important,” it is a “critical, essential and non-negotiable” characteristic of an effective leader. Strong business ethics is a pillar of my strategic planning and strategic thinking business coaching efforts and clients are encouraged to develop core values and guiding principles and publish them. Manners Always Matter - Click To Read Article Several years ago I had the good fortune to meet and become friends with Pamela Hillings of Hillings Enterprises in Pasadena, California. Pamela and her mother wrote a book entitled "Manners in a Minute," which is a practical guide for proper conduct and good manners when dining in or out. Pamela has been the official Royal Court Protocol Consultant to the Tournament of Roses Queen and Court and has been referred to as the "Miss Manners of the Internet," as she has taught "How to Have Great Business Manners" through an Internet class. And I had the privilege of being one of her guest "speakers" during the course to talk about business manners. Pamela Hillings has been my guide for business manners ever since our first contact. “Twelve Strategic Thinking Steps For Effective Change Management In Your Career, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” - Click To Read Article It is not very easy to manage a career change and in my business coaching practice, I have worked with people who have switched careers successfully in their 50s, 60s and above. And as I thought about this, I tried to think of some of the key steps they took to make this successful change. And one of the underlying common denominators with each of them was the use of a strategic thinking approach to managing change. So, with that being said, what would be the twelve (12) strategic thinking steps to follow for effectively managing the change in your career? In my opinion, the twelve (12) strategic steps are: “Strategic Alliances and Their Powerful Benefits” - Click To Read Article A strategic alliance is a partnership, a collaborative agreement and/or a relationship between two or more companies or organizations formed to pursue a set of agreed upon goals while remaining independent companies or organizations. Strategic alliances exist in a variety of shapes and sizes and include a wide range of scopes of cooperation levels. Strategic alliances usually are most effective when the entities involved have complementary strengths. Based upon more than 35 years of experience, here are what I consider to be twelve (12) of the most clear and powerful benefits of developing and working with strategic alliances. Ten Strategic Actions For Commercially Marketing New Technology - Click To Read Article The development of successful strategic marketing programs to commercially market new technology is a challenge. It requires the incorporation of good strategic thinking and Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach offers ten (10) strategic actions for you to take to develop a successful strategic marketing program for the commercial marketing of your new technology. Your PR Doctors Ten Top Reasons That Tell Yout Its Time to Hire a Publicist or Public Relations Firm - Click To Read Article Today’s businesses and business professionals wonder how they can possibly know if they need to hire a publicist or a public relations firm. Obviously there are many factors to consider when making this decision. To provide some guidance to businesses, here are ten top reasons that provide confirmation you need to hire a publicist or PR firm. Selling Tips Dealing With Difficult Prospects - Click To Read Article A couple years ago during Small Business Week I met Bill Brooks and learned about The Brooks Group. Bill is another one of those people who I "listen to" - and more importantly "HEAR" when he speaks. In the October IMPACT Sales Bulletin from The Brooks Group, Bill authored an article which discusses "difficult prospects" and the reasons they give you such a hard time. I found the article to be "right on target" and wanted you to have the benefit of this insightful article that follows below: The Strategic Use of Powerful Words, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach strongly believes that it is important to convey your ideas in a strategic manner by capturing the attention of the reader or listener you are addressing. The power of words is not always forefront in our minds when we communicate and Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach wants to remind you about the awesome power of words. Some of the most persuasive words in the English language are: you, easy, health, money, new, love, discover, power, save, result, safety, and guarantee. Using active and lively verbs with the above words can further enhance the power of each of the words. Here is a partial list of active and lively verbs to add even more power to those words. Communications Tips - Click To Read Article "The Greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished." George Bernard Shaw The great quote by George Bernard Shaw confirms what I have experienced in my 35 plus year career. And in my past 23 years in my own business, I cannot think of a single instance where "communication" was not listed as a problem, challenge, frustration, irritant, etc. in the focus groups, discussion groups and other strategic planning endeavors I have conducted. Communication is a challenge. And it is an opportunity for very positive impressions if one works at doing it effectively. Making Plans Now For A Better Business Year in 2006 Beyond - Click To Read Article Can you believe that we will be turning the calendars to 2006 in about 6 weeks? Have you thought about how to plan for a better business year in 2006? Do you have clear goals for 2006 and a plan to achieve them? Well, right now is the time to use “strategic thinking” about 2006. Strategic thinking and planning now will help reduce or remove some uncertainty in the year ahead, minimize surprises and/or enable you to better cope with surprises, create improved team work and also make more efficient use of your time and financial resources. Public Relations Prescription for Healthy Media Relations from the PR Doctor - Click To Read Article Are you frustrated in your dealings with media? Are you becoming ill because you cannot achieve positive media coverage or a single media placement? If you responded YES, then the “PR Doctor” is recommending a thorough “check-up” of your media relations skills and is writing a prescription to help you achieve healthy and successful media relations. Importance of Public Relations and Crisis Management Planning to Your Business - Click To Read Article Are public relations and crisis management planning important to your business? The answer is simple and direct. Public relations and crisis management planning are not only important to your business, they are both CRUCIAL to your business, regardless of your type of business. A general public relations program is important to your business to: complement advertising; provide research capabilities for marketing efforts; provide capabilities for special events to increase company & industry visibility; monitor governmental organizations; to communicate the state-of-the-industry to the public, including views on legislation, regulations, economic conditions, and other factors and events impacting your business; and to communicate with past and existing clients. How to Prevent Foot In Mouth Disease When Dealing With The Media A Prescription From The PR Doctor - Click To Read Article Do you feel ill or uncomfortable when dealing with the media? Do you have the habit of "sticking your foot in your mouth" during media interviews? Do you wish to hide or be excused whenever the media contacts you? Well, the PR Doctor has a simple prescription for you in the form of what to do and what not to do when dealing with the media. The prescription has been developed through many years of dealing with the local, regional, national & international media and some sage advice from many friends in the media over more than 35 years. Crisis Communications Planning or What To Do Before During Or After It Hits The Fan - Click To Read Article Do you have a crisis management or crisis communications plan for your business or organization? Do you believe your business or organization is too small to need a crisis communications plan? Or do you believe that crises only happen to others? If you are like the majority of businesses and organizations today, especially small to medium sized ones, you answered NO to the first question and probably YES to the second question. And I hope you answered NO to the third question. Well, I cannot emphasize too strongly that no matter how big or small you are, every organization should have a crisis management and crisis communications plan. So what should you do? The answer: develop a crisis management plan in 2 parts. Do You Know Where Your Disaster Recovery Plan Is - Click To Read Article Disasters of major magnitude are major news again after the Gulf coast region of the United States was hit by 2 major hurricanes. So it is very timely for me to ask each of you: “Do you know where your disaster recovery plan is?” “Do you even have a disaster recovery plan or crisis management plan?” “What business contingency plans do you have?” I am very concerned that in too many cases the answers would be “No” “No” and “None!” The plain hard truth is that if your business is going to continue to perform at a profitable or administratively adequate level when a crisis occurs, crisis/emergency planning is imperative. You must have a properly prepared disaster recovery plan in place and have the appropriate staff fully briefed on their responsibilities. Effective Business Communication Tips - Click To Read Article Do you consider yourself to be an effective business communicator? Have you honed your skills when communicating via E-mail and voice-mail messaging, in addition to the more traditional formal business writings? Could you use a little help improving the effectiveness of your business communications in each of these forms? Regardless of how you responded to my questions, I am going to say that I believe each of us can always use some help in improving the effectiveness of our business communications. And I want to assist you and guide you in finding ways to do just that. Why I Love to Hear From Clients and Why You Should Too - Click To Read Article I love to hear from my clients (and my business associates, friends, et al) because I value their feedback. One of my favorite questions is a simple one, but one that yields great value to me. I love to ask, “What do you think?” about any number of items and then listen carefully to the response. Over the 35 years in my professional life, I am still amazed at how many businesses and individuals will tell me that they know what their customers think & want. Yet, when I challenge them and inquire if they actually asked their clients or customers, they say NO very often. Not asking for, not encouraging and not valuing feedback is a huge mistake. No matter what business or organization you are in; getting feedback from your customers & clients is a critical success factor. The Business of Ethics and The Ethics of Business - Click To Read Article In 2002 the corporate world in the United States was rocked with scandals. Enron, Arthur Anderson, WorldCom, Citi Group, HCA, Tyco and others were headline news in print and the lead story on the television news because of business ethics failures. This caused me to reemphasize and stress to each of my clients then and now, the importance of business ethics and to challenge each of my clients to integrate their core values into their policies, practices and decision making. And I recommend that they rededicate themselves to conducting business to the highest ethical standards. How To Brand Your Business Using Ten Action Items - Click To Read Article In the world we know today, business is becoming more and more competitive. And, small business is the fastest-growing segment of business in most parts of the world. The competitors we face are no longer just the businesses in our own community. The competition now comes from businesses in other communities, in other states, countries and possibly from somewhere halfway around the world. One of the most valuable assets a business, service, product or individual can own is their brand, their reputation. Recognition and value of your business, service, product and yourself determines marketing potential. So, branding must be an integral part of building your business. You need to have customers & clients remember your name, service, product so they can easily refer you to others and so you can build loyalty for repeat transactions. Building A Better Brand in the New Year - Click To Read Article The new year is well underway and many of us have been using the start of the new year to review, refine and/or restart various things in our businesses. For this article I want to concentrate on writing to encourage you to seize the opportunity to look at your branding for this year. Business Coaching - Click To Read Article A business coach in today's business world can be a very valuable asset for business owners. And one good reason is that emotional situations in your business require unemotional business advice. Why Small Business Fail - Click To Read Article Michael Gerber, author of the mega-best sellers "The E-Myth" and "The E-Myth Revisited," is one of the people I admire and respect and who has had a significant impact on me and my businesses. Although I have listened many times to Gerber's audio tape about the E-Myth, I always come away learning more. In addition, I have read a booklet by Michael Gerber entitled: "Why Most Small Businesses Fail and What You Can Do About It." Strategic Thinking Planning Success Story - Click To Read Article A majority of times when I ask small business owners if they have a strategic plan, a vision, a mission, etc. for their business, there is dead silence, a shuffling of feet, a distressed or puzzled look or responses like - "we are too small," "we have our plan in our heads," "no one uses those anyway," or some others that cannot be repeated here. Time Management Tips - Click To Read Article Recently I was doing some research on time management for a client and I discovered a very good resource and wanted to pass it along to all of you. Her name is Carol Halsey and her website address is: www.pilestofiles.com I was so impressed with Carol because she gives not 10 tips, but 29 tips. Now that is a bargain! More On Strategic Thinking - Click To Read Article On February 20th, I returned from St. Augustine, Florida, where I attended the 7th Annual Meeting of The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org and was a featured speaker on Strategic Thinking and Planning. It became clear from the reception and comments I received after my power point presentation, that I had accomplished my goal of sensitizing the attendees to the benefits of strategic thinking and planning and getting many of them to commit to starting the strategic planning process soon after they returned home. I selected a few slides from my powerpoint and have listed the information below that I shared with them. Tips On Dealing With Delinquent Clients and Customers From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article Business owners know all too well that dealing with delinquent clients and customers is a necessary part of running his or her business. And many of those business owners are not proactive about pursuing those delinquent clients and customers. