Category Archives: Discovering Your passion

How do I co-exist with other vendors?

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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.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

Today’s comment came from a busy entrepreneur:

How do I co-exist with other vendors?

Food-VendorsScenario; You are pitching to a potential customer about your service offerings, and potential customer says that he is already working with a vendor in the same space. How do I stay in the mind of this potential customer and remain an option?

 

Firstly, I would avoid saying anything negative about the other vendor. If you know something about the other vendor – take this opportunity to highlight some of the things that vendor does really well. Then talk about the differences between you and the other vendor. Highlight your differentials without saying anything negative about the other vendor. Sometimes you can create a special niche while you are talking to these potential customers.
For example: “Yes. I know that vendor. They are very professional and have great prices in larger, big package orders. What differentiates my services is that I focus on custom orders and sizes. Every client has an individual technical support person (a real person). Your assigned support person has the authority to solve your issue. They don’t need to wait for approval. So, whenever you need a more individualized service, please keep me in mind.”

 

Start networking with those same vendors

Stop regarding these vendors as competitors. Start networking and offering your help and services to them in a sub-contractor possibility. Find a way to collaborate by advertizing your niche or differentials to them. For instance, offer the vendor your services for customization to help them provide a fuller package to their clients.

How to you work with a vendor

 

Once you are in a working relationship with your “now collaborative” vendor, make sure you have a clear “understanding of work” between the companies. Some things you need to include:

  • Explicit description of the work and time line
  • Pricing or hourly rates – and how/when the payment will be made
  • Acceptance criteria (make sure you agree upon what “done” really means)
  • Consequences of note meeting the delivery timeline or quality requirements
  • Agreement of who is the project manager (decision maker) on the project.

Conclusion:

Clearly understanding the project, who is in charge, what the time lines are, and pricing/charges often greases the wheels to a smooth project.

 

For more information or help on this topic, please contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info

 

Or sign up for a complementary one-on-one coaching call, just use this link https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ

Tips for working with Contractors, Consultants and Remote Workers

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Today’s question came from a busy professional regarding working with contractors.

What are your best tips for collaborating with team members who are available only on a part-time basis or who work remotely? Please share concrete tactics instead of tools.

One of the best tips is to explicitly state your expectations with any contractor, consultant and remote workers. This can be in the form of a contract, an understanding of service, and even your employee Personal Business Commitment (PBC) in which your performance is evaluated against.

Simple Transparency

Understanding how your contractor or consultant works best will alleviate lots of problems and miscommunications.

Examples

  1. You have hired Kelley as a part-time contractor. You are frustrated with Kelley because he hasn’t responded to any of your Monday emails. Unbeknownst to you, Kelley has scheduled his hours on Tuesday and Thursday for your company; and Monday, Wednesday and Friday with his other contract.   If you had taken the time to understand which hours/days Kelley was devoting to your company, you would have avoided this problem.
  2.  On Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays, Kelley works from a different computer and with different email addresses. Kelley’s preferred method of communication is via mobile-text. This way he can easily communicate with you, even if he is on the other job. If you had known this upfront, you could have easily mobile-text Kelley that you just sent him some information via email.

 

Quick Checklist

These are some of the things you need to discuss with your contractor, consultant or remote employees:

  • Hours they are working
  • How much work (and what type of work) will be completed in those time periods (i.e. their project schedule)
  • How best to reach them in an urgent situation; in a normal situation; or just for status
  • What staff/status meetings they will be attending
  • How they are going to report their status
  • What is going to be included in their status report
  • What their delivery deadlines and quality requirements upon delivery
  • How quickly do you expect them to respond to your requests
  • What happens when they do not meet these expectations

The bottom line is to outline everything that you feel is important to you, and understand (up front) how your team is going to accomplish those items.  Get it in writing AND include the consequences of not meeting the agreement.

For example – if they do not meet the agreed upon schedule:

  • Do you intend to dock their pay?
  • Do they complete the assignment without additional pay?
  • Are they placed on a PIP  (Performance Improvement Plan or probation period)?

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

How do you deal with the pains of customer service?

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Today’s question came from a busy entrepreneur about his customer service plan.

How do you deal with the pains of customer service?

I work in the hospitality industry, and I spend a lot of money on what I call “guest investments” where I give some sort of discount, free merchandise, etc. in order to win back customers when something goes wrong. I can’t tell if it’s working or if I’m throwing money away. How does your business deal with the challenges of customer service and keeping people happy?

This question came up at a very appropriate time. I had recently discovered that my bank offered a “Private Bank Level” for clients that have 1 million dollars invested with the bank. At that level, they receive premiere customer series and 24 hour concierge service.

