Laura's Letters: A complimentary newsletter on business relationship development
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Vol. 6, Number 2 - February 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:
I believe that the task of making sense of ourselves and
our behavior requires that we acknowledge there can be as
much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational
analysis. (Malcolm Gladwell, author of "Blink")
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Privacy Statement: I never release your contact info. Ever.
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In This Issue
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1. Marketing Tips
2. Human Resources
3. Subscriber Appreciation Complimentary Teleclass
4. Useful Resources
5. Shameless You-Know-What
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1. Marketing Tips
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There is no shortage of marketing ideas out there to help you
build your business and attract customers. So why is marketing
such a problem for most business owners? I believe it's because
they don't give themselves enough credit. They are very good at
the technical function of the business, but believe that
marketing takes special skills. At the risk of removing all the
mystery, here are a few tips to help promote your business:
- Make a commitment to be "in front of" your clients and prospects
at least 52 times a year. That doesn't mean you have to send out
weekly mailings, or call them all on a weekly basis. It does mean
that you develop a number of ways in which you keep your name out
there so they don't forget you. For example: a monthly newsletter
gives you 12 contacts a year, a quarterly postcard mailing gives
you 4 more, etc. Buy a "Guerrilla Marketing" book and pick out 7-10
ideas that fit you and your business.
- Buy a laminated annual calendar from an office supply store and
turn it to the backside where there is a planning worksheet. Split
it into 4 squares with a grease pen and plug in the marketing ideas
you selected from the book mentioned above. Make sure you block out
time during that quarter to do those things. Put a big old sticky
note smack dab at the top of your computer monitor listing the one
or two items you need to do that quarter, so it's staring you right
in the face.
- If you are tempted to tell yourself, "I don't have time", just
remember back to the last slow time when you had no business
coming in and the kids were getting tired of eating ramen noodles.
You've got to keep the momentum going on a regular basis. If you
must, bribe the kids with ice cream and put them to work stuffing
envelopes.
- Include an "offer" with every customer contact to encourage them
to come back to you for more. For example, include a "fax back"
form in your next mailing giving them choices to request a tip
sheet, a complimentary consultation, your newsletter, etc. You
want to know who is interested in getting more information from
you so you can decide who warrants more of your time and attention.
It's the birdfeeder approach. Fill it with seed and see who shows
up!
- Leverage your efforts so you're not recreating the wheel. Your
Tips Booklet should mention your free newsletter and should include
a "fax back" form on the back page. Every article you write should
include a promo statement at the end mentioning your website, etc.
One marketing method should "feed" another.
Finally, keep in mind there is no magic bullet. The magic is in
the small things, consistently done over time with minor adjustments
made as you find out what works and what doesn't.
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2. Human Resources
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Top 10 Mistakes Human Resources Professionals Make
Folks in Human Resources hold one of the most important roles when
it comes to the financial success of your organization. Pretty
strong statement isn't it? You may wonder how I can say such a thing
when we all know that HR is a staff, not a line function. After all,
they're overhead. They don't bring in business. In fact, many even
struggle these days to prove their return on investment to justify
their jobs. Yet, companies sink or swim based on the way they do their
job. Here's why HR folks are undervalued in terms of the impact they
have on organizational success:
If it wasn't for hard working HR people...
- the company would end up in court way more often than you'd even
imagine
- the company could be "at risk" due to incomplete or inaccurate
policies and procedures
- the performance review process would be unfair, uneven, or un-done,
which could result in losing talented employees or overcompensating
poor ones
- empty positions would remain unfilled because no one has the time,
or worse yet, might be filled in haste with the wrong person
- you could go for years with employee benefit plans that underserve
employees and overcharge premiums. HR folks make it their business
to constantly reassess value vs cost.
- there would be no qualified point of contact for employee questions
on health care, investment plans, disability, compensation, paid time
off, tuition, supervision, etc. etc.
They deserve our appreciation and an occasional pat on the back for
the hard work they do. Few people realize the importance of the role
they play in keeping our companies sound, safe, productive, and legal.
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On the other hand...
A Society for Human Resources Management student chapter has
asked me to present a program entitled, "The Top 10 Mistakes Human
Resource Professionals Make". In preparing for that presentation, I
thought I'd run the list by my readers to get your feedback. If you
have any opinions or additions, please email them in.
Human Resource professionals...
