Category Archives: General

Get the Business Breakthrough You Need…

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If you’ve been working to grow your business for a while now and things aren’t happening as fast as you want, then I‘d like to help you create a MAJOR business BREAKTHROUGH.

Here’s the scoop…

I’ve heard from a lot of small businesses that are having an especially difficult time getting their business to grow fast these days. After hearing about so many people’s struggles, I decided to do something about it…

** NEW, For a Limited Time **

I’d like to invite you to take advantage of a special, “Business Breakthrough” coaching session where we’ll work together to…

 

=> Create a crystal clear vision for your “ultimate business success” and the “perfect lifestyle” you’d like your business to provide.

=> Uncover hidden challenges that may be sabotaging the growth of your business and keeping you working too many hours.

=> Leave this session renewed, re-energized, and inspired to turn your business into a highly profitable, revenue-generating machine that practically runs itself.

 

If you’d like to take advantage of this very special, very limited, and totally FREE 30 minute “Business Breakthrough” coaching session, click HERE and answer these questions…

  1. How long have you had your business?
  2. What kind of product/service do you provide?
  3. What are your revenue goals for the next 12 months?
  4. What was your business revenue over the last 12 months? (ballpark)
  5. What do you see as the major challenges holding you and your business back?
  6. On a scale of 0-10, how important is it for you to overcome your challenges and achieve your goals today?
  1. Full Name
  2. Email Address
  3. Phone #

10.Time Zone

Check off the areas you’d most like to work on…

  • ___ Marketing
  • ___ Sales Process
  • ___ Turning Your Team Into High Performers
  • ___ Cash Flow Strategies
  • ___ Customer Service
  • ___ Systematizing & Streamlining Processes
  • ___ Leadership & Delegation
  • ___ Other

Since we’re making this offer for the first time right now and we don’t know how intense the response will be, we can’t guarantee a coaching session for everyone.

 

We’ll take as many people as we can and then start a waiting list. You can expect to get contacted by our team to schedule your session within the next 3 business days.

If you don’t hear from us, it means we’ve received more requests than we can handle right now and if something opens up we’ll get in touch with you at a later time.

Again, to take advantage of this offer, simply click HERE and answer the questions listed above.

PS: The sooner you send us your answers, the more likely you are to get a session. Click

reply now.

How would you handle an employee resigning during a critical time period?

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How would you handle an employee resigning during a critical time period?

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.

Today’s comment came from a busy professional:

How to Encourage Your Unemployed Friend

  1. What is the best way to offer your unemployed friend encouragement as they look for a job?
  2. What are some specific things you can do?

3 What are some helpful or encouraging things to say?

  1. Should a friend ask how the job search is going? How often should you ask how the job search is going?

5.What are some things to avoid doing or saying?

  1. Should you send your friend job openings you see online?
  2. What can one do if the experience is negatively affecting the friendship?

8.Please share any other advice or tips.

  1. What is the best way to offer your unemployed friend encouragement as they look for a job?

Ask them what their game plan is.  Understand the types of jobs they would be interested in and good at.  Understand their strengths and weaknesses.  Understand what areas they already have covered by other family or friends. Understand the ways they would like you to help.  And then ask PERMISSION to help in those ways.

If they don’t have a game plan – ask permission to help them with it.

 

  1. What are some specific things you can do?
    Offer to introduce them to individuals, invite them to your networking events, pass along other networking events that might better fit their job goals, review their LinkedIn.com profile and recommend any changes that might better attract job offers, show them how to use the job links on Linkedin; etc.  There are lots of things you can do.  BUT please ask PERMISSION before doing anything. They may already have someone working on different areas.  You want to make sure not to overwhelm or distract him from his current plans and goals.One other thing you can offer is to do some mock interviews with them.  If you have experience in interviewing people for jobs – you can offer to “mock interview” them to give them practice.  You can do the same thing by pretending to be a hiring representative at a Job Fair – to give them practice on navigating a busy job fair.  Providing them a safe place to practice these things will increase their confidence when the time comes.

