Leadership Lessons: 4 Ways to Connect with Younger Workers

By Nicole Fallon

Every year, a new batch of college graduates enters the job market. With each graduating class, the generational balance in the workplace shifts, leaving baby boomer and Gen X leaders wondering how to relate to their younger counterparts.

"As more millennials enter the workforce, experienced business leaders will be faced with some real challenges," said David Scarola, vice president of business coaching service provider The Alternative Board. "[Generation Y is] characterized as being technology-savvy, especially with social media. They are strong multitaskers, have high expectations of themselves and their employers, and prefer to collaborate and work in teams." 

If you're feeling a little out of touch with your younger employees, Scarola suggested a few ways to engage and connect with them:

   Embrace technology. Although many baby boomer leaders are becoming more comfortable with technology, some are still hesitant about using it. Allow your younger staff to help lead your company in a more tech-friendly direction, with suitable IT controls.
    
    Provide employees with mentors. Gen Y is sometimes perceived by older generations as lazy, and this may have to do with poor expectations. Don't wait for the performance review to provide feedback to younger workers. Pairing them up with an experienced mentor is a great way to improve the culture of a changing workforce.
    
    Celebrate creativity. Younger workers want to do things differently, much like any "next generation." Rather than responding to their new ideas with, "That's not how we do things around here," keep an open mind. Not all new ideas are good, but plenty of them are. These ideas may help your business connect better with prospects and with employees.
    
    Support a civic cause. In a study by Bentley University, 84 percent of millenials think it's more important to make a positive difference in the world than to get professional recognition. If you can find a social mission for your business that engages your employees, they will see this as a higher purpose and feel more connected with the business.

Scarola cautioned that working with Gen Y is a two-way street: Leading a younger staff doesn't mean you should abandon the strategies that got you to where you are today.

"Baby boomer [and Gen X] business leaders have been highly successful because of their ability to think strategically, to plan, to measure, to adapt and to communicate," he told Business News Daily. "They are most successful when they rely on trusted advisers, and especially their peers, to leverage collective wisdom to improve the businesses and the personal lives of each other. Experienced leaders should seek to educate younger workers on the importance of the strategies and tools that they've used to create a successful business."

culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

• Embrace technology. Although many baby boomer leaders are becoming more comfortable with technology, some are still hesitant about using it. Allow your younger staff to help lead your company in a more tech-friendly direction, with suitable IT controls.
   
• Provide employees with mentors. Gen Y is sometimes perceived by older generations as lazy, and this may have to do with poor expectations. Don't wait for the performance review to provide feedback to younger workers. Pairing them up with an experienced mentor is a great way to improve the culture of a changing workforce.
   
• Celebrate creativity. Younger workers want to do things differently, much like any "next generation." Rather than responding to their new ideas with, "That's not how we do things around here," keep an open mind. Not all new ideas are good, but plenty of them are. These ideas may help your business connect better with prospects and with employees.
   
• Support a civic cause. In a study by Bentley University, 84 percent of millenials think it's more important to make a positive difference in the world than to get professional recognition. If you can find a social mission for your business that engages your employees, they will see this as a higher purpose and feel more connected with the business.

Scarola cautioned that working with Gen Y is a two-way street: Leading a younger staff doesn't mean you should abandon the strategies that got you to where you are today.
"Baby boomer [and Gen X] business leaders have been highly successful because of their ability to think strategically, to plan, to measure, to adapt and to communicate," he told Business News Daily. "They are most successful when they rely on trusted advisers, and especially their peers, to leverage collective wisdom to improve the businesses and the personal lives of each other. Experienced leaders should seek to educate younger workers on the importance of the strategies and tools that they've used to create a successful business."
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6193-engaging-young-workers.html#sthash.09q6DJnq.dpuf

Every year, a new batch of college graduates enters the job market. With each graduating class, the generational balance in the workplace shifts, leaving baby boomer and Gen X leaders wondering how to relate to their younger counterparts.
"As more millennials enter the workforce, experienced business leaders will be faced with some real challenges," said David Scarola, vice president of business coaching service provider The Alternative Board. "[Generation Y is] characterized as being technology-savvy, especially with social media. They are strong multitaskers, have high expectations of themselves and their employers, and prefer to collaborate and work in teams."
If you're feeling a little out of touch with your younger employees, Scarola suggested a few ways to engage and connect with them:
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6193-engaging-young-workers.html#sthash.09q6DJnq.dpuf

Tips for Organizing Your Personal Brand

Organization. It’s the one thing so many of us let go when times get busy. From unkempt desks to computers cluttered with files from projects no one remembers anymore, it’s no wonder that entrepreneurs are forever stereotyped as flying by the seat of their pants. Yet, in a world where technology is taking on more and more responsibility, it’s becoming easier to hand off time management and organization to programs designed to make sure you don’t misplace yet another crucial bit of information.

The Clutter Myth

Before we get going, it’s important to realize that desk clutter isn’t inherently a bad thing. After all, most of us maintain an organized mess only our brains are capable of sifting through properly. For further proof, just look at Einstein’s desk the day he died. That man was far from a failed entrepreneur.
In the same vein, you do have to have some sort of rhyme and reason to your clutter. Maybe all “to-do” items pile up on the left side while all of the “to file” projects sit on the right. This at least gives you a general map of where to find things. Ideally, though, you want a system that reduces the time it takes for you to find documents. Time is money and if you’re wasting too much time searching for a contract, you lose money.
As far as email is concerned, organizing your inbox is not too big of a deal as modern search functions do a great job of finding things for you. So long as you remember who sent you the email, its subject, the day it was sent or even a sliver of the body, you will be able to find it. Your responsibility, however, is to make sure you clean it up when it starts to run slowly.

