Top 10 Ways to Show Your Employees You Know They Exist…

Try these to show your employees you know they exist…

1. Know their name – as well as their spouse or partner and kids.
2. Say “Good morning …” and “Goodbye…” when you pass them in the hall or by their desk.
3. Compliment an employee on a job well done and tell them what made it so.
4. Know your employee’s hobby or outside interest.
5. Invite them out for coffee or lunch and only talk about work a part of the time.
6. Know your employee’s birthday. – HR has it – and acknowledge it.
7. Offer some additional outside training such as a workshop or class.
8. Send out an internal newsletter or e-mail giving credit for a job done exceptionally well.
9. Know what your employee’s career goals are and if possible, provide a career path that tracks it.
10. Ask your employee(s) for input. You may not utilize it but simply having asked goes a long way.

Your employees are one of your most valuable, and difficult to replace assets. Making some of these examples part of your culture will help communicate, authentically, that you value them. Any by the way, only one of the above items costs any money.

Michael Shapiro,  Dynamic Management Solutions, Inc.

How’s Your EI

There are five components to emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill.

Self-management skills

1. Self-awareness. Emotional intelligence begins with this trait. People with a high degree of self-awareness know their weaknesses and aren’t afraid to talk about them. Someone who understands that she works poorly under tight deadlines, for example, will work hard to plan her time carefully, and will let her colleagues know why. Many executives looking for potential leaders mistake such candor for  “wimpiness.”

2. Self-regulation. This attribute flows from self-awareness, but runs in a different direction. People with this trait are able to control their impulses or even channel them for good purposes.

3. Motivation. A passion for achievement for its own sake—not simply the ability to respond to whatever incentives a company offers—is the kind of motivation that is essential for leadership.

The ability to relate to others

4. Empathy. In addition to self-management skills, emotional intelligence requires a facility for  dealing with others. And that starts with empathy—taking into account the feelings of others when making decisions—as opposed to taking on everyone’s troubles.

5. Social skill. All the preceding traits culminate in this fifth one: the ability to build rapport with others, to get them to cooperate, to move them in a direction you desire. Managers who simply try to be sociable— while lacking the other components of emotional intelligence—are likely to fail. Social skill, by contrast, is friendliness with a purpose.

Example:

Consider two division Directors at a company forced to make layoffs. One Director gave a hard-hitting speech emphasizing the number of people who would be fired. The other Director, while not hiding the bad news, took into account his people’s anxieties. He promised to keep them informed and to treat everyone fairly. Many executives would have refrained from such a show of consideration, lest they appear to lack toughness. But the tough Director demoralized his talented people—most of whom ended up leaving his division voluntarily.

Can you boost your emotional intelligence?

Absolutely—but not with traditional training programs that target the rational part of the brain. Extended practice, feedback from colleagues, and your own enthusiasm for making the change are essential to becoming an effective leader.

Michael Shapiro, Dynamic Management Solutions, Inc.

Why You Can DIY PR

There’s a reason why I’m in business and that’s because I can offer extremely affordable PR strategies for small businesses, and this is how I’ve grown over the years.  It’s also led me to other business ventures.  However, as much as the economy appears to be on the up entrepreneurs and small business owners are still looking for ways to save money to ensure the longevity of their business during this time.

I’m here to tell you that you can do PR yourself for your business!!

The trick is finding a resource to really teach you how to do PR, what it is and how it works.  There are a number of books and e-books out there and that might be a great fit for you, but I highly recommend researching the product before buying or seeing if a free trial is available.   I also suggest researching the expert behind the product to make sure they really know what they’re talking about.  Some books and e-books can simply be 200-pages that become overwhelming.

Trust me, there are a lot of people out there who think they know how to do PR.  Chances are they got thrown into PR at some point and had some success and have now come up with an idea to sell you their “so called expertise” at an unwarranted high price.  What you need is an affordable option from an expert you feel you trust.

This might be shameless promotion, but this is why I launched SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com.  I saw what was out there and realized there was nothing like what I wanted to do – 52-week course, if you will, that provides members with every bit of information I have, experience, templates, tips and advice along with interviews with media all for $37 a month.  Plus you can ask questions and get a consulting package to walk you through.  It’s like an angel on your shoulder.  You couldn’t get a professional like me for that total price for a month!

The real keys to your success at achieving PR on your own is not just educating yourself but making the commitment to public relations.  Marketing your business takes a lot of time.  To do it successfully you really have to dedicate time each day to focus on it.  That’s another reason why I suggest finding a program that doesn’t overwhelm you.   Instead you need to find a tool that offers you some support so you don’t feel like you’re out there on your own.

Believe it or not, once you really gain a solid understanding of PR you can do it yourself, you will be motivated and excited to make it happen, especially once you get that first media story on your business!!