Once again – you ask permission to see if they want this kind of help first.

3 What are some helpful or encouraging things to say?

Action speaks louder than words.  Follow through on the things you and he agreed that you would do for him.  Attend some of the networking events with them.  Keep an eye out for Job Fairs, etc for them (if these are some of the things he agreed that he needed your help on).

  1. Should a friend ask how the job search is going? How often should you ask how the job search is going?

I would ask about any job position that YOU specifically lined  up for them.

I would ask about any networking event that YOU specifically lined up for them.

I would ask about any meetings or interview that YOU specifically lined up for them.

If you find that they didn’t follow-up with any of the things that you lined up for them – then I would stop sending them any additional information – until they are ready to take action.  They will call upon you when they are ready – because you have already shown your willingness to help.

  1. What are some things to avoid doing or saying?

Avoid doing things without them asking you do to it.  They may have other things in plan or in the works that you do not know about.

Avoid continually sending them stuff (overwhelming them).  Start off slow to see if they actually take action on those few things – before sending them other things.  They may be struggling with other people sending them things as well – and are overwhelmed.

  1. Should you send your friend job openings you see online?

Only if they have asked you to keep an eye out for you.  Have an agreement upfront on things he/she is looking from you.  He/she may have other people keeping an eye out on different things – so that they are not overwhelmed with “helping hands”.

  1. What can one do if the experience is negatively affecting the friendship?

I would disengage from the topic altogether before it starts affecting the friendship (don’t bring it up again, don’t pass anything to them, etc).  If they are not responding to some of the things you have tried – just tell them to let you know how you can help and then disengage.
8.Please share any other advice or tips.

If you are the one looking for a job- one recommendation is to have a “Friendly Hand Plan”.  This means, figure out what each of your friends strengths are.  If someone is an expert in networking – ask to attending networking events with that person.  If someone is in the same professional area, ask them to review your resume for things that might catch an employer’s eye.  If a friend is a business coach, ask for ideas on how to better market yourself.  If a friend is very adept at LinkedIn – ask this friend to help you upgrade your profile and search for appropriate contacts, job postings, and make linkedin connections.

Have different roles for your different friends and explicitly state what you need from each of them.  Your friends want to help – but without understanding your game plan – their good intentions might miss the mark.

ASK and it is given.   But you still have to ask.

 

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 monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

When should I agree to a Referral Fee for a Speaking Engagement?

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A client asked me this question about referral fees from a new online radio talk show:
I was asked to be a guest speaker on a (new) online radio talk show.  In the contract she is asking for 25% of any profits made from the talk.  It is to be paid upfront before my information is passed along to the interested person.  Is this normal? 
Well – I took a quick look at the contract you forwarded — and the contract doesn’t seem well thought out.  Also — the fact that this is a “new online radio talk show” – suggests that there isn’t an established or affluent audience already in place.  You (and the other speakers) will be essentially promoting the radio talk show for them.

The contract also suggests that “the audience/client” pays her FIRST – to get into contact with you.  THEN she forwards 75% of that fee to you.  BUT since this is a potential lead and no sales have been conducted – the pricing model is (at best) muddled.   And if she doesn’t already have an established or affluent audience, there doesn’t seem to be a good reason or ROI.
It would make better sense if she charged the client a flat fee for connecting the client to you – then forward you 75% of that – as well as the client’s contact information. The 75% fee to you is in reciprocation for your time and talk.  Or she could charge you a flat fee for each name/lead –but I don’t like that strategy for you.  What would stop her from sending you un-vetted names just to get the flat fee per lead?   Without additional data on her past success or her clients past success – this doesn’t seem attractive – as it is currently organized.
If you still want to do business with her:
If you still want to “help her out” – you could offer to do 1 talk show for her at no charge (your regular speaking price is $1500)– just to help her get started.
You can offer to pass this speaking contract along to other coaches for a referral fee of $10 for every speaker that signs up for her show (she pays you for you helping her out).  “If no one signs up – she doesn’t have to pay you anything.  She would only be paying you from the profits she is making from the other speakers” 🙂  This is the same logic she gave to you regarding her referral fee and marketing services.
KEEP YOUR ROI IN MIND AT ALL TIMES.
When approached to participate in a referral program of this nature – where you are provided stage time in return for % of your sales –  make sure you understand and ask the following:

1) What is your current audience size? and income level of the audience?  (I want to make sure your audience meets my target market).

