Laura's Letters: A Complimentary Business Development Newsletter
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Vol. 6, Number 4 - April 2005
Publisher: Laura Benjamin
http://www.LauraBenjamin.com
(C)Laura Benjamin International Inc. 2005
Reprints upon request and with attribution
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Quote of the month:
"Loyalty requires choices. Cultivate business relationships only when both sides can provide special value, or you will soon dissipate your resources and be special to no one. Be selective not out of arrogance, but out of the humility that recognizes the impossibility of being special to everyone." (Loyalty Rules, Frederick F. Reichheld)
"Emulate those who have the strongest relationships and best reputations in town - that's my test of who's on track and who isn't." (Laura Benjamin, to someone who just started up a new business)
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In This Issue
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1. New: "Quarterly Content" Articles
2. Marketing Tips
3. Subscriber Appreciation Complimentary Teleclasses
4. Management Tips
5. Useful Resources
6. Shameless You-Know-What
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1. Complimentary "Quarterly Content" Articles & New Website
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Did You Get Your "Quarterly Content" Article?
Quarterly Content is a new, complimentary service for subscribers. Each quarter, I now mail a full two-page article to folks on my contact list with permission to reprint (with attribution please).
Note: Not everyone who gets this ezine is on my contact list. If you haven't received the Spring article by now, (Mount Rushmore: A National Monument to Persistence), and you want to get future articles, email or fax your name, home or business postal mailing address, and phone (used only to clarify handwriting).
There is no cost for these articles; they are a gift to subscribers.
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2. Marketing Tips (For you, your business, and your team)
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How to Stand Out From the Crowd
Check out www.despair.com for the antithesis to the popular "Motivations" posters that line office walls. For example, "Disservice: It takes months to find a customer but only seconds to lose one...the good news is that we should run out of them in no time." Those who have ever sat behind a headset in a customer service call center or held down the desk at the front door of any establishment will get this. Some may feel it's definitely not funny. Some are presently experiencing this dilemma in their own business, and it
really isn't funny.
Regardless of what you think about the site, the sayings, and the sentiments behind them (a "thumb your nose" kind of irreverent humor), I'll bet their business is doing quite well. They stand out. They take the sayings we have probably heard one too many times and dare to poke holes in them. They print what people may think, but hesitate to say out loud.
In Al Ries' books, The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, he makes mention of having the courage to stand for something. He asserts that organizations that try to be all things to all people inevitably weaken their position in the market and in the minds of consumers. He proves that some of the most successful brands are those that are first in new categories - because they stand out, they are memorable. You don't forget them.
I don't think you'll forget the despair.com quotes very easily. You may not buy one and hang it in your office, but I'll guarantee there will be a laugh or two, despite your best efforts. You'll probably tell your friends about it, forward the link, even copy a few quotes to take home and share with your spouse. You see, that's the impact you want to have with your business. You want to get people talking. You want them to spread it around for you - in a positive way.
So have the courage to stick your neck out a little, take down a sacred cow or two, and be a little adventurous so people sit up and take notice. You won't please everyone, but I'll bet you'll earn yourself a buyer's market in the process!
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3. Subscriber Appreciation Complimentary Teleclasses
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"Call of the Wild - Taming 'Godzilla' and Other Difficult People"
Date: Friday, April 29
Time: 9am Pacific, 10am Mountain, 11am Central, noon Eastern
To register, please fax your name, mailing address, phone number, and email to: 719-785-5768 (Contact info is always held in confidence)
Testimonial from April 14th class:
"...I wish I had the authority to have you speak to our agency every year, but unfortunately, the powers above me cannot approve it. With the types of people our agency deals with everyday, it would be beneficial for everyone to take your 'Difficult People' class." Darwyn Lim, IRS, Denver CO
Q: What is a teleclass and how do I participate?
A: A teleclass is a short class held over the phone. It's a great way to
gather your folks around the speaker phone without having to send them out to attend training. When you RSVP, I will email you a phone number to call on the day of the class. I also email handout materials to you in advance. On the day of the class, call in from your land line or cell phone. There is no charge for the class, other than normal long distance phone costs.
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4. Management Tips
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Following last month's newsletter on why Human Resources folks are under-appreciated and the Top 10 Mistakes HR Professionals make, I presented for a Student Chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Many of them presently work in HR positions within the community and are starting to see trends in the workplace that they question, one being: "Why don't companies do something about problem employee's, especially when they lose top performers and good customers?"
Perhaps readers will send me your thoughts on this. Here's a few reasons I could share with them from my own experience:
- Employers are fearful of getting sued. We are in a highly litigious society, which makes them extra cautious about how they handle difficult people.
- Things may be happening in the background that are not obvious. The process may already be underway where the person is receiving coaching or has been placed on a performance improvement plan, but it's not appropriate for anyone else to know that.
- Supervisors often haven't done the work of documenting the issues. When things get really bad and they finally go to HR, they have to start the documentation process from square one. That takes time.
