Marcia Pledger :: Small Business Matters » Kudos & Blunders

Good intentions mean nothing without follow-through with new contacts

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:49:16 +0000

What’s the point of networking if you’re not going to follow-up? I’m not talking about the 15 to 20-second introduction that ends with a business card exchange. Depending on the service offered on that card, there might not be a reason to pull it out again until you need it. But if you’re networking with certain people with the sole purpose of trying to build a relationship, don’t waste your time – or theirs – if they extend themselves offering help and you don’t follow through.
Generally, people like to help others, when they’re in a position to help. A quick phone call for some people, can transform you from a name on a resume at the bottom of a big stack, to someone getting immediate consideration. A coveted ticket to an event might be easily accessed with a phone call. But those types of calls generally put the caller in debt for a favor. Appreciation is a must – in the form of a quick e-mail or a call. Of course nothing stands out like a handwritten note.
Not following through on a favor is unacceptable. It’s no different than moving in front of another car, without taking a second to wave at the courteous driver who allowed you to pass. Every driver can relate to the swift mood change that follows when you don’t see a wave. People like to do favors, especially when it’s easy for them. But they also want some sort of acknowledgement.
Just because tickets are free to you doesn’t mean that someone else didn’t pay for them out of pocket or with their time and effort. Relationships can quickly sour when it comes to empty seats – seats that someone else would have appreciated.
But that’s only part of the equation. Chasing down a gift recipient when tickets are not picked up as planned adds to the cost of time. It’s now a hassle. It’s the same scenario regarding a call about a job. The person who called in a favor suddenly looks bad when you don’t follow through.
Be sure to thank the gift-giver. The person who secured the seats or called about a job has to do the same.

Passed over at work? Self-reflection might be in order

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:29:22 +0000

Hurt. Anger. Astounded. Downright upset. When emotions turn negative following a failed bid for a bump up in status in the workplace, it’s easy to make the mistake of destroying your “team player” reputation.
But emotions are pointless and unproductive if you don’t know what led to your manager’s decision. There’s a chance that your actions had no impact on the decision and you just need to move on. However, there’s a greater chance that losing out on an opportunity means you might want to check your ways after scheduling discussions with leaders and managers to identify ways to improve. Productivity and solid skills are critical, but image and the ability to interact with colleagues play a huge role.
Body language, appearance, verbal delivery and likeability skills may need polish. Oftentimes getting passed over is the impetus for starting a company or changing careers. Unfortunately, for some people, it’s only the start of being an embittered lifer, making everyone in their path miserable. One of the worst things you can do is be unsupportive of the new hire.
Recently, a good friend started her dream job, only to deal with an unhappy employee who thought she was a shoe in for the job. Choosing actions like refusing to offer input in meetings and walking down the street to use her cell phone, spoke way louder than words of contempt. My friend expected a steep learning curve in a new industry, but never banked on the transition involving a resentful employee.

A few years ago, another friend accepted an in-house promotion, never considering that another secretary who thought she was in the running, would stop talking to her for two years. Unfortunately, while her colleague was skilled at her job, she was also a loud, unpolished, gossiper who was never seriously considered for the job opening after an interview.
There’s a time in any job where you’ve gone as far as you can go and need to make a move. But instead of telling a prospective employer that you sulked when you were wronged and decided it was time to bolt, wouldn’t it be better to say that you learned a lot from your company but it’s time for a change?

The way you leave a business relationship can cost as much as you gain: Ask Lebron James

