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This post may come across as being a bit self-indulgent and maybe I will sound a little full of myself - but please bear with me.
Let me set the stage here. I have been looking for full time work for a long time now and the process is taking a toll on my psyche. I consider myself to be a really good catch. I know, everybody thinks that, but most people that I have worked for would confirm that - at least that's what I tell everyone ;-). Until this recent job search - which began last year, I never had a problem finding a job.
I'm sure that in this economy, there are more and more people who are struggling to find a good job. For those of us who are getting a little older or who have been quite specialized for a good part of our careers, things are probably even a bit tougher. Or, those of us who have worked for ourselves for several years may find that companies discount us too quickly - thinking that we may not really want to go back to a 'regular' job.
This post originally consisted of a rant about my woes and expressed much of my deep seeded frustration. But, who wants to read about me - right? So, I have replaced my original post with this update - a list of some things that I plan to do better/differently moving forward. Perhaps this will be a bit more useful than my personal ranting!
#1 I am blowing up my resume and going to make more of a splash. A friend has inspired me (and he just landed a new job). Goodbye boring summary statements - hello confident, talented ME. My original is posted on this site - look for a new one next week.
#2 I have never been a fan of recruiters, but I am putting together a bigger list and hitting them all with my new resume - and new attitude.
#3 I am going to start calling people more - instead of using emails. I think it is time to push a little harder and get some real feedback.
#4 I just volunteered to use my talents to help a small, local non-profit charity market themselves more effectively and I plan to use my new connections to network into another market area.
#5 Finally, I am pushing back on opportunities that are not quite right - making clear suggestions as to how I could still help a company even though I may not meet all of their requirements.
I just looked at a job posting where I would be well suited for the Product Marketing/business dev. part of the job, but they wanted someone who could do Engineering work too. Although I am an Engineer by degree, I have not done lab testing or made samples for a very long time. Since I think they may have trouble finding someone who can do all of those things, I suggested they consider hiring an Eng. tech instead of an experienced Engineer and let me manage the project and marketing end of things - even if I worked less than full time in the beginning. I don't know what will happen - but it COULD work.
Well, that's it. That is my new plan. I will be working on it diligently starting next week. I don't know if it will be successful, but I'm going to give it a try. I'll keep you posted!
I have been reading a lot of articles and blog posts lately. I’m not sure what I’m trying to learn or if this is worth doing, but I am doing it. We are so inundated with links to information – as we search for things, check our twitter, wander around facebook, stumble upon things, etc. It’s hard to resist clicking and looking and reading and then clicking a reference link … you know how this goes.
It seems to me that I am not reading much new stuff anymore. Maybe info about new technology that makes getting business info easier or is the new rage in Marketing – but whatever happened to good old fashioned business management talk. It may be out there, but it’s buried in a sea of social media thoughts and discussion.
So, I put together my thoughts. Here is my list of top things that a good business person should know – in no particular order:
1. Understand how to deal with people. Whether inside the company or out, good people skills mean good business.
2. Understand that Quality is a philosophy, not a department. If I need to explain this, you are not on board with this one.
3. Cash flow – understanding that cash is king. You can’t keep a business (especially a small one) afloat if you can’t pay the bills.
4. You cannot do it alone – but you especially can’t do it without good people. The emphasis here is on “good”. Do not tolerate inept or lazy employees – they can ruin everything you work hard to build. Hire good people.
5. Lead by example. You cannot demand that employees, or customers for that matter, do the right thing if you do not make decisions and support people who do the right thing – even when that gets hard.
6. Find your value proposition and build your story around that. Stay focused enough to move forward, but not so stuck in your ways that you can’t make adjustments as things change around you.
7. Communicate, communicate, communicate. People cannot achieve unknown goals or meet vague expectations. Praise good work and discuss how to improve anything that does not meet expectations.
8. Make decisions. Don’t be afraid to make the wrong one and don’t let things happen by default. You loose control when this happens. Gather information that you need, understand whose advice you can trust, weigh the options and decide. This is key to getting things done. If it turns out to be a bad decision, make a decision to try something else.
9. Lead with respect and others will follow.
10. Measure. Find useful ways to measure progress – of the business, of your employees and your own improvement.
Finally, always look to improve. Never sit back and feed off the status quo – this is the kiss of death. Everyone can improve upon something. Make it a mission.
