Business Book Summaries

When a friend of mine announced that she did not think time management training was worth doing, I had to take notice. She is an experienced trainer who had just started working for a large company and usually knows what she is talking about. Her comment did, however, cause me to question her, so she expanded on her statement.

She went on to explain that she had nothing against time management training in itself. Her issue was the way in which it was being used in her organisation.

Typically, line managers would send their staff on time management training whenever issues about efficiency or productivity cropped up. Little thought was being given to whether time management training was the right approach.

Her frustration stemmed from the fact that managers were effectively trying to fit the problem to the solution rather than the other way around. They were not making any real attempt to work with individuals to find the root cause of the issues they were having.

The outcome was that people were attending whole day training courses run by my friend but getting very little out of this. The training she inherited was generic and had not been tailored to the needs of the business, let alone the individual participants.

Over a bottle of wine we spent sometime discussing how to fix this problem, and came up with a plan.

Step One: My friend would contact all managers requesting time management training for their staff, and probe them so she could understand the need. This would include revisiting what has been discussed with individual staff members so far. In many cases individuals were not aware that their efficiency was in question.

Step Two: Where necessary, she would conduct some on job observation to understand the situation first hand.

Step Three: She would design a new training solution based on the needs of the business areas and linked to specific business issues. However, she would also make alternative recommendations in individual case where she considered time management training would not be appropriate.

Step Four: Individual nominees would be briefed by their line managers three weeks before the training. Both parties would agree the outcomes to be achieved. The individual participants would also be briefed to complete a daily time log for two weeks, to help identify how they use their time now. A key part of the training event would be to link with the briefing and the time log. Individuals would not be allowed to attend the training without completing this step.

Step Five: The training event itself would end with each individual producing a plan of action.

Step Six: Follow-up one to one coaching linked to the action plan produce during the training. . In some cases this would be carried out by the line and in some cases by my friend. The amount of time spent on this phase would depend on the needs of the individual. This important step ensures that the training is set down to practical outcomes.

With a proper structure now built around time management training my friend confessed to being confident of success. She also admitted that time management training is worthwhile after all. Or was that just the wine talking?

© 2007

About Author: Wolfgang Halliwell is a learning and development consultant who has authored a number of courses for Trainer Bubble. For more learning resources visit: http://learningresourcefinder.com Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, time management, personal development

How to Almost Make a Million Dollars

By Robert X. Leeds Epic Publishing Company, 2004 ISBN 0-9674025-5-7 246 pages The Big Idea How to Almost Make a Million Dollars recounts the author’s hilarious odyssey towards becoming the successful person and entrepreneur that he is today. Not only does this book narrate one of the most exciting financial quests of the century, it also provides a definitive rebuttal to the “get rich quick” systems and ideas proliferating in numerous “Become Instant Millionaires” seminars, books, and infomercials. In addition, the rich reservoir of entrepreneurial wisdom contained in this book will help you become better prepared and aware of the many problems that entrepreneurs need to overcome in life. I. Quitters Never Win One thing that separates entrepreneurs from other businesspersons is their capacity for tenaciousness and courageousness that most ordinary people find overwhelming. It’s not everyday that you find someone willing to put everything in line to pursue a dream. Take the case of the late Colonel Harland Sanders, the man behind the world-famous Kentucky Fried Chicken. II. Starting from Scratch Life wasn’t meant to be a spectator sport, and so is entrepreneurship for that matter. You won’t succeed by just sitting in the comforts of your home and by just waiting for things to happen. You have to go out and make an effort to make your dreams come true. More importantly, you have to believe in yourself. Being born into a rich family or inheriting wealth will not guarantee you success; nor will a high IQ or the ability to invent extraordinary stuff assure you of the same. By and large, it is the desire to succeed against all odds which makes all the difference in this world. III. On the Road to Success Different people measure and define success differently. So, there is no use trying to meet other people’s standards of success. What’s important is that you stay true to your main goal. A. There is more than one road to success It is the individual who desire and seek success who is the best judge of its varied dimensions. For example, some people will define success as having a secure job with a steady income. A born entrepreneur, however, will never be content with just being an employee of somebody else’s company. B. Timing! Timing! Timing! Location is important in a business, but the timing by which a product or service appears in the market is also very crucial. C. Think Big! Act Big! Do Big! One of the surest ways to establish financial security for you and your family is to start your own business. However, starting a business can be quite risky, especially for novice entrepreneurs. D. Financing your business Raising the needed start up capital will not be easy. There are many ways by which you can raise the money to jump start your business. One obvious way would be to borrow money from a bank. However, most banks require some collateral before approving any loan. Furthermore, most banks rarely loan money to start-up ventures. E. Every upside has a downside Running your own business can be both financially and personally gratifying. Still, running a business entails taking chances and risks, so expect to experience your fair share of failures. Moreover, don’t be misled into thinking that success will come to you if you just keep trying different things. F. Beware of the “devil” and his minions Make sure that you put into writing any offer, promise, or agreement that you enter into, and make sure that it is signed by all parties. Similarly, there is no such thing as a verbal purchase order. Remember, good intentions are not always good currency. IV. The Myth of Getting Rich Quick Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as easy money. Even though there are many books and seminars that instruct readers and attendees on how to become instant millionaires, none of these “surefire, get rich quick” ideas or systems can really guarantee instant success and wealth. In most cases, these “get rich quick” seminars and “How To” books will only tell you forty-five percent of the story. Experience, with the help of providence, will teach you the other fifty-five percent as you go through life trying to make your dream of becoming a successful businessperson a reality. V. The More Important Things The world is filled with many opportunities for growth and success. You need not always think of something new in order to succeed in business. In some instances, all you have to do is just make some timely and novel improvement on some ordinary or common-place thing. Also, always keep in mind that there is more than one road to success, although that path may be long and arduous. You may not see it at first, but life always gives you an endless array of options to choose from.

Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, personal finance, personal success

I was recently asked, “How do I market my business which is based on the client's trust in me, rather than selling a service?” This is a concern of many service-based companies that do not have a tangible product. These companies have to gain the trust of potential customers first before converting them to paying clients. Trust can’t be faked so the message you are sending must be sincere. Just like with anyone, trust has to be earned. To earn the trust of potential clients, you must focus on building your creditability. Creditability in your client eyes may be that they feel you know what you are talking about, that you represent a reputable firm, and that you have demonstrated your knowledge or experience.

Trust is also established by building relationships. It may take a few conversations before that person will warm up to you. Having past customers vouch for you is very important to establishing trust. Have you seen commercials where actual customers talk about their experience with a product or service? This is that company’s way to creating trust because you hear from real people and not some clever ad trying to persuade you to buy. So if you market your creditability and communicate how your expertise will benefit them, your potential client is more willing to take a risk and engage in learning how your services will help them.

Tips: Use testimonials or case studies from past clients to demonstrate how you've helped people. If you represent a well established firm, market the firm’s history and accomplishments in helping people like you want to serve. State facts and statistics in your marketing messages that are relevant to your target audience. Create your own unique selling statement that separates you from competitors.

Work on developing deeper relationship with potential referral partners. Word of mouth advertising is very powerful. Launch a word of mouth campaign by requesting that your current and past clients tell at least 3 people about their experience with you. Lastly, read the book by Stephen Covey on the Speed of Trust. It talks about traits of highly trusted leaders and how to create trust in the relationships you have.

About Author: The Marketing Lady is a small business marketing coach and consultant. She helps entrepreneurs attract more clients using innovative marketing solutions. Her website is http://www.themarketinglady.com Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, marketing, business strategy

Perhaps more than any other movie in the last thirty years, none has been assimilated into the lexicon of mainstream popular culture as much as The Godfather (1972) and its epic sequel – The Godfather: Part II (1974).

The revered place that The Godfather occupies in the American psyche is a testament not only to the box-office revenues (1) it has earned or the numerous awards (2) it has won; rather, what distinguishes The Godfather from other popular movies is the extent to which its dialogue is quoted chapter and verse. Its wit and wisdom have become, for lack of a better term, a guidepost in our daily lives: “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse” became the de facto mantra for advertisers, late-night comedians, and wiseguy wannabes; “Leave the gun…take the cannoli” epitomized the moral ambiguities and necessities of everyday life; and Luca Brasi (Don Vito Corleone’s chief enforcer) is often invoked on MSNBC’s Hardball when host Chris Matthews takes issue with some heavy-handed tactics in the political arena.

Background and Theme of The Godfather.

The screenplays for each of The Godfather films were co-written by Francis Coppola, the film’s director, and Mario Puzo, the author of the best-selling novel. In their unique collaboration, they refashioned a story about gangsters and elevated it to the level of myth – a cinematic tour de force which has long been praised for its poignant and tragic portrait of the Corleone “crime” family and its insight into a brutally corrupt economic system that sows the seeds of the family’s inevitable downfall.

As Coppola himself has remarked, the parallel lives of Vito and Michael are a thinly disguised metaphor for America and American capitalism. Underlying this metaphor, however, is a contradiction, namely, that the ideals of opportunity and social mobility are undermined by the destructive realities of the capitalist system, i.e., the unbridled desire for profit and power. The family empire that Vito builds is one that Michael cannot preserve. It is fragile and impermanent — its loyalties based on the vagaries of business, not on the close-knit bonds of family and community. Michael’s yearning for acceptance and legitimacy, although sympathetically portrayed, remains largely unattainable.

Applying the Marketing Wisdom of The Godfather.

Although many articles have already made the obvious link between the wisdom of The Godfather and its applications to the wider business world, no one, to my knowledge, has specifically applied The Godfather’s system of beliefs and code of conduct to the world of marketing, branding, and competitive positioning.

There are many lessons to be learned: The marketplace in which companies go head to head is no less contentious, fierce, or profit-driven. The Barzinis, Tattaglias, and Sollozzos of the so-called legitimate business world are trying to expand their territory (read market share and mindshare); and the Hyman Roths and Johnny Olas, once your business allies, are now formidable competitors threatening to weaken your tenuous market position. They’re all playing to win, and want nothing more than to knock you off the shelf, as it were.

Instead of a battle of bullets, it’s a war of words and a jockeying of positions. It’s a world in which perception is power. Since sitting on the sidelines is not a viable option, you’ll either prevail (e.g., enjoy champagne cocktails in the mountains) or fail (e.g., find Khartoum’s head in your bed). There’s an old Sicil-icon Valley expression: you can either swim with the sharks or sleep with the fishes, but you can’t do both.

The distilled wisdom of The Godfather is a page taken right out of the marketer’s playbook. Successful marketing campaigns rely on persuasive attempts to achieve market dominance, cultivate customer loyalty, and convince prospects and customers to take immediate action. To be successful, you must articulate a clear vision, embrace a set of core values, and redefine the competition to your best advantage (without the accompanying murder and mayhem, of course). To remain successful, you must leverage your credibility, influence, and market intelligence in ways that make your competitors shudder in their shiny black shoes. Well, at least that’s the general idea.