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach strongly recommends that all business owners (especially small business owners) use strategic thinking to develop a plan to actively and aggressively pursue those delinquent accounts. Collecting overdue bills while maintaining good relationships with clients and customers requires very strategic people skills. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach offers the following tips on how to deal with delinquent clients and customers. More on Referrals - Click To Read Article The importance of referrals was included in one of my previous newsletters. And I mentioned how I was referred to Bill Cates, a referral coach. Bill recently wrote an article entitled "The 7 Deadly Referral Sins - Are You Making Them?" I have read this many times and find it to be a great reminder of what not to do when it comes to referrals. Do You Want To Become A Rainmaker - Click To Read Article During my 35 year career, I have had the privilege of being referred to as a "Rainmaker" in several news articles and stories during interviews with some of my clients. I take that as a very kind compliment. Some may ask, what is a "Rainmaker?" The American Indian tradition would say that the Rainmaker used magical powers to bring rain to nourish crops to feed the people of the tribe. Today, the most common and simplistic definition I can offer would be this: A "Rainmaker" is a person who brings the most revenue into a company or organization and the revenue or money is the rain. Today's "Rainmaker" makes things happen, generates the most new customers, new business and takes the art of the doing business to new levels. Power Marketing Advice to Grow Your Business - Click To Read Article A strategic thinking question that today’s business owners and senior managers need to ask themselves is “How effectively do I market myself and our service, product and/or company?” And frankly, no matter what your answer is, you can always improve. This is where power marketing strategies can be very effective in helping you and your company achieve better results. Achieving Swift Vision for Your Business or Organization - Click To Read Article At first glance you may have read the headline of this article and immediately interpreted “swift” as fast, quick, hurried, rapid, etc. But, the “Swift” I am referring to is Jonathan Swift. And one of my favorite quotes related to strategic thinking and planning is from Jonathan Swift, who said, “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.” And that very succinctly describes what I do everyday on personal and business levels and what I guide and facilitate others to do also. Strategies to Win Back a Client or Customers Loyalty - Click To Read Article The response to my June, 2005 presentation on marketing to The Small Business Group of The Lancaster Chamber included requests for more information on “reaching back” to former clients and customers. So to follow-up on that request I researched some additional information on strategies to use to win back clients and customers. Clearing Up The Myths About Strategic Thinking and Planning - Click To Read Article I continue to be amazed at the amount of misinformation and the number of myths that exist about strategic thinking and planning. During my entire career, I have heard business owners, senior executives and not-for-profit board members and executive directors utter “mythical” statements about strategic thinking and planning. And I have observed that these same people truly believe that these myths are reality. My purpose in writing this article is to share what I believe are the 5 biggest myths and also provide some insights into what I believe are the 5 biggest “realities” of strategic thinking and planning. More Business Coaching Tips and Results Why Hire A Coach - Click To Read Article In today’s competitive business world, one needs to be at the “top of their game.” The pressure of business can be overwhelming. Where can business owners, senior executives, executive directors of not-for-profits and others turn to handle the pressure and be powerful performers? My recommendation is to hire a coach! Surviving Change The Stress It Creates - Click To Read Article Change is the status quo. Change is everywhere. And so is stress! Some have called stress the invisible epidemic. The truth is that stress is spreading rapidly and just about everybody is feeling the effect. Acting as a change agent, I get to witness stress quite often. I see what today’s stress is like and imagine what the future will hold and what stress it has the potential to produce. Tomorrow will no doubt give us a more complex world with a faster rate of change. Therefore, it is imperative that we learn how to handle life better and improve upon how we adapt to change and the way we handle it. Managing Your Time 20 More Tips - Click To Read Article Every day we hear someone say, “I am so busy. I just don't have enough time to get things done!” And I imagine each of us has fallen into that same feeling from time to time. Are you a good manager of your time? Could you improve upon your use of this limited and precious item called time? If we are honest, the responses are probably “No and Yes.” As part of my business coaching and strategic thinking and planning consulting work, we do work on improving time management of individuals and of teams. We search to find more time by becoming more efficient and much more conscious about how we spend our time. Here are 20 more tips I have found to be helpful in managing one's time. Immunizing Your Business Against Recession By Using Marketing Tools - Click To Read Article One of the hot topics of discussion in the fall of 2005 is the concern about various types of flu and how people, especially those in high-risk categories, should get immunized. And I also note that there are some people talking about a possible recession in the world. So I thought we should look at immunizing our businesses against recession by using marketing tools. Coaching Solutions For You - Click To Read Article Let’s be honest! Do you ever feel overwhelmed, stressed, tired, stuck in the same old rut, unorganized, underappreciated, lacking direction or focus on your goals, bored with your work and/or without balance between your time working and your time spent with family and friends? Remember, I did say be honest! If you answered truthfully, you said YES and I can tell you that you have lots of company Raising and Renewing Business Through Referrals - Click To Read Article We observe today’s businesses trying to regain, retain and raise customers and prospects using many different techniques. And we also observe that businesses and consumers are inundated with marketing and sales messages, which cause great skepticism. So