I am really in the mood to write today, but have been struggling with choosing a topic. I was thinking about my job search and how unprofessional companies have become over the last few years. Then I was thinking about my oldest who was just fired from her job because her boss found out she had been accepted by Americorp for a year of service and they tried to make her quit now instead of in October (when her service starts) - some very slimy biz stuff going on there. Then I was playing around with the idea of writing a book about what NOT to do in business - things I have learned along the way. I thought I could play around with a few topics from that much too long list of lessons learned!
So, what will it be? I think today I will take a peek at the way companies treat people these days. (I know, that line just made me sound old - 'kids these days...') I have never considered myself an old fashioned gal or someone who gets too caught up in formalities - but I am professional and polite and like to think that I act that way in my work life. Something has happened in business over the last few years. People have forgotten their manners and basic courtesies.
When did we stop notifying candidates that they did not get the job after an interview? When did we not reply to a direct email asking for information that we were told we would receive? When did companies stop giving a #@! about people? When did companies start intimidating young employees and trying to take advantage of them?
Does anyone care about doing the right thing anymore? Are we really that busy? That cold? Are we afraid of something?
I'm not going to go on and on here. I just want to encourage everyone to stop for a moment and think about that person on the other side - the one being interviewed or going through a performance evaluation or phoning you with a question. Think about how you would want to be treated if you were on the other side. Do you deserve a reply? An update? An explanation? It only takes a few minutes and it can make a big difference to someone. It should make you feel good too - doing the right thing always does. Let's get back to a little professional courtesy - you never know when you will meet that person again!
The customer is always right - right? Is this your customer service mantra or do you think this is an 'old fashioned' way to think? Has customer service changed over the last 10 years or so? Should it?
I have run a couple of Customer Service Departments over the years and I always stress that if you don't at least start with this basic assumption, things will often not go well. When a customer calls with a question or problem, you simply have to give them the benefit of the doubt. Customer Service personnel should understand that they have the ability to make or break the company's relationship with its customers. You can have the best product, good prices - even fast delivery - but if people don't like you, they will not buy and they certainly will not recommend you.
So, is the customer always right? Of course not. I have actually found that the customer is often not right. Maybe they have the wrong information or caused the problem themselves. Customers can call to complain that their order was really late, but they placed the order a week later than they remembered. Someone may call to return a product that is not working and is 'brand new', but when you look it up, the product is 6 months past its warranty period. Customers are human. We are all customers at some point. Have you ever had a 'senior moment' when ordering something? Maybe you forgot to get your credit card out or changed your mind while ordering because you suddenly realized you did not really need to spend money on this item? Customer Service needs to take all of this in stride, keep their tone positive and work through the issues with the customer. The goal is to make the customer feel satisfied when the conversation (or email trail) is complete - even if they don't end up getting what they asked for!
Years ago, we often saw 'yes' people dealing with customers. "Yes, sir", "Of course, Ma'am" ... Pushing back on the customer was probably more frowned upon than it is today. Modern customer service works just fine with a little push back - but it must be under the premise that the goal is still to make that customer happy. It's ok to say "I'm sorry, but my records indicate that this was ordered in 2009, not last month" - here is the key to diffusing this, continue with - "Could I be missing something or was this ordered by someone else?" When questioning the validily of a customer's issue, always provide them with an out of some sort. Show them you are open to the possibility that you have not found what is needed or that you understand how easy it is to not remember when something was purchased - time flies in our busy world.
Nothing diffuses anger more than someone who is trying to share the blame for a problem and genuinely sounds like they really want to help you. This does not mean the customer will get what they wanted, but they need to feel like they got what they deserved in the end - even if that is simply having been made to understand that there is not really a problem after all!
As we approach 2010, I'm sure big plans are underway for businesses of all types. Sales goals are being doled out, cost reductions are under review, pricing strategies are being evaluated, cost of new development and expenses are being reconsidered, personnel is being looked at and on and on.
I get it. Times are tough out there. Business is slow, prices are falling, competition is crazy, ... You just want to get through this recession and come out the other side.
What a perfect time to take stock in how you do things and to make improvements. I'm talking about evaluating everything you do. What would happen if you made "improvement" a major goal for 2010? Would it help you succeed in this tough economy? Would it make you stronger on the other side? Is it worth spending precious resources on doing this now? I say yes, yes and definitely yes!
When I talk about improving things, I'm talking about processes, procedures - how everyone performs their piece of the business puzzle. Every single company out there can do something better - improving their efficiency, costs, customer service, product performance, yields, ... The things upon which we can improve are almost endless.
