Whether you join a networking group or you're trying to get your clients to refer others to you, one thing's for sure, when the referrals show up, you want them to be qualified referrals.Let's face it, it's great when more people show up to do business with us, but it's also disappointing when you we out that they're not really your ideal prospect.So what are some strategies for generating qualified referrals so that when they show up, you're...more
It is the end of the first quarter and time to check the score.Just as planning your goals for the coming year should always begin with a look back at the year in review, so planning your business for the rest of this year should take a look back at the first quarter. Business planning isn't just a numbers game, but also an accounting and analysis of the year's overall progress.Begin by asking the hard questions: What happened in your business...more
When people work together, they usually follow a number of related actions or a process. Processes reduce uncertainty by making it clear who needs to do what, when, and with whom, and ensure that important actions are not forgotten.Some of the great benefits of processes are: People involved don't have to think what to do next Output(s) are known in advance Process templates reduce planning time and effort Repeatability can be achieved Incremental continuous improvement can be achieved Training can be minimizedMost organizations use processes to capture know-how and simplify how work is done. Unfortunately the normal means of identifying, documenting and facilitating processes can be time consuming and take people away from productive work.When documenting processes (sometimes called workflows), the greatest challenge is remembering and explaining what was or is to be done between people. Invariably processes are simplified to reduce complexity, but this simplification often obscures many important actions that need to occur between people.Most organizations have evolved their processes (both formal and informal) to a point where they work productively. If they don't...more
Often companies believe that they can only dominate their market if they are the biggest players around, having the most money to invest or having the most customers - this is a myth. Most definitely being a big player with a lot of money to invest with a large sales team can be an advantage, and certainly a powerful positive, however it doesn't...more
The stock market is a tough game to monitor with many players playing and large amounts of money at stake. Large volumes of securities are bought, sold and traded and not everyone is interested in playing by the rules. Many have more sinister plans in mind, such as cheating the game. One prominent example of cheating the system is known as naked...more
Most of us remember the dubious "doctor" in Huckleberry Finn who proclaims to have the cure for any malady. From the back of the crowd his shill would loudly proclaim that he himself had been healed by the magical elixir. Oh my, but the quantity of snake oil they sold before the townsfolk discovered they had been duped - and the doctor long gone. From the tone of many internet blogs it seems the same buyer's remorse is lingering in the "Packaged Application" world.Doing a search for the following search terms in Google brought up some staggering numbers: "ERP Horror Stories" - 43,000 search results; "SAP Horror Stories" - 87,000 search results; "CRM Horror Stories" - 42,000 search results.Before we get into the discussion of packaged applications let's take a step back and remember how these wonder cures manifested. In the late 1980's - (when disco was dying) manufacturing companies wanted to shape supply chain management and enterprise resource planning. In short, they wanted to encourage the concept of a "process in a box." (my quotes). Somehow over the last ten years the industry has forgotten that part about the need for the organizational "process" to change; and as we shall...more
Amid recent news reports that there continues to be an ongoing and substantial gap between the net worth of Whites and other racial groups, it is easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by the raw data.However, I am immediately reminded of a quote...more
How many so-called "Get Rich Quick", "Make Money In 24 Hours" or the "Latest Break Thru Millionaire Money Making Secret" programs have you bought that promised all the wealth you could ever imagine.Just to be disappointed that it's the same old...more
There is no shortage of hype on the Internet. A start up business does not have to look far to find a "Guru" who will offer a miracle solution for the "getting found" dilemma that faces every on line business. Typically, this product or weekend...more
It's hardly surprising that so many companies are nowadays choosing to have training carried out at off-site training facilities rather than on their own premises. After all, in recent years there's been a steady increase in the amount of high tech...more
The paperless office has been talked about for a long time, yet never seems to even start to become a reality in almost any sector of business. Look around any office environment and you would be forgiven for thinking that the opposite of the...more
According to recent news articles, bankruptcies are at their highest level since October 2005, with an average of 5,945 filings per day during the month of March. Adding to this the fact that 663,000 Americans lost their jobs last month, indications...more