Posts Tagged ‘business owners’

Blind Spot

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Have you ever changed lanes in traffic and been startled by a loud horn from someone that you just cutoff?

Unless you ride the bus to work, this has probably happened to you on multiple occasions.

The problem we all have as drivers is that there is a small area that you can’t see in your rear view mirror called your “blind spot”.

What most people don’t realize is that they also have blind spots in their personal and professional lives.

These are areas where we have (and often have had for a long time) deficiencies we don’t realize.

For example, in my first few years in business I would attend many networking events. Rarely did I meet anyone interesting and often left the event wondering why I had wasted my time.

One evening a good friend and client of mine (Larry) walked up to me and said, “Why don’t you just go home?” When I asked why he suggested I leave, Larry told me that, “Everyone can tell you don’t want to be here. You stand in a corner with this awful look on your face like you are better than everyone else. Do you think people want to talk to someone like that?”

Initially, my feelings were hurt. However, now I was aware that the reason I wasn’t getting good results from networking was because I was a jerk.

I changed my behavior and built my business attending these events.

Where’s your blind spot?

CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit reachmore’s seminars.

Tags: blind spot, Business, business coach, business coaching, business owners, change, coaching, events, growth, Habits, interest, networking, relationships, success
Posted in Uncategorized |

Pay Attention

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

I often joke that business owners all have ADD and that I should serve Ritalin shakes at my workshops.

It seems as though every day we are introduced to a new method for absorbing information and data. There is an “App” for everything and these technological innovations satisfy our need for immediate gratification.

So, the question becomes, are we paying attention to the right things?

Does all of this information make us better leaders, business owners, friends, parents and siblings?

I am not sure.

However, I do know that the brain can only handle so much and perform effectively.

What are you focused on today? Does it bring value to your business?

If it doesn’t, why do it?

Tags: achieve, Business, business coach, business owners, distractions, focus
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales |

Langham’s Life Lessons

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

This year, I was accepted into the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series. This program is designed to educate our community leaders on how to have a greater long-term impact on the future of Indianapolis.

As a result of my involvement in this exclusive program, I gain access to some of our city’s great business and civic leaders. One of those leaders is Cathy Langham, President of Langham Logistics, a member of multiple for-profit boards, and a key member of the committee that petitioned the NFL to bring the Super Bowl to Indianapolis.

Cathy sent me a letter a couple of months ago, that included 14 choices that can help me move toward the life I want. I was so honored to receive these from an uber-successful business and civic leader, that I thought I would share them with my reading audience:
1.   Get your inner game tuned up – become an expert in your industry.
2.   Get out of your own head, and help somebody!
3.   Get connected in the community and give back
4.   Step up accountability
5.   Have fun!!
6.   Slow down to speed up.
7.   Call 5 people per day and let them know you appreciate them
8.   Surround yourself with people that give you energy, and don’t spend time with the folks who don’t!
9.   If you want something and don’t know how to get there (relationship, money, business, etc) model someone who is already there.
10.   Find a mentor (but don’t tell them they are one!)
11.   Quit swearing (her 10 year olds suggestion)
12.   What is the one goal that makes your palms sweat? Do 3 things to work toward it every day.
13.   Do something extraordinary for someone each day.
14.   Choose language that inspires and empowers you.

The final note from Cathy read, “Believe that you are worthy of the space you occupy on the planet. You demonstrate this by insisting that every last one of your choices – from the food you put in your mouth, to the commitments that you put on your calendar – moves you toward the life you want.”

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which teaches small business owners how to build a business that runs without them. For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com.

Tags: accountability, Business, business coach, business coaching, business owners, choice, civic, Community, giving, leadership, success
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

Brochures

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Today, I did something that I haven’t done in a long time – speed networking.

In case you have never been, here’s how it works. You sit at a table of complete strangers (typically 8 per table) and everyone get’s 2 minutes to describe their business to everyone else.

It was a great opportunity for me to brush up on my “elevator pitch” and meet a bunch of new people.

Since I hadn’t been in a long time I was also interested in finding out how other businesses were promoting themselves. I was curious to see what new technological advancements had been made in the networking arena.

It’s turns out not much.

I was amazed by the fact that out of the 21 people I met more than half passed out a brochure describing their company. One individual even passed out 2!

Let me be perfectly clear about one thing. All of those brochures (not 95%) will be in the garbage by the end of the day. All of them.

Do you remember the last time you sat down at your desk and pulled out your “brochure file” to learn more about a company?

If you do, I would like to introduce you to a new piece of technology that sits on your desk. It’s called a computer and this computer is hooked up to this magical thing called the internet. If you want to learn about anything on the planet you visit this wise genie called Mr. Google.

If you are going to use a handout I recommend that you design it with the understanding that it will be thrown away after someone looks at it for maybe 30 seconds. And by the way, the last thing you want them to do is to read it while you are talking to them.

In an age filled with nonstop information, people are going to connect with people. Get rid of the brochures and you do the selling instead.

CJ McClanahan is the Founder of reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. Email CJ at cjm@goreachmore.com for the latest on reachmore’s revolutionary executive coaching program, Summit

Tags: brochure, Business, business coaching, business owners, elevator pitch, Habits, networking, speed networking
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life |

Feedback

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

About 1 year after I began coaching business owners I started sending out a customer satisfaction survey asking my clients how I was doing.

The first few response were great. I had responses like, “For the first time in my life I have a clear direction for my business” and “one of the best investments I have made as a business owner”. I felt great!

Then it happened.