what can we do? How can we use strategic thinking to come up with an alternative approach? Preparing For Sustainable Growth in Your Company or Organization - Click To Read Article As a business owner or senior manager, you are in business to grow your business and then sustain that growth. Companies and organizations try to avoid uncontrolled or unmanaged growth, but realize there are many pitfalls that cause growth to disappear. Coaching to Success in 2006 and Beyond - Click To Read Article 2006 is well underway and each day presents opportunities for each and every one of us to be successful. But do we recognize the opportunities for success? Do we act upon the opportunities for success that are recognized? How does one become skilled in recognizing, seizing and acting upon opportunities for success? One very powerful answer: “through coaching.” Your Estate Does Matter - Click To Read Article In my business coaching and strategic thinking and planning consulting work, I have found too often that the owners and managers of small to medium size businesses frequently fail to do adequate estate planning and lack suitable estate planning documents. The lack of effective planning can result in costly probate proceedings or unnecessary estate taxes. Therefore, my real mission with this article is to try to convince you that “your estate does matter!” and you need to make sure you have committed to take the needed action to get your estate planning in order now. I believe it is fair to say that business owners and managers do not intentionally plan to neglect this type of planning. Change Is Here To Stay Thoughts From A Change Agent - Click To Read Article "The trouble with the future is that it usually arrives before we're ready for it." Arnold H. Glasow Whenever someone refers to me as a "Change Agent," I accept it as a real compliment because that is a very accurate description of what I am. Since change is here to stay, I wanted to share some thoughts about change and some strategies on dealing with change. Change in the workplace and in our lives is inevitable. The way most people deal with change can vary from trying to ignore it; getting angry; wishful thinking and/or running away. A very positive way to deal with change is to look at change as a spawning ground for new opportunities for the business or organization. Why Are You Waiting to Ask For Referrals - Click To Read Article In December, 2004 I was referred to Bill Cates by The Brooks Group. Bill Cates is the author of 2 best selling books: "Unlimited Referrals" and "Get More Referrals Now!" Bill is President of Referral Coach International and is the nation's foremost expert on how to enhance customer loyalty and increase sales through high quality referrals and word-of-mouth. More on Strategic Planning What Do You Think - Click To Read Article Many small businesses believe they are too small for strategic planning. Is that what you think? Do you think you do not have the time to solve problems by thinking strategically? Do you think you know how your business is growing and where it is going? Perhaps you need to stop and think again! Referral Program - Click To Read Article A well planned, implemented and managed referral program can be an excellent way to gain additional business from existing clients and to add new clients. Strategic Thinking What Does It Really Mean - Click To Read Article Recently I was working with a client’s management team and we were having a discussion about thinking. And as the discussion ensued I thought to myself that we think a lot, but we very seldom think about how we think. As a strategic thinking and business coach I do think quite a lot about how we think and especially how people in business think or shall I say how they “don’t think!” In today’s economy with the global competitive pressures faced by business each day, it seems to me that there needs to be a great deal more emphasis on strategic thinking. And in my view, strategic thinking should no longer be limited to or encouraged of those in planning. I believe that strategic thinking is now necessary for everyone. Team Reconstruction in Challenging Times - Click To Read Article Building or rebuilding successful teams in challenging times is a very difficult job. One must restore productivity and profitability in the workplace that has been hit by change. One must also deal with angry, confused, distracted, emotional, irritated, stressed, etc. employees. There is a need for a strategy to handle the pressure of this type of change and rebuilding your team(s). “Crisis Management Planning – What’s Happening Where We Work?” - Click To Read Article Crises continue to be in our newspaper headlines and the lead stories on radio and television broadcasts. And crises continue to affect businesses in many forms and continue to occur without notice. But what’s happening where we work in response to this continuing trend of crises? Are businesses preparing for crises by developing crisis management plans? Do you know if your company has a crisis management plan or a business disaster recovery plan? Do they have a crisis communication plan? The American Management Association did a survey in August & September 2005 and what that survey revealed is summarized below. “BUILDING UP OR SELECTIVELY DEMOLISHING AN IMAGE " - Click To Read Article Is your customer service building up a positive image for you as a builder or is it selectively demolishing your image? Do you simply talk about good customer service or do you provide and promote a daily customer service commitment? And is customer service really important to individual builders and the entire building industry? The answers are crucial to you specifically as a builder and to the building industry, in general. WHERE IS THE YOU (“U”) IN ACCOUNTABILITY IN TODAY’S WORLD? - Click To Read Article Do you know where the you (“U”) is in accountability in your company or organization? Does your organization struggle with accountability as an issue in the workplace today? Is there a culture at your company that holds everyone accountable? What is accountability? A straightforward definition could be: being responsible for one’s activities, conduct and performance of responsibilities. Based upon my life experiences and my business coaching and consulting work, I can tell you that accountability, and the lack thereof, is one of the major issues in business (and life) today. “The Power of Questions” - Click To Read Article As a business coach and a multi-disciplinary consulting professional, I totally believe that questions have awesome power. Since 1982 when I started my professional consulting practices, I have used the power of questions. Questions have the potential to be one of the most effective communication tools available. TEN MVP (MOST VALUABLE PERSONAL) TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENUERS - Click To Read Article Since beginning my own entrepreneurial ventures in 1982, I have observed much and learned much about what is behind the success of entrepreneurs. I have selected a number of those traits and call them Ten MVP, or Most Valuable Personal, traits of successful entrepreneurs. The selected traits shown below reflect my opinion from personal observation and are not listed in priority order. “TOP TEN TIPS TO EFFECTIVELY WORK WITH POLICY MAKERS” - Click To Read Article We are sometimes called on to work with policy makers in a variety of organizations we are associated with in