Time is Money

Once you start treating your time like you would treat your dollars, you begin to see your worth in terms of the current economic situation. It also makes it easier for people to put their foot down against things that will end up not benefitting them in any capacity.
Your first step in this mission, should you choose to accept it, is to cut out all the fat. Useless meetings, chats at the water cooler and browsing mind-numbing websites severely detract from what you are capable of accomplishing throughout the course of one day. And before you ask, yes, it is important to take breaks from daily stress. This gives your brain time to recharge for the next event. However, this recharge time can be turned into something useful, such as watching YouTube videos about history or reading up on the latest scientific advancements.
Only through practicing this can you teach yourself the temperament necessary to truly succeed as your own boss.

Technology to the Rescue

Once you finally have organization and time management down, you can push them further with technology. Coded by those seeking to make everything run smoother and more efficiently than any human could ever hope to match, specialized software gives the entrepreneur a leading edge.
Here are three of my favorite mainstays to organization and effectiveness.
The question to ask is: Is it necessary?
Why is it on your schedule? Does it move you closer to your goal? Can it be eliminated, simplified, or combined with something else?

Passion Planner

While it may seem like a regular planner, this handy notebook takes scheduling a step further by having you enter your goals into the space at the start. It’s a great psychological trick to help keep you focused on your ultimate goal, making it easier to spot and avoid potential deterrents along the way. The end of each month has also been fitted with reflection pages to fill out for you to continually reassess where you are and how that relates to your plans.

Cam Card

It used to be that business cards where stored in a Rolodex. Then they had to be hand entered into a database. This was followed by buggy scanning software. Now, the technology has finally progressed enough to make card scanning accurate, organized and easy on your phone. An app optimized to work on any device with a camera, the business cards are stored on a cloud database where you can add notes and set reminders.

Calendly

Calendly is a relatively revolutionary scheduling device that has shared the responsibility of scheduling with others. Once you’ve denoted your availability, you share your personal Calendly link with your contacts. They then pick an available time and you now have a scheduled appointment sans 10 emails trying to agree on a time and date.


culled from:smallbiztrends.com

5 Tips For Teaching Leadership Skills

By Nicole Fallon Taylor

It's often said that it takes a certain type of person to be a great leader. These individuals exhibit qualities like passion, integrity, a take-charge attitude and the ability to inspire others. Employers and executives recognize this, and these "born leaders" are often first in line for promotions to leadership roles.

But people with leadership potential don't simply become leaders overnight. It's up to existing leaders to train the next generation, showing them how to guide a group of people toward a specific vision or goal.

Whether your company has a structured training program or you simply teach by example, here are a few key things to keep in mind when you're training future leaders. [5 Simple Ways to Become a Better Leader]
Choose the right people

While certain individuals may seem like shoe-ins for a leadership position based on their personality or their current role within a company, it's crucial to take all performance and experience factors into account before determining their leadership candidacy.

"Before you start teaching and enhancing the skills of a leader, you have to start with the right person," said Brian Sullivan, a vice president at sales and management training firm Sandler Training. "This person should have a track record of success [in their current role] and have already exhibited leadership traits. Not everything they'll be doing as a leader is necessarily something they've done before, but these two fundamental items are the springboard for any type of training."

Sullivan also told leaders not to allow favoritism to come into play when choosing a successor, and make a decision based solely on a candidate's qualifications.
Make sure they understand the business

A good leader must always be training the next generation of leaders, said Stephen Sheinbaum, founder of financial technology company Bizfi, which provides alternative finance for small businesses. To do this, leadership candidates need to be well-versed in where your business is headed, and what kinds of people and skills will be needed to make that happen.

"If a greater use of technology is going to be key to the future growth of your company, then you've got to make sure that your leaders understand that technology and its importance in your industry," Sheinbaum said. "They may not be the ones writing the code, but they have to know how to hire, communicate with and guide the coders that you will need."
Build their listening skills

One of the most important skills a leader can acquire is how to listen. A true leader always takes his or her team's feedback into account when making decisions. This skill can be taught by being a good listener yourself.

"Always listen to the input you receive, and act on it," said Guryan Tighe, a partner at Speakeasy Strategies public relations firm. "If you have only your own agenda in mind, you can't truly hear others' input and potentially, the next great idea. Make sure your business is set up to stimulate people around you to create and take initiative. For example, ask the trainees about their training experience, as this encourages an environment focused on growth and development."
Help them craft a future vision

"Vision" is a word that is commonly thrown around in reference to leaders, but what does it really mean? Denise Brosseau, CEO of Thought Leadership Lab, believes it involves the ability to inspire others to see a future worth striving for.

"[Leaders should] focus on crafting a compelling vision of the future that they will work to bring about," said Brosseau, author of "Ready to Be a Thought Leader?" (Jossey-Bass, 2014). "This future must be something they are passionate about, but they must also have the credibility and experience to make progress toward achieving it."

Teaching leadership candidates how to create and articulate their own future vision will help them when it comes time to actually execute plans to get there.
Look at their motivations

If a leadership candidate seems more excited about being "the boss" who's in charge of others, he or she probably isn't the best person for the job. A good leader knows that his or her job is working for everybody else, said Dale Falcinelli, chairman of the advisory council at Lehigh University's Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship.

"Leadership is an executive club, and it shouldn't be taken for granted," Falcinelli told Business News Daily. "Leaders aren't caught up with the notion of people working for them. They'll have the passion and drive to get where they need to go, and they'll know that to get there, they have to work for and through other people."


culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

5 Elements That Shape the Core of a Strong Startup

Alex Iskold

Contributor

In my yoga classes teachers spend a lot of time on the core exercises. If you do any competitive sports, your coach works obsessively on your core. Strong core is needed for overall body strength and resilience. It makes sense, because, by definition, the core is at the center.
Same is true about startups. The core defines what you made of, and how you are going to grow. The core defines how your startup will withstand extreme pressure and competition -- and survive and win.
Here is what shapes the core of a startup:

1. Vision

Strong body starts with the strong mind. Strong startup core starts with strong vision. Why do you exist? What is your purpose? Why do you get up every day? What is your true north? Having clarity around your vision is the foundation of having clarity around execution, hiring, fundraising and every other aspect of your company.
Vision is the very foundation of the company's core.