I have done this with clients when I did Quality Management work - as part of the journey toward ISO registrations. I worked with each department, meeting with people who understood the way things were currently being done and brainstormed about things that they thought went smoothly and things they thought needed improvement. Then I would bring in people who worked with that department and ask them what worked well and what might be improved upon. You see, no department works in a vacuum - they all interact and provide things for each other. When you do your job well, your department, your internal 'customers' and the company all benefit.
After this series of meetings and brainstorming sessions, we reviewed the practices and procedures followed in each department and made some changes. We documented what we were going to do and went over everything, including expectations, with each employee. We then let the updated system work for a while.
The key to true success with this type of plan is to have management buy-in, to support the implementation and time commitment needed for this. The other key thing is to do a follow-up. It is important to re-group some time after the new procedures have been in effect (6 months maybe) to go over the progress and tweak anything that is still not quite right. This also reaffirms that this is not a passing fad or a management whim. It is a real commitment to change and progress.
Although it is extremely helpful to bring someone in from the outside to facilitate this type of activity, it can be done with your own people. Someone from a different department could take the lead for each area - asking questions, being the 'moderator', noting the good things and the things that are not working well. This person would guide the department toward new objectives and focus on procedural updates that will make each department more effective and efficient.
Why not make IMPROVEMENT an objective for 2010?
I have officially run out of time. I just can't work for a client, write blog posts, tweet something profound, click on (and read) all the links to articles about new marketing ideas and trends, post pictures on facebook, look for new job opportunities on all the job sites, connect with everyone I know on linkedin ... Oh, and eat, sleep and see my family - impossible!
As a consultant, I have a need to keep up with the latest and greatest things happening out there. I have to stay fresh, be up on trends, understand how to implement these for the next client coming around the bend - or the next full time employer. Don't I?
I'm actually starting to wonder. I saw a seminar being offered on social networking - sponsored by our local Chamber of Commerce. The panel was comprised of a few local small business owners who are tweeting, ... Are they experts? Are they going to tell me something I don't know? Maybe - maybe not. How much more do I need to know? Can I be considered an 'expert'? I certainly seem to have as much knowledge as some people out there peddling their seminars and advice.
I approached twitter, linkedin, facebook ... the same way I approach most things - I talked to some people, I observed people/companies already doing it, I read a bunch of articles - until they all started to sound the same. Then I tried it out, slowly but surely putting things there for people to see. Only time will tell if I can be successful with my approach, but I'm starting to feel pretty good so far. I can't say that I am an expert, or know everything there is to know. But, I'm off to a good start and think I can learn new things without spending every spare moment on these activities.
As with most things in life, perhaps moderation is the key to surviving the social media frenzy! So, happy tweeting, blogging, facebooking, linking in, etc ...
For all of you working for mid-sized or larger companies, taking time now to plan for 2010 is part of the process - something that just happens. For millions of small businesses out there, I'm guessing that not much (or certainly not enough) time is spent on planning a marketing strategy for next year.
Here are a few thoughts on what I would consider 'low hanging fruit' - things that may have smaller returns, but are easy and low (or no) cost to implement.
1. Take a look at your overall image and message. Is it what you want it to be? Is it consistant? Is it clear? If everything is good, then move on to something else. If not, decide what needs to be changed or updated and make it happen. Every business can benefit from proper branding and a consistent look and message - customers find comfort in knowing what to expect.
2. Review your web site. Is it still on message? Is site navigation easy and logical? Do pictures look good, is the message clear, are products shown properly? Is it clear what you do, why someone should trust you and how to reach you? Now is the time to fix anything that is not quite right.
3. Should you reach out to customers with social media? Is it time to tweet or to build a facebook page? Should you add a blog? Do you have someone who could start this without spending too much time? Caution here though - if you start, be prepared to keep going. Posting a tweet once or twice a month is going to do nothing good for you. Putting up a facebook page and then leaving it unattended will not impress anyone!
4. Try your hand at email marketing. Sites like Constant Contact, iContact, Vertical Response and many others make it easy and fairly low cost. Gather a mailing list of existing customers, put a sign up link on your web site, sign people up in your store or restaurant, etc and start offering email promotions to attract business. If you have a company that offers services and not product, have your emails be informational newsletters. Become an expert in the eyes of your potential customers.
These are just a few of the things you should consider for your 2010 marketing plans. Get out of your Marketing rut and start planning some new things for next year. You may or may not agree - but image is a key component of success. Do you buy things from businesses that seem shabby, are unknown to you and look like they don't have their act together?
