Archive for the ‘Communication’ Category
Monday, May 7th, 2012
Communication is a skill that can make or break you in business, especially if you are in executive leadership. As a coach in this area, I focus my sessions heavily on improving communication skills for better negotiations, strategic partnering and referral opportunities.
Here are three tips that will help you immediately improve your interpersonal and business communication skills.
Focus On Their Needs. Regardless of whether you are meeting new contacts or long-standing partners at the conference table (or coffee shop couch), you should focus on their needs and goals first, then think about how you can help them achieve those goals. The ultimate objective of any meeting should be to create a win-win situation or resolution.
Adapt to Different Communication Styles. Just like leadership styles, everyone has different styles of communication. Great communicators observe and note the stylistic differences of the people across the table and adapt to them. Some great salespeople even feed off these differences. Adjusting to their communication style makes them more comfortable and more willing to work with you.
Smile. It may seem obvious, but it is so common in the business world for people—especially executive leadership—to leave their humanity at the front door. People want to do business with people they like and trust. Keyword: like. Smiling, laughing and even a little joking can diffuse situations, make people feel at ease and create instant report. So be likeable.
These steps are just the tips of the iceberg of tactics for more effective business communications, but they are a great place to start. The next time you have a meeting remember these steps and reap the instant rewards.
What other communication tactics would you add?
Howard Shore is an executive leadership coach who works with companies that need leadership development and strategic business coaching. Based in Miami, Florida, Howard’s firm, Activate Group, Inc. provides management coaching to businesses across the country. To learn more about executive leadership coaching through AGI, please visit www.activategroupinc.com, contact Howard at (305) 722-7216 or email him.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, Adapt to Different Communication Styles, coaching, Coaching in Miami, communication, Effective Communications, executive leadership coach, Howard Shore, improve your interpersonal and business communication skills, improving communication skills, Leadership, People want to do business with people they like and trust, south miami
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Friday, March 30th, 2012
The latest buzzword in our marketing vocabulary is “likeability.” There has been a noticeable shift in the way companies communicate with customers. Social media and a renewed focus on service put unprecedented word-of-mouth power into the hands of our clients and customers. Big brands across the country are refocusing marketing efforts on becoming more likeable. While likeability is a new buzzword, it certainly is not a new concept. It’s actually one of the most basic rules of sales: People want to do business with those they like and trust.
Becoming “likeable” sounds easy—and it is. Just think, in everything you do, “how can we add value to the customer?” Answer that question in new and creative ways and you will be liked and trusted by customers and potential customers. Being likeable is a crucial part of your marketing and strategic planning.
Here are a few ways to add value and be likeable:
1. Be generous. Customers and potential customers are always looking for added value, and in most cases you can deliver this through free advice, education, product add-ons or complimentary services (like consultation). All companies should provide great website content that educates people on the business, product or service, or related industry topics. This content shouldn’t be all about sales. Always think about how to add value to your customers’ lives. If you help them in some way, they will return the favor with their patronage.
2. Be transparent. Be open about your process and your product. Obviously, you don’t want to give away your “secret sauce” or your entire strategic plan, but you can be transparent enough that your customers understand what you do and how your process helps them.
3. Be social. Connect with people online in the right communities. For credibility purposes you may wish to have a company page on Facebook, but that might not be where your customers are talking about your services or products. If you are a B2B business, you should be on LinkedIn and connect with potential customers through targeted groups. If your industry has a lot of chatter on Twitter, or is an industry with rapidly evolving news and practices, Twitter might help you easily connect with new clients. At the very least, you should make all the content on your website and blog sharable with “share this” buttons.
4. Be accessible. Customers should have access to more than just sales reps when they need something or have questions. In larger companies, they should have access to a director or VP-level decision maker. In smaller companies, they should be able to call the business owner directly. Being accessible to all your customers tells them that they are important and ensures that their needs are being met at every level of the company.
Think about the brands you love. What makes them likeable?