Consider doing this with your own customer service strategy. In an earlier article (Should I have specific segmented brands or one brand that does all at different price levels?) we discussed the Product Funnel.

Product Funnel Strategy for Customer Service

Give low-interaction help instructions for clients that are taking advantage of your free products and services. Low-interaction help instructions can be in the form of (but not limited to):

  • FAQ articles and cheat sheets
  • Community Discussion Groups
  • Email response within 2 days

As the client invests more in your products and services, they get more access to support.

Structure your customer service as a product line of service. Give premium service to the people that are actually doing the most business with you. This will transform the “pain of customer service” into a product or business of customer service.

Customer Referral and Loyalty Programs

Also, don’t wait until there is a problem to implement your customer service program.   Be proactive with customer referral and loyalty programs. Visualize your product funnel in there area and incorporate rewards programs based on the amount of business your client is currently doing with you. Use your rewards program to entice your customers to do more business or move into the next price-point of programs and service.

Creating a great referral/loyalty/retention program not only elevates your customer service focus and energy – it automatically solves the “pains of customer service” as well. Take time to clarify what your Mission Statement and vision is regarding Premiere Client Service. Start dealing with clients instead of “customers”. Start building raving fans that will ultimately market your products/services for you – and simply release the customers that do not fit in your plan.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When you clearly identify your niche or target market, some people will not fit. When someone doesn’t fit, there is only one thing that will make them happy. That one thing is to release them and direct them elsewhere.   This is where affiliated partners and business referrals come in.

You are still providing customer satisfactory solution – it’s just not with YOU. You are still making the client happy.

Quick summary:

  • Clarify your Vision of your target or ideal client
  • Create affiliated partnerships with those clients that are not ideal
  • Design a referral partnership agreement with those partners
  • Design a referral/loyalty/retention program for your target/ideal clients

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

 

 

Should I have specific segmented brands or one brand that does all at different price levels?

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Today’s question came from a busy entrepreneur about his marketing plan.

Should I have specific segmented brands or one brand that does all at different price levels?

All markets have different performance and cost needs. Should we have multiple product brands – i.e. low cost/low performance and mid/high or have one brand that can stretch across multiple performance levels and price according to options? It makes sense to economize the product manufacturing chain but, what is everyone’s experience when consolidating a full portfolio into a single brand lineup?

Your Brand should solve a specific problem for a specific niche or class of people. If you have multiple visions/missions you should have separate branding and marketing strategies. For example: Sarah has her Health Coach business and she also sells her own brand of peanut butter.   Sarah should have separate branding and marketing strategies for those very different product and businesses.

 

product funnel2Product Funnel Strategy

Within each separate brand – you should have a product funnel strategy that leads your target client up your product/service pricing structure. Normally people start off with free samples – to allow the target client to get to know you (like a first date). In Sarah’s example, she may offer a complimentary discovery health sessions, newsletters, articles, short audios/video for her coaching; and free samples of your peanut butter for her other brand.

 

Then you create some low, mid, high end offers for each separate brand. In Sarah’s example, she can create group workshops, subscriptions based programs, one-on-one coaching programs, and then high-end product bundles with personal trainers, personal chef, image consultant, and a high-end shopping spree when your health goals are met.
If you only want to sell your coaching and peanut butter to High-Profile, Affluent clients (that’s your target client) — then you advertize, market and visit only the places where the High-Profile, Affluent people are. Your price points are selected to match the budgets of your target niche/clients.

 

Do you have an umbrella Brand that covers all your products?

You will have an Umbrella Company that owns the Health Coach and Peanut Butter business. But the branding will be different. For instance, Kraft owns Kool-Aid, Velveeta, Miracle Whip and Maxwell House. But each of these products have their separate branding, target market and product Funnels.

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

 

 

Should I focus on just one niche customer group initially?

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I have been trying to get feedback from my ideal target audience or nice but I am finding the group hard to reach. There is another target audience that could benefit from my service. I am not as passionate about that group but I think they may be easier to get feedback as I build out my business. Should I focus on both or only one?

 

I recommend that you focus on one niche. But I also want to caution on your method of reaching those people. If your method of reaching “people” is ineffective or flawed – then it doesn’t matter how many target audiences you go after. Maybe it’s not the that the group is hard to reach. Maybe it’s the way you are going about it. If the ladder is true – then you will have the same difficulties with the second niche or group.
My recommendation would be to study up on the most effective methods to reach your target market or niche. Find other business owners that are successfully marketing to that same target – and find out how they are doing it. Start partnering with complimentary business that shares the same target audience. Business network with those who are already successful in marketing to your target audience. Learn from those that have achieved what you want to achieve.