2) What is the general sales that your speakers make from being on your program?  What is your history of your speakers success?  Can you show me the numbers and testimonies of your speakers’ success from participating in this business model? (I want to understand my ROI)

3) Since you seem to be using your “marketing skills, networking abilities, and PR experience to help grow my business” – as a reason for speakers to participate; I need to better understand your success in PR and marketing.  How do you actually find the customers?   What is the guaranteed minimum audience numbers? What are you actually doing for that rate? and can you guarantee a minimum of affluent audience members for my talk?   Can you share your client’s success story and testimonial?

4)  If I am expected to market your programs (i.e. passing this along to other speakers) – do I receive a referral percentage for finding customers for you?  Or are you expecting the speakers to promote your program for free while you are expecting them to pay a referral % to you?

5) How influential are you across your fan base?   How many people can you currently reach; AND do they actually take action when you speak?  Having 1000 friends that don’t participate isn’t much of a selling point.
6) Does your audience pay a subscription-based-model for this valuable content?  If so – what percentage of the fee does the content providers receive?   I normally receive $1500 for a talk.  What are your plans for compensating speakers for their time and preparation – as well as their valuable intellectual property?Anyway – as a business coach; I look for the ROI.  So – the answers to the above questions will give me enough information to make a good business decision about your program.

The bottom line:  There IS A cost for me (and other established and influential speakers) to appear on their program.   IF they are a start-up and don’t have the business metrics to show past success, then it is the content and speakers that will be helping them out to building their business.  If they are well-established, then it’s going to be these business metrics that will attract influential speakers.

A savvy business owner should not hesitate to ask these important questions.

 

How would you handle an employee resigning during a critical time period?

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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.

Today’s comment came from a busy professional.

My client came to me desperately when an employee of his resigned last week with only one month notice. His resignation came very sudden and suspicious. This is because in the upcoming 2 months there are many critical deliverables that need to be done by this employee. The resignation comes in three forms – a) we cannot deliver in time; b) the employee is running away from responsibility; c) even if we get new person in fast, there is still learning curve required.

My client is at loss, he started the recruitment process immediately, but we knew it is not easy to find someone exceptional very fast. I’m in a very tough position as well, as I feel his pain and understand he needs to find someone to fill the position as soon as possible.

What will you do if you face the case?

The first thing YOU should do is not to feed his panic. This is no different than someone having to leave for an emergency, or the team accepting another high profile project when the team already has a full plate. In short – this is a project management issue. And you should approach the client in a calm manner.

And – in my opinion – it’s not logical to try to force the “leaving employee” who is already burned-out and has a short-term mindset train another expert and complete 2 months of work in 20 days. I don’t feel that’s a winning game plan. Instead of having your short-term employee complete his work; devise your hand-off plan. Have this employee document their current processes and items left to-do. Determine which team member will be handling the remaining to-do items. Those team members are now part of the hand-off process.   They take over “now” while the short-term employee is available to consult.

I don’t know the industry or market you are working with – so these other solutions will be general in nature. Setup an appointment with me to discuss more detail solutions that are better aligned with your specific situation.

Regardless of the industry, your schedule will be affected. You will need to either add resources, reduce the project scope, add time or reduce the quality.