Howard Shore is a strategic planning consultant who works with companies that need leadership development and business management coaching. Based in Miami, Florida, Howard’s firm, Activate Group, Inc. provides strategic planning and management coaching to businesses across the country. To learn more about business strategy development through AGI, please visit www.activategroupinc.com, contact Howard at (305) 722-7216 or email him.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, add value to your company, be available in your company, Big brands, branding, brands you love, Business Coach, communicate with your customers, connect with your customers, consultation, Customer Service, decision maker, Executive Coach, great website content, how to connect with your customers, Howard Shore, looking for added value, Make Your Company More Likable, reach your audience, Social media, South Florida, South Florida Executive Coach, strategic planning, strategic planning consultant, VP-level decision maker
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Monday, February 27th, 2012
Some salespeople swear by networking. They hang their hat on it as their primary sales technique. They go to every networking event they can find hoping to run into a few key decision-makers. Here’s the scenario:
They attend an event with 100 people, where there may be 10 good candidates. From this event, they usually walk away with zero meetings and maybe a few people to call about future meetings. From all those handshakes, one might be a real prospect. In those three hours, all they accomplished was marketing the organization and possibly setting one future meeting.
That same three hours on the phone has much more potential. Imagine how many people could be called and connected within three hours. Even if a large percentage of calls resulted in voicemails, all calls can be directed to a decision-maker in a target client company.
Conservatively, a cold-calling session could achieve 12 phone meetings and two or three prospect meetings. If they are all pre-qualified, those meetings are likely to result in new business.
In most cases, phone calls are the sales technique that yields far better results.
I’m not suggesting you stop networking. Your networks make you powerful. However, I am suggesting that you network better. Here’s how:
1. Network selectively. No more than 10% of your time should be spent networking. If you are in professional services and have to deliver, it should be no more than 5% in order to allow enough time to get on the phone to properly fill the pipeline and to attend meetings with prospects.
2. Network strategically. Stop spending time networking in the wrong places. Do not go to a networking event unless the majority of the people there are targeted prospects. And stop going to events consisting of a bunch of other salespeople.
Take a look at the networking events you attend regularly, and determine how much time you spend there. How many new prospects and new clients have you pulled from those events?
Howard Shore is a sales coach and trainer with expertise in sales techniques and sales force development. To learn more about AGI’s executive coaching, management consulting, and sales training, please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or email him.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, Better Sales Techniques, client company, cold-calling session, good candidates, Howard Shore, key decision-makers, Network selectively, Network strategically, networking events, networks make you powerful, real prospects, sales technique, sales techniques, salespeople, spending time networking in the wrong places
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Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
If you were asked to give business advice to a new entrepreneur, what would it be? I’m asked this all the time, and find myself dolling out all sorts of tips and tirades—some quite original and others terribly obvious. But the thing that intrigues me about this question is that it sometimes becomes a very powerful reminder to myself on the lessons I’ve learned over the years; lessons I may have forgotten.
For example, I learned early in my leadership career that there is no substitute to sitting across the table from someone and looking them in face. But just the other day, as I was writing the longest email in the history of CYA emails, that I re-learned that lesson. I had gotten so addicted to the time-saving, butt-saving email that I forgot about my own Business 101 advice to new leaders. I promptly reminded myself, deleted the draft email and picked up the phone.
It did get me thinking though. What simple pieces of business advice would you give a new business owner? And have you remembered to heed it yourself?
Howard Shore is a business advice and growth expert who works with companies that want to maximize their growth potential. To learn more about how an executive coach, management consultant, leadership training, or business coach can help your team, please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or email him.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, business advice, Business Coach, Executive Coach, growth expert, Howard Shore, leadership career, leadership training, management consultant, New Business
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
After spending time with many business leaders, I’ve learned that knowing your industry, finding investment capital, and hiring good people is not enough to succeed. There are many keys to success, but one in intelligent introspection—asking the right questions. Asking and answering the right questions on a regular basis optimizes your business by ensuring that your answers are still relevant. As we enter a new year, this is a perfect time to ask those questions to make sure that we have the right foundation for success.