If you would like to chat more about this, please setup an appointment.

How do I deal with a 50% business partner who can’t hold up his promises?

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How do I deal with a 50% business partner who can’t hold up his promises?

 

Today’s question came from a busy entrepreneur – but this issue occurs for both small business owners and corporate employees.

Right now I own 50% of a technology startup aimed at real estate agents. I am responsible for developing and maintaining the upkeep of all the software associated with our business. The other partner is in charge of selling the product, however, he gets way too distracted with other life things such as his real estate work. Although he makes promises and tries to motivate me to keep working on our business because he will “sell the crap out of it”, I still don’t feel a solid effort on his part. Should I try to find a way to kick him out or continue to engage him to sell our product? Thanks.

Whether you are a small business owner or an employee of a large company, you probably have had experience working with partners or co-workers that you feel are not pulling their weight.

Business Owners with partners:

If you have not done this already – take up the time to document a business plan with roles and responsibilities for each partners. The business plan should include some SMART goals for each partner (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant to your business, and timely/time-bound). Your business plan needs to include consequences (what happens when the SMART goals are not met or delivered).

Including SMART goals (milestones on when you both agree that the goals will be met) – you will have a better footing on whether he is making a solid effort. If/when those milestones or deadlines are not met – then you follow-through on your “consequences” –or next steps that you both agreed to upfront.

Taking the time upfront to map this out – saves you a lot of anxiety in the future.

Employee with project partner:

This may seem like a totally different situation, but it’s not.  As an employee, (if you haven’t done this already) write out your Personal Business Commitment (PBC) plan.  This document has YOUR business commitments, roles and responsibilities.  It outlines what you expect from your manager as well as what they can expect from you.  It also includes “consequences” such as rewards for making quotas, etc.

After you have these plan outlines and approved by your manager – you have frequent one-on-one meetings with your manager to continually review your performance against your PBC.

Taking the time upfront to map this out – saves you a lot of anxiety in the future.

 

If you need help with your next steps on this – feel free to contact me and let me know what you decide to do.

Hanging out with your clients and co-workers in a global market

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Today’s workforce, as well as the market, is global and diversified. Even if you own a “local business”, you will still want to have distributed national and even international interest. So how do you continue to generate global and remote interest in your products and services? How do you keep your diversified client and employee base connected and satisfied?

Video conferencing isn’t just for webinars and conference meetings. Skype, Google Hangout, Zoom and other similar tools range from “free” to very affordable.   With the abundance of video conference tools at your finger tips, the remote client or employee is not longer invisible.

Some things to add to your Individual Networking Plan:

  • Conduct a Live-Video Call with a client or employee, once a week.
  • Once a quarter, put out a video newsletter or update.
    1. If you are a business owner, this video could be promoting a new product, offer, summary of your past company accomplishments and next quarter goals.
    2. If you are an employee, this video could be a quarterly status report, your department newsletter, a demo, prototype or model of your project.
    3. The list is as extensive as your imagination.
  • At every phase of a project, record your milestone data and results
    1. Case studies can be turned into white-papers, presentations, promotional data, and success stories
    2. The most compelling stories are Before, During and After videos. These videos can effectively illustrate the journey and benefits within 60 seconds.
  • Video your What I Do statement
    1. Re-use/playback your What I do statement as introduction to your webinars, examples in your presentations, as part of your email signature, attached to your resume and Career or Company Press Kit, on your website, and on your social media profile pages.
  • Interview an expert in your field
    1. Being associated with an authority also puts you in the spotlight as someone knowledgeable in the field
    2. Share this interview with co-workers, clients, YouTube, Social Media and other places
  • Share your expertise and interests
    1. Create your own training videos
    2. Show your skills in a hobby or sport
    3. If you want people to think you are interesting – then be interesting.

Bottom line: If you feel invisible to your clients and employers, chances are YOU ARE. And you are totally responsible for that.

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

Summer Sizzles with Business Lessons Learned from TV’s Scandal

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Hello – all you Olivia Pope and Scandal fans out there. I know Scandal is on summer hiatus. But what better time for us to review some “business Lessons Learned” from Scandal and more specifically from Olivia Pope?

This summer, we will be hosting a Lessons Learned Summer Series based on the characters of one of the best rated TV series “Scandal”. If you are interested in joining this video series – please register to receive telecast dates and times.

Today’s episode is a quick overview of “How Olivia Pope Got to be Olivia Pope”. We’ll walk through the business strategies that you can also use to build your empire, while avoiding some of the pitfalls.