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:29:35 +0000

Who says courtesy doesn’t count? More than a week after Lebron James announced “The Decision” to leave Cleveland for Miami as a free agent on an hour-long special on ESPN, the world renowned basketball star is still being ridiculed. Similar to leaving a job, or a personal relationship, some rabid fans would have been upset no matter how he left. But I firmly believe some of the pain and bad feelings could have been avoided. If I’ve heard it once, I feel like I’ve heard it a thousand times, the man known simply as “Lebron” should have shown more class than to let the Cleveland owner, coach and fans hear about his defection on national TV.
After several years of asking small business owners how they fixed their biggest mistakes, then suddenly observing outrageous antics of everything from burning jerseys to dropping the price of a life-size James decal from $99.99 to $17.41- the year Benedict Arnold was born- I’d say there’s a lesson. When you resign from any job or business relationship, try your best not to leave on bad terms. Every situation is different – and self-preservation is important – but in most cases, courtesy, etiquette and professionalism go a long way. No one is immune from the game of life. You can be on top of the world one day, and vilified the next day.
Take Lebron. Instead of having his people tell Cav’s team owners minutes before revealing his decision on national television, he could have told them much earlier he was leaving, even without announcing where he was going. It would have given the Cav’s options to improve after he left, and spared the public from later hearing about how he failed to return e-mails or calls from the team. The mega-millionaire’s talents and amazing fan support might have led him to talking about himself in third person – “I’m taking my talents to Miami,”- but how do you forget that the game is still a business. Business arrangements have at least two sides and emotions are real.
The take-away: Everybody should pursue their goals and dreams, but remember, whether you’re trying to climb a mountain or sink a three-pointer, it starts with a step. Chances are you won’t make the journey alone. So as much as you’re tempted to tell off your boss or a co-worker, why burn bridges? Don’t brag to co-workers about your great new opportunity. Simply give your boss the courtesy of an advance notice about your departure plans. Then thank them again for their support. Similar to former fans, you never know when you’ll run into a former employer, supervisor or co-worker.

Ask permission first before posting photos of friends and colleagues online

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 22:36:14 +0000

The subject line in your e-mail account says a friend commented on a
photo of you on Facebook. You click to open it and the message is brief:
“Wow. That’s all I can say.” You don’t remember taking a
“wow” photo. So before you bother to open the list of similar
e-mail subject lines of comments on a photo, you feel compelled to stop
what you’re doing to log in to Facebook.
I don’t know about you, but every time I get an e-mail notifying me that someone has viewed a photo
of me on Facebook, I get an unsettling feeling. It doesn’t subside,
until I log onto the site and view what is usually a group photo at an
event.
With more than 400 million users, Facebook is among the most
trafficked websites in the world. According to the site’s stats, the
average user has 130 friends and creates more than 70 pages of content
each month, including updating posts and adding photos. Social
networking continues to grow fast, but too often common courtesy isn’t
on the radar.
Whether you adopt a real-world friends and former acquaintances only
policy, or an everyone welcome social networking policy, remember
what’s available online stays available.

Consider these gentle reminders and tips:

First and foremost, remember that the Internet is public space. Adjust
privacy settings, so that tagged photos are available to that person
only and not all of their friends. Even then, remember that photos are
often passed around by others.
Don’t tag photos of your friends that could get them in trouble.
Think about threatening someone’s job before adding drunken party
photos.
Ask permission before posting photos of your friends. Just because your
friend saw you snapping pictures in the comfort of a home or social
gathering, doesn’t mean they know an inappropriate or unflattering
photo might be linked to their name online. It could be embarrassing,
both personally and professionally.

Remember, what you consider an innocent photo with good intentions, could be highly upsetting to another party. What if you posted a photo of a co-workers child during a “take your child to work” day. Without seeking permission, you’d have no way of knowing that your colleague fervently opposes having their child’s photo posted online.

Pictures can only be manually removed by the person who posted it. But
they can be available to employers and peers for quite some time. If you
have any doubts about posting a photo, there’s always a quick remedy.
Ask first, then abide by their wishes.

Are you results driven?: How many times has personalities prevented a deal from closing?

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:36:45 +0000

Just about every deal has the possibility to close – but they don’t.
Being focused on results is critical. But you can’t ignore or underestimate the role that emotions play in business.
In theory, business is about providing a service and getting compensated. But is that all there is in getting a deal closed?

The biggest deal can close. But if there is tension and resentment, it can affect future deals, a company’s culture and workplace.

Consider this scenario: A company closes a major deal that generates national attention. The president of a company conducts every interview on behalf of the firm, never alluding to a team effort. Partners feel sytematically excluded. Celebrations follow with a half-hearted response from partners. One partner chooses not to come.