2. Values

The second thing that helps shape the core of your company is your values. It can be speed. It can be exceptional customer service. Some companies have work-life balance as a core value, although it tends to be difficult for early startups. Values help you shape the culture. They provide the blueprint for the kind of people you may or may not hire -- and for the kind of company you may or may not want to become.
Ultimately, the founding team's values become the company's culture.

3. Product and engineering

In the past, great companies were about great sales and marketing. In the future, more and more companies will become great because of their product and engineering. A great product is necessary to win in today's market. To build a great product you need to have engineering excellence and focus.
Companies that have strong product and engineering core tend to win.

4. Feedback loops

The company core is constantly influenced by relationship between employees inside the company, its customers and business partners. Every single interaction is a small feedback loop. The sum of all interactions over time becomes a force that helps shape and evolve the core of your company.
Truly great companies have a core that evolves to be stronger over time.

5. Resilience

Strong core is a resilient core. You get knocked down a lot -- when the product isn't working right, when the sale wouldn't close, when competition is breathing down your neck, when the funding doesn't come through. When you get knocked down, does your core help you get up? Is your core truly resilient?
Winning the startup game means not dying. Is your core strong enough to survive?
What is the core of your startup?


culled from:entrepreneur.com

Everything I Know About Management I Learned in Kindergarten

by Rieva Lesonsky

I read a lot of small business newsletters, including several about management and leadership. I’m always amazed at how many articles cited in these newsletters state the obvious (to me, anyway). I’m talking about tips like “Good Leadership Requires Moral Standards” or “Treat Your Employees Like People, Not Numbers.”
But maybe sometimes, we need to hear what seem to be the basics that everyone should already know. With that in mind, here are things I learned about management from kindergarten.

Say Please and Thank You

I’ve noticed some people in management roles order people to do things — not good. Others tell them to do things — better, but still not ideal. A simple “Please” when giving directions — “Julio, have the report ready by 3:00, please” — can work wonders in making employees more willing to work hard for you. So can a “Thank you” when they complete the job.

Share

Share the information your employees need to do their jobs better. Also share as much information about the company, its outcomes and your plans for it, as makes sense. Last, but not least, share the credit for any job well done with all the team members who helped make it happen. Don’t hog all the credit for yourself. The only thing you shouldn’t share? Blame when something goes wrong. Remember, the buck stops with you.

Take Turns

Lots of managers love to hear themselves talk, which can lead to meetings where others feel too intimidated to speak up and share their ideas or opinions — or simply can’t get a word in. Good leaders listen more than they speak. Say what you need to say, but then let — in fact, actively encourage — your employees to speak up, too.

Play Fair

If there’s one thing that sours employees on a workplace faster than anything else, it’s unfair treatment (or treatment they perceive to be unfair). Make sure you’re not playing favorites among your employees. Apply the same policies to everyone — or, if you make an exception for one person, be ready to make it for the rest of the staff. Keep in mind that even if you feel you’re being scrupulously fair, your employees may not feel the same way. If any action you take has the possibility to be misinterpreted as favoritism, be sure you explain it to your staff — and make sure they’re truly satisfied with your explanation.

Say You’re Sorry When You Hurt Someone

Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you’re infallible. Nor does it mean that you can just walk away when you’ve done something that hurts an employee. Apologize to the person — directly, immediately and honestly — with the same degree of “publicity” with which you hurt them. In other words, if you embarrassed an employee in front of the entire staff at your Monday meeting, you need to say you’re sorry in front of the whole staff, too.

Clean Up Your Own Messes

Has something gone wrong in your business? It’s your job to make it right. Never ask employees to do what you wouldn’t do yourself, or to take responsibility for an error that you made. By taking responsibility, you earn the respect of your employees.
What lessons from kindergarten do you apply to managing your employees?


culled from:smallbiztrends.com

The True Measure of Leadership Is Staying Calm in the Storm

Marty Fukuda

Contributor

Business success often is coupled with stories of surviving a difficult stretch to emerge a better company. A checking account down to the last few cents, one-month away from shutting the doors for good, or years of mediocrity before that spectacular breakthrough are common business folklore.
Hearing tales of others moving from the brink of failure to greatness help keep the downtrodden motivated. Inspiration is crucial, but so is a plan. Here are four keys to leading in difficult times:

Keep a cool head.

There's an oft-used phrase referring to leadership: The speed of the leader is the speed of the team. No doubt, a leader's behavior has a trickle-down effect. When your organization is paddling rough waters, what the team needs more than ever is focus. Leaders who show signs of panic or fear will not keep their teams on-point.
The team needs to be calm to focus. It's essential you show confidence and a collected demeanor in front of your team,  regardless of the emotions flowing through your veins Direct the focus away from fear to the task of turning around the business.

Be brilliantly transparent with your team.

The leader who is in a public state of denial will not endear himself to his team. The group will begin to whisper and disintegrate. Keep employees in the loop when the company is facing challenges.
If the right people populate your organization, they will rally and help you tackle the challenges. They have ideas that can help, but they'll only come out if you fully explain the situation. The key is to not be reckless in your transparency, but brilliant. Sharing your worries simply to get them off your chest does little good. A leader must steer his team's focus to tackling the problem.
Related: How a Transparent Team Culture Can Improve Customer Service

Paint an inspiring vision.

A team needs a unifying vision more than ever when facing adversity. A united team can overcome obstacles but a panicked team will surely crumble. Good leaders will paint a vision for their teams and develop with them a strategy for getting back on top.
As the plan progresses, publicly recognize steps in the right direction, however small the victories may be. Your team will begin to see the light on the other side of the tunnel and pick-up momentum. Never underestimate an inspired team's ability to accomplish great things – when they have a clear vision.

Move from reactive to proactive mode ASAP.

