Category Archives: Coaching
Where does ‘hackling’ fit in today’s digital world?
Where does ‘hackling’ fit in today’s digital world?
This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. In my Professional Development Toolkit package , I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in more training in these areas, get signed up
In business – a successful business person acknowledges the consumer trends/human behavior and adjusts.
A business and finance expert Kevin Price of Price of Business recently asked me the following question:
It seems that in recent years people have become less communicative in spite of all the tools available to interact with others. Or do those tools — smart phones, tablets, etc., make people become weaker in communications? In particular, it seems people have a hard time communicating about deals; they no longer have the skill to negotiate prices (hackle). Haven they fallen off the face of the earth?
I have a theory about the statement: “people now have a hard time communicating about deals”. It’s an auxiliary to the “supply and demand” rule. People are more inclined to hackle or negotiate when there is a “one-of-a-kind” item of their desire. For instance, if you find your dream home and you are convinced that there isn’t another house in the right neighborhood, near the proper schools, with the right lawn-size, etc. you are more apt to take the time to go back-n-forth on the price.
But, if there is an over-abundance of supply, people will just go elsewhere for an item of similar content.
In today’s digital and internet world, there are a wealth of ebays, craiglists, amazon.com, and various other e-commerce sellers on the internet. There are also free apps that does the price and feature comparisons for you. Therefore, instead of taking the time to negotiate and hackle, people tend to walk off and search the internet for a better offer. Most buyers now have an overabundance of suppliers at their finger tips. They no longer feel the need or pressure to negotiate for a better price, because they understand the abundance of world-wide sellers. Buyers are no longer restricted to local retail shops because they have the global market at their command. Even the conventional ‘brick and mortar” shops understand the need for website and online ordering.
This switches the responsibility for the sale back onto the seller. Because of the abundance of the global competition he faces, it is the seller that needs to make the greater effort for the sale. It is the seller that needs to make the offer more attractive by offering additional training, onsite installation, local support, no shipping costs or delivery charges, personal support etc. It is the seller that needs to improve their interpersonal communication skills.
Today is it the business owner that needs to better convey their differentials to the buyer. It is the business owner that needs to set themselves apart from the pack. It is the business owner that needs to take better advantage of the digital and internet bargaining propositions.
Once again, it is not the tool’s fault. The tools are simply impacting the way people do business. And successful businesses recognize the impact of tools on human nature and adjusts to the new consumer MO.
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers”, please contact:
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Guiding employees on when to use the phone
Guiding employees on when to use the phone
This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. In my Professional Development Toolkit package , I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in more training in these areas, get signed up
Many workers prefer to communicate by email, IM or text over using the phone, because it’s more efficient. But there are times when it is better to pick up the phone, because it is a sensitive situation. What are the professional situations when it imperative to talk by phone or in person, rather than by email? And how can managers and company owners train teams that are often more comfortable with digital conversations to judge when they need to talk–so they can get better results for the business? Does it ever make sense to have a formal or informal policy guiding employees on this?
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers”, please contact:
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Try it and let me know what you think.
Just released: A NEW professional resource from Laura Lee Rose!
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Advice for Managing Mediocre Employees
Advice for Managing Mediocre Employees
This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. In my Professional Development Toolkit package , I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in more training in these areas, get signed up
Mediocre employees are the most frustrating because they’re the ones who aren’t bad enough to reprimand, but they’re far from
being superstars either. What are some tips for motivating the mediocre?
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers”, please contact:
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Try it and let me know what you think.
How to quantify your performance on intangible roles and duties.
This is Laura Lee Rose, a business and efficiency coach that specializes in professional development, time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. In my Professional Development Toolkit package , I go into professional development and real-world IT topics in detail. If you are interested in more training in these areas, get signed up
In past articles, I mentioned the importance of quantifying your performance to the company’s bottom line. This prompted the following question from a reader:
What about employees in positions with less tangible monetary outcomes — what should they be communicating? For instance, someone who performs general office duties or works to build the company’s brand awareness.