Putting aside the fact that circumstances change and power shifts, is this good business?
We can’t ignore the role of emotions in business.

Networking issues? Take a lesson from cruise ship passengers.

admin — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:53:22 +0000

If you’ve ever been a cruise, you know that it’s like living in a big fantasy land vessel – at least for several days. Sunshine, tranquil views and crashing waves, make it easy for people to step out of their comfort zones and walk up to people to start conversations. Not only is it expected, it happens naturally. Suddenly everyday citizens could teach networking at it’s finest. They’ve got it down with smiles, good eye contact, firm (but not crushing) handshakes, short introductions and good listening skills.
If only it were this easy networking for business, especially at tradeshows and conventions. It really can be. Here’s the deal. No matter what field of business you’re in, the way you speak and communicate is fundamental to how you’re perceived. People who use incorrect grammar, or talk mostly about themselves are seen in less than positive light.
Being a good conversationalist though isn’t really about eloquence. It’s about adaquately hearing others and getting your message across. It sounds simple. But it’s vital to conducting business.
When you’re an indifferent listener, how can you possibly even remember someone’s name?
Think about it. People on cruise ships make an effort to remember names or at least identifying factors. It doesn’t matter if you say “Hey KC. Or, “How are you doing today New Zealand?,” people understand the impact of making connections. They get the importance of 15 second introductions. They are on vacation, so they embrace peace and don’t talk just to fill up dead air. But they seem to always have a few conversation topics, so they’re never caught short without something to talk about. And they know that the best way to reduce social anxiety is to focus on the other person.
It took a cruise vacation to remind me that when you encourage someone to talk – by listenng and asking thoughtful questions – you almost always find out things that you wouldn’t learn if you dominated a conversation. More importantly, you leave a much more favorable impression.

Audience distractions are annoying to speakers and attendees

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 01:02:57 +0000

Have you ever felt like everyone was staring at you in disgust, even though they weren’t? That’s how I felt last week when I forgot to put my cell phone on vibrate and it rang loudly in a small room at an event. Thankfully I moved so fast that it didn’t ring twice. But it was still embarrassing – especially since the incident is one my biggest pet peeves. Hard to believe that I’m the one who tends to miss calls because my phone generally stays on vibrate.
It was a good reminder that while nobody is perfect, there’s a big difference in making a mistake and just being plain inconsiderate at events. Texting, chewing food loudly and messing with body parts is rude while speakers are talking at events. Actions like talking and fumbling through purses is bothersome to audience members too.
I’ll never forget the guy who actually answered his phone during a funeral. Unfortunately he chose to have a short conversation instead of quickly turning off the device.
It doesn’t matter how much education or experience a person has, it’s hard to view them the same when they’re rude at a conference, program or event.
One of my colleagues sent me an e-mail from an out-of-state convention last week because she couldn’t concentrate on a speaker, thanks to a guy sitting in front of her who continually tried to pluck a hair out of his ear. “He wasn’t too discreet to those of us sitting behind him,” she said. It was so annoying that she got up and moved.
I can relate. A couple of days later, I tried to listen to a speaker at a big event involving state officials and business expansion opportunities. Unfortunately a guy on the second row kept eating chips so loudly that it was a challenge. A few glares didn’t seem to phase him.
Here’s a simple reminder and plea to all of the personal-device
junkies, eating and body part picker offenders: Be aware of your surroundings and treat people the way you want to be treated.
And to speakers who might have unintentional rude folks in the audience, consider prefacing your remarks by asking event attendees to abstain from using handheld devices or turn phones to vibrate.