When a business has its back against the wall, reacting swiftly may take precedence over all else. Undoubtedly, your action timeline is cut short. But while a defensive, counter-puncher mode may be necessary for the short-term, the quicker you get your team back to a proactive state, the better long-term decisions will likely be. Play defense for as long as you have to and not a moment longer.
Whether it's a company or a division of a larger institution, chances are at some point, adversity will mar the landscape. Obstacles are a normal part of business and life. Resist the urge to feel sorry for yourself or play the blame or what-if games. You don't have time for that. Your team needs you more now then ever. Get focused and remember that the best teams arise from adversity that much stronger for getting through the experience.

culled from:entrepreneur.com

The 5 Things All Great Managers Do

By Chad Brooks

If it seems like your boss isn't cut out for their job, you're probably right.

Despite the importance of putting the right people in charge, companies fail to choose the managerial candidate with the right talent for the job 82 percent of the time, according to new research from Gallup. The research revealed that, overall, just 1 in 10 people possess the talent needed to manage others.

The study's authors said that while many workers are endowed with some of the necessary traits, few have the talent needed to help a team achieve excellence in a way that significantly improves a company's performance.

"These 10 percent, when put in manager roles, naturally engage team members and customers, retain top performers, and sustain a culture of high productivity," the study's authors, Gallup managing partner Randall Beck and Jim Harter, chief scientist in Gallup's workplace management practice, wrote in the research. "It's important to note that another two in 10 people exhibit some characteristics of basic managerial talent and can function at a high level if their company invests in coaching and developmental plans for them."

Gallup listed these five talents of great managers.

    They motivate every single employee to take action and engage employees with a compelling mission and vision.
    They have the assertiveness to drive outcomes and the ability to overcome adversity and resistance.
    They create a culture of clear accountability.
    They build relationships that create trust, open dialogue and full transparency.
    They make decisions based on productivity, not politics.

"Very few people can pull off all five of these requirements of good management," the study's authors wrote. "Most managers end up with team members who, at best, are indifferent toward their work -- or, at worst, are hell-bent on spreading their negativity to colleagues and customers."

The research suggests that companies miss the mark on hiring managers because the conventional selection process is ineffective. When Gallup asked U.S. managers why they believed they were hired for their current role, they commonly cited their success in a previous non-managerial role or their tenure in their company or field.

"Most companies promote workers into managerial positions because they seemingly deserve it, rather than have the talent for it," the authors wrote. "This practice doesn't work."

Researchers say the good news is that sufficient management talent exists in every company.

"It's often hiding in plain sight," the authors wrote. "Leaders should maximize this potential by choosing the right person for the next management role using predictive analytics to guide their identification of talent."

culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

If it seems like your boss isn't cut out for their job, you're probably right.
Despite the importance of putting the right people in charge, companies fail to choose the managerial candidate with the right talent for the job 82 percent of the time, according to new research from Gallup. The research revealed that, overall, just 1 in 10 people possess the talent needed to manage others.
The study's authors said that while many workers are endowed with some of the necessary traits, few have the talent needed to help a team achieve excellence in a way that significantly improves a company's performance.
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6129-good-manager-skills.html#sthash.Jdnav9Do.dpufIf it seems like your boss isn't cut out for their job, you're probably right.

Despite the importance of putting the right people in charge, companies fail to choose the managerial candidate with the right talent for the job 82 percent of the time, according to new research from Gallup. The research revealed that, overall, just 1 in 10 people possess the talent needed to manage others.

The study's authors said that while many workers are endowed with some of the necessary traits, few have the talent needed to help a team achieve excellence in a way that significantly improves a company's performance.

6 Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Face (and How to Overcome Them)

By Nicole Fallon

Entrepreneurship was once considered a man's territory, but each year, more and more women set out on the journey to launch and lead their own companies. These business-savvy ladies inspire other women with dreams of founding startups, but many female business owners face still face significant obstacles because of their gender. Female CEOs shared a few of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs face today, and how to overcome them.

Women entrepreneurs think they need to act like men.

Most female business owners who have attended networking events can relate to this scenario: You walk into a crowded seminar and can count the number of women there on one hand. When women entrepreneurs have to talk business with primarily male executives, it can be intimidating.

To compensate and protect themselves, women often feel as though they need to adopt a stereotypically "male" attitude toward business: competitive, aggressive and sometimes overly harsh. But Hilary Genga, founder and CEO of women's swimwear company Trunkettes, said this is the wrong approach to take. [5 Lessons for Women Leaders]

"Be yourself, and have confidence in who you are," Genga said. "Don't try to be a man. You made it to where you are through hard work and perseverance, but most importantly, you're there. Don't conform yourself to a man's idea of what a leader should look like."

Sharon Rowlands, CEO of digital marketing firm ReachLocal, agreed that confidence is the key to success, even when you're up against a boardroom full of men. Rowlands noted that when she was a newly appointed CEO, she often felt her ideas received more scrutiny than those from her male colleagues. However, she didn't let that discourage her from being a great business leader, she said.

"I had confidence in my abilities to run the business," Rowlands told Business News Daily. "I just made sure that any initiative I was trying to move forward was backed up by a solid business case. I was never unprepared for the questions that I knew would come. I [also] think many women naturally have extraordinary common sense, a sharp intuitive sense and a great focus on people. These are extremely valuable in business and can help to set us apart as leaders."

Women-owned startups receive significantly less investor funding.

Not every startup founder looks for investors to help his or her business get off the ground, but those who do know how difficult the pitching process can be. Raising capital is even more difficult for women-owned firms: A 2014 Babson College report found that less than 3 percent of venture capital-funded companies had a female CEO.

Bonnie Crater, CEO and founder of Salesforce performance management solution Full Circle CRM, said that venture capitalists tend to invest in startups run by people of their own "tribe" — for instance, a Stanford-educated investor will want to back a Stanford alumnus's business. This means that VC firms with female partners are more likely to invest in women-run startups, but according to Babson, that only accounts for 6 percent of U.S. firms. If a woman is looking for business investors, Crater advised building confidence through a great team and business plan.