First off, let’s make some key distinctions between the world of The Godfather and the commercial marketplace as we know it today. First, enemies will henceforth be referred to as competitors. Competition in your business world is with other companies and their products, not with individuals (“It’s business, not personal”). Secondly, no illegal or immoral tactics are glorified or condoned in this paper (“Blood is a big expense”). Finally, I apologize in advance for any pearls of marketing wisdom from The Godfather that may have escaped my attention (“Don’t overestimate the power of forgiveness”).

The Top 10 Rules of The Godfather.

This paper focuses on the top ten rules that embody the wisdom of The Godfather — rules that all competitive marketers and branding strategists should heed and follow. Each rule provides insight and direction designed to help you align your message, strengthen your position, and expand your brand. The rules are gleaned from actual quotes found in each Godfather movie, including The Godfather: Part III (1990) which, although not as critically acclaimed as the first two, deftly plays out the saga of Michael’s dashed dreams, operatic self-destruction, and ignominious defeat. In some cases, the same or similar quote appears in more than one film – giving it added thematic importance.

“Our ships must all sail in the same direction.”– Don Lucchesi to Michael (III)

Rule #1: Inspire Loyalty Whoever first said “lead, follow, or get out of the way” must have been Sicilian. Maybe it originated with Cristóbal Colón who realized he didn’t have a chance of making it to the new world without a vision (finding a new trade route to India) backed by ample financing and a loyal crew. One cannot underestimate the importance of having a bold vision that moves and inspires others: it defines the very purpose of your organization, is a reflection of your culture and belief system, and serves as a barometer of the values shared by your key stakeholders. More importantly, a strong vision stands alone – independent of external factors such as market share, profit, or competitive climate. Since each of your stakeholders (e.g., customers, employees, prospects, management, investors, etc.) has a slightly different perspective, align your message appropriately in order to unite them under a single banner and a common mission. Engage their sensibility. Stretch their imagination. Invite them along for the ride of a lifetime. Finally, inspire their loyalty by focusing their hopes and aspirations on the “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG) that guides them to the same distant horizon.

“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.” – Clemenza to Rocco, after killing Paulie (I)

Rule #2: Make It Personal The old adage still applies: Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Your customer is the center of the universe, not your product. Don’t pay lip service…provide customer service. Sweeten the deal. Use a carrot rather than a stick. Go high touch, not high tech. Put a human face on your organization. Make your messages intimate and conversational, and use the magic word “YOU” with reckless abandon. Keep your promises and commitments so that it’s an advantage to become and remain your customer. One wonders whether PeopleSoft employees and customers will get enough cannoli to keep them satisfied in their extended Oracle family. Making it personal means conveying your passion and contagious enthusiasm, and letting your humanity shine through. After all, your goal is to build relationships, not sell widgets.

“Let us draw water from the well.” – Barzini to the other Dons, referring to Don Vito (I) and “Let me wet my beak a little” – Don Fanucci to young Vito (II)

Rule #3: Emphasize Solutions Let’s face it, if you’re in business, you’re here to solve your customers’ problems. Become an indispensable resource and share the bounty. Communicate the benefits of doing business with your company, and find ways of contributing to their success. Tell your customers why they need your service now, and how you’re best equipped to produce measurable and positive results. Do everything in your power to make their job easier and give them peace of mind. Craft an overarching brand promise that your employees, customers, partners, and distributors can take to the bank. Fulfilling that promise means achieving consistency and delivering satisfaction. Make a real difference in the lives of your stakeholders and you’ll capture not only their business, but their loyalty.

“I want you to see what he’s got under his fingernails.” — Don Vito to Luca Brasi, referring to Sollozzo (I)

Rule #4: Play To Win Who are your main competitors and what are their core strengths and weaknesses? What position do they own and occupy? How do you stack up? Is your main message cutting through the clutter? If you’re not sure, perhaps a little digging for market intelligence is in order. Since you’re competing for mindshare, it means uncovering your competitors’ vulnerabilities and exploiting them. It also means keeping score of your messages and making each one count. Beat your competitors at their own game or make them play by your rules. Competitive positioning is more than just putting a stake in the ground and claiming it in the name of Spain. What claims are your competitors making? Perhaps they’re on shakier ground than you think. Although you don’t need a Luca Brasi to do your bidding, it helps to have a team of reliable sharpshooters, or an automated strategic market intelligence solution, to monitor the impact and reach of your messages and the extent to which your competitors are making inroads where you are not. Get a grip on your main message, keep your eye on the ball, and swing for the fences. This is one of the few opportunities you have to focus on why you’re in business and what makes you a player in the business you’re in.

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.”– Michael to Pentangeli (II)

Rule #5: Know Your Competitors How well do you really know your competitors? What makes them tick? Can you anticipate their next move? To do so, you need to understand their motivations, needs, and intentions. Study your competitors. Learn and borrow from them. Redefine them to your best advantage. To compensate for your own weaknesses, build alliances and pursue friendly “co-opetiton” as part and parcel of a practical marketing strategy. You can find common ground with anyone, even the Fanuccis in your market space. There’s a strange symbiotic relationship that exists between adversaries (e.g., cops and criminals, political rivals, hosts and parasites, to name a few). In the world of business, positioning is relative and in a constant state of flux: Predators devour weaker prey (SBC/AT&T); some fish band together (Chevron/Texaco); some eat their own kind (Enron); and others migrate to warmer, more protective waters (MCI). The ones that adapt to their environment survive – and that means being able to strengthen one’s competitive position even in the face of overwhelming upheaval and opposition.