There are several project management options:
1) Reduce the scope of the deliverables to fit the current resources.
2) Reduce the complexity of the solution to fit the current resources and talent.
3) Release early and often to the end-client (your client’s client). Give then end-user early drafts, demos and releases as the project progresses. Because the end-user is frequently receiving and reviewing the progress, they can tell you which features they really need by XX date, and which features they can wait on. Then schedule the features as the user needs them (versus all at once).
4) Studies show that end-users only use 36% of the entire product. Find out the features the end-user are actually going to use and postpone (reschedule the others for maintenance releases).
5) Accept the knowing that the product is never “done” – there are always going to be maintenance and improvement cycles. Make better use of the rolling delivery cycles.

Last tip is to never make someone “indispensable” – always have pair-training, pair-testing, and a buddy system. I am not recommending that everyone has to be able to do the same things at the same quality. But you should have various team members knowledgeable about other people’s areas such that they can stand-in or help out.

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 monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

How do you learn to let go when outsourcing to others

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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.

Today’s comment came from a busy professional.

How do you learn to let go when outsourcing to others?

I have grown my business as far as it can go. I currently outsource on a limited basis. I have found it difficult to let go and let others do their work. No one else seems to be as concerned with deadlines as me. How can I fix this?

A good tool to use is a well-documented Statement of Work or contract. In this contract between you and your vendor – you clearly outline the expectations including the amount of work to be delivered, quality of requirements to be supplied, time-lines and the consequences of not meeting the quality metrics and/or timeline. For example, if they meet 100% of their commitments, they receive 100% of the fee. If they are delayed – their fee is affected by missed deadlines.
Another way to ease your fears is in the interview stages. Make sure you ask your vendor about their project management techniques. Understand how they plan to keep the project on-time and meeting your quality standards. Clearly outline your acceptance tests (acceptance tests are actually things you are going to review or test before accepting the task as successfully completed). Discuss what they plan to do if/when their deliverables do not pass your acceptance tests.

By clearly articulating your expectations, providing them the resources that allows them to succeed and outlining the consequences of not meeting the goals — you will be able to let go and allow them to do outstanding work.

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 monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

We’ve come to the end of this episode – Once again – this is Laura Lee Rose –  At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into the business you love to run.

Until next time – relax and breathe – everything is unfolding perfectly.

 

 

What are the first steps you should do after returning from vacation?

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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 give people peace of mind.

Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

What are the first steps you should do after returning from summer vacation? Can you discuss the challenges of returning to work after summer vacation and offer some useful strategies to make the transition back to work easier.

We are often bombarded with an outrageous amount of emails, activities, and questions when we return from an absence; whether it’s a vacation, a business trip or an illness. The best solution for “planned outages or absences” it so actually plan ahead. Make sure you have well-trained representatives that can handle your regular activities in your stead. Make sure you have all your important procedures documented and published. Make sure you have your significant dealings completed prior to your leaving. Make sure you have your “second-in-command’ well versed in things that may pop-up while you are away. Make sure your email-autoresponders, and voice messages are properly announcing your “out-of-office” intentions and your backup contact.

I also recommend not giving anyone by your “backup contact” – your out-of-office contact.   Allow your designated representative to determine if/when there’s a need to contact you (and no one else). All information should be flowing through this person while you are away. Don’t sabotage his/her job by allowing people to go around him/her to get to you.

By doing the above, you will have paved you way to an easier entry back into the workplace.

