Monthly Archives: August 2014

Administrative , , , Leave a comment

“Sorry, I Really Don’t Have Time To Meet…”

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Although Summer officially ends on September 22 this year,  by custom the season ends on the day after Labor Day and this year we are back to work early on September 2.   If you were a smart and ambitious cookie,   you met with a good prospective client or two during Summer and you have plans in motion that will improve your chances of having a profitable 4th Quarter.  But maybe there are still a couple of people you’d like to connect with?

We all have someone on our prospect list whom we have been unable to reach.  This prospective client is often prestigious and holds the promise of green-lighting a big payday.  It is frustrating when we can’t get added to this person’s calendar.  Yet there are sometimes ways to capture lightning in a bottle and schedule that much-desired prospect meeting.  Good luck and timing will be involved,  but these will be aided by your ingenuity.

If you have not yet met your prospect,  then try to arrange a personal introduction.  Personal introductions are more effective than self-introductions and an introduction made by someone who is trusted by the prospect will be the most effective.  Tap into your LinkedIn connections and scroll through the connections of your connections.  It is a tedious process,  but you may discover a shared connection who could arrange to introduce you to your prospect.

Second,   conduct an internet search to find out what has been written about the prospect.   You may learn that this individual sits on a board where you have a friend who can facilitate an introduction.  You may learn that your prospect will present or moderate at a conference.  If that is the case,  then you should attend,  if possible.  Take notes at the presentation and ask a good question.   After the talk,  follow-up and speak with the prospect.  Your question will make your self-introduction easy to do and your good question will give you credibility.

Once you’ve met your prospect,  you will ask for a meeting.  Your prospect is a C Suite dweller who has many demands on his/her time.   In order to earn a sliver of that person’s time,   you must demonstrate that you will bring value,  that your meeting request is not all about you.   Find out what subjects may resonate with your prospect by searching for news about the prospect’s company;  for articles that your prospect may have authored;  for articles in which he/she was quoted;  and read postings on the company’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.  In addition,  visit the company website and find out if any interesting news has been posted.

Information gleaned from your research will be used to devise and present your value.   If you can teach your prospect something that he/she would like to know about,  then you are sharing  knowledge and insight and not just attempting to extract  a favor or a contract.  If you found that the prospect has authored an article or book,  or that he/she has been quoted,  then offer compliments and comment.  Because you will have made it known that there will be something in it for the prospect,  he/she will be more likely to agree to meet with you,  however briefly.

Offer to buy your prospect coffee or a quick breakfast and state what you’d like to discuss.   Additionally,  state that perhaps he/she would appreciate information on the subject that you’ve identified as potentially relevant.   Ask for 30 minutes of time.  If you learn that the prospect is on the way to another meeting,   offer a ride if you have a car and get another chance to not just talk,  but build a relationship.

24 hours after the meeting,  send written thanks.  An email may suffice,  but if the meeting was especially productive,  then send a short hand-written note on your company stationery or in a small note card that appears business-like.  Reconfirm any agreed-up actions and the time-table.  No matter the outcome of the meeting,   use the encounter to build the foundation for a lasting business relationship.

Thanks for reading and happy Labor Day weekend,

Kim

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Headline Hooks That Reel In Readers

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Whether you’ve written an email,  blog post,  newsletter,  white paper or press release,  your primary job is to persuade your intended readers to read what you’ve written.  Anyone worth writing for is buried in potential reading material.  Prioritizing and skimming are the norm.  Use yourself as an example.  When sorting through business or personal reading material,  what persuades you to stop and read?  The headline!

The headline is the hook that reels in readers.  Dull headlines do not grab attention.  They do not resonate with or intrigue your intended readers.  They do not communicate the value of the content that you’ve spent time to research and write.  Package and sell your content with a headline that makes your intended readers know that your content,  email or press release contains valuable information.

Headlines alert intended readers to subjects of interest.  Attention-grabbing headlines cause us to read even articles that we may conclude are a waste of time and which we may abandon,  but the subject line was like a siren song to our eyes.  Consider what would be most appealing,  or alarming,  to your intended readers and also descriptive of the content.  The perspective from which you must create your subject line / title is from the intended reader’s ultimate vetting question,  “What’s in it for me”?

The right headline gets you more attention,  more readers,  more buzz and more results.  Keep these headline categories in mind as you create the headline for your next important communication:

I.     How-to headline

Content that instructs and informs will benefit from a headline that motivates intended readers to take action

  • Cold Calling Dos and Don’ts
  • Five Tactics Guaranteed To Make You A Better Networker
  • Headline Hooks That Reel In Readers

II.    Challenge headline

Headlines that pose a question that intended readers are presumed to want answered,  because they likely grapple with the predicament that the content addresses

  • Is Your Business Model Still Relevant?
  • Will Producing Content Take Over Your Life?
  • Would You Like To Scoop Your Biggest Competitor’s Biggest Client?

III.  Targeted headline

Needless to say,  targeting is the basis of marketing and customer outreach and the more specific the headline is to the interests of the intended readers,  the greater the probability that the content will be read

  • Financial Management Tips for the Finance Phobic
  • PR Strategies for Cash-Strapped Start-Ups
  • Teaching Brings Cash and Credibility to Freelance Consultants

IV.   Warning headline 

“Shock and awe”  headlines put intended readers in a head lock and drag them in,  often times even if they would rather not.  Many newspapers and magazines specialize in such headlines

  • What Your Clients Won’t Tell You About Your Sales Pitch
  • Why Your Advertising Budget is Only Money Down the Drain
  • You Can’t Retire On Less Than $2 Million

V.      Story headline

Entice intended readers with a headline hook that communicates the theme of your compelling narrative

  • A Back Bay Grande Dame Celebrates Her 125th Birthday
  • The Client Wore Black
  • From Living in a Car to Living at the Taj: An Uncensored Story of the Entrepreneurial Life

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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So Take A Vacation, Already

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A 2011 survey by American Express revealed that fewer than half of U.S. small business owners will take a vacation this summer.   37 % cited that their work schedules would not allow them to take time off.   29 % reported that they were unable to afford a vacation.  16 %  stated that they do not take vacations,  period.  A 2013 study by Staples reported that more than 40 % of small business owners find it difficult to relax and enjoy themselves when they do take a vacation,  due to constant concerns about what may be happening to their business while they are away.