“He’s thinking of going to the mattresses.” — Clemenza to Paulie and Rocco, referring to Sonny’s plan for an all-out war requiring his “button men” to sleep in makeshift warehouses and safe houses (I)

Rule #6: Seize the Moment Your competitor is winning the battle of perceptions. You’re losing mindshare. What do you do? Buy more advertising time? Sponsor a big event? Hold a news conference? Hire a celebrity spokesperson? What if your budget is anemic…then what? Regardless of the scale of your marketing, the important thing is to take a stand, and then take action. Sonny Corleone was not known for his painstaking market research. This is not to suggest you should be rash and impulsive; however, at a certain point, you have to rely on your gut instincts as a marketer and go for it! After all, timing is everything. That’s how campaigns are won and lost. Raise the stakes by bringing urgency to your most important messages. Give your customers a deadline. Force them to make a decision. Hit them from all angles. Sometimes it takes more than numbers to arrive at a difficult decision – it takes nerve. So when the opportunity arises, be prepared to pull out the stops and launch an intense and targeted blitz. Anyway, you don’t want to be too predictable. Use the element of surprise to throw your competitors off guard. Carpe momentum!

“Michael, we’re bigger than U.S. Steel.” – Hyman Roth (II)

Rule #7: Think Big If you’re going to compete with the “big boys,” you might as well put yourself in their class and category. Perception rules the roost – so start by changing the way you perceive yourself. Branding has a lot to do with confidence. If you act big, bold, and brilliant, chances are the world will see you that way, too. When it comes to marketing, every campaign you launch should embrace one big idea. Focus on the big picture, not the minutiae. Failure to do so will result in your message being diluted, drowned out, and quickly forgotten. Find a major theme to anchor and amplify your message. Put an appropriate frame around it to give it perspective and gravitas. Create affinity with your customers by capturing their hearts, touching a nerve, and becoming, well, unforgettable. Give the world a direct and definitive way to experience your brand on a grand scale. Where would we be without movers and shakers like Edison, Carnegie, Ford, Walton, and Gates who not only had great ideas that changed society, but knew how to market them effectively?

“I believe in America. America has made my fortune.” — Bonasera to Don Vito (I)

Rule #8: Be Creative and Innovative This opening line of The Godfather says it all: Pursue your dreams, make money, and become an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word. This means shaking off old habits, exploiting any and all marketing opportunities, and occasionally taking the road less traveled. Being a “me too” brand or communicating a cookie-cutter message will not enhance your value or contribute to your lasting success. If we know anything about the American dream, it’s limitless…and it smiles on the marketer with a better, faster, and cheaper mousetrap. Look at the phenomenal growth and success of the iPod. Within a few short years, Apple applied its vision and resources, and virtually cornered the market for digital audio players that use hard drives. Innovation is either part of your corporate culture, or it’s not. Find a new solution to an old problem. Reinvent your old bag of tricks. Challenge yourself. Break from convention, but know the rules you’re breaking. Make your message fun and fresh. Surprise and delight an unsuspecting world. Of course, that means going the extra mile – but, as they say, it’s never crowded.

“This I cannot do.” — Don Vito to Bonasera (I) and Michael to Don Altobello (III)

Rule #9: Know Yourself With all due respect to Socrates, who popularized the famous inscription (3) at the Apollo Temple in Delphi (“gnothi se auton”) and Shakespeare, who paraphrased it in Hamlet, Act I, Scene III (“to thine own self be true”), the maxim lives on in The Godfather. The Corleone patriarchs relied on the wisdom that comes with self-knowledge. Their values, both for good and ill, formed the unshakable foundation of their vision. Determine which ones are revered and shared within your organization. Remember, they’re not core values if you drop them because they end up costing you too much or put you at a competitive disadvantage. Values are universal and timeless. They stand the test of time and create a strong affinity with those who believe in your organization. Values, and the standards they uphold, provide insight into your organization’s brand character. The fundamental principles you cherish are the bedrock of your brand. They guide your organization’s behavior, and put the world on notice that there is some backbone behind your message. When all else slips and stumbles (e.g., the economy, your market share, your profits, etc.), you’ll always have your values to fall back on.

“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – Don Vito to Johnny Fontane, referring to Jack Woltz (I) and Michael to Fredo, referring to Moe Green (I)

Rule #10: Make It Compelling What makes a brand memorable and a message compelling? Is it the free offer? The iron-clad guarantee? The gushing testimonials? The edgy creative and clever copy? It’s all those things…and more. A compelling message has a story behind it, a story with dramatic appeal. It’s show time! It’s time to make your customers go a-ha! It’s time to move and motivate them. It’s time to deliver the flawless elevator pitch, get the “yes,” and go for the close. However, you must first build trust by establishing a consistent track record. Second, communicate with your stakeholders often and listen for the gold (e.g., understand their needs, fears, frustrations, aspirations, etc.). Third, make them an offer they would be ill-advised to dismiss or ignore. This is the essence of marketing, the raison d’etre of your message, and the whole purpose of your campaign. If you follow the first nine rules, the final rule should be a “piece of cannoli.” After the dust has settled, if your customers still haven’t opened their hearts and wallets, revisit Rule #6 and think about going to the mattresses again!

Summary.

The philosophy of The Godfather tells you everything you need to know about communicating a compelling message, owning and occupying a strong market position, and building and packaging a memorable brand. Whether your game is business or politics, survival is everything – protecting your turf, avoiding pitfalls, and capitalizing on opportunities, or, in other words, staying on top while improving the bottom line.

Your message is in a constant struggle to be heard and understood in a vast sea of competing messages. In the course of your marketing campaign, take time to review, test, and measure the reach and impact of your message, brand awareness, and competitive position. In a world where perceptions dominate, messages can be easily countered and co-opted, brands can weaken and wane from benign neglect, and competitive positions are subject to the old switcheroo. But here’s the good news: When you find yourself off-message, get back on track; if your brand needs a lift, give it a makeover; and if your position is assaulted, put your best button men (read guerrilla marketers) on the street. In sum, if “there’s a stone in your shoe, remove it.”