It’s Best to Seek Permission Before Making a Sales Pitch by E-Mail

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:03:15 +0000

It’s great when a client seeks you out for your expertise, service or products, but everyone has to market – especially in this economy. Why shoot yourself in the foot with poorly thought out e-mail marketing sales pitches?
As a writer, I personally prefer an e-mailed story pitch, followed by a call. It’s an opportunity to get a better idea about what the person wants before we have a conversation. But pitching a story is so different from pitching a service or product that costs money.
People like to do business with people that they like and trust. A form pitch letter, sent by e-mail, hardly leaves a good impression. Sure it can be done. But trust me, it’s not easy getting over a bad first impression.
Business coach Diane Helbig calls sales pitches through this medium, “worse than a waste of time.” People do it for one reason: It’s easy.
“It sends a really bad impression that you don’t know what you’re doing or you’re blindly prospecting,” she said. “You’re hoping for anything from anybody and that’s not how people do business.”
“Sales is about permission. When people prospect by e-mail they haven’t gotten permission to reach out to you,” she said.
Clearly this is one of Helbig’s pet peeves. But something tells me she wouldn’t care about the medium nearly as much if the salesperson bothered to do some research before pushing the send button.
Just last week, a woman e-mailed her a sales pitch because she thought Helbig was still on the board of directors for a local chamber of commerce. One problem: She left the board four years ago.
Who wants to feel like a number on a sales prospect list. Business etiquette involves feelings. And people want to feel valued. They want to feel like someone really wants their business.
Lately, Helbig has been so frustrated by e-mailed sales pitches that she’s taken the liberty to respond with advice. The author of “Lemonade Stand Selling: Accelerate Your Small Business Growth,” let’s them know exactly how she feels.
“I tell them, that as a business coach and author of a sales book, I think e-mail prospecting is a really bad idea,” she said. “They didn’t ask for my opinion. But then again, I didn’t ask to be contacted.”

If you mean business – dress the part

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:50:50 +0000

We’re constantly making impressions – good or bad, sometimes even before we open our mouths. You got it, one of the first things people notice is the way you dress.
I’m blown away at how casual people get with all sorts of versions of business casual. Business casual should not be misinterpreted as personal leisure clothing. It’s still supposed to be professional-looking attire.
Not much makes me happier than finding comfort and style. But even on those days when I’m pretty sure I’ll be in the office all day, there’s a nagging voice that reminds me to bring an extra blazer, sweater or heels, so I’ll be ready for whatever business opportunity comes my way.
I once interviewed a gentleman who told me his biggest mistake was not keeping a blazer and tie in his car. Not being prepared for an unexpected business opportunity cost him a big contract.
Whether you’re chilling at a business conference or just prefer to dress down at work, ask yourself one question: What message does your clothes send? Even when you dress down, when you’re cognizant of your choices, clothing can play a role in helping your command respect and authority.
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Courtesy goes a long way in keeping customers

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:54:47 +0000

Nobody wants to feel taken for granted, especially when they’re spending money with your company. But how quickly some people forget that everybody has choices, and customer’s deserve respect.
Earlier this week, I watched a cashier stop ringing up a customer’s multiple items, in order to ring up her co-worker’s two items. The co-worker, who was on a 15-minute break, was in line behind the customer.
The customer was livid, and promptly told the young lady about her rude ways. Now everybody is tense. She went on to say that she wouldn’t have minded, if she had only asked.
Again and again, I’m reminded how much courtesy counts. Jut three words (Do you mind?) could have changed that entire tense situation.
A week ago, a friend of mine told me she switched insurance agents after 15 years, because she didn’t feel valued. That blew me away. She didn’t say she left because she found a better price. She wasn’t looking for a new company. She left because she received a form letter that made her feel like a number, instead of a 15-year valued customer. The letter basically told her that she was transferred to a new agent.
What a difference a paragraph would have made. Let’s just say her long-time agent was not able to send a (thank-you for the business, but I’m moving on) letter to clients. The new agent should have sent a short courteous note with two points: alerting clients of the change and inviting long-time clients to come in to review their coverage. Adding a small temporary discount would have been a nice incentive. But to assume that everyone would stay with the company is insane.
With all of the competition in a tight economy, it’s amazing how lax company representatives can be. How hard is it to remind employees to treat people the way they would want to be treated.
People don’t always spend money with companies that offer the lowest price. Some folks are thrilled to spend more to get quality products. But whether a customer shops for convenience, price, quality or need, they remember how they’re made to feel. When service is really good or really bad -you can count on customers spreading the word.
It’s funny though, one quick call, and my friend got a better insurance rate – all because of an annoying form letter.