Regardless of the habits of American small business owners,  research indicates that vacations are more beneficial than they realize and that all those who work would be wise to take time off.  Doing so confers benefits to both one’s health and business productivity.  The landmark Framingham (MA) Heart Study revealed that women who on average took only one vacation in six years were nearly eight times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who vacation annually.  A 2008 study reported that men who do not take a vacation every year are 32 % more likely to die of a heart attack than men who do vacation every year.

No doubt other factors were involved in bringing on those coronary events,  but there is still a demonstrable positive correlation between stepping away from the grind of work and overall health.  To function optimally,  both the brain and heart like a little rest now and again.  Without adequate rest,  we descend into fatigue and fatigue makes it difficult for us to think either rationally or creatively and we are less able to make smart decisions.

Peter Handal,  CEO of the venerable leadership development company Dale Carnegie strongly recommends that workers take a few days off and do something that they enjoy.  A recent study by Intuit found that 82 % of small business owners who took a vacation experienced an increase in performance when they returned to their business.  A 2005 study by organizational psychologists Charlotte Fritz of Portland (OR) State University and Sabine Sonnentag of the University of Manheim (Germany) demonstrated the phenomenon of a post-vacation boost in energy reserves that results in greater productivity per hour worked.

The Protestant Work Ethic that the Puritans imposed onto the United States has in many ways done more harm than good.  In terms of the number of vacation days and holidays awarded to workers by companies in the industrialized nations,  the US ranks dead last.  Americans foolishly think that the workaholic is the virtuous, high-producing hero and that the more hours worked,  the better.  But Henry Ford,  who conducted various productivity studies at his Detroit plant for 12 years,   learned in the 1920s that worker productivity falls sharply after 40 hours/week.  That’s why he reduced his factory worker’s week to 5 days,  40 hours from 6 days,  48 hours.

Research about the optimal length of vacation time off is conflicting,  with some researchers advocating for shorter breaks and others recommending 2 weeks or more,  as is the standard in Latin America and Europe.  Vacations can be difficult for the self-employed,  who often have inconsistent income streams.  Still,  whenever you can,  take a few days off when you are not busy and get out of town.  Stay with a friend or get a bed from Air BandB.  Participate in low-cost activities that you enjoy,  whether it’s camping,  hiking,  going to the beach,  attending free outdoor music festivals or visiting museums.   Your smart phone will help you keep up with important emails.   You are guaranteed to lose a few layers of stress,  improve your overall health,  increase your productivity and feel better about your self.

On Thursday morning,  I will travel to Portland, ME for four days of R & R that will feature a scenic cruise on Casco Bay and lots of lobster!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Technology / Office , 3 Comments

Work From Home and Be Productive

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There is an art to working from home and not everyone is able to master the craft.  Working from home is a luxury that saves much time and money,  but if you are not disciplined,  you will be foiled by constant distractions and nothing will be accomplished.  Working at home is most successfully practiced by independent self-starters who are comfortable working alone. “The level of discipline it takes to work from home and generate solid results is intense and most people fail at  (working from)  home because of this one fact”,  warns business and sales strategy expert Grant Cardone, author of If You’re Not First, You’re Last (2010).

In the 21st century,  working at home does not mean simultaneously juggling business and personal responsibilities while in your pajamas.  Telecommuters and Freelance solopreneurs save commuting time and expense and give themselves more potential working hours in which to maximize productivity.  Control over one’s time is a huge benefit.  There will be no impromptu meetings to destroy one’s schedule or long conversations by the water cooler to talk about last night’s game,  but those who live with others may have to fight to enforce boundaries and eliminate constant interruptions.   Freelance solopreneurs also realize a tremendous cost saving through by-passing office space rent.   Make the most of your home office experience and follow these tips:

I.   Create an office space

If you are able to have a room in your home to use as an office,  so much the better.  City dwellers may have a small desk or writing table in a corner of their bedroom.  Keep your workspace clean and organized,  as suggested by feng shui experts.   A good environment really does boost productivity and make one feel more comfortable.

2.  Establish boundaries

If you live with others,   teach them to respect that when you step into your office space,  you are at work.  You cannot referee spats;  you cannot chat with your husband or your mother;  you cannot drive anyone to the mall.  Shut the door and work.  Do take normal workday coffee and lunch breaks.

3.   Keep regular work hours

Go to work every day.   You have the luxury of working longer or shorter hours,  mornings or late nights,  according to your biorhythms and the projects on your desk.   Resist the temptation to be either a workaholic or a slacker.

4.   Dress for success

The popular image of those who work from home is of someone who’s in a bathrobe all day,  or sweats.  Remind yourself and those with whom you live that you are a professional who takes your work seriously.  Take a daily shower,  brush your teeth,  comb your hair and dress for work,  whether in business casual attire or jeans and T-shirt.

5.   Stay connected

Working at home is isolating and it is important to maintain professional contacts.  If you telecommute,  set up and participate in conference call meetings that keep you in the loop at the office.   Write reports that document your work and contributions to your team.   Meet regularly with clients,  whether you are a telecommuter or Freelance solopreneur.   Join and visit professional networking groups and attend conferences.  Nurture relationships with professional colleagues.

Thanks for reading,

Kim