our personal, business and volunteer lives. Working with these policy makers can be very rewarding and can be very frustrating. Since 1970 I have been working with policy makers at all levels of government, non-profits, businesses, institutions and other organizations. And from the experience of those years, I developed a list of the top 10 tips to effectively work with policy makers. I have summarized those tips below: “BEST WAYS TO IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS” - Click To Read Article All businesses today should know who their ideal clients and customers are. IDo you know who your ideal clients are? Have you ever taken time to truly identify your ideal clients and what they are like? I suspect a majority of readers of this article answered NO to these questions. Too many business owners and managers cannot identify their ideal clients and customers and as a consequence they continue to “chase” any prospect and sell to everyone. By doing this, they work harder, not smarter, waste valuable time & resources, and they fail to grow their business. Worse yet, too many business owners and managers find it absolutely impossible to “walk away” from any prospect even when they know the prospect is not the right fit for their business. “A Positive Look at Media Interviews and A Prescription for Successful Media Interviews” - Click To Read Article As you read the headline, I can almost hear some of you asking, “How can there be anything positive about media interviews? I would rather go for a painful visit to my dentist than participate in a media interview.” Well, I want to tell you that in more than 35 years of media interviews in my professional career, I remain positive about media interviews and will share some thoughts with you. And just in case you might believe that all those media interviews were fun & friendly, I can assure you they were not. So you are wondering how to look at media interviews in a positive light and view them as an opportunity to tell your story. Here is my prescription for you. "The Business of Business Manners at Meetings" - Click To Read Article In addition to a lack of business ethics today, there is also a lack of business manners. I have chosen to focus on business manners at meetings for this article. Business manners are essential to build relationships in today’s business world. People, who present themselves very favorably, will maximize their business potential. I must tell you that I am very passionate about business manners and believe very strongly in the results that follow the use of good business manners. What I Learned From Coach Vince Lombardi That Guides Me in My Business - Click To Read Article As a youth, I started playing organized, supervised football through the Boy’s Club in Elizabethtown, PA. I went on to play football at the junior high, junior varsity, varsity, collegiate levels and beyond for a total of about 18 years. During those years, I became totally impressed with a football coach named Vince Lombardi and his principles. And to this day, I try to use what I learned from Coach Lombardi in my business coaching practice and my personal life. Coach Lombardi believed that running a football team was no different than running any other kind of organization or business. Reflecting on the Maraniss book, other reading and personal experiences, I selected 10 key character traits & 2 quotes from Coach Lombardi for each trait to represent the lesson learned from each character item. “ Increased, Irritating, Invasive, Inconsiderate, Insensitive, Interruptions of Cell Phones and Their Users” - Click To Read Article My personal experiences the past few weeks have provided “up close and personal” confirmation of people becoming more and more rude with their cell phones. And the personal observations are backed up by many polls, which indicate such findings as: cell phone rudeness is the #1 complaint of diners (Zagat Restaurant Survey); the most abhorred uses of cell phones (according to USA Today) are over dinner (86%), in a meeting (88%), in a movie (96%) and at a funeral (98%); and the worst cell phone habit is unnecessarily loud conversations in public places (Spovate market research). So you ask me what can be done to try to reverse the rudeness of our cell phone environment? Here are my suggestions for some simple guidelines for cell phone etiquette. “End of Year Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” - Click To Read Article As we enter the month of December each year, we often wonder where the year has gone, how quickly it has passed and what we did or did not accomplish. He end of each year finds us thinking about holidays, gifts, parties and friends, as well as the closing out of another business year. The end of the year is a time to look back on the previous year and look forward to the next. And while reflecting on the past year, a strategic thinking business coach would like to suggest that you take time to remember and to give thanks for the great things that happened in your business. And to build on all of the positive things that you accomplished this past year and carry that positive momentum into next year. “Non-Disclosure/Confidentiality Agreements – Don’t Hire Anyone Without Signing One” - Click To Read Article Are you worried that your employees or outside contract workers have access to confidential information about your business that could do potential harm to your business if employees or contracted workers use it for their own gain or disclose it to your competitors? If you are not worried or concerned in the business world we live in today, then I suggest you become concerned now, not later! Technology and business information have continued to expand exponentially in today’s business environment. Employees and contract workers are more likely to be exposed to a significant amount of proprietary information and therein lays a potential threat to your business. “Eight Key Characteristics For A Strategic Planning Facilitator, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” - Click To Read Article Selecting a professional strategic planning facilitator is very important. Facilitation of your strategic planning process involves working with groups of people and requires that the facilitator be tuned in at all times to what is happening. The facilitator also must be able to suspend or change the direction of the process when necessary. An experienced professional facilitator used in your strategic planning process will greatly increase the probability of a successful process and strategic plan and will also enable the participants to leave with positive feelings, a stronger cohesiveness, a sense of accomplishment and a stronger team. In selecting a professional facilitator, your strategic thinking business coach suggests that you look for the following key characteristics. “Failure Breeds Success – If You Learn From Each Failure” - Click To Read Article Many readers of this article may ask how failure breeds success? Others will ask, “Doesn’t failure breed more failure, a sense of loss, or a loser mentality?” And I welcome the inquiry and the chance to respond because I believe there is more to learn in our failures than in our successes. In my opinion, there is a lesson to learn in each failure we experience. “What Is a Good Recipe For An Ad to Produce Higher Yields? A Bakers Dozen Ingredients For an Effective Ad” - Click To Read Article What ingredients make an effective ad that