Returning to work after summer vacation

  • Move all your emails to a “misc” folder and out of your inbox. The assumption is that everything has already been taken care of by your “second in command”. Therefore, there is no need to review the past unless it is relevant to the future. If it is relevant to the future, it will come up again. If it comes up again, you still have the information in your misc folder – but you don’t have to review it, unless it comes up again.
  • Focus on things that are relevant for this week. You want to be as productive as you can be, once you have returned to work. Therefore, don’t get bogged down with reviewing things that were completely accomplished while you were away. Many things that occurred will have no impact in the current items, and you will have plenty of time to review them LATER. Curiosity is the only reason to review these things now – but it’s not the best way to hit the ground running after summer vacation.
  • Don’t agree to deliver anything of significance for the next 2 days – use that time to catch up. I normally add 2 additional days to my vacation return date on my voice mail and email autoresponders. This setup of the proper expectations that no one will receive anything from me in those two days. Setting the proper expectation is key to returning to the workplace with ease.
  • Setup one-on-one meetings (via phone is fine) with each of your staff and managers within the first 2 days of returning to the office. Once again – only focus on the things that are relevant to the future, although a quick summary of the past is fine in these review meetings. Before ending each call, highlight any Action Items, Deadlines, and Owners on relevant projects.
  • Return only the calls on items that are still relevant. Don’t waste time on things that have passed. You have successfully done your job to assign a “second in command” and your second-in-command has done his/her job.
  • Update your Individual Development Plans (IDP) with your new goals. Review your Personal Business Commitments (PBC) to see if they are still accurate and up to date. Since you have scheduled this “catch-up” time and have not committed to any significant deliveries in the first 2 days of your return, use this time to review your business commitment performance. This is a great time to make sure your individual development plans and business goals are still on track.
  • It’s also a good idea to review them before you go on vacation – to allow your subconscious to work on your next role, your next promotion and the steps you need to accomplish to achieve those goals.   This sets up your subconscious to work on these ideas while you are on vacation. When you return, you revisit your IDP and PBC to update them accordingly.

In my Professional Development Tool online course and in my various coaching packages, we go over the IDP and PBC in more detail. If you would like to learn more about those services, setup a quick discovery call at https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ

The key is to have confidence in the team that you left in place to handle things while you were away. A highly effective professional makes sure things will run smoothly when they are away.

 

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 monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

How to Handle Rude Questions in a Job Interview

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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 give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

 

How do you handle rude questions in a job interview? Not necessarily illegal questions, but just awkward and strange.
Like, “Hey, how’d you get that scar on your arm?” etc. How do you handle it without blowing the interview?

For the example in the query – My recommendation is to not take yourself so seriously.  If you deem the question rude – then it is you that is labeling the question rude because you are uncomfortable about the answer.  The interviewer may be asking simply out of curiosity.
Laugh it off  and put the spotlight back on them with another more professional question- “Oh this?  Well – life happens.  I guess it’s the natural results of leading an exciting life.  Speaking about exciting lives — can you describe a typical day in your life as the manager of this department? ”

The definition of “rude” is often being placed by the person reacting to the question – and  not the person asking the question.  The person asking the question doesn’t recognize it as rude. Its simply their curious nature.  So – if you respond to the question like it’s rude or inappropriate – your response may seem outrageous to the interviewer because he/she didn’t ask the question in the same light that you took it.
Great rule of thumb to get through a job interview is to not take anything personally and avoid judgement.

If you are interested in a more detail program on these things, we have offer several intensive workshops from the 6 Critical Training Areas. (Technical Mastery, Exceptional Performance, Business Networking That Makes the Difference, True Leadership – the transformation from Worker Bee to Queen Bee, Communication that Matters, The Difference between playing with time and controlling it).

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 monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

5 tips to getting a promotion

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The easiest way to get a promotion is to prepare for a promotion.

The best way to prepare for a promotion is to follow these steps:

1) Clarify the role and promotion that you are seeking

2) Identify the appropriate attributes and skill levels required at that level

3) Do a self-assessment on where your skill sets and levels are in comparison to that level

4) Identify how to start filling in those skill gaps via getting mentors, volunteering your services, increasing your education, etc

5) Share your career goals with your managers, HR  representative, co-workers, mentors, 2nd line managers, family and friends.

Another tips is to publish your accurate resume on LinkedIn and start networking with individuals who are already where you want to be.

Take the Get that Promotion Challenge and sign up for one of these online courses to get you there:

 

Career Boosting Resolutions at https://www.udemy.com/10-career-boosting-resolutions

Get that well deserved raise at https://www.udemy.com/how-to-get-that-well-deserved-raise/

Creating your own Brand and Mission statements at https://www.udemy.com/branded-for-life