"Investors are [typically] looking for businesses that can grow to over $1 billion in valuation," Crater said. "Think about how to do that. If you have experts on your founding team that can execute the business [operations] well, investors will have confidence in those people. [You also] need a good product market fit."

Emotions and nurturing skills can affect women's businesses.

Though trying to act like a man doesn't guarantee success for a female entrepreneur, allowing her "feminine" qualities to stand in the way of getting things done isn't necessarily recommended, either. By nature, women are more emotional and nurturing, which can sometimes be a hindrance to running a business.

"For men, a business is mostly about the bottom line, but for women, it's more than that," said Delia Passi, CEO of WomenCertified, home of the Women's Choice Award. "We get emotionally connected, and that can hold us back from making the tough decisions. Male board members and investors get frustrated when we're not as quick to fire or make dramatic business changes that could impact employees' families."

Passi noted that women also tend to place a high premium on building up relationships that they hope will naturally lead to sales. Connections are highly important to success, and nurturing strong professional relationships can go a long way. However, Passi reminded female entrepreneurs to also be direct and stay focused on their business goals. 

Women often lack the support of other female business leaders.

Long before she founded online women's eyewear boutique Rivet & Sway, CEO Sarah Bryar worked with undergraduate female engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These "trailblazers," as Bryar described them, felt insecure about being in the minority as women who excelled in math and science, and longed for more camaraderie and support from female peers in their fields.

"The main challenge for female entrepreneurs is just like the challenge for female engineering students: There just aren't enough of us," Bryar told Business News Daily. "There aren't enough women to be role models, act as sounding boards, do deals with — in short, to create normalcy for women in leadership positions."

Despite the quickly growing number of female executives and business owners, finding fellow women entrepreneurs to connect with isn't always easy. Women-focused networking events like American Express OPEN's CEO BootCamp are good places to start, as well as online forums and groups specifically created for women in business.

"Opportunities to lead do exist for women," Bryar said. "We just need to continue to support and promote women in the limelight to encourage others to come along for the ride."

Many women have to balance raising families with running their businesses.

Work-life balance is often a goal of entrepreneurs across the board, but mothers who start businesses have to simultaneously run their families and their companies.

"Being a mother while running a business is very challenging," Genga said. "There are ways to balance your time, but the perception is that you could be more effective running your business if you didn't have to deal with kids."

Genga said she has learned to not take shortcomings on either front too seriously, and to not beat herself up over the little things, like missing a class trip with her children. "Momtrepreneurs" have dual responsibilities to their businesses and to their families, and finding ways to devote time to both is key to truly achieving that elusive work-life balance.

Women entrepreneurs are afraid of failure.

According to Babson College's 2012 Global Entrepreneur Monitor, the fear of failure is the top concern of women who launch startups. Failure is a very real possibility in any business venture, but Passi said it shouldn't be viewed as negative.

"You need to have massive failure to have massive success," Passi said. "You may need 100 'no's' to get one 'yes,' but that one 'yes' will make you more successful tomorrow than you were today."

Bryar offered similar advice for female entrepreneurs, encouraging them to work through the moments of self-doubt that every business owner faces.

"Work hard at ignoring that inner voice that may discourage taking action, speaking up or getting outside your comfort zone," she said. "It's something I struggle with myself, but I know fundamentally that I wouldn't be a CEO today if I hadn't taken chances to assert myself."

culled from:businessnewsdaily.com

To compensate and protect themselves, women often feel as though they need to adopt a stereotypically "male" attitude toward business: competitive, aggressive and sometimes overly harsh. But Hilary Genga, founder and CEO of women's swimwear company Trunkettes, said this is the wrong approach to take. [5 Lessons for Women Leaders]
"Be yourself, and have confidence in who you are," Genga said. "Don't try to be a man. You made it to where you are through hard work and perseverance, but most importantly, you're there. Don't conform yourself to a man's idea of what a leader should look like."
Sharon Rowlands, CEO of digital marketing firm ReachLocal, agreed that confidence is the key to success, even when you're up against a boardroom full of men. Rowlands noted that when she was a newly appointed CEO, she often felt her ideas received more scrutiny than those from her male colleagues. However, she didn't let that discourage her from being a great business leader, she said.
"I had confidence in my abilities to run the business," Rowlands told Business News Daily. "I just made sure that any initiative I was trying to move forward was backed up by a solid business case. I was never unprepared for the questions that I knew would come. I [also] think many women naturally have extraordinary common sense, a sharp intuitive sense and a great focus on people. These are extremely valuable in business and can help to set us apart as leaders."
Women-owned startups receive significantly less investor funding.
Not every startup founder looks for investors to help his or her business get off the ground, but those who do know how difficult the pitching process can be. Raising capital is even more difficult for women-owned firms: A 2014 Babson College report found that less than 3 percent of venture capital-funded companies had a female CEO.
Bonnie Crater, CEO and founder of Salesforce performance management solution Full Circle CRM, said that venture capitalists tend to invest in startups run by people of their own "tribe" — for instance, a Stanford-educated investor will want to back a Stanford alumnus's business. This means that VC firms with female partners are more likely to invest in women-run startups, but according to Babson, that only accounts for 6 percent of U.S. firms. If a woman is looking for business investors, Crater advised building confidence through a great team and business plan.
"Investors are [typically] looking for businesses that can grow to over $1 billion in valuation," Crater said. "Think about how to do that. If you have experts on your founding team that can execute the business [operations] well, investors will have confidence in those people. [You also] need a good product market fit."
Emotions and nurturing skills can affect women's businesses.
Though trying to act like a man doesn't guarantee success for a female entrepreneur, allowing her "feminine" qualities to stand in the way of getting things done isn't necessarily recommended, either. By nature, women are more emotional and nurturing, which can sometimes be a hindrance to running a business.
"For men, a business is mostly about the bottom line, but for women, it's more than that," said Delia Passi, CEO of WomenCertified, home of the Women's Choice Award. "We get emotionally connected, and that can hold us back from making the tough decisions. Male board members and investors get frustrated when we're not as quick to fire or make dramatic business changes that could impact employees' families."
Passi noted that women also tend to place a high premium on building up relationships that they hope will naturally lead to sales. Connections are highly important to success, and nurturing strong professional relationships can go a long way. However, Passi reminded female entrepreneurs to also be direct and stay focused on their business goals.
Women often lack the support of other female business leaders.
Long before she founded online women's eyewear boutique Rivet & Sway, CEO Sarah Bryar worked with undergraduate female engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These "trailblazers," as Bryar described them, felt insecure about being in the minority as women who excelled in math and science, and longed for more camaraderie and support from female peers in their fields.
"The main challenge for female entrepreneurs is just like the challenge for female engineering students: There just aren't enough of us," Bryar told Business News Daily. "There aren't enough women to be role models, act as sounding boards, do deals with — in short, to create normalcy for women in leadership positions."
Despite the quickly growing number of female executives and business owners, finding fellow women entrepreneurs to connect with isn't always easy. Women-focused networking events like American Express OPEN's CEO BootCamp are good places to start, as well as online forums and groups specifically created for women in business.
"Opportunities to lead do exist for women," Bryar said. "We just need to continue to support and promote women in the limelight to encourage others to come along for the ride."
Many women have to balance raising families with running their businesses.
Work-life balance is often a goal of entrepreneurs across the board, but mothers who start businesses have to simultaneously run their families and their companies.
"Being a mother while running a business is very challenging," Genga said. "There are ways to balance your time, but the perception is that you could be more effective running your business if you didn't have to deal with kids."
Genga said she has learned to not take shortcomings on either front too seriously, and to not beat herself up over the little things, like missing a class trip with her children. "Momtrepreneurs" have dual responsibilities to their businesses and to their families, and finding ways to devote time to both is key to truly achieving that elusive work-life balance.
Women entrepreneurs are afraid of failure.
According to Babson College's 2012 Global Entrepreneur Monitor, the fear of failure is the top concern of women who launch startups. Failure is a very real possibility in any business venture, but Passi said it shouldn't be viewed as negative.
"You need to have massive failure to have massive success," Passi said. "You may need 100 'no's' to get one 'yes,' but that one 'yes' will make you more successful tomorrow than you were today."
Bryar offered similar advice for female entrepreneurs, encouraging them to work through the moments of self-doubt that every business owner faces.
"Work hard at ignoring that inner voice that may discourage taking action, speaking up or getting outside your comfort zone," she said. "It's something I struggle with myself, but I know fundamentally that I wouldn't be a CEO today if I hadn't taken chances to assert myself."
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5268-women-entrepreneur-challenges.html#sthash.IXa0l6CL.dpuf