I suspect that in another thirty years, the lessons of The Godfather will be no less instructive. As long as we continue to thrive in a global marketplace where new ideas, services, and technologies comprise the intellectual currency of the realm, there will always be a need for tough, clever, and solution-oriented marketing.

To those marketers, message mavens, branding strategists, and competitive intelligence professionals who are inspired by the wisdom of The Godfather, Michael Corleone’s traditional Italian toast on the shore of Lake Tahoe is definitely in order: “Cent’Anni!”

Notes:

(1) The Godfather was the top-grossing film of 1972 and has generated about $135 million in total domestic (U.S. and Canada) box-office revenues, or $502.4 million converted into today’s dollars; The Godfather: Part II ($57.3 million or $195.2 million in 2005 dollars); and The Godfather: Part III ($66.7 million or $101.7 million in 2005 dollars).

(2) The Godfather received ten Academy Award nominations and won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Coppola and Puzo). The film earned five Golden Globe Awards, and Coppola won the coveted Directors Guild of America Award for best direction. It also received five New York Film Critics Circle nominations, with the win going to Robert Duvall for Best Supporting Actor. The Godfather: Part II received eleven Academy Award nominations and won six Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Robert DeNiro), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction (Dean Tavoularis and Angelo Graham; plus George Nelson for Set Decoration), and Best Original Score (Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola). It was also nominated for six Golden Globe Awards and two New York Film Critics Circle Awards, but did not win any. Al Pacino, however, won a British Academy award for Best Actor, and Coppola picked up another Directors Guild of America Award. The Godfather: Part III received seven Academy Award nominations but failed to win any Oscars. It also received seven Golden Globe Award nominations, with the only win going to Coppola for Best Director.

(3) Not surprisingly, the other maxim inscribed at the Apollo Temple in Delphi is “nothing in excess.”

© 2005 Eric Stephen Swartz. All rights reserved.

About Author: Eric Swartz is founder and president of The Byline Group (http://www.thebylinegroup.com), a marketing communications agency specializing in message creation, alignment, integration, and packaging. He also serves as president and founder of Tagline Guru (http://www.taglineguru.com), a branding agency focused on tagline and naming strategy and development.

Swartz is creator of the Integrated Marketing Communications Audit(tm), or IMCA(tm), a platform for communicating consistent brand messaging across all media — helping client organizations come to a consensus regarding their vision, values, mission, differentiation, solution, promise, and competitive advantage.

Swartz is the recipient of a writing award from the Council for The Advancement and Support of Education and a guest lecturer in marketing and messaging at Golden Gate University. He received his A.B. in Communication & Public Policy from UC Berkeley and his M.A. in Communications from The Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, marketing, sales

Using ultimatums like mandatory, must, and have to will create resistance in the workplace. People resist being made to do anything they feel isn’t worthwhile. Instead of forcing, try these five motivating tactics.

1. Trust
2. Involve
3. Measure
4. Recognize and encourage
5. Grow

Trust

The number one objection I hear to hosting ‘non-mandatory’ meetings is, “How will the employees know they have to come?”If you can’t trust your employees to know how to do their jobs, then you may have bigger problems than low meeting attendance. Most meetings are so poorly run that employees don’t want to attend because they don’t want to waste their time. Would you trust someone who wants to waste your time? According to Merriam Webster, a trustworthy person is ”a person on whom one relies.”Here are a few simple ways to make sure your employees know you can be relied on.

1. Give people your undivided attention, or schedule a time when you can.
2. Keep your promises.
3. Lead by example, and be aware of double standards.
4. Be honest with priorities.
5. Assume your employees have the best intentions.

Involve

The best ideas about performance improvement usually come from the one doing the job. Ask your employees to submit ideas; you’ll be amazed at their initiative. Think that you can do it better than them, and they’ll let you try. Involving your employees is easy if you follow these guidelines.

1. Distinguish different methods of decision-making, and be clear, at the start, which method will be used.
2. Connect each individual’s tasks to the organization’s success.
3. Build a values culture; not a flavor of the month culture.
4. Seek to understand; acknowledge all ideas.
5. Admit when you “don’t know.”

Measure

Have you ever played cards for fun? Have you ever played cards for money? They’re two different games. It’s more fun to play when someone keeps score. Avoid immeasurable instructions. Here are a few of the most common.

• Make it happen.
• Do whatever it takes.
• Be more: efficient, productive, organized, friendly, agreeable, positive.
• Do better.
• Watch your tone.
• Get along.

Instead, use measurable instructions that include dates, times, countable numbers or percentages, money earned or lost, along with specific observable behavior.Some ideas for keeping score are:

1. Eliminate the immeasurable from job descriptions and performance reviews.
2. Calculate average times to complete most job tasks.
3. Identify scripts and vocabulary to use and to avoid.
4. Track timeliness of deadlines.
5. Quiz or assess employees on product, company, and industry knowledge.

Recognize and encourage

“There are two things people care about more than sex and money: recognition and praise.”—Mary Kay The way to motivate is to validate.

“Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you encourage your employees, it brings out their potential. There is an infinite number of ways to say, “good job, or thanks.” Here are a few:

1. Write “way to go” messages on several post-it notes and scatter them around your employee’s desk.
2. Have fun, inexpensive trophies that rotate monthly to best team-player, most timely, best attitude turnaround, etc.
3. Have a wall of fame with client letters or other samples of employee success.
4. Use a changeable neon sign to spread the word about an employee’s good deeds.
5. Equipment or office furniture upgrade award.
6. Management does 1-3 hours of employee’s job for a day.
7. Create a “why you’re so great” plaque that lists your top employee’s 5 strengths.
8. Management acts as butler for the day and serves employees coffee, lunch, etc.
9. Call your employee’s mother to tell them how great the employee is.
10. Have chocolate bars custom made with employee’s name on them.

