Laura Benjamin's Newsletter

Laura's Letters(TM)
A complimentary newsletter on business relationship development
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Circulation: A select group of 1700+ international readers
Vol. 5, Number 8 - August 2004
Publisher: Laura Benjamin
http://www.laurabenjamin.com
(C)Laura Benjamin International 2004
Reprints upon request and with attribution
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Quote of the month:
"For every action, there is an equal or opposite criticism." (unknown)

"My life is one long obstacle course, with me being the chief obstacle." (Jack Paar)

More quotes at www.LauraBenjamin.com/teamworkquotes.htm

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Bookmark www.LauraBenjamin.com for free articles

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In This Issue
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1. Marketing Tips

2. Management Tips

3. Useful Resources

4. Shameless You Know What (always at the end)

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1. Marketing Tips
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Guessing Game

I followed a van into my neighborhood today with big letters
of the company name "XYZ" plastered across the back and sides.
There was even a "Call 1-800-XYZ-XXXX" in big letters across
the back doors. The problem is, as a potential customer, I
have no earthly clue what XYZ company does! No where on the
truck was it printed what they do. So how effective is this
advertising? It's not like this was a household name on the
side of this van. I imagine the only people who will call
1-800-XYZ...are those who have done business with them in
the past and know what they do.

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Food Service Skills

When I requested "no onions" on my salad at the Castle Cafe
in Castle Rock CO, the server asked, "Are you allergic, or
may I just remove them?" If I was allergic and the onions were
removed after the salad was mixed, the chemicals would still
remain. This was the first time I've ever had anyone ask for
that kind of clarification and although I am not allergic, it
shows me that this employee is on the ball and really cares.
It also shows that he was willing to go that one step extra
to make sure that the desired result was a happy customer.
Technically, he could have just lifted the onions off the
salad, but by asking me for clarification, he showed he was
truly concerned about my well-being.

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Perceptions

We're all salespeople, did ya know that? Regardless of whether
you have a regular job or you are on a formal sales team, we "sell"
ourselves, our organization, product, or service on a daily basis.

People say that they shouldn't have to play those "games", but in
reality, hard work alone isn't enough. People's perceptions of who
you are and what you stand for count a bunch. Nobody is going to go
the extra mile to dig deeper to find out what you are capable of
unless you make the effort to show them.

Try this:

- Bite the bullet and ask for feedback. Go to people whom you
trust (that's important) to get specifics on how you can brush
up your image, approach, speech, manners, etc.

- Write a professional bio on yourself. This is not a resume - it
is more like a narrative story of your professional accomplishments
and activities. If you want a sample, you can look at mine under
"Who we are" on my website. (Renovated website coming soon!)
It will increase your awareness of what you have achieved and
raise your confidence level.

- Build a professional porfolio. No, this isn't just for artists
or advertising folks. It includes your bio, letters of reference
from customers and previous employers, certifications, articles
you have written, sample project reports, etc.

- Clean up your resume before you need it. And for goodness
sakes, do the hard work to quantify your accomplishments. You
wouldn't believe how many wimpy resumes I see with language
that could apply to anyone on earth with very general language.

- Avoid in-breeding. We tend to hang out with people who are
just like us, which is doom, doom I say, when job cuts come along.
Get to know people in other departments, industries, join the board
of an association, a company project team, or a community non-profit.

- Get out from behind your computer. It tends to become a "safe
haven" and keeps us from the face-time we need to establish
relationships.

- Get yourself a business card and use it. If your company doesn't
give you one, then get some made for yourself. Put your picture on
it, the industry/occupation in which you work, your contact info.
Spend the extra money on heavyweight card stock, not flimsy paper
you printed off your computer.

- Get on good ground with your boss. They may be a "stinker" but
they hold your future in their hands. If you really want to keep
your job, you have to make the effort. No, it's not always fair.
Learn what they need from you, their preferred style of getting and
giving information, how they make decisions, etc.

- Return your phone calls. I keep harping on this one because it
is amazing the negative impact this has on your professional
reputation when you blow people off. If you've done it to someone
recently, it's never too late to call and apologize.

- Fire a bothersome client. You know who they are. Why do you
continue to put up with it? They waste your time by asking for
indepth proposals that they'll never use (other than to show they
got the requisite third bid), nickel and dime you, ask for never
ending changes, and take up time you could be using on something
more profitable. Go ahead - you can do it!

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2. Management Tips
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Employee Recognition - Unplugged

I spoke with a supervisor in June who said their company gives
financial compensation awards each calendar year (Jan-Dec) for
employees with perfect attendance. At the time we spoke, the
company had yet to distribute the awards, and at their annual
employee meeting, senior leadership apologized profusely for
forgetting to bring along the employee recognition certificates.
(In the next breath, the emcee of the meeting urged everyone to
root for the owner who had a horse running in a national race.)
The supervisor contacted me in July and since the organization
still had not recognized those with perfect attendance, he took
the initiative to print up homemade Certificates of Achievement
to give to the employees on his team who qualified for the award.
They loved it! Kudos to him for stepping up to the plate and
making the effort to do what folks higher up should have handled
promptly.