produces higher yields? After thinking about this, I thought of thirteen (a bakers dozen for the non-bakers in the audience) essential ingredients for an effective high yielding ad. Here are the thirteen ingredients. “Essential Habits and Principles for Great Leadership” - Click To Read Article You have probably heard it said that many people are born leaders. However, the ability to lead is an art and requires learning a powerful set of skills and principles and then honing those skills and practicing those principles to the highest level. The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said this about great leadership, “Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character.” So, what are some of the essential habits and principles that will help you and your clients grow into great leaders? “The Importance and Awesome Power of Project Management in Today’s Business Environment” - Click To Read Article Why is project management important and what awesome power exists with project management in today’s business environment? The first reasons that come to my mind about why project management is important (based upon more than 35 years of my personal project management experience), are tighter budgets, diminishing resources, more and more time constraints, and competition to improve the ways we do business. The awesome power of project management makes it possible to focus on priorities, track and measure performance, overcome challenges and problems, become flexible enough to adapt to change and achieve higher performance and a higher probability of success in each project. “Reaping Rewards From An Effective Referral System” - Click To Read Article Let me pose a question to you that could really impact the growth of your business. Do you routinely and systematically ask for referrals? And if you do ask, do you enjoy doing it? Do you feel uncomfortable and nervous about asking for referrals? If you were totally honest, your answers would show that there are probably quite a few of you that dislike, or dare I say hate, asking for referrals. What can you do to overcome this disdain for asking for referrals? How can you get rid of that feeling that you do not want to impose on others? “Seven Strategic Tips For Selling Professional Services Brand, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” - Click To Read Article Selling professional services presents many challenges and problems with closing a deal with a prospect and/or client. The term “closing” has an inherent seller-orientation and it can be interpreted as putting your needs ahead of the client’s needs. And that is never a desired interpretation for those who sell professional services. The “closing” model also presents some conflicts between the belief that buying is driven by rational decision-making, rather than emotion. What is important is to have the buyer of professional services feel comfortable about a rational decision they have to make. Instead of the “closing” concept, which presumes a transactional, seller-centered, rational model of buying decisions, let’s look at a model centered on trust in the seller. Here are some tips to accomplish that. Here are tips “Stop Resisting and Start Reaping The Rewards of Referrals” - Click To Read Article Recently I was asked to provide some expert advice on networking for introverts and I did so in an article entitled, “Networking Tips for Introverts or How to Break The Ice Without Fear of Falling Through.” After completing the article, I thought about the similarity between the introvert’s fear of networking and the fear and resistance of business people to ask for referrals. Let’s look at how one might overcome this fear or resistance to requesting referrals. Networking Tips for Introverts or How to Break The Ice Without Fear of Falling Through - Click To Read Article Do you “freeze up” when you are in a room full of people with some great networking opportunities? Are you timid, shy, and bashful around people at business and social gatherings? If you admitted that this description fits you, please understand that you are not alone. Introverts are one group of people that are really affected by this freeze up. Mention “networking” to introverts and the introverts may freeze up and become the “ice” they need to “break” in networking. What can be done to address this situation? I thought about this and developed some tips I would give to introverts on networking. Here are my six tips on networking for introverts to prevent “freeze-up”: “Handling Customer Complaints With Class – Using Customer Complaints as a Successful Marketing Strategy” - Click To Read Article If you currently do not view customer complaints as a valuable opportunity, you are ignoring a very effective strategic tool for success. In more than 35 years of professional experience in marketing, I can assure you that the effective handling of complaints and a good service recovery strategy are very valuable marketing opportunities. The sad news here is that many businesses simply do not accept this and squander many opportunities to grow their business. I wanted to share with you what I would suggest you do to handle complaints with class. Here are 10 things to do to manage complaints in a classy manner. “What Color is Your Marketing and What is It Saying?” - Click To Read Article Do you have any idea what role color plays in your marketing efforts? And if so, do you know what message your marketing efforts are conveying with the colors you use? Let me tell you that the colors you use in your marketing efforts – your brochures, business cards, letterhead, signage, office interiors, and more – play a very important role in motivating people. The colors speak loudly and clearly, so I believe it is in our best interest to learn what the colors convey in our marketing. Since colors are so important, it behooves us to learn what message they convey in our marketing efforts. Here is a brief overview to facilitate our learning some basics of the meaning of colors in our marketing. “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is - In Our Businesses Today?” - Click To Read Article The title of this article is derived from the title of a very popular 1960s song by the band, Chicago. It is also a question that needs to be asked in our businesses today. Do you know what time it is in your business when it comes to how much time is wasted in business each year? The best answer is probably, “Time to stop wasting time!” It has been reported that the average person spends 150 hors each year looking for misplaced information. Wow, talk about a time waster! Think about the magnitude of this type of lost time when accumulated over all our businesses and organizations. What would happen if you and others in your company spent those 150 hours doing something productive? Imagine what could be achieved. Okay, let’s list a few thoughts that hopefully will stimulate your imagination to determine what you can do. “Seven Stimulating Strategies For Success in Marketing Your Business” - Click To Read Article Recently I was researching different marketing strategies to stimulate business growth. After reading and reviewing several sources, I selected seven strategies to share with you in this article. The seven strategies are: “Media Tips From Your PR Doctor For Effective Electronic Media Interviews” - Click To Read Article Have you ever been interviewed by the electronic media. Have you ever declined an interview because