Row of chairs with one odd one out. Job opportunity. Business leadership. recruitment concept. 3D rendering
20 Jan

Three Effective Hiring Practices for Business Owners

By Lisa In Blog, Human Resources, Income /   No Comments

Let’s talk about hiring.

People are constantly asking me, when should I hire? How many people should I hire? How much should I pay these people? And, how do I get over earnings guilt when my business starts to make money?

First and foremost, let’s talk about what happens inside of a big corporation when it comes to hiring. Inside of big corporations, they have budgets – they don’t just arbitrarily hire people. They have budgets that are allocated that tell a business unit leader exactly how much money they can spend when it comes to hiring. If your business is just starting out, this will greatly benefit you.

Your business is no different.

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Look for the Bright Spots: Resources for Small Businesses, by Lisa Larter
01 Apr

Look for the Bright Spots: Resources for Small Businesses

By Lisa In Ask Lisa, Blog, Business, Human Resources, Income /   2 Comments

In times like these, it might feel like we’re in a business “famine” – so it’s more important than ever to look for the bright spots and good news stories.

In Chip and Dan Heath’s best-selling book written over a decade ago, Switch, How to Change When Change is Hard, they talk about looking for bright spots. And there’s one real story in the book I want to highlight:

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How to Handle a Business Break Up
04 Feb

How to Handle a Business Break Up

By Lisa In Articles, Blog, Business, Entrepreneur, Featured, Featured, Human Resources, Leadership /   3 Comments

Navigating relationships in business is never easy, especially when you reach a point where you have outgrown a relationship with someone.

When this happens, it feels awkward and uncomfortable and often, it’s much easier to just stick your head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening.

When you start to attain higher levels of success in your business, and you start to expand your ideas around what works for you, some of the people you originally worked with may no longer fit your model.

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Why Hire People to Do What You Know How to Do?
28 Aug

Why Hire People to Do What You Know How to Do?

By Lisa In Articles, Ask Lisa, Blog, Business, Entrepreneur, Featured, Featured, Human Resources, Leadership, Work Life Balance /   No Comments

Do you ever wonder why coaches hire coaches? Or wealthy people hire financial advisors? Or social media consultants hire other consultants?

People hire other people to help them do what they already know how to do for one big reason and it is the difference between getting slow or fast RESULTS.

Curious? And no… I am not asking you to hire me. That’s not what this is all about.

You know what to do already.

That isn’t the problem.

The problem is rationalization and procrastination, both of which take you away from doing exactly what you know you should do. It could also be a lack of confidence that is causing you to doubt yourself and that’s why you haven’t taken MORE action.

The MAIN reason you HIRE someone to help you is to get from point A to point B in the shortest period of time so that you can get RESULTS faster. 

You want to save yourself time, effort, possible failure, and you want to get results faster.

For example, you wouldn’t hire someone who is broke to teach you how to make money. You hire someone who has a proven track record making money so they can show you exactly how they did it so you can FAST-TRACK your own results.

That’s the ONLY reason to hire someone.

Let’s look at sales for example.

You should hire an objective person who is not caught up in day-to-day office politics, who doesn’t buy into the rationalization in your head, and who will help you to roll up your sleeves and get it done because getting it done means getting results faster.

They will encourage and CHAMPION you to get the sale and help you recover when you get a no.

Uber successful people hire others to help them do what they know how to do better and faster. Selling is a skill and for most small businesses, is typically the biggest gap that exists inside of your business.

This is a gap because YOU are the ONLY person really responsible for sales.

If you worked for a big corporation you would most likely have a Sales Manager or a VP of sales who would help you strategize and figure out the best game plan to get RESULTS.

You hire someone to help you do this when you are self-employed because it works on any scale whether small business or giant corporation.

In The Sales Pilot segment of the Pilot To Profit Program one of the things you will learn how to do is change your whole mindset around sales and money. You will learn a step-by-step system that you can follow for selling. You will be challenged to sell more than you have ever sold before and to share your results with the other members of the program.

For a small investment, you could literally change the course of your results in less than two months.

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05 Nov

Shop Talk – Your Company’s Social Media Policy

By Lisa In Blog, Business, Easy User Tips for Social Media, Fav, Featured, Featured, Human Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Shop Talk, Social Media /   No Comments

The stats are in and I think you may want to know the startling truth about the number of companies who have a Social Media Policy.

Most organizations have all kinds of documentation on expectations, culture, service, policies and procedures in place to set their team up for success.

What about when it comes to how employees represent your business online. Have you thought about that yet?

2013 is just around the corner: watch this video and add this to your priority list if you haven’t done so already. I’ve done this work with with my clients — it’s time for you to do it for your team.

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08 Aug

Bring Your Inner Leader to Social Media

By Lisa In Blog, Business, Client Experience, Easy User Tips for Social Media, Entrepreneur, Fav, Featured, Featured, Human Resources, Leadership, Social Media, The Social Business Academy /   2 Comments

I recently had a conversation with a client of mine about Social Media and what it meant to build an online platform and we got to discussing the role of a leader. It occurred to me that most of us do not think of ourselves in term of leadership when it comes to social media.

We get caught up in the day-to-day tactics, and if we are entrepreneurs, the last thing to cross our radar is that our leadership skills are out there in public view for the world to see when it comes to Social Media.

When you work for a corporation all you hear about are leadership skills. It is your leadership skills that have a direct impact on the results of the organization.

You lead people. People take inspired action. Action generates results.

In the absence of leadership most people do not do what they are really capable of. That is why so many people suffer from time management challenges — it’s really not a time management issue, it’s a self-management issue, and well that my friends is our ability to lead ourselves.

Now let’s talk about Social Media.