Entrepreneurship was once considered a man's territory, but each year, more and more women set out on the journey to launch and lead their own companies. These business-savvy ladies inspire other women with dreams of founding startups, but many female business owners face still face significant obstacles because of their gender. Female CEOs shared a few of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs face today, and how to overcome them.
Women entrepreneurs think they need to act like men.
Most female business owners who have attended networking events can relate to this scenario: You walk into a crowded seminar and can count the number of women there on one hand. When women entrepreneurs have to talk business with primarily male executives, it can be intimidating.
- See more at: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5268-women-entrepreneur-challenges.html#sthash.IXa0l6CL.dpuf

7 Strategies for Tailoring a Custom-Fit Sales Pitch for Each Prospect

Leyl Black

Contributor

We all know the feeling of zoning out during a sales presentation, but you can probably recall a time when the pitch had you nodding your head in agreement. Every once in a while, the presentation seems like it was designed just for you. How can you replicate that feeling every time you deliver yours?
Here are seven pitch strategies that will make your prospects nod in agreement instead of nodding off.

1. Get to the point.

It’s tempting to kick things off by talking a bit about your background, your company, your customers, maybe a few high-level trends you’re seeing. These elements seem like you’re establishing credibility, but actually you’re distracting from your real mission.
Don’t let these intros drag on, or turn into an elaborate set-up of the “industry context.” This is a sure-fire way to sap all the energy out of the room. Introduce yourself quickly, then get right to the point.

2. Make the story about them (not you).

Many years ago, I worked at an agency that brought in a consultant to review our new business pitches. About halfway through a lengthy overview about our agency’s capabilities, he interrupted to ask, “That’s great. But when are you going to talk about me?”
People want to hear a story about them, not watch a dog-and-pony show about your company or product. Orient your narrative around what they need, and position your offering in the context of how it can solve their specific problems.

3. Understand their needs.

According to a 2014 study by Qvidian, salespeople often lose deals because they haven’t customized their content to their buyer’s needs. Do your homework ahead of time so you know what’s important to your buyer.
Ask , “What keeps you up at night?” This gets at their known business needs, but may also uncover deeper needs that don’t show up on the RFP.
If someone says, “We’re getting crushed in the media by our competitor… and our CEO is really breathing down my neck about it,” I know that I should orient my pitch around how we can help him build share of voice, but also how we can help him measure and report on results to his CEO.

4. Feel their pain.

People rarely make buying decisions based solely on the facts. Their emotions also play a part. Try to empathize with how someone in your prospect’s role might be feeling.
For example, a Wall Street analyst will care about how she can use your data to uncover new opportunities, but maybe she’s also eager to look smarter than the rest of the team. Talk to her about how your solution will give her an advantage or make her a hero.

5. Show, don’t tell.

To deepen engagement, allow your prospects to experience something and come to a conclusion on their own, rather than having a point painfully laid out for them.
Instead of succumbing to the urge to recite a long list of features and benefits, show your product or service in action.
For example, instead of descriptive bullet points when I’m recommending a particular communications strategy, I’ll often show a few screenshots of media coverage that resulted from the strategy, then talk through how we got there. If you have some good examples, show how similar customers are taking advantage of your product’s relevant features, through screenshots, charts or pictures.