you felt totally fearful and uneasy on TV or radio? Have you been interviewed and then wished you would have had the benefit of some tips to prepare for and deliver a more effective interview? Well, I want to offer you another set of tips or as I like to call it – another prescription from your PR Doctor – to use for your next interview opportunity. "A Major Communication Tip For Successful Strategic Planning – Provide Definitions of Major Strategic Planning Terms As You Begin” - Click To Read Article One of the key elements in any endeavor is clear communications. This is especially true when doing strategic planning. So, my major communication tip to ensure more successful strategic planning efforts is to first provide basic definitions of major terms used in the strategic planning process. Having written definitions to hand out to all participants at the start of the process will help ensure that everyone knows the meaning of the terms being used throughout the strategic planning process facilitates this. Here are the definitions of major strategic planning terms that have served me well in all of my strategic planning efforts over more than 25 years. “Major Benefits of Business Coaching for Individuals and Their Companies” - Click To Read Article Business coaching continues to grow and the benefits of business coaching to individuals and their companies are being realized and recognized. I want to share some of the major benefits I believe are being realized and have listed them below. “Thirteen Tried and True Ways to Increase Revenue From Your Existing Customers” - Click To Read Article Are you overlooking one of the biggest sources of increased revenues for your business by not focusing a targeted marketing effort on your existing customers? Experience has proven that your existing customers are the most effective and efficient source of more revenue since you already have an existing relationship with them. Increased sales can come through them via an increase in the total number of purchases, higher frequency of purchases and higher dollar value of each purchase. Here are thirteen (13) of what I consider to be “tried and true” ways to gain more revenue from your existing customers. “Succession Planning For Your Business – Better Now Than Later!” - Click To Read Article Do you, as a business owner, have a succession plan or exit strategy for your business? Do you, as an employee, know if a succession plan or exit strategy exists in your company or organization? This subject is one of the most critical aspects of owning and managing a business, yet it is also one of the most neglected aspects. Many business owners spend years and years building and growing their business, but without giving any thought to an exit strategy. An effective and smooth exit requires very sound planning several years in advance of the actual exit from the business. The exit strategy must be part of your strategic planning process and a specific long-range goal within your strategic action plan. This type of sound planning will prepare the business for new ownership and for the owner’s financial security afterwards. “How to Overcome Public Speaking Fears – Ten Strategic Tips From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach” - Click To Read Article When it comes to public speaking, do you welcome the opportunity or do you run for cover? Do you accept each chance presented or do you make up a long list of reasons to be excused from the task? If you answered NO to these questions, it is important for you to read this because public speaking presents some very positive development opportunities for you and there are things you can do to overcome your fears of public speaking. So what can you do if you do fear public speaking? Here are ten (10) strategic tips to overcome that fear and make public speaking easy. 12 Strategic Questions To Ask Before Starting New Marketing Activity, From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article The planning and implementation of strategic marketing requires some solid strategic thinking. One strategic thinking tool to use in preparing for any new marketing activity is a checklist or a list of questions to ask yourself before you begin any new marketing activity. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach strongly emphasizes the importance of planning and to asking questions about your endeavors before you begin. Here are twelve (12) strategic questions that Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach suggests you ask yourself before initiating your marketing efforts. Ten Strategic Tips on How To Achieve High Visibility In Your Target Market From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach strongly emphasizes the importance of achieving high visibility and establishing yourself and your business in your targeted networks. Gaining high visibility and a positive, trusted position will ultimately enable you to build quality relationships with more people in your niche markets and result in an increased number of prospects. The people who achieve this high visibility exhibit certain characteristics and behaviors. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach offers five (5) DO's and five (5) DONT'S to make up the following ten (10) strategic tips on how to achieve high visibility in your target market. Got Business Challenges, Issues, Opportunities? - Then Get Strategic Thinking Business Coaching - Click To Read Article Looking at today’s businesses, the business owner and their management team, I see many challenges, issues and opportunities they face every day. In fact, I help the owners and their management teams deal with business challenges, issues and opportunities, as a strategic thinking business coach. Let’s see if you are dealing with any of these challenges, issues or opportunities by answering twelve questions. If you answer YES to any or many of the questions, there is very good news for you. Strategic thinking business coaching can and does help entrepreneurs, and business owner and their management teams meet challenges, resolve issues and take advantage of opportunities. Strategic thinking business coaching is a very powerful tool that will help you: The Strategic Use of Powerful Words For Your Marketing - Advice From Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach - Click To Read Article Spoken and written words carry awesome power. The words & phrases that you use in your daily business and personal life are extremely important. Our words can add positive power and help us gain success or our words can add negative power and help reduce or prohibit success. This is especially true in marketing. Words make a huge difference in the degree of impact from your marketing communications. One of my favorite sources of insightful and powerful marketing advice is Steve Hackney of Hackney Marketing Ltd. Located in Leicester, UK. According to Steve Hackney, there are a number of “magic” and “hypnotic” words that you can use to increase the power of your marketing. Steve Hackney’s list includes the following 28 words. Steve also provides a list of what he calls “killer words” will make people lose interest or stop reading. “The Awesome Power of Testimonials For Marketing Your Business!” - Click To Read Article One of the most extremely powerful marketing tools that we have in business is the testimonial. Yet many times we use the excuse of being “too busy” or “I am not comfortable asking” to not