Everything can be measured. All you need to do is design and keep the right metrics. Create a customer (the people that you service) survey at the start of your performance cycle. Then keep the proper metrics to illustrate your performance or improvement against those criteria. For instance, if you perform general office duties – you can note how many daily calls come in, how many dropped calls, how many Questions you answer and screen, how many calls your fielded on your own without troubling others, how many times your work have been returned to you with mistakes, how much time your new Q&A document saved the company, how taking the initiative and placing your Q&A document on your company website increased customer satisfaction and reduced first line help and support calls, how your new automated filing process saved the team time, etc. Time can always be converted to money saved or spent. People get paid a salary per hour – with those equations; you can easily calculate the money you saved the company.
For company branding awareness, incorporate customer and branding surveys at the start of your performance year. You can then create performance metrics based on those success criteria. Every quarter, you can conduct comparable surveys to illustrate your affect on the branding campaign. You can also keep track of your website page hits, time between client exposure (client hits) and client purchase, and your lead to sales conversion rate. The faster the client finds your product, learns about it and purchases – the better for the company. These are the meaningful metrics to collect and make your performance tangible and measurable.
The key is to find the right metric to track to make your performance measurements. If you cannot figure these metrics out, then meet with your mentor or business coach for ideas.
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers”, please contact:
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Radio interview with Kevin Price and the Price of Business
Video of the previous interview:
How do Companies prevent remote workers from feeling “left out”?
- Have that one project that you have been stalled on?
- Need objective eyes on your problem?
- Need just a different way to look at the solutions?
I have helped people on a per project basis. For example: mapping out the pros and cons of two job offers; revamping their resume to attract more corporate interest; managing their boss; and narrowing the direction of their next steps. I have reasonable rates for per project consulting. No long contracts and discounts for continued enrollment.
If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory career and time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info You’ll be surprised how one conversation can change your life.
How do Companies prevent remote workers from feeling “left out”?
I recently received the following question:
How do companies prevent remote workers from feeling “left out”?
Incentives, such as bringing in lunch to headquarters staff and allowing casual attire in the office after employees meet certain goals, do nothing for those who work from home. What techniques improve or solve this issue?
I’m not a fan of handing off the responsibility of our own career and growth to someone else.
- It is not the companies’ responsibility to make their telecommuters to ‘feel included’.
- It is not the companies’ responsibility to make sure their employees network and build the proper working relationships with the right co-workers, sibling departments, other managers and executives.
- It is not the companies’ responsibility to make sure their employees keep their jobs.
For more information on how to get this toolkit or the “Book of Answers”, please contact:
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Try it and let me know what you think.
To experience the entire SSWUG TV career management series, <<click here>>
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1) Time management
2) Career maintenance
3) Business networking
4) Work life balance strategies
If you haven’t taken advantage of your introductory time management coaching session, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info
Try this and tell me what you discover…..
Should I Give Discounts?
Should I Give Discounts?IT Professional Development Series By Laura Lee Rose |
Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of TimePeace: Making peace with time – and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. Steve Wynkoop and I talk a lot about designing and managing our professional careers on a weekly interview on SSWUG TV. One recent question popped up last week, regarding providing discounts for start-up companies and nonprofits.
A student asked:
I have been approached by non-profits as well as other small start-up companies to give them a discount on my products and services. Should I give them a discount?
I am not a big fan of devaluing your worth. Your time and effort is very valuable. And a non-profit or small business is not that different from any other business. They are still in the business to generate money. Non-profits may not focus on making a profit but they still have to budget for working expenses, they still pay their employees, still generate income (through sponsors and donations). Your service becomes a necessary expense for their company.
Having said that — I do see value in trade or bartering. For instance, you can give a discount in trade for advertisement in their newsletters, websites, and programs. If they provide a service that you can take advantage of – you can discount in trade for XX hours of their service. If their client base matches your target market, you may have other opportunities for additional promotional opportunities. For instance, you can arrange to become their sole vendor to their clients in your chosen product or service.
Example: Restaurant may want you to create a website for them. They are just starting out and are asking for a discount on your webdesign service. You have your own bills to pay and you want to attract clients that really value your time and expertise. You want to attract clients that are willing to pay you what you are really worth. On the other hand, you would like to see these people succeed. You can offer them a discount in exchange for:
1) A mention in their menu
2) A mention on their website (Website designed by: signature)
3) XX number of complimentary meals
If they want you on a retainer to maintain their website – you can include XX number of comp meals a month in addition to your discount price.