1. Why does anyone need what we are selling?
2. Who are our ideal customers?
3. What is our strategy for winning our ideal customers?
4. Are we increasing our market share?
5. What are our competitors up to?
6. What key capabilities need to be addressed in the next 3 to 5 years to stay ahead of our competition?
7. What are the key initiatives that must be accomplished for financial soundness of the company while driving toward the long-term goals of the company?
8. Have we filled all the key necessary positions?
9. Do we have enough people to deliver the revenue and profits we want this year?
10. Are we leaning on our employees too hard?
Do you periodically check in on your company with this type of questioning?
Howard Shore is a business growth expert who works with companies that want to maximize their growth potential by improving strategy, enhancing their knowledge, and improving motivation. To learn more about him or his firm please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or email him.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, Asking and answering the right questions on a regular basis, asking the right questions, Business Coach, business growth expert, business leaders, Executive Coach, fill the key necessary positions, financial soundness of the company, foundation for success, Howard Shore, knowing your industry, succeed, Who are our ideal customers?, Why does anyone need what we are selling?
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Monday, November 28th, 2011
The Penn State scandal has been all over the news these past few weeks and it got me thinking. I wondered how such a respected and seemingly professional establishment could have allowed this situation to go so far. How did these secrets stay buried for so long and how could an organization with such moral conviction let these decades-long accusations fester in the dark without follow-up?
Looking from the outside in, I can only assume that the internal communications and processes for handling crises are severely flawed on many levels. Here’s what I think we as business leaders can all learn and apply to our own organizations after watching the Penn State scandal unfold.
1. The truth will always come out.
It’s the golden rule of public relations: attempting to hide a negative, potentially damaging situation within the company only makes it worse. By trying to bury the accusations against Sandusky, Penn State made the entire situation far worse by being exposed after it festered beneath the surface for years. I’ve seen it happen in many organizations. If someone in your organization—I don’t care who it is—is involved with something unethical or illegal, it must be dealt with immediately. Damage control processes need to be activated with your corporate communications folks and a crisis plan needs to be created. Because the truth will always come out, even if after many years in hiding.
2. The open-door policy must be lived, not just talked about.
Most companies have an open-door communication policy but many don’t live up to it. In the Penn State situation it was clear that Sandusky’s improprieties were witnessed and reported to superiors. Nothing was done about it. But something made the whistleblower stop there. Was he told to let it go? Was he made to feel like a detractor for blowing his whistle? Whatever the case may be, we can all learn that when an employee comes forward with something it must be taken seriously and there must be absolutely no element of discouragement or retribution for being the one that came forward. An open-door policy that is lived is one that instills a sense of comfort and safety for employees that need to bring bad things to light.
3. No one is immune from responsibility.
Joe Paterno is probably the most loved college coach of all time, and clearly a pillar of the Penn State organization—not just the football team. Yet even he is not immune from doing the right thing when faced with a difficult situation with one of his employees. All leaders should take this to heart. As a leader, you are responsible for the wellbeing of your company first. Personal relationships must take a back seat to the law.
Have you ever faced a difficult legal or ethical situation in your professional life? How did you choose to deal with it?
Howard Shore is a business growth expert who works with companies that want to maximize their growth potential by improving strategy, enhancing their knowledge, and improving motivation. To learn more about him or his firm please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or shoreh@activategroupinc.com.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, Business Coach, business growth expert, coaching, communications, crisis management, employee communications, Executive Coach, Howard Shore, joe paterno, Management, penn state, poor leadership, public relations
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Thursday, June 16th, 2011
In the last week I have been assessing where the biggest problem is in most organizations, and it is communication! People are meeting, but they are not communicating about the real issues. They are meeting, but not with the people they should. They are meeting, but not often enough with the most important people. They are talking, but not about the difficult issues. When they talk about the difficult issues, they are not deciding anything. When something is tabled, there is no decision on when the issue will be addressed and resolved. As a result, trust breaks, relationships fray, respect degenerates, and productivity drops.