Here are some things to consider about DIY PR:

• Make a commitment to learn all you can about public relations
• Dedicate time each day to focus on PR and marketing
• Find a program, book, e-book, etc. that you feel 100% confident will give you the support you need
• Make sure the program you choose teaches you how to write a press release (develop your press kit materials) in AP Style
• Write out your story ideas, or stories – opportunities and angles you foresee will attract media attention
• i – Read, watch and listen to locate opportunities for your business.  This is where you should make your first splash, building relationships with local media that might come back to you as a valued resource resulting in additional PR opportunities.  Once you do this then you can begin looking at national media
• Remember that achieving public relations for your business requires patience, perseverance and persistence. PR doesn’t necessarily happen overnight.  Most DIYers fail/stop because they become frustrated with this reality and lose opportunities altogether.

If you are pursuing DIY PR, email me your questions and I will answer them for you here.

Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com, Follow me on Twitter for daily tips and advice @SmallBizPRXpert

What’s Your Style?

Most effective leaders have several leadership or management styles they use, based on the situation. Daniel Goleman, the prolific writer on Emotional Intelligence, has looked closely at the various styles over the years. His research found that leaders use six styles, each springing from different components of emotional intelligence.

Here is a summary of the styles, their origin, when they work best, and their impact on an organization’s climate and thus its performance.

Coercive

The leader’s modus operandi: Demands immediate compliance

The style in a phrase: “Do what I tell you.”

Underlying emotional intelligence competencies: Drive to achieve, initiative, self-control

When the style works best: In a crisis, to kick start a turnaround, or with problem employees

Overall impact on climate: Negative

Authoritative

The leader’s modus operandi: Mobilizes people toward a vision

The style in a phrase: “Come with me.”

Underlying emotional intelligence competencies: Self-confidence, empathy, change catalyst

When the style works best: When changes require a new vision, or when a clear direction is needed.

Overall impact on climate: Most strongly positive

Affiliative

The leader’s modus operandi: Creates harmony and builds emotional bonds

The style in a phrase: “People come first.”

Underlying emotional intelligence competencies: Empathy, building relationships, communication

When the style works best: To heal rifts in a team or to motivate people during stressful circumstances

Overall impact on climate: Positive

Democratic

The leader’s modus operandi: Forges consensus through participation

The style in a phrase: “What do you think?”

Underlying emotional intelligence competencies: Collaboration, team leadership, communication

When the style works best: To build buy-in or consensus, or to get input from valuable employees

Overall impact on climate: Positive

Pacesetting

The leader’s modus operandi: Sets high standards for performance

The style in a phrase: “Do as I do, now.”

Underlying emotional intelligence competencies: Conscientiousness, drive to achieve, initiative

When the style works best: To get quick results from a highly motivated and competent team

Overall impact on climate: Negative

Coaching

The leader’s modus operandi: Develops people for the future

The style in a phrase: “Try this.”

Underlying emotional intelligence competencies: Developing others, empathy, self-awareness

When the style works best: To help an employee improve performance or develop long-term strengths

Overall impact on climate: Positive

What styles do you use?

Michael Shapiro, Dynamic Management Solutions, Inc.

Marketing Failing? Rethink How You Deliver Company Messages

It seems that lately I’ve been talking to a lot of people about their marketing and it’s failure for a company.  Marketing is a science and one that every small business owner must really, truly understand before pursuing.  The reason that people like me actually get a degree in this stuff is so that we can learn how it all works.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  What you say is as important as how and where you say it.

Most people I speak to about their “marketing failures” all come down to this one important fact above.  The reasons why most small business fail in their marketing are these:

1. You fail to define your audience (and maybe you have more than one) in writing – a full description of your demographic.  I’m talking all the way down to what how they live their lives and what’s important to them.  If you own a retail women’s high-end boutique why would you advertise in a pub or website for fisherman?   (you think this is crazy but people make huge mistakes like this everyday)
2. You don’t consider where your audience(s) get their news and information.  Instead you choose to advertise in publications/websites where your audience “isn’t”
3. Your message is unclear:  I often tell clients to test their marketing with publications.  This is a great way to measure the return on initial ad campaigns.  Most importantly it will give you a clearer idea of how you should be communicating with your audience/customer – that you may not have considered.   Sometimes business owners get caught up in what they want to say and not what they should be saying to attract customers.  I’m a big believer in this one saying “Say what you mean, mean what you say” and the all-time marketing favorite K.I.S.S. – keep it simple, stupid!  Which leads me to….
4. You fail to be concise using buzz words to catch your audience’s attention. So many small businesses want to make the most of their marketing/ads so they fill it with copy that no one actually has time to read.  Your marketing, especially advertising needs to be concise message, great presentation and strong branding statements that: A. get people’s attention, B. create an emotional need or draw the customer in by describing why they need you or what need you fill and C. Prompts them to take action.
5. Other tactics that help are promotions (discounts and couponing, especially in this economy), images and testimonials.