Note to Supervisors and Managers: You have no idea how much clout
you have with your people. You don't need a million bucks to
show them they are appreciated. You do need a measure of courage,
however, to take action without getting permission. Go ahead and
do something extra for your folks this week, even if it means it
comes out of your own pocket. They'll thank you with higher levels
of productivity and commitment.

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Individual vs the Team (Allow me to play devil's advocate)

There is a looming dilemma growing within the halls and cubicles
of many organizations. Two very important initiatives are in
danger of compromising the worthwhile purpose of the other. It
started innocently enough when "teamwork" became a well accepted
and fiercely sought practice in successful companies. Since
reorganizations and downsizings wreaked havoc on org charts,
and since we were forced to do more with less, it became
important to cultivate high performing teams. The words,
"not a team player" became the kiss of death for individuals
who questioned the latest team initiative, or raised concerns
about accepted practices. Those who had lone wolf tendencies
learned very quickly that their independence would not be rewarded.

Along comes diversity. Another noble initiative, especially since
the workforce is increasingly made up of people from very different
cultures, employees are globetrotting more than ever, and we are
more aware of the impact intolerance has on the work environment.
We celebrate the differences between people, increase affiliation
in an effort to improve understanding, and recognize the unique
gifts that each individual brings to the organization. As one
gentleman recently told me, "It feels good to finally be appreciated
for the different spin I put on things because of my heritage." Yet
in the very next breath, he said that he feels regular pressure to
compromise his perspective in the name of the team.

I raise this issue because at some point, we must strike a
balance. There are times when, let's face it, the team as a whole
does not have the knowledge or the courage to get the job done.
The term "groupthink" is well known as a result of people dummying
down their thinking process to keep from rocking the boat. At that
point, someone with a different perspective (regardless of gender,
ethnicity, or religion) is needed, but not always supported.

Leadership teams and Human Resources professionals must be aware
there is a growing frustration on the part of many frontline
folks who feel torn between these two very important initiatives.
On one hand, they see the value and the necessity of educating
everyone about tolerance in order to make it a safe, sane, and
respectful place to work. Yet often, they resent the reality
that their very diverse perspectives do not matter when they
disagree with the collective tone of the team.

They wonder, why is diversity something worthy of celebration on
one hand, yet when it counts the most, why is the "voice in the
wilderness" so easy to disregard?

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3. Useful Resources
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No B.S. The Ultimate No Holds Barred, Take No Prisoners Guide to
Time Productivity & Sanity, by Dan Kennedy (www.dankennedy.com)

This humorous little book is billed as Time Management for
Entrepreneurs, but there are plenty of attention grabbing tips in
here for everyone. I love his no-nonsense writing style and after
hearing the man speak in person, can see why he is known as the
"Professor of Harsh Reality".

A few of his best ideas include:
1. Tame the phone
2. Minimize meetings
3. Practice absolute punctuality
4. Make and use lists (month, week, day)
5. Fight to link everything to your goals
6. Use tickler files
7. Block your time
8. Minimize unplanned activity
9. Profit from 'odd-lot' time
10. Live off peak (avoid busy times at bank, stores, etc.)

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4. Shameless You-Know-What...Always at the End
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Laura has been coaching professionals and business owners
for 15 years on service, sales, professional development,
and management skills. She has worked with over
30 frontline supervisors/managers at Wells Fargo in the
past two years alone. Consultations are done by phone in
most cases. Isn't it time you had someone on your side?
Call 719-266-8088 or fax 719-785-5768 for more info.

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Peoples National Banks Mystery Shop Project
(through Spring 2005)

Wells Fargo Consumer Cr. Group Executive Coaching
Des Moines IA and Colorado Springs CO (ongoing)

Colorado Springs Utilities Delta Team Diversity
Celebration Keynote, Colorado Springs CO (Aug 4)

Christian Meetings & Conventions Association (CMCA)
Members only teleseminar, "Call of the Wild: Taming Godzilla
and Other Difficult People" (Sept 16)

Inscape Publishing's Mindlab 48 Conference, Orlando FL
(Oct 1-2) for Authorized Distributors

General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Service
Outreach Europe 2004 Biannual Expo, Heidelberg Germany
- Teamwork: There IS an "I" in Team
- Crack the "EQ Code" to Construct Emotionally
Intelligent Teams (Oct 18-21)

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Laura Benjamin specializes in Business Relationship Development.
She presents throughout North America and in Europe, her work has
been featured on radio and TV, and her articles and interviews
have been published in Remodeling Magazine, Corporate & Incentive
Travel, Sales & Marketing Management, SalesForce XP, and
www.BlueSuitMom.com. Her newsletter reaches subscribers worldwide.
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To join this prestious group of readers, please click here or fax your request to: 719-785-5768.
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Laura Benjamin International
Phone: 719-266-8088
Fax: 719-785-5768
http://www.laurabenjamin.com
(C)Laura Benjamin International 2004
Reprints upon request and with attribution