6. Write slide titles that tell the story.

Journalists learn early on not to “bury the lede.” The same rule can be applied to sales decks. Make it easy for your prospects to follow along. Whatever you do, don’t bury the most important points midway through a slide, or rely on your voice-over to convey the message.
To ensure each slide packs a punch, write slide titles that tell the story on their own. Instead of “Company Overview” as a title, you might try “20 Years of Impact” or “A Leader in the Community.” This will also help you weed out extraneous slides. If you can’t summarize the point of the slide in the headline, it probably doesn’t have one.

7. Make it portable.

Congratulations! You’ve wowed your prospect with your pitch, they’re excited to move forward... now they just need to get approval from their manager. Uh oh.
Even the most straightforward sales may have gate-keepers and people who influence the buying decision, but you might not have a chance to get in front of them. If your sales pitch tells a clear story about your prospect’s needs and shows how you can address them, it can actually create a lean-forward experience on its own. Write your deck so you're confident that it sells, with or without you.

culled from:entrepreneur.com

Be a Team-First Manager and Watch Your Customer Service Soar

Mark Davis

Contributor

Most founders have two stakeholders to please: customers and employees.
While that sounds easy enough, it isn’t always simple. There are times when the best interest of a customer is at odds with that of an employee. For example, imagine an upset customer who is becoming demanding of an employee. How do you solve this? Is the customer always right? It begs the question: Which group is more important to management? This question is an important one. It is critical to determine which group to build your company around, as it can magnetize your management decisions in one direction or another, leading to policy shifts and more broadly defining the overall ethos of your company.

But, can’t they be equally important? Any successful manager has to be thinking deeply about the needs of both groups. I do, however, think that management teams need to take a position -- when it hits the fan, who do they care about more?
Just to clarify, I’m not talking about extreme situations. When a member of the team is underperforming, the client deserves their due. When a customer is making unreasonable demands, you have to shield your team. But this question goes deeper than relatively black-and-white situations. It’s about ethos, culture and how the company is built.
Let me ask the question another way. Which would you rather lose -- all of your customers or your entire team? There’s no right answer of course, and the thought of either stings. I personally would rather lose my customers. In most businesses, hiring and training is a bigger lift than acquiring customers. I personally believe that the right team will stick it out through hard times and find more customers. That might not be how all managers think about that question, but it’s how I do. I’m a team-first manager.

I don’t think I’m alone in this view. While founders of companies with extreme customer concentration might choose to prioritize their customers, I think most other founders have already unknowingly chosen to put their team first. Have a mobile app with tens of thousands of users? You’re very likely to be team first. But what if you just have a few dozen clients? The choice might be more difficult.
What does putting your team first mean? What it doesn’t mean is undervaluing customers or delivering poor customer service. Quite the contrary. It means that investing in culture, training and employee well-being is priority number one. The magic is that prioritizing your team and culture actually leads to a healthier business. Happy teams fight to keep their company alive so they don’t have to get a job they’ll like less. When people like their work environment and colleagues, they train each other and enjoy solving the hard problems the business is facing before those issues fester.
Retaining team members and hiring new is easier. And, what happens when people work hard and are happy? They almost always deliver an incredible customer experience. I believe that if you put your team first, you’ll have a stronger company -- and ultimately deliver better customer service.

culled from:entrepreneur.com

6 Reasons Why 'My Way or the Highway' Management Doesn't Work Anymore

Brenton Hayden

Contributor

Say what you will about opposites attracting -- the fact is that for the most part, we feel drawn towards those who are most like us. This is especially the case in upper levels of management. A quick look at leaders within companies will reveal that there tends to be a common culture -- a workplace not of diversity, but sameness -- in thought and action.
But while it’s only natural to appreciate those who follow and never challenge us, being too comfortable can obstruct the innovation, leadership and direction necessary to drive your company forward. When I hire, I look for people who will challenge me -- those who aren’t afraid to tell me things that may be tough to hear. When making key decisions, I want to be surrounded by those who will question my strategies and suggest changes that I may not have thought of.

When assembling your team, you don’t want people who think the same as you and who will agree with you every step of the way. It may sound counter intuitive, but you want thought leaders who will challenge you, question you and force you to explain yourself. Here are six reasons why:

1. Yes men will get in your way.

They’ll agree with you and make you feel better about yourself, but in the long run, yes men -- or women -- will become your worst nightmare. They’re not sincere, and they can’t be trusted, especially not in positions of authority. They’ll agree with what you say, but they won’t call you out on areas where you may be mistaken -- areas that if left unchecked could land you into trouble. Nowhere would this be more disastrous then when key decisions such as during an acquisition or merger are being made. Being surrounded by a group of yes men could sway you into making decisions that could seriously jeopardize the future of your company.

2. A fresh perspective can lead to innovation.

Constructive feedback is essential and a necessary part of innovation. The ability to run ideas by a team of objective thinkers is truly invaluable and giving your team the freedom to think independently of you can lead to tremendously valuable ideas. Allen Wesson, internal auditor of the Dallas Independent School District, tells of an employee who approached him with a plan to expand school audits. “I gave her time and freedom to develop her idea,” says Wesson. The result? An audit program that added significant value to the school and district.
It’s easy to develop tunnel vision, believing that our ideas are the best way to do things. But by seeking out opinions that may be different from ours, we bring in a fresh perspective -- the best way to get an honest and unbiased assessment of the situation.

3. Empowering your team will motivate them.

The best way to motivate your team is by giving them a sense of empowerment -- and independence.
“Autonomy is one of our fundamental human needs -- an essential component of a healthy workplace,” says Nadia Goodman, M.A.
According to Ben Dattner, an organizational psychologist and founder of Dattner Consulting, independence in the workplace fills our need for intrinsic motivation. Giving your team the freedom to generate new ideas and rewarding independent thinkers will go a long way towards creating an exceptional work culture where employees are happier, more motivated and committed to their jobs.
Related: Be the Leader They Respect: Your Weekly Tips (VIDEO)

4. Independent thinkers can help you to get the right result.

“It’s nice when people agree, but if everyone thought along the same lines all the time, nothing would ever change,” says Richard Branson. “Every company needs mavericks. Independence of thinking should be celebrated and encouraged.”
“The worst culture you can ingrain within a business is an atmosphere of saying yes to everything,” Branson continues. “When you are debating a new idea, those who disagree are crucial to getting the right result in the end. Yes men will only ever get so far.”