If your business partnership, leadership team, project team, and/or organization are not operating at full capacity, poor communication processes and skills are certain to be part of the problem. If every person in your organization is not in a daily huddle with someone, and you do not have a good rhythm of well-run weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual meetings in which everyone in your organization participates, you have a communication problem that needs to be fixed immediately.
Howard Shore is a business growth expert who works with companies that want to maximize their growth potential by improving strategy, enhancing their knowledge, and improving motivation. To learn more about him or his firm please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or shoreh@activategroupinc.com.
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, Business Coach, business coaching, Business Growth, business growth expert, business partnership, communicate, communication, communication problem, daily huddle with someone, Howard Shore, leadership team, no decision, not communicating about the real issues, organization participates, productivity drops, project team, relationships fray
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Monday, May 23rd, 2011
By Howard Shore
As I have become more experienced as a leader and father I am finding a lot of similarities. There are three important lessons learned from both of these roles. (more…)
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Tags:a leader, Activate Group Inc, business growth expert, communicate your point, enhancing knowledge, Executive Coach, Executive Coaching, Failure to check the box, focusing, Fortune Leadership Summit, goals, Greg Brenneman, growth potential, Howard Shore, less is more, Lessons from Parenting and Leadership, management meetings, process steps, repeat yourself often, search engine marketing, take a financial hit, text messaging, too many rules, too many steps or rules, Twitter, values
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Thursday, March 31st, 2011
By Howard Shore
Today’s technology has changed the landscape as to how commerce happens in all industries. People communicate differently and have access to more information. Employees telecommute, and it is easier to do business globally. Customers choose their products and services differently.
Amazingly, one industry segment that seems to offer the most advice and appears to be the slowest to make changes is professional services. While making suggestions to their clients about embracing technology, trying new things, working on their business and not in it, working smarter and not harder, and so on, most professional service firms are themselves doing business the way they always have. They violate most of the very advice they give their clients. Their typical excuse for maintaining the status quo is that the advice they give cannot possibly work for their business. Ironically, this is the same excuse their clients use for not implementing their recommended changes.
How does this new commercial landscape impact the methods you use to build your customer base? The traditional manner of joining a board, organizing meetings with other professional service firms from which you can share leads, and going to a lot of networking meetings is proving to be very inefficient in today’s environment. While I am not suggesting you quit all boards, stop seeking centers of influence, or quit networking, I do suggest that you need to increase your use of some of the more modern ways to build business and reduce some of the more traditional activities because you are probably wasting a lot of time.
Every person in professional services needs to create a personal brand and must separate that brand from their firm. They must ask themselves what they want that brand to represent, the reason that someone should call you instead of someone else? What are you the expert at? How can you stand out? The key to building your personal brand is to make it clear, unique, and specific. It is all about “slight edge.” If you build a slight edge over the competition, you will get more phone calls and more people will take yours.
Once you have identified your personal brand, you are ready to use modern-day tools to get it out there. There are many, and they are easy to use. Even better, most are cheap or free. Use a blog, LinkedIn, newsletter, article syndication, websites, Facebook, and Twitter to help you build your brand and create a loyal fan base. It sounds scary, but there are many books or resources ready to help you use these tools, and it is much easier than you think.
Failure to use these tools in a world that expects that you have these things will give your competition a slight edge over you. Just as people expect experts to have a college degree, they now expect them to be using social media, and these expectations will only grow with the new “connected” generation. This is their way of learning about you, deciding if they can work with you, and how they determine whether they will respect you. This is the new world. You are either going to get on the bus, or it will pass you by.
Howard Shore is a business growth expert that works with companies that want to maximize their growth potential by improving strategy, enhancing their knowledge, and improving motivation. To learn more about him or his firm please visit his website at www.activategroupinc.com or contact Howard Shore at (305) 722-7216 or shoreh@activategroupinc.com .
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Tags:Activate Group Inc, article syndication, blog, build a slight edge over the competition, build your customer base, business growth expert, communication, create a loyal fan base, Excutive Coach, Facebook, Howard Shore, joining a board, LinkedIn, newsletter, organizing meetings, People communicate differently, professional service firms, share leads, Technology, Twitter, using social media, websites
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