I was speaking to a consultant in London recently and he was advising that when one applies for a job advertised on the recruitment network at my age I have a 5% chance of ticking all the boxes.....and anyway even 40 year olds are struggling now!!!
Two days later I was ensconced in a discussion with a business owner who asked me to join him to take his business on to the next level.
I am bemused that in times when business has never been so difficult, and business owners and stakeholders are striving to make profit and in many cases survive that we are still having this debate at all.
The marketing of oneself and knowledge is an art and a science, but fundamentally what I know and what I do has resonance and substance supported by evidential results that knowledge based on experience is vital. This is not as a substitute for bright, highly trained personnel.
This situation is not new but if we are to prosper and see off the ravages of economic instability we need to get help from wherever we can.
Tuesday 7 August 2012
Monday 11 June 2012
Business Management can be more simple
I am constantly asked by business owners to help them either achieve their aspirations , or help define the tasks which need to be performed to make the management of the business easier.
In the current economic climate starting or running a business is fraught with difficulty, but it is never an easy thing to do at any time.Even if a business is doing really well , I used to say, even in Germany where I ran businesses, the wolf is never far from the door.
I feel like I am preaching to the converted , but having now decided to help small businesses I genuinely feel that I am being underused as business is really simple to understand and difficult to do.
I want to help people, however get over the , cannot be bothered gene, present in everyone and start them developing simple disciplines that make the running of business so much more straightforward.
I was not born with these wisdoms but I started helping business as a young 13 year old, in my stepfathers shop, and have been learning ever since.
In the current economic climate starting or running a business is fraught with difficulty, but it is never an easy thing to do at any time.Even if a business is doing really well , I used to say, even in Germany where I ran businesses, the wolf is never far from the door.
I feel like I am preaching to the converted , but having now decided to help small businesses I genuinely feel that I am being underused as business is really simple to understand and difficult to do.
I want to help people, however get over the , cannot be bothered gene, present in everyone and start them developing simple disciplines that make the running of business so much more straightforward.
I was not born with these wisdoms but I started helping business as a young 13 year old, in my stepfathers shop, and have been learning ever since.
Tuesday 17 April 2012
Permission vs Interruption selling : Be brave
I was working recently in a couple of businesses that shared the same dilemma. One had an existing external sales team and one was trying to move from Mail order orientation to outbound selling with an in-house order taking team .
The dilemma was how, having convinced staff that selling things to make an order was their reason to be, in light of trading circumstances, the task was now one of nurturing relationships, both directly and through web or direct mail.
A huge amount of research has been done about permission marketing, meaning that you engage with new and existing clients in a way that obtains permission to make contact on a regular basis.
The expectation of the client thereafter is that they would expect regular communication, which allows a company to build a strategy which satisfies a new or latent need in the client.
Here comes the dilemma . In order to ask the question, can I engage with you?, I have to do the opposite, and actually interrupt the client and ask them to put their hand up and give me permission.
In both companies both sets of personnel said, if I am doing that then I may as well try and sell them something .
It was hard, but without losing control, we discussed this to a conclusion. If you do not try and sell, but build a relationship you will sell more.
Initial reaction was passport to the easy life, no need to get orders .
When it happened though, sales persons had leads being delivered direct from the client and on a consistent basis, it became clear and easier to understand.
The courage is with the manager, in believing this strategy works
The dilemma was how, having convinced staff that selling things to make an order was their reason to be, in light of trading circumstances, the task was now one of nurturing relationships, both directly and through web or direct mail.
A huge amount of research has been done about permission marketing, meaning that you engage with new and existing clients in a way that obtains permission to make contact on a regular basis.
The expectation of the client thereafter is that they would expect regular communication, which allows a company to build a strategy which satisfies a new or latent need in the client.
Here comes the dilemma . In order to ask the question, can I engage with you?, I have to do the opposite, and actually interrupt the client and ask them to put their hand up and give me permission.
In both companies both sets of personnel said, if I am doing that then I may as well try and sell them something .
It was hard, but without losing control, we discussed this to a conclusion. If you do not try and sell, but build a relationship you will sell more.
Initial reaction was passport to the easy life, no need to get orders .
When it happened though, sales persons had leads being delivered direct from the client and on a consistent basis, it became clear and easier to understand.
The courage is with the manager, in believing this strategy works
Coaching : Not just a title
Listening to Tony Robbins this morning on the web about the philosophy of coaching . I find it interesting that someone , as accomplished as him , had the same dilemma about what a coach really is.
The question is , does it really matter what the coaches title is , as long as there is a process which defines a start point , situation today , leading to a steady state of improvement with measurable results ,meaning a great deal more satisfaction with life.
I enjoyed his definition of what the process is. I call it tough loving , or support
but clearly it is to help a business owner through the minefield of issues , most businesses face . The task is to help and make them believe that the answer is actually in their own hands.
There are new technologies but the running of business is the same as it has always been.
Give the customer something that they both need and want and maintain relationships.
Just doing these things consistently , systematically and having the reserves of motivation to do them requires a helping hand.
Tony does that by giving advice and bases payment on results.Results are actually the
measure of the difference
The question is , does it really matter what the coaches title is , as long as there is a process which defines a start point , situation today , leading to a steady state of improvement with measurable results ,meaning a great deal more satisfaction with life.
I enjoyed his definition of what the process is. I call it tough loving , or support
but clearly it is to help a business owner through the minefield of issues , most businesses face . The task is to help and make them believe that the answer is actually in their own hands.
There are new technologies but the running of business is the same as it has always been.
Give the customer something that they both need and want and maintain relationships.
Just doing these things consistently , systematically and having the reserves of motivation to do them requires a helping hand.
Tony does that by giving advice and bases payment on results.Results are actually the
measure of the difference
Friday 30 March 2012
Business Help: How easy is it to sell ?
In the turmoil that goes on around us at present , it is easy to assume that many businesses want and need help.The reality is , that there is evidence that things are so difficult for business owners , concern is growing , that paying for help may make the situation worse.
Perfectly understandable , but business is about taking risk , and as a newly practicing business mentor , the task is to convince owners of the relevance of the experience one has , in context with the business in question.
The key to that is to be in the business and to understand the dynamics of a business then prescribe suggested improvements which by the results define the value of the advice.
There is a process of assessment that is tried and tested which is a simple audit , going through a business phsychometric test , arriving at a conclusion about where the focus should be to improve the business.
Business is either growing or subsiding , it cannot possibly stand still. Where would you say you are today and what are your measures ??
Perfectly understandable , but business is about taking risk , and as a newly practicing business mentor , the task is to convince owners of the relevance of the experience one has , in context with the business in question.
The key to that is to be in the business and to understand the dynamics of a business then prescribe suggested improvements which by the results define the value of the advice.
There is a process of assessment that is tried and tested which is a simple audit , going through a business phsychometric test , arriving at a conclusion about where the focus should be to improve the business.
Business is either growing or subsiding , it cannot possibly stand still. Where would you say you are today and what are your measures ??
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