5. Thought leaders will keep you humble.

Stop thinking your way’s the only one. It’s not. Often, there are 100 ways to reach the end result, and chances are some of them may be better than yours. Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and try to ask opinions from those who you know will disagree with you. Often this can reveal real flaws in your plan. Keeping humble will save you from presuming that your strategies are infallible, and will help you to keep an open mind -- something that’s extremely important when there are major decisions with serious implications on the line.

6. What about losing control?

How do you empower your team without losing control of your company? Surrounding yourself with different advisers doesn’t mean that you have to hand over the reins of your business, but it does mean that you master the art of listening and considering a situation from new angles.
While conflicting viewpoints can be difficult to hear, often they’re exactly what you need. Striving to create a culture where new ideas and different opinions are encouraged will result in a workplace that’s thriving and growing -- one where innovation becomes second nature.
Is your work culture a place where challenging ideas and independent thinking is encouraged?

culled from:entrepreneur.com

Why Every Company Needs a Dream Manager

Matt Mayberry

Contributor

Increasing employee engagement, creating a healthier culture and building a world-class organization that sees exceptional growth every year is what all leaders in any industry wants for their organization. If that is the goal for most leaders, then why do so few organizations succeed at the above three?
There are a ton of reasons that may be hindering an organizations success, but one key area that majority of companies completely neglect or refuse to pay any attention to is their employees’ personal dreams and desires.

I recently spent some time with Infusionsoft at their headquarters in Chandler, Arizona. You may have heard of them already, but Infusionsoft is a complete sales and marketing automation software for small businesses. I was completely blown away by their positive and healthy culture, employees and everyone’s eagerness to build the company to even greater success.
There are plenty of people who deserve credit for the culture at Infusionsoft, especially their CEO Clate Mask. What took me by surprise though was to find out that they have someone on staff who is actually labeled as their dream manager. Dan Ralphs, who is the dream manager at Infusionsoft, has one job description -- to help the employees of the company achieve their personal dreams.
One of the company’s employees a few years back had read The Dream Manager by bestselling author Matthew Kelly. He loved the book so much that he desperately wanted to get it in the hands of Clate Mask, the CEO of the company. Being an avid reader and leader who is always looking to grow himself, Clate accepted the book and read it on a flight. Once he was finished with the book, he immediately knew that Infusionsoft was going to going to have a dream manager on staff.
In the book, Kelly writes, “The future of your organization and the potential of your employees are intertwined -- their destinies are linked.” At Infusionsoft, you see this clearly, as employees are actively engaged in the workplace while passionately helping the organization build towards the grander vision while in return, the organization is passionately helping employees work towards their biggest personal dreams.

culled from:entrepreneur.com

Being All Things To All People Is a Marketing Dead End

Dixie Gillaspie

Contributor

It’s true that pretty much everyone wants the same things. If you’re selling to businesses you already know that your prospects share some universal desires; they want more clients or customers, more income and less stress. If you’re selling to consumers you know they have universal desires as well; they want to save money, have more life enjoyment and satisfaction, and less stress.
So why is it that when you have a product or service that you know will deliver on one or more of those desires people aren’t jumping at the opportunity to do business with you?
Usually the answer I get from entrepreneurs is, “They just don’t understand what we can really do for them.”
No, that really isn’t why. The real reason is they don’t believe what you claim you can do for them.
If you’re promising you can save them money or make them money, just think about how many similar promises they hear every day. For that matter, think about how many similar promises you hear every day, then ask yourself how many of them you believe.
There are two reasons people don’t believe in your promise. Fortunately, there is one method you can use to overcome them both.

They have limited imaginations.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re promising more money, less stress or a better life, if they can’t imagine it they won’t believe you can help them achieve it. They might understand what you do, and they might believe that you can do it for other people, but until they have that vision of what that would look like in their own life they aren’t going to buy something or hire someone to help them make it happen.

They’ve heard it before, they’ve bought it before and it didn’t work.

No matter what you promise, if your message speaks to these universal desires you can bet there are others making a similar promise who don’t deliver. Maybe they’re the classic “snake oil traveling salesman,” or maybe their solution just wasn’t a match for the buyer’s problem, but we’ve all been “had” by someone making that all-encompassing promise. It’s no wonder people are skeptical.

The key is to be specific and relevant.

In creating your brand story and marketing message, rather than make big promises of solving universal problems, paint a picture for your prospect of what their life will look like when those solutions are in place. To be relevant you’ll need to have a concise grasp of who you’re marketing to. A life with less stress doesn’t look the same to a mother of three who is a VP in a large bank as it does to a single, childless new college graduate who is interning for a startup tech company.
But when you use your marketing message to communicate a picture to the working mother of how, with less stress, she can arrive at the office organized and ready for the meeting with a smile on her face, or you illustrate for the new college graduate how he’ll replace the dread of making a mistake with the confidence that he’s building a good reputation, you’re demonstrating a unique selling proposition by being more specific and more relevant than anyone who has made similar promises before you.
The same is true when you create a message that helps the overwhelmed project manager imagine what it would be like to have a team that is dependable, self-sufficient and highly collaborative versus the message that helps the new solopreneur imagine what it will be like to delegate and outsource some of the more tedious tasks on his list.
Once you’ve developed a story for each market segment you’re pursing that allows your prospect to imagine how their life will change because of their choice to hire you or buy from you, you’ve got a strong foundation for overcoming both the limited imagination and the skepticism. Because chances are no one has ever promised exactly what you’re promising in exactly the same way, and just as likely, no one has ever taken time to show them the life changes they’re really buying into when they buy from you.

culled from:entrepreneur.com