- With a strong emphasis on diversity in the workplace, people try to be sensitive to differences in individual styles as well as differences in culture, religion, etc. It is important and necessary to emphasize tolerance, however, if the person's behaviors are destructive, then it goes far beyond the parameters of legitimate diversity programs. Bad behavior should not be tolerated.
- Lack of training. Let's face it - how many of us have received extensive training or experience dealing with antagonistic people, people who don't have good hygiene practices, people who brag, etc. Many of us hope the situation will resolve itself without us having to get involved. Many avoid having clear, direct conversations to address the issue because we've never been taught how.
- Ignorance of the impact. Folks who can do something about it often don't realize the impact this person is having on the organization. They haven't crunched the numbers to see what it costs to replace a key top-performing individual who chooses to go somewhere else rather than put up with the nonsense any longer. They don't see the immediate loss of revenue when a key client decides to take their business elsewhere.
- Because no one has told them. If no one speaks up to let people in charge know what's going on, then how can they do anything about it? Be cautious in the way you raise the issue, however, because it could backfire. Do your homework in advance, stick to the facts, avoid attacking the person's character, and be very clear about the impact. (If you want my CARLA Concept Model for raising difficult issues, send me an email and I'll get it to you.)
In the long run, only you can decide what it's worth to you. Ultimately, if you see that people who should be handling the issue are not, and don't intend to, then you have to decide if you can ignore it, try to coach the person in your own diplomatic way, or seek other employment.
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5. Useful Resources
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www.time.com/time/time100
Interesting website and great for research. Time has profiled
the people who most influenced the past 100 years. Categories
include:
-leaders and revolutionaries
-artists and entertainers
-builders and titans
-scientists and thinkers
-heroes and icons
-person of the century (guess who?)
You'll also find featured profiles on the right column
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Loyalty Rules, by Frederick F. Reichheld
He is also author of "The Loyalty Effect". Great data, research, and case studies in this book to prove his point that..."Fewer than half of today's employees believe that their companies deserve their loyalty. Unfortunately, leaders too often confuse profits with purpose, taking the low road to short term gains at the expense of employees, customers, and ultimately, investors."
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6. Shameless You-Know-What: Laura's Projects and Programs
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reMODEL Consultants International Inc., Penarth, Wales, Int'l Business
Relationship Development, Owners James La Trobe-Bateman & Lorrie MacGilvray
Goodrich Corp., Aircraft Wheels and Brakes, Pueblo CO, Team Development
Innovative Financial Management Inc., Owner Mike Cecere, Colo. Springs CO, Business Development Consulting
Risk Management Serving the Equine Industry, Owners Sherry & Bruce Busch, Colorado Springs CO, Business Development Consulting
Apr 21-23 - Christian Meetings & Conventions Association, Mobile AL,
"The CARLA Concept: How to Communicate with Confidence and Clarity"
Apr 27 - International Association of Administrative Professionals,
Annual Awards Luncheon, Colorado Springs CO, "How to Create An Extreme Career Makeover"
May 18 - Ragan Communications Teleseminar, "The CARLA Concept:
How to Communicate With Confidence and Clarity"
June 8 - Ragan Communications Teleseminar, "Call of the Wild: Taming 'Godzilla' and Other Difficult People"
June 9 - M. Lee Smith Publishers Teleseminar, "Manage Without Authority: How to Win Trust, Build Credibility and Influence Employees"
June 17 - Ft. Carson Senior Leader & Spouse Conference, Colo Springs,
"Teamwork: There IS an 'I' in Team" and "7 Steps to an Extreme Personal Makeover"
June 19-30 - Meeting Professionals Int'l Expo, London, England, "How to Hit the Numbers: Coach Your Sales Team to Higher Profits and Performance", and Business Relationship Development, reMODEL Consultants International Inc., Penarth, Wales (www.remodel.co.uk)
Aug 17 - Colorado Springs Financial Planning Association, "Build Your
Business from the Inside Out: How Human Resource Practices Predict
Profitability"
Sep 8 - Society for Human Resources Management Colorado State Conference, "Teamwork: There IS an "I" in Team", Keystone Resort CO
Sept 29 to Oct 2 - Ft. Carson Senior Leader & Spouse Offsite Conference, Location and Programs TBD
Nov 3 - Colorado Springs Society for Human Resources Management,
"Call of the Wild: Taming 'Godzilla' and Other Difficult People"
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Want your own copy of this newsletter? Fax your subscribe request to
719-785-5768. If the information is no longer useful and upon your
request, I'll immediately take you off the list.
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Privacy Statement: I never release your contact info. Ever.
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Laura Benjamin International Inc.
Colorado Springs CO USA
Phone: 719-266-8088
Fax: 719-785-5768
http://www.laurabenjamin.com
(C)Laura Benjamin International Inc. 2005
Reprints upon request and with attribution please
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