I was sitting in my office and heard the familiar hum of the fax machine indicating that a message was on the way. I looked over and noticed that it was coming from a current client who had recently received the customer satisfaction survey. I was seconds away from reading another glowing testimonial about how my coaching had transformed another business owner.

Unfortunately, that’s not what I read.

Instead, this feedback form was filled with comments like “this isn’t what I expected” and “I am receiving very little value from this program”.

My heart sank. I literally felt like I was going to cry.

But guess what? I am a much better coach today because of feedback from that very honest business owner (who remained my client for more than 3 years).

There is no better teacher than a very honest assessment of your performance.

I realize that sometimes the feedback might be negative. That’s OK. This feedback is by far the most valuable of all.

Tags: achieve, Business, business coaching, business owners, clients, coaching, executive coaching, feedback, success
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life |

Are You Open for Business?

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

You know what really grinds my gears? A business that supposedly wants to grow and get new clients, but is never “open for business”!

I have been searching for a downtown loft. Last Friday, I ended my workday 2 hours early, so I could view apartments while the leasing offices were still open. To my dismay, 3 out of the 4 places I went to had no one attending their offices! I went back to my first stop, and a leasing agent finally came back to greet me. I called the numbers on the door of another building, only to get two disconnected numbers, and left a voice message on the third, which has yet to be returned.

Here is a second example. We sell business coaching to business owners of companies with an average of 1-5 employees. Most of the time, the business owner of a company that size is the point-person for business development. It amazes me how many times I have to call a client before they pick up the phone. They have no clue who I am (I typically don’t leave messages), so one would think, “Hey, if I want more business, I should probably pick up the phone – this could be a prospective client calling!”

How easy do you make it for clients to contact and initiate the sales process with you?

Do they have to figure out, work, and guess at how to buy from you?

Are you available and quickly respond to office phone calls, cell phone calls, email, web inquiries, twitter, facebook, tungle? If you don’t have the capacity to instantly respond to each of these methods of engaging you as a provider (or at BARE minimum, give them a same day response), then you need to create a new system to do so; immediately.

If you don’t, your business stands no chance of ever running without you.

Tags: accessability, business coach, business coaching, business owners, communication, Sales, small business, success
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales, Uncategorized |

Does Your Business Run Without You?

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

I walked into our office last week, and noticed signs that our business is not running without us.

I had been out of the office for the 1^st 7 hours of the work day, and the lights were off, the phones weren’t ringing, no one was there, and no sales were coming in.

That’s when I recognized a few tell tale indicators of a business that is running on its own. Here they are:

-You can walk into your office at anytime during the business day, the lights are on, people are there, and work is getting done.

-You regularly see closed deals come across your desk that you took no part in closing.

-You are creating strategy and spending 80% of your time working “on” the business, versus executing the strategy and working “in” the business.

-You can take a vacation.

-When you take a vacation, your business does not implode, and you come back with it in the same or better condition.

-You can turn your cell phone off without fearing the loss of your business.

If you want to learn how to get your business to the place here you can have the preceding six experiences, email me at jamar@goreachmore.com to learn what we and hundreds of others are doing to build a business that runs on its own.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives. For more resources on business leadership, please visit http://blog.goreachmore.com

Tags: achieve, Business, business coach, business coaching, business owners, company, running, Sales, success
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life |

Instant Access

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

I just came from a speaking engagement on the topic of personal productivity.

Each time I speak on this topic I discuss the importance of eliminating interruptions from your day. The interruptions I reference to include email, the “do you have a second?” knocks on your door and phone calls.

As always, someone raised their hand and asked the following question – “What do I do about the client who always expects an immediate response?” This person went on to describe a client who expects an immediate response from an email and when they don’t get it, they call, and if this individual doesn’t answer their client will send them an urgent text message.

I responded the way I always do with an empathetic – “You set the expectation with your client that you are available at their beck and call.”

Frustrated, they quickly inform me that they don’t want to respond so quickly but they have no choice.

As with everything, we always have a choice.

We all have the client who wants us to drop everything when they need our assistance. You need to do a better job of setting their expectations. For example, I advised this individual to inform all of her clients that she only responds to emails and calls during certain times of the day.

I promise you won’t lose all your clients. In fact, I would almost guarantee that they will respect the way in which you manage your day.

Remember, your time is extremely valuable. Treat it like gold.

Tags: Business, business motivational speaker, business owners, eliminating interuptions, productivity, time management
Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales |

Death by Meeting

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

I just finished a great book by Patrick Lencioni called “Death by Meeting”.

The title made me think that the book was going to conclude that all meetings are a waste of time and that we need to figure out how to eliminate them completely.

I was wrong.

He makes a persuasive argument that a meeting with other team members should be one of the most productive and meaningful events that take place in your office each week.

One of the reasons that we hate meetings so much is that we don’t consider them to be “real work”. Patrick points out that we often rush out of the meeting so that we can get back to the “real work” that often times includes responding to lengthy emails that cover issues that should have been addressed during the meetings.

Seems silly doesn’t it?

So, it got me to thinking. Does my staff enjoy our meetings? Do they represent a productive and meaningful event each week? What about the meetings my clients are having with their teams each week?

I came to the conclusion that there is some room for improvement.

In the coming weeks, I am going to analyze every meeting in which I attend and determine how it can be improved. The goal will be to conduct a meeting that is engaging and leads to meaningful results.

I’ll let you know how it goes. Until then, I would encourage you to undergo the following study at your business. Start off by paying attention to the others in the meeting. Do they listen or do you get the feeling they are thinking about the meeting that takes place after the meeting they are sitting in?

Tags: business owners, meetings, Patrick Lencioni
Posted in Uncategorized |

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