actively request testimonials from our clients and customers. Well, I want to tell you that testimonials can have a tremendous impact on people deciding whether or not to do business with you and your company. And why is that true? People feel more confident about doing business with you if they know there are other satisfied customers. Frankly, the use of testimonials is one technique that is virtually guaranteed to increase your business. "Essential Ingredients For An Effective Ad" - Click To Read Article We are literally bombarded with advertisements every day and in many forms. Each of these advertisements is competing for our very limited attention. One can say the competition is fierce. Therefore, your ads must be well thought out and have certain key attributes or what I choose to call “ingredients.” Here are the essential ingredients I believe are necessary for an effective ad. “Tips For Entrepreneurs In Selecting A Venture Capitalist” - Click To Read Article As a business coach, I do get the opportunity from time to time to assist, guide and facilitate the search for venture capital and venture capital firms. Recently I have been involved in doing just that and here are some tips on what characteristics to look for when searching for venture capitalists. Characteristics of a good venture capitalist should include: Thirteen Tips For Entrepreneurs When Making Oral Presentations to Investors - Click To Read Article Let’s say that as an entrepreneur you have decided you need to seek investors for your business venture and you now have the opportunity to make oral presentations to potential investors. In order to capitalize on your opportunity, you want to and need to make the most effective presentation possible. Here are 13 tips for making effective presentations to investors from my perspective as a business coach: “Strategic Thinking Applied to Making Winning Presentations to Investors” - Click To Read Article As a business coach I find that business people always seem very interested and eager for advice on how to make winning presentations. And recently there has been an increased interest in seeking advice for making winning presentations to investors for their business. They want to know how best to prepare that winning presentation to a prospective investor. Applying strategic thinking to this request, here are ten actions I recommend to anyone desiring to make a winning presentation to investor(s). “Keys to Getting Past The Gate-Keeper In Business” - Click To Read Article Savvy business people understand that one of the critical factors in developing a successful business and successful business relationship is getting past the “gate-keeper” that stands between you and the key decision maker you want to reach. They also know that they could have award winning marketing materials and very compelling messages, but they are all totally ineffective if they cannot reach the right decision maker. And all the efforts to develop those materials and messages will be wasted. Understanding the “gate-keeper” system that a business employs is very strategic information for you and your business. And you need to use some strategic thinking to make sure that you have developed an effective way to get past the “gate-keeper” of your key decision maker. “Thirteen Strategic & Cost Effective Ideas to Increase Your Business Revenue and Profits” - Click To Read Article Growing your business is a continuous effort and goal. Business owners and managers need to think and plan more strategically to grow their businesses. Here are thirteen simple and strategic ideas that will help increase sale and profits, but will not strain or demolish your budget. How to Identify The Real Leaders Out There Among Us - Click To Read Article How can you know a real leader when you see one? What do real leaders do that define them as leaders? Many people may consider themselves leaders, but in reality do not demonstrate principles of leadership and are not leaders at all. In today’s world there are many imposters posing as leaders. In order to assist you in identifying leaders in your company or organization, I have selected seven (7) actions that I believe real leaders take that define them as “real leaders.” Those seven (7) actions are: Can Your Business Be Attractive to Investors Thoughts From A Business Coach - Click To Read Article Is your company experiencing solid growth where you are considering looking for outside investors for your capital needs? Do you know if your business will be or can be attractive to investors? If you plan to search for equity investors, you should know that they will expect a significant return on their investment (20% to 50% is not uncommon) and many times within 5 years. These investors will look carefully at the candidate company to characteristics that include, but are not limited to: a solid and proven management team; potential company growth; solid business plan; and evidence of strategic thinking and planning in a strategic plan with vision, mission core values and short term & long term goals. If you decide to obtain equity financing, here are 5 major actions a business coach recommends. “Thirteen Strategic, Creative and Inexpensive Ideas to Create Awareness For Your Business” - Click To Read Article Business owners and managers want to create awareness of their business. And many times they want to (or have to) create that awareness with a very small or no budget. This presents a challenge so one needs to apply some strategic thinking to do this. Employing some strategic thinking, here are 13 strategic, creative and inexpensive ways to inform your existing and prospective customers and clients know who you are, what you do, and what core values you exemplify in your business. “Are You Building or Demolishing Trust In Your Business?” - Click To Read Article Do you believe that trust is important in your business? Many of you probably answered yes and in fact many experts believe trust is perhaps the most important element of an efficient, cooperative, collaborative and unified work environment. Almost every one of my client focus groups during the first stages of strategic planning will list trust and the lack thereof as a challenge, frustration and issue in their workplace. The management team wants to know how they can build trust in the workforce and how they can avoid losing it. So I ask you – are you building or demolishing trust in your business or organization? Here are five (5) questions to ask to verify if you are building trust in your business. “Bringing The Power of Passion Into Your Business” - Click To Read Article Do you recognize where your passions lie in your business? What are you truly passionate about in your business? Are there additional ways that you can bring passion into your business? I believe that caring about your work and taking personal pride in whatever you do in your work are qualities that are essential to achieve. Working hard, doing one’s best and being ready to accept new challenges are what probably 80% of people do. So what makes some people stand out, way above this 80%? What is it that differentiates Steve Jobs and Lee Iacocca from others? I say it is PASSION! If you are wondering how to bring the power of passion into your business, here are a few tips to do so. The Value and Benefits of Strategic Thinking - Click To Read Article Strategic thinking plays an enormous role in professional work and is part of the branding of my mul | ||