If you found these tips helpful, then signup for the summer series. REGISTER HERE

Are you sure you are indispensable?

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Are you sure you are indispensable?

Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

I recently watched the episode of Grey’s Anatomy in which Dr. McDreamy Shepard gets killed. Patrick Demsey (the actor who plays this character) has been a staple of that show for 11 years. The show’s first episode started with Dr. Sheppard and Merideth Grey meet. The entire 11 years centered on their relationship.

Now he is gone and the “show goes on”.

So- if a character so prevalent in the fabric of this huge franchise can be removed so easily – how about you? Are you so indispensible to your organization that they would fold up shop without you?

Of course the answer is “No”. And that is the way it should be. So – acknowledging this truth should be liberating to you. You still want to be valuable to your team, your manager, your company. But you still want to continue to move forward. Patrick Demsey has two movies in the works, and he plans to do more professional racing. What are you putting in place?

  • Do you have a Professional and Career Development Plan?
  • Do you have a Career Press Kit in place (which illustrates your past achievements, quantifies your performance as it relates to increased company revenue and client satisfaction, and updated resume)?
  • Do you regularly meet with mentors, business coaches and your management hierarchy?
  • Do you have a positive working relationship with both co-workers and sibling departments?
  • Do you have clear advancement opportunities at this company?
  • Do you have business relationships with people from other companies that are aligned with your career goals?
  • Do you have a business network of the right people that will support your advancement?

How are you making yourself valuable (not indispensible)?

  • Are you focusing on the company’s mission, vision, and business commitment goals?
  • Are you a valuable contributor to the company’s bottom line (how much money are you brining in or saving)?
  • Are you volunteering your services to sibling departments, to make sure other groups understand your contributions?
  • Are your keeping your skills up-to-date and aligned with the next generation technology to stay relevant?
  • Are you aware of the national salary range for your current role and skill level, to make sure you are not bumping up against the salary range?
  • Are you training and preparing yourself to take that next promotion or career challenge?

 

Bottom Line: You may be totally satisfied with your current role and responsibilities. You may have no desire to be promote or change jobs. You may want to continue to do exactly what you are doing for the next 5 to 10 years. Even so – that doesn’t guarantee that the company has the same plans. The company may choose to merge with another company; dissolve your division; or upgrade to a new technology that makes your skill set obsolete. Even if you have no desire for a change; change is inevitable.

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

Should employees be allowed to create their own hours?

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Should employees be allowed to create their own hours?

Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

This question came from a busy professional and small business owner:

Some of my team say they work best late at night, while others are most productive in the morning. Is it reasonable to allow them to make their own hours or do organizations performing best when the whole team is together for the most part during the 9-5 standard business hours?

It’s not a matter of “employees being allowed”. Employees need to take the initiative to talk to their managers about what they need to be most productive. Most companies are global and have clients 24-7. Depending upon what industry and what role/responsibilities your have – there are often several opportunities to match your shift to the way you work best. But it’s not the company or your manager to specifically provide this for you. It’s really not the company or your manager’s responsibility to provide a perfect work environment for you.

Their goal is to meet the company’s goals and business commitments. So, it really depends upon the company goals, the department productivity goals, and what works best for achieving those business commitments. So – I recommend that you understand the company/department/manager’s business commitments first. Then start the conversation with your manager – but don’t come empty handed. Come into the meeting with alternative shifts that both accomplish their business commitments AND your specific shift needs. And it may not have to be an “all or nothing” type arrangement. Talking to your manager, you may find that they need 9-5 on customer-facing activities on M, W, F and can absorb more flexible hours on Tuesday and Thursday. It may be that your organization is Global – meaning that your department oversees multiple time zones. So, talk to your manager about other customer time zones that you can work. You might find that it’s important for your department to be 9-5, but they also need coverage on weekends. Talk to your manager about switching from a M-F, first shift – to other shifts. Be flexible and take the initiative to design a Win/Win solution.

At the end of the day, if you find that your current company does not match your goals, then continue to talk to recruiters and your business network to find a work environment that does match. It’s much easier to find a company that matches your work environment desires than it is to force an entire organization to change their strategy to match your needs.

Companies are in the business to make money. Keeping you happy isn’t really their primary responsibility. Therefore, you need to take the lead to define a solution that matches both their needs and yours.

Bottom Line: By waiting for someone else to “allow” you to live the life that you really want to live – is not only time wasted but is putting the monkey on someone else’s back. You are the one that is ultimately responsible (response able) for your own career path and professional journey.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes