May / June 2004, Issue 1

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the first bi-monthly issue of Building Blocks to Success! BB2S is your free source for information related to sales, service, leadership, and career transition.

BB2S will be made up of a series of short articles written by successful business folks like you who are writing about what they know best. As we build momentum and gain readership, we’ll be looking for guest columnists that want to offer their expertise to a wide range of business owners, corporate types, and job searchers. Feel free to pass along a copy to friends, associates, and colleagues.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, drop us a line at info@building-blocks.net.

-Michael

Did I say that?

A client recently asked me to assess the presentation skills of a job candidate (we’ll call him Bill) who was being interviewed for a training position. The position involved delivering a two-day program helping those in search of a job. Bill was to participate in a real program with 15 business folks who had the misfortune of being downsized.

I delivered the program on the first day while Bill observed. On the second day, Bill presents a pre-determined part of the program – in this case interviewing skills. He observed my presentation once again in the morning and then presented his piece in the afternoon. I was in the back of the room with a feedback form and bag of popcorn waiting for the action to begin.

Bill’s opening was pretty good. It consisted of a number of interesting statistics presented on a flip chart. After this, disaster struck. Bill called people by name and asked direct questions that related to specific terms in the book. When participants responded with "the wrong answers," Bill became visibly annoyed. He panicked a bit and began taking it out on the group. In fact, after a response to one of his questions, Bill stated, "That’s not what we’re talking about and certainly not what I’m thinking of." He alienated most of the group as his tone became increasingly uncomfortable. And he knew it. Afterward I let him know that I knew it, too. In fact, when I mentioned some of his comments, Bill replied, "Did I say that? I guess I was so focused on my agenda that I forgot about what the group needed." Would you hire Bill? We didn’t.

How you respond to folks in a group setting either makes them feel OK or Not-OK. In being prepared with your topic and maintaining a supportive attitude, you’re more likely to increase your credibility and rapport with a group – making everyone feel OK. This goes for sales presentations, business meetings, training sessions, and more. Here’s a short list to help you feel more confident in saying what you mean and meaning what you say.

• Get to meetings early so you can shake a few hands and kiss a few babies. Introduce yourself and learn the names of people you’ll be working with.
• Use people’s names as you would in conversation, and don’t put anyone on the spot.
• Learn about the concerns, issues, and dynamics the groups you’ll be speaking with. Then take everything you need to say from their perspective. It’s always about the group, not the presenter.
• Be yourself! If you attempt to emulate another approach, you will come across as phony and unnatural.
• Avoid the use of off-color materials or remarks. You lose credibility, a sense of professionalism, and may offend someone.
• If you’re unsure of an answer to a question, you can say something like, "I’m not sure but I’ll get back to you with an answer." And get back to them with an answer. If you’re presenting to a group, you can sometimes get away with throwing the question back to them and getting great responses.
• Never lose your temper before an audience. Once you do, it’s over.
• Keep