Encouragement starts with seeing what your employees are capable of.Here are a few hints to help you spot potential.

1. Employees who are normally shy will be more outgoing when performing a task they like.
2. Employees who normally complain will stop when they’re doing something they enjoy.
3. Employees who are normally indecisive seem more confident when performing a job they are good at.
4. Employees who normally boast or try to control situations will seem more subdued when working on something that makes them feel good.
5. Employees who normally do the minimum work will give more time and creativity when they like what they’re doing.

Grow

“The illiterate of the future are not those that cannot read or write. They are those that cannot learn, unlearn, relearn.”—Alvin Toffler

Growing your employees will grow their commitment to your organization. As a trainer, one of the objections to training that I hear most often is, “I don’t want to train them for the competition.” That may happen. What if you train employees and they leave? On the other hand, what if you don’t train employees and they stay? Companies with the highest retention are also the companies who encourage growth. Giving your employees knowledge helps them see different perspectives. This will foster creativity, innovation, and flexibility to change, as well as prevent stagnation. Try these inexpensive ways to grow your biggest asset—your employees.

1. Ask employees to pursue whatever interests them, and relate that knowledge to improving job performance.
2. Encourage membership in local clubs or associations like Toastmasters.
3. Volunteer with your team for a local cause. (This will foster rapport and trust too.)
4. Have employees give five-minute presentations on topics that are job-related, e.g., communication, change, customer service, and leadership.
5. Subscribe to relevant newsletters or trade publications.

Once you trust, involve, measure, recognize, encourage, and grow your employees, you’ll be amazed at motivated they are. You’ll never have to have another mandatory meeting again.

This article is used by permission from develup. Other articles are available at http://www.develup.biz.

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How are you with rewarding your people?

The occasional box of chocolates. Maybe an away day 'Team-Building', dressed up as learning, with a few (or a lot of) beers at the free bar!

Sometimes you'll recognise just one person for a particular effort. Other times all of your people need recognition for a team result, where a big goal has been achieved overall.

Recognition by reward is, frankly, fraught with difficulties!

Indeed in teams where your management style is seen to be consistent and fair to all, you will be doing pretty well and above the average, just doing that and very, very motivational it will be!

Tangible reward is another ball-game. You can do it if you are fair and consistent, as a basic requirement, and also listen hard for clues to enable you to be inclusive for all your people. Reward for great performance on an individual basis needs to be fact-based above all.

Then everyone needs to be in a position to be able to achieve whatever greatness it is that you reward for.

From the folks who keeps the toilets clean, to the front-end star salespeople – whose achievements are much more easily related to the business end. Making sure everyone can be recognised; can be a 'winner' is vital.

Then, recognising everyone on a rota basis is tough as well!

If you are seen to be doing this, then sceptics will spot that their turn will come whatever and the value of the reward is DEvalued.

See the tricky bits in this?

The key is to keep it fun and light. Rewarding the whole team with simple and fun things like cream cakes or chocolate as a start can worth really, really well.

As a manager, be especially sensitive to things you hear where someone has done well and reward them accordingly.

Maybe by letting them go early one night or have a shot at a different role they've aspired to for a couple of days.

Truth is, reward is best served up by thanks and personal recognition. And tangible treats are fun to do and use as long as they fit in with the environment of the place where people work.

There are two pitfalls for tangible reward:-

1. You only reward your own or your senior team's 'favorites' – and then one half of your team feels badly done to, which undermines overall morale.

2. You overlay material reward on unhappy employees. And they are unhappy because their workplace is not the best environment for them to work (the things that should always happen as a core don't happen).

Sharing a free cake or two with each of your people, without the basics being right, is never going to be in your best interests.

About Author: © 2007 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.

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Companies have a tradition of luring away top executive talent from the competition. In sports free agency has changed the entire landscape of professional athletics as teams constantly fight for talent. The talent wars are now reaching the trenches and companies are taking off the gloves and aggressively going after top talent at all levels regardless of who they are currently employed by.

Because employees now know they are potential free agents, they are looking for the best package, not just more money. Who are the people you would hate to lose? It's time to use these five best practices for retaining your top talent so they aren't as eager to see if the money is greener on the other side of the fence.

1. Give them a quality team

Top talent wants to work with other top talent. Most sports are set up where the worst team gets the top talent in the next draft. No longer do players willingly accept this. Some ask to be traded; others refuse to go to the team that wanted to draft them. John Elway was ahead of his time in this refusal. They all say they want to play on a winner.

Employees are singing the same song. The best talent wants to be part of a team awash in great talent. Why? Because they know they will be challenged to improve, they know the coworkers understand how to pull their own weight, and they will respect those they work with.

Your top talent is looking for more top talent, and so should you be if you want to keep what you currently have.

2. Provide perks they value

The best expect to be treated that way. Top talent expects to be treated like they matter to an organization. Google is on the fast track and they know without top talent they can't stay the course. They offer their employees free car washes and oil changes in the parking lot while they are working. Other top talent organizations frequently offer exercise facilities free for use during working hours. They know it keeps the employees alert, fresh and demonstrates that employee health is important.

One executive in one of my audiences told me he provides a break room for his employees. In fact, he proudly offered, "It is a profit center for my company!" I challenged him to consider offering break room contents for free so more profits could appear on the bottom line and not the break room line item. Take care of the people taking care of you!