One warning: Do not accept barter for something that is not of value to you. That’s comparable to giving your services away for free. Make sure you continue to feel that your worth is being appreciated, by investigating alternative solutions that better meet your goals and success.
For example: A business and success coach asks you to redesign and develop her new website at a discounted rate. You don’t really need her coaching services and don’t see a fit at first. But instead of dismissing it right away or giving the discount for free – you investigate a little more. Asking the important who, what, where, when and how – about her business; you discover that her client base is other entrepreneurs in various fields. Her primary focus is providing training to other start-ups and new business owners. With this information, you design a barter, vendor and affiliation program with the following goals:
1) Be the exclusive web-design vendor for her training classes, training DVDs, and promotions trade shows.
2) Be prominently displayed and recommended on her website
3) Be recommended to her clients as their website designer as they get started on their new business
4) Be one of her speakers at her various trade shows, seminars and retreats
5) Become an integral part of her support team and staff when guiding her clients through the deployment of their brand and websites.
If the above was not the case, it is recommended that you direct the life coach to someone else that could make use of her services. This way, you will get the advantage of providing referrals and assistance to others (which puts you in good standing with both businesses).
In my IT Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferrable skill worksheet. For more information about the toolkit, please contact
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/
Using hosting etiquette to close the deal
Using hosting etiquette to close the deal
Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose – author of TimePeace: Making peace with time – and I am a business and efficiency coach that specializes in time management, project management and work-life balance strategies. Steve Wynkoop and I talk a lot about designing and managing our professional careers on a weekly interview on SSWUG TV. Recently I was approached by reporting wanting to know the following:
You’re hosting your boss or a client at a business lunch – what can you does to really make a good impression and seal the deal?
Hosting Etiquette is same in most cases. Beyond the regular things you might do, review the following and see what you think:
- Find out their favorite foods and make reservations to a restaurant that provides high-quality cuisine of that type. – Vegan, probably a steak place isn’t the best choice.
- If it’s a group environment, make sure the restaurant have enough options to satisfy a diverse group of dietary and religious needs.
- Arrive early – to be at the restaurant before the first guest.
- When you first arrive, tell maitre d’ that you are to receive the check at the end of the meal. Do this before you are seated.
- Make it clear to your guests that they can order pre-dinner drinks, even if you are not ordering a drink for yourself.
- If a guest(s) is more than 10 minutes late, seat the rest of the group and ask the maitre d’ to seat the late-comers when they arrive.
- When meals arrive at different times, suggest that those that have received their food to start eating. Lead by example and follow your instructions to make them feel more comfortable in doing it.
- If an error is made by the staff or kitchen, tell the guest that you will handle it (so that the guest doesn’t have to have that difficult conversation and illustrate that you are a problem solver). Then speak to the server politely and explain the situation without blame.
- Don’t discuss the price of the meal when paying. Don’t make a big deal about paying the bill.
- Allow the guest to lead the conversation and topics. Don’t interrupt their story to tell your tales. Don’t use the conversation to show off. Use the conversation to understand their perspective and understand how they can best benefit from your association with them.
- When commenting on their opinions, say “Yes – and I have also noticed ….” to introduce an opposing viewpoint without introducing conflicts and contradictions.
- Even when you invite guests to order whatever they want, some guests will hesitate to order. Most guests try to order something priced in the same range as the other guests. And if you make them go first, they don’t have a range to use. Make some recommendations to put them at ease with the pricing.
- Don’t openly complain about the service, restaurant, location, etc. They will wonder that if you don’t like this place, why you are bringing them there. Avoid negatives in speech and actions.
- Don’t point out problems, create solutions at all times.
- Mirror body language and speech patterns to convey that you are synchronized. Paraphrase what they are saying to make sure you understand what they are trying to convey, before you respond. Seek to understand first, then to be understood (from Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).
In my IT Professional Development Toolkit, I go into the: who, what, where, when and how to accomplish all of the above. I also have a transferable skill worksheet. For more information about the toolkit, please contact
vConferenceOnline.com/Bits on the Wire, Inc.
6420 E. Broadway, Suite A300
Tucson, AZ 85710
520-760-2400 or (877) 853-9158
info@vconferenceonline.com
Or sign up for my weekly Time and Career Management Newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/cZ9_-/