You have an opportunity to lead a group of people in the Social space, in your industry yet most of the time people are more concerned with the tactics of how to get it all done and have not taken the time to think about how their leadership translates through what they are doing.

When I think of leadership, I think of values, character, integrity, passion and an ability to inspire and move others. What do you think of?

When I think of those things and I ask myself, am I acting in my highest self when it comes to how I demonstrate leadership through Social Media the answer is no.

I don’t think I am the worst leader out there but I also don’t think I have been conscious enough about how I want to be perceived in that role.

This is new territory for many of us and unlike the corporate world — you are never going to be crowned “Leader” on Social Media. It is a position you have to assume, it is a skill you have to demonstrate and the measurement of success will be seen by the influence and goodwill you build through your community.

This week I want you to ask yourself two questions:

1. How do I want to be perceived as a leader when it comes to my behavior on Social Media?
2. What is one thing I can do differently to “up my game” online?

For me, owning my leadership is an important part of taking action. I know that leaders are human, they make mistakes and they can be pretty incredible human beings. I have been blessed to work with some incredible leaders in my life and I have decided to “own my role” when it comes to leadership online.

There is no application process, there is no hiring committee. Anyone can apply for the job and can do a great job of leading their audience, adding value, demonstrating integrity and walking their talk.

I am putting a stake in the ground and choosing to approach all that I do from a leadership paradigm from now on and to be honest — yes it feels a bit scary to write this down and state it so publicly. What if I mess up? What if people criticize me? What if they compare me to others?

Isn’t that what happens anytime we are about to embark on something great? Fear creeps in and tries to stop us. Well I say forget fear, let’s do it anyway. I really wanted to say something else but my new leader requires me to use nicer language 😉

Here is the official memo from me to you:

 

 

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10 Jul

Shop Talk – Are you Scaring away Potential Clients?

By Lisa In Blog, Business, Client Experience, Easy User Tips for Social Media, Entrepreneur, Featured, Featured, Human Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Networking, Shop Talk, Social Media, The Social Business Academy, Work Life Balance /   No Comments

On my way to the eWomenNetwork Conference on Sunday, I sat next to a top level executive who works in investment banking. Our conversation quickly turned to Social Media and how it can make or break a job offer, and gain or repel your next client. I had an epiphany when we were talking that I absolutely had to share with you–just in case you might be doing this.

You can’t afford to miss what I am about to share with you–I mean it. I want you to keep your customers and get your next job, no questions asked.

Are you with me?

 

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27 Jun

15 Ways Mercedes Nails Client Experience

By Lisa In Blog, Business, Client Experience, Entrepreneur, Featured, Featured, Human Resources, Leadership, Marketing, Networking, Sales Models, Social Media, The Social Business Academy /   1 Comment

Do you remember your first car?

Mine was a Chevrolet Chevette. It was red, it was old, it was ugly, and I wrecked it by driving too fast, losing control, and submerging it in a pond when I was 19.  Back then, I had very little appreciation for cars, speed, or safety and to be frank, I am lucky my desire to drive fast did not harm me or someone else!

Later that same year, I got transferred to Mississauga to work at Square One for Fredelle Shoes as the Assistant Manager and because they thought I was a big shot (not really) I got to spend a month at the Novatel Hotel for free while I searched for a place to live.  Every night I would walk back to the hotel from the shopping centre and I would see this black Mercedes and I always thought… some day.

Fast forward 23 years and the time has come for me to get my own.  I picked up that car on Tuesday and I was struck by the experience that Mercedes creates for their clients.  Yes it is a luxury product but I have bought other luxury items with far less appreciation for my business.

There are 14 little things that they did that really impressed me overall.  I think there is much to be learned as business owners from this experience as every time you interact with a client or a potential client you are creating the experience of your business.

  1. Every person working in the show room was professionally attired, friendly and made eye contact with me.
  2. Each individual I was introduced to extended their hand out to greet me and repeated their name, smiling sincerely.
  3. Upon arriving, my car was in the middle of the show room so it was the first thing I saw when I walked in.
  4. I was offered coffee, juice or water when it was time to fill out the paperwork.
  5. The office I sat in was super clean and organized, there was not even a garbage can in sight.
  6. When they drove the car out of the showroom they sounded a bell to congratulate me on my new car.
  7. The gas tank was full, car was clean and sparkly.
  8. The salesperson paired my iPhone and demonstrated how to use voice controls for navigation and phone calls so I could drive safely.
  9. The vehicle came equipped with a charger for my phone, that automatically picks up and plays my phone’s music
  10. They took the time to point out the important things like the spare tire, hidden basket for grocery shopping, divider for pets, and a first aid kit which comes in every Mercedes.
  11. They threw in extra bonus items that I did not expect like floor mats, and a coat hanger for the back of my seat.
  12. They complimented me on my new car and let me know that I had made a great choice, and thanked me for my business.
  13. They offered to take a picture of me picking up my car.
  14. They gave me my keys with fun Mercedes bling attached! (very girly, and I like it!!)
  15. There were no glitches – everything went exactly as it should, all my expectations were surpassed.

Each one of these things on its own might not be a huge deal but when you combine them all together and couple that with my desire to drive a Mercedes since the tender age of 19, they made quite the experience for me.

What can you learn from this in your business?

Do you pay attention to the details?

We all need to pay attention to the details, every one of them in our business because it is the details that create the experience.  It is the experience that creates the word of mouth marketing, and in this case, world of mouth marketing because I have already shared the pictures of my new car everywhere I can think of!

I’d like to thank Leslie Mise, the Sales Manager at Ogilvie Motors Mercedes Benz for fantastic service!

 

 

 

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