When I first looked at Twitter, let's just say that my first impression was not a positive one. It seemed so silly and was filled with all this small talk and chatter. I had trouble picturing how to really use it for business. I'm no techno-phobe, but I was not thrilled at trying to figure this out.
Since I seemed to be hearing twitter references every minute and started seeing links to twitter on so many sites, I decided to finally join and figure this thing out.
So, I opened a personal twitter account and poked around a bit and still could not see the point or the use of this medium. I finally searched on some terms that turned up a few interesting snippets about my town and I posted some tweets of my own - about the things I liked about living here in Hopkinton. This won me a few followers of my own and increased my Twitter confidence.
Now I was ready to set up a twitter for my client. I registered under the company name and posted the description and designed the look of their home page. I poked around for some appropriate twitters to 'follow' and started posting some helpful first aid, CPR and emergency information - along with some product info and links to their online store pages (you can check 'wnlsafety' on twitter). After about 3 weeks, we have 30 something good followers and so far we have seen 10 clicks in to their site that have resulted in 8 actual orders. This may not sound like much, but that is a great hit rate in my book!
I guess I am now sold - I don't know many other things that can produce an ROI like this. Ok, it's not like we will make millions with this - but it is another small tool in our marketing arsenal - building credibility and a new following - tweet by tweet.
I had a phone interview a few weeks back and the interviewer asked my to tell him about my proudest accomplishment. I know I should be ready for all these types of questions – but I was not well prepared for this one. Greatest strengths, weaknesses, favorite past position, etc. – but what was I most proud of? This was work related – so the whole “I’m most proud of my children . . .” did not work. So, I answered something about saving a big account after big quality problems, blah, blah, blah . . .
Since then, I have really thought about this question.
I think I have finally come up with an answer for this – and it is not a moment or a single event. I am most proud of the legacy I have left with some companies. I always have my ‘quality’ hat on and I make decisions with that in mind. I always push to do what is right – not what is necessarily easy. The moment that made me realize that others noticed this was when I was leaving a job back in 2002 and having a discussion with the VP of Finance. I told him that I was sorry to be leaving with so many things up in the air relative to the future of this company. He replied that I should leave with my head held high because I was leaving a changed culture. He told me that I had made a difference in how people looked at things there. By pushing back, stopping product from going out the door, training everyone in what it means to do things right and leading by example, I had changed a company culture. It may not be perfect, but this company was no longer known for having poor quality products, and I should be proud. His comments made me feel very proud.
Someone at work the other day said to me that they wished I had come there sooner – as I pushed back on what I felt was a poor personnel judgement call. I incited a little ‘do the right thing’ philosophy in a colleage and he was feeling a bit like a hero that day. I don’t accept the “we have to do it this way” (if I truly feel it is not right), so I always try to present an alternate view to at least re-open discussion. I’m often amazed at how easy it is to have someone change their mind if they made a poor decision. Sometimes you just have to point it out, ask them to reconsider, and they realize it and do the right thing. Of course, sometimes they don’t!
So, I can now answer this question with confidence. My proudest moment is not a single moment at all. It is leaving a legacy – a philosophy that we should all do the right thing and take responsibility to move that attitude forward.
What have you done at work that makes you proud?
I was talking with a recruiter a few weeks ago. He had contacted me about a position that seemed to match my resume fairly well. When he tried to present me to his client, he was informed that they will not consider anyone who has been a "Consultant'. He told me that he has seen this a few times, but did not really understand why this was an issue for some companies.
I was disappointed by this revelation. Could the fact that I have been contracting/consulting for several years be one of the reasons I am not being considered for some positions? This seems so unfair. So, I have put some thought into this - what could be the problem here?
I'm sure one of the main issues is that many people become "Consultants" when they loose their job and need to fill a void as they search for something new. If this is the concern, I would hope that companies would look more closely at the details under "Consultant". Some of us choose to do this and do quite well with it. Some of us were even asked to do it when we were trying not to work at all for a while ;)
So, I now have another obstacle to deal with as I search for a full-time position - the potential negative view of my current career choice. Such a shame to draw conclusions without the facts. There are a lot of great people out there working as consultants/contractors. Many of us bring a broad set of skills that may not be found with someone who has not branched out on their own for a while. Let me encourange you to at least have a conversation with us - you may be amazed at what you learn.
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