1. struggle to strike a balance between responsibility to the
company and as employee representative. We may go to extremes and
avoid building partnerships because of the fear that a personal
relationship could get in the way of a potential personnel actions.
This dilemma isn't unique to HR. Managers and military leaders also
have to strike the balance of being able to lead others while still
maintaining the ability to discipline when necessary.
2. either purposely or inadvertently, we add to the perception that
HR people are inaccessible and unresponsive. Perhaps it's a defense
mechanism because of being innundated with outside solicitations,
employee phone calls etc., but its done harm to our reputation.
3. don't make time to learn the business. It's not just a knowledge
thing-it's also helpful to build credibility within the organization.
4. neglect to identify and quantify our accomplishments, which makes
it really tough to prove ROI.
5. have a short term perspective in the way we treat job candidates.
Far too often, candidates are ignored, devalued and often insulted
during the recruiting and interview process.
6. isolate ourselves within the 4 walls of the company, so we lose
out on networking opportunities until they are desperately needed.
(This is true for most people, by the way, not just HR folks)
7. are hesitant to temporarily step out of the HR world into an
operations role. Those who have done so later report they became much
stronger HR professionals, since they saw things from the other side
of the table. It also makes us more marketable should our positions
be consolidated or eliminated.
8. tend to become jaded and skeptical over time. This may be a
successful trait in some respects because we don't get "snowed"
quite so often, but it also can backfire when employees believe
they are not taken seriously or given due consideration. This, by
the way, can result in unnecessary lawsuits when people believe
they are ignored or trivialized.
9. we forget that the unemployed HR colleagues who approach us for
networking and job info today are the same people we hobnobbed with
at the SHRM meeting yesterday. A senior level HR professional who
is now looking for work is appalled at the lack of courtesy and
responsiveness from people in her own field. (Refer to #5 and try
to help 'em out)
10. have become far, far too "PC". In many cases, we've lost the
courage to speak up and step out for fear we may offend someone. Our
credibility is threatened when we go to extremes with issues, words,
perceptions for fear that someone (anyone!) could take the slightest
offense. We run the risk of taking ourselves far too seriously.
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3. Subscriber Appreciation Complimentary Teleclass
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Ever had difficulty getting your point across? Do you choke
up in meetings when it's your turn to state your case? Do you
feel invisible in front of your boss or other key leaders?
Or do you wonder if there's a better way to show prospects that
you, your product, or service are the best choice for them?
Join us for a complimentary Subscriber Appreciation Teleclass
"The CARLA Concept: How to Communicate with Clarity & Confidence"
Dates - Friday, March 11 with repeat session Thursday, March 17
Time - 60 minutes, beginning at 9am Pacific, 10am Mountain,
11am Central, noon Eastern
To Register - fax your contact info to: 719-785-5768
(Contact info includes: name, email, phone, and mailing address)
Q: What is a teleclass?
A: When you register, I will email you a phone number and passcode
to use on the day of the class. I will also email you the handout
materials in advance. The day of the class, you dial in from your
land line or cell phone and will be connected with the class in a
conference call environment. I will conduct the class, and allow
time for participants to interact and ask questions. There is no
charge for the class, other than your normal long distance costs.
Yes, you can also gather your group around the phone and put it on
speaker mode.
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4. Useful Resources
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"Blink", by Malcolm Gladwell (staff writer for The New Yorker
and formerly business and science reporter at the Washington
Post.) Another insightful, intriguing read by the author of
The Tipping Point. Promoted as a book about how we think
without thinking, it's about the choices and decisions we make
in an instant - in the blink of an eye. Why are some people
great decisions makers and others consistently inept? It may
restore your confidence in gut feelings, instinct, and
intuition rather than an unwavering commitment to exhaustive
research and spreadsheet paralysis.
After that, you should be ready to read "Execution: The
Discipline of Getting Things Done" by Larry Bossidy,
Ram Charan and Charles Burck.
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Complimentary in-depth articles mailed to your business or home
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the next complimentary article.
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5. Shameless You-Know-What
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Laura Benjamin's complimentary newsletter reaches subscribers
around the world and her articles are published internationally.
Her work has been featured in magazines including Remodeling,
Sales and Marketing Management, HRM Review, Today's Blue Suit Mom
and Corporate & Incentive Travel.
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To get your own copy of this newsletter, fax to 719-785-5768. If
you want less mail in your in-box, I will respect your request and
quickly take you off the list.
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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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