If you don’t have a marketing plan, the above is just one of the many reasons why you need one.  Today, small   businesses don’t have money to just “throw around”.  If you want to be effective with a small budget and have no “marketing regrets” then be smart, plan ahead and really think through your marketing campaigns, including public relations.

If you had one chance to send a message in a bottle to get help wouldn’t you be as specific as possible so someone could find you?

Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com, Twitter @SmallBizPRXpert

Getting started in your business…

Or Don’t Spend a Dollar When a Dime Will Do – Starting small is a slower path, but it’s also a safer way of building both a sustainable business and a long career as an entrepreneur. Plenty of well-known companies have started small. Space inside Kinko’s first store was reportedly so tight that founder Paul Orfalea had to roll the copier outside to make room for customers. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield delivered pints of their ice cream to local grocery stores in a beat-up VW Squareback wagon.

How Starting Small Can Help You Succeed -

1. It can limit the size of your mistakes.
2. Starting small will force you to learn resource frugality – preventing inefficiencies from entering your operation.
3. It can give you a competitive advantage.
4. Your lack of funds may force you to redirect your venture in a positive direction.
5. It allows you to maintain a higher percentage of ownership.
6. It will keep shut-down costs low.

You must convince yourself you can do more with less, be willing to scrounge, beg, barter or trade to get space, materials, equipment or services.

Getting Space: At the beginning, you should acquire prime real estate only when it’s essential to the business model – not to support your ego.

Getting Machinery and Equipment: Instead of buying new, see what you can find at a discounter, secondhand shop, flea market or rummage sale. Examine carefully whether you really need specific equipment, then decide whether to buy or lease.

Marketing: Many very successful Web sites have found nontraditional marketing approaches to be highly effective. If more traditional marketing is needed, try to cut expenses as much as possible. You should be constantly thinking about no-cost ways to market your company.

Controlling Expenses: Fly only coach, stay at budget hotels and rent only compact cars. Sam Walton controlled expenses by instituting a rule that expenses should never exceed one percent of the company’s purchases.

Finding Initial Capital: There are several rules to follow when gathering initial capital for your venture.

Here are three:

1. Dip only modestly into your nest egg.

2. Debt is a common source of capital for many companies.

3. If you need to borrow a small amount of money, try not to get it from friends or family members because there would be too much emotion tied up in the money.

Incorporate these concepts into your start-up and you’ll help improve the odds you’ll be around a year from now.

Michael Shapiro – Dynamic Management Solutions, Inc.

Be Prepared for Anything When It Comes to Media Interviews

You’ve written the press release, pitched media your story and now a journalist wants to interview you.  The story could be a feature on you and your business or it could be a trend story a journalist is considering including you in.  Either way, much like you would for a job interview, you have to be prepared for anything when it comes to the media interview.

One great example of this is a client of mine Interview Angel founder Brent Peterson.  My firm recently secured him an interview opportunity with the Wall Street Journal.  The journalist had a job search/interview trend story in mind regarding crazy interview tactics (hoops candidates jump through for a job) that companies take to find the right candidate.   She had a specific angle that she wanted Brent to comment on and we pitched his response to her.  When she was ready to write the article she interviewed Brent who did discuss the things he’d initially responded with but also gave her another angle that was informational and generous on his behalf.

The angle Brent provided was about candidates volunteering their way to a job, which the journalist closed the article with.  What was so generous was that he provided a real life anecdote of someone he hired on a volunteer basis to help create and promote the Interview Angel Sweepstakes.  He not only promoted his business in the article but this young man and the sweepstakes all in one of the country’s top newspaper/online outlets.  Brent followed his conversation with the journalist carefully and found a unique opportunity for his business.

Did he take a risk by going off topic?  Maybe but not before making sure that he covered the specific angle the journalist was working on.  All in all it benefited her story and made it that much more interesting for job seekers.

Being prepared to handle anything in an interview means knowing your business, industry and journalist’s story angle inside and out.  It really truly is like interviewing for a job.  You have to take time to research and prepare before any kind of interview; to be able to speak wisely on your business and industry while communicating key messages,  other story angles that might be of interest and know the conversation can go in several directions.  Once you’ve met the journalist’s needs you can afford to go off topic.  After all, you’re just having a conversation with a journalist and as long as it’s related to the story it can go anywhere.

And practice makes perfect!  Print out what you want to say – story angles, key messages – get in front of a mirror and practice, practice, practice.  Most importantly, remember to speak in short, valuable soundbites that the journalist can easily use as a quote.

And…you will create media opportunities that will truly benefit your business!

Jennifer Fortney, Cascade Communications and SmallBizPRMadeEasy.com

Follow me on Twitter for daily SMB and SMB PR Tips @SmallBizPRXpert