When I work with Duke University and stay at their Dave Thomas business center, I know at the end of the hall is a break room filled with snacks from coffee, to granola bars, to Dove bars in the freezer — free of charge. It is not abused, or raided, but it is appreciated and almost expected. When you are the best, you expect to be treated as such.

3. Keep the job exciting

This is the biggest challenge for business leaders because it has never been as important to keeping good talent as it is now. Not only are competitors better and making job opportunities sound fantastic, but we are becoming a society where everyone is ADD! We constantly are looking for the excitement, the adrenaline rush, or the thrill in our entertainment and our personal lives. Television programs shift the camera angle on average of every 3.4 seconds. Cruise lines now offer constant activities such as rock wall climbing. Sporting events fill breaks in the action at stadiums with music, cheerleader routines or on field entertainment. If every part of our lives are filled with this stimulation, why should work be any different?

Leaders need to be sharing their excitement for work. If the manager is down trodden the workforce will reflect that and the top talent will be looking for the exit door. Exciting leaders encourage excitement in others and create work environments that buzz with excitement. Top talent thrives in top working environments. Great sales people love the excitement of "fresh meat." Give them new client to work with, new elephant prospects to try to land, keep them in the field and out of meetings. Ask your best people, what can add excitement to their work day. They will let you know how to create a work environment that will keep them.

4. Challenge them regularly

When I talk about creating challenges I am not referring to constantly giving them higher quotas, or being a manager who is very "challenging" to work with. In fact, those two ways are sure to drive off top talent.

To challenge your top talent, get them involved with problem solving. Not reaching the market share you desired? Ask them what they are seeing in the field. Not maximizing your line efficiency? Don’t ask the engineers to study it, ask your top operators how can that maximization occur? Your best people enjoy the challenge of finding answers and want the opportunity to offer ideas and suggestions. When their input is used for innovations they take ownership and pride and become more linked to your organization as a result.

Another way to challenge your best talent is let them play on pet projects with pay. Top talent is usually thinking many steps ahead so why not have them doing that for you? 3M allows some of their employs to play on projects that are different from their day to day assignments. In short, PostIt Notes were a result of a pet project that became the top selling product for the company. What could your talent be doing for your organization this way?

5. Job morphing

Once upon a time people tried to hire employees to fit a premolded job description. Today you need to be molding the job to the talent, and let your talent run free!

In front of an audience full of sales people I asked them what is the worst part of their jobs? Almost as if rehearsed in unison I hear: paperwork! Why do top sales people hate paperwork? Because sales people are people people and not task-oriented people and they don't like sitting in a cube. They would rather be in the field bringing down big game than sitting in the office on Friday's pushing papers. Companies are essentially benching their best talent for 20% of the week! Hire paper pushers so your top talent goes out and do what they do best — sell. Morph the job so the company and the employee get the best from their day.

Retaining top talent is critically important in these predatory times. Be sure you are doing what it takes to have them hang up on those trying to poach your people.

About Author: Russell J. White, CSP is an author, international speaker and consultant. He is president of Russell J. White International and founder of The Edgewalk Institute where his cutting edge ideas assist businesses in strategic planning, branding, leadership development and growth strategies. His most requested keynote and forthcoming book "That's MY job??? Restoring Responsibility in the Workplace" is solving current problems for more profitable futures. He can be reached at http://www.thinkbigguy.com or at 877-275-946 Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, career & workplace, human resource

The corporation has been described as one of the great inventions of mankind. An entity on its own, the corporation exists separate from the personal fortunes of its founders, can pass from their hands intact, and may even outlive them. It pays its own taxes, can be sued in its own name and may have many owners in the form of shareholders over time.

There are many advantages of doing business in this structure. So, let’s look at the top 10 reasons to set up a corporation.

1. Protection from liability

This probably ranks number one among the top 10 reasons to set up a corporation because of the limited liability that the corporate structure affords its owners. Theoretically, the corporation is responsible for its debts and obligations. This benefit is not absolute though and has boundaries. The corporate veil may be pierced under certain circumstances and shareholders of a new or small corporation may be asked to give personal guarantees when trying to obtain financing.

2. Ability to Raise Capital

One of the top 10 reasons to set up a corporation is the increased ability to raise capital, when compared to a sole proprietorship or partnerships. Outside investors may be enticed by the tax benefits and limited liability offered by corporations. The flexible nature of the capital structure in corporations allows them to address a wide variety of investors with varying needs.

3. Choice of Tax Year

Tax law allows corporations (except S corporations) to freely choose their fiscal tax year, which may be different from the calendar year. The corporation can select the tax year most advantageous to the business and most appropriate a fit to its natural business cycle.

4. Business Continuity

This is not too obvious a benefit but certainly important enough to be one of the top 10 reasons to set up a corporation. The corporation can survive its founders provided that it complies with state and federal regulations.

5. Centralized Management

Shareholders in the corporation possess the right to vote for and determine the board of directors of the corporation, who in turn elect the officers of the corporation. This affords control.

6. Transferability of Ownership

In contrast to the other forms of business entity, the ownership interest of a corporation is easily transferred. Barring any prohibitive agreement among shareholders, or restrictions in the articles of incorporation or bylaws, shares of stock may be bought and sold freely.

7. Corporate Identity

Shareholders benefit from the sense of image and stability of a corporation.

8. Tax Savings

Corporations are taxed at a lower rate than individuals. They can own shares in other corporations and receive corporate dividends 80% tax free. This is certainly one of the top 10 reasons to set up a corporation.

9. Less Risk of IRS Audit

The probabilities of IRS audits on corporations are lower than on individuals, and disallowances are likely to be less.

10. Employee Benefit Plans

The last, but not the least of the top 10 reasons to set up a corporation, can be found in employee benefit plans. The owners of a corporation may be in a position to take advantage of several IRS-qualified employee benefit plans that can be used both to compensate employees and to reduce the corporate income tax liability. Payment to these benefits gives the corporation a tax deduction and the shareholders may receive favorable tax treatment on the dividends arising from it.

About Author: My name is Ashley Castellanos, and I have been helping Internet business owners set up and run their businesses correctly since 1997. I own Corporation Soft, a company that was created for, and is dedicated to teaching business owners how to incorporate, and how to do it for less!. Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, management, business strategy

Brochure is a short capsule about your company, its products or services. It must give out the most important information in the best possible manner as many purchase decisions are based on the brochure.

Here are some of the important elements that could make your brochure more powerful:

1. An overview – This should give out a summary of what the brochure is all about. It should be written in a way that the readers get enticed to read further.

2. Benefits and features of your solution – Everybody talks about these but nobody puts them in simple straightforward way. The benefits you mention might change the mind of your prospects and encourage them to act. The features of your product should support the benefits that you mention. You can do this in a problem-solution format too.

3. Technical specifications – The bottom-line is hard facts. People will read your brochure because they need information, therefore all essential technicalities of your solution should be mentioned in simple tabular format or bulleted lists.

4. A statement on why you are better than your competitors – Many times a brochure is used while comparing two contenders. Therefore, your brochure should talk about your solution's superiority over your competitors' and what are the advantages of selecting you. If required you can even make a char/table of comparison highlighting your better features.

5. Profile of the user and testimonials – You may paint a picture of a typical user of your solution and complement it with testimonials from existing users. This creates a very strong impact. You can even put logos of famous companies who've taken advantage of your solution.

6. Industry recognitions and accolades – Blow a harp about the recognitions you've got for this solution – these may include awards, news coverage, etc.

7. A brief about your company – End with your company boilerplate to give out a brief of your background and other solutions.

8. "Act now" element – Your brochure should contain a simple list of steps that your reader can take now and get benefited immediately.

9. Contact details – Give complete contact details for people to call for further information. Include names of sales and marketing contacts, direct phone numbers, mailing address, email IDs, website links, etc.

Your brochure should ideally be a single fold one i.e., four pages long. The formatting should be such that the critical elements get the importance that they deserve.

About Author: Do Right Marketing offers freelance content writing services. These include writing for the web, intranet, marketing and sales collateral such as case studies, newsletters, whitepapers, articles, blog posts, website navigation, editing, and proofreading, etc. Visit: http://www.dorightmarketing.com to know more.

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Ever been fired and it was a complete surprise? If you have, it shouldn’t have been. You missed the cues. Whether you created it or the company decided it, you lost control of your career. Frequently those two are intertwined, and if you don’t dissect the experience, you may recreate it.

A Gallup poll found that 77% of Americans hate their jobs. To me, that’s not a surprising discovery because most people, before they begin their job hunt, don’t do the examination to learn what their perfect job is. And after a few years — or sooner – disillusion and distaste set in. This, combined with fear of change, creates what they wanted: to be outta that lousy place. In other words, if you don’t tune in, you’ll tune out, and then you’ll be gone.

Do you dread Monday mornings? Do you frequently disappear into your office grumbling about your stupid boss? If you’ve lost respect and enthusiasm for your company, your attitude is going downhill fast. Next you don’t care about your performance and you start slacking, rationalizing with “I don’t care.” Because you don’t. You start doing the minimum just to get by.

If you don’t notice what’s happening, over time, your company will. So the constant refrain of “I hate my job” – sung to anyone who will listen – is where bells should start going off. If the fun has stopped, it’s time to act. And if you change jobs, you need to go to a new job, not away from your old one. When your attitude is sour and you’re desperate to leave, you lose your objectivity and jump, and risk going from the frying pan into the fire.

Shortly after the quality of your work has dropped, you’re called into your boss’s office for a performance chat. If you’ve done some introspection, you can have a heart to heart: you need more challenge or there’s an aspect of your job that’s been giving you difficulty. Maybe you’re having family or personal problems that are siphoning off your mental energy. But if all you do is listen, leave, and silently attack him, your days are numbered.

It happens over months, not weeks. Your attitude gradually exacerbates your situation causing you to continue the downward spiral. Management becomes terse with you. Casual conversation ceases, and their smiles are fewer. The new project that should have gone to you is given to someone else or your bonus is withdrawn. Your boss seems nitpicky. Maybe you’ve become invisible. You’re stressed, and it’s affecting your life outside of work.

Any scenario can contribute to this: you’ve outgrown your job, you’re tired of the commute, you feel underpaid, management has changed and philosophies of work differ, or you’ve become tired of the existing management style – who knows what the reason is, but you’d better figure it out and decide what steps you’re going to take to rectify the situation before it’s decided for you.

How do people miss this? Not everyone does. Millions of people hate their job. If it doesn’t compromise your performance and you hide your distaste from those who work there, the only repercussions are to your health for lying to yourself and your fellow employees.

What keeps people from changing is usually fear of change. Change is an anathema to most people, “The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.” What if you change jobs and the new one is worse? What if you’re more unhappy than you are now?

Finding your perfect job means taking control of your career. That means being aware of what you’re creating. When you’re aware, you can discover why you feel that way and what steps you want to take to eliminate it. In addition to that, you avoid actualizing those “next job” fears. But if you hate your job, ignore the signs, and stuff everything, all you’re creating is sudden unemployment and a lousy next job.

About the Author: Prior to starting her firm, VisionQuest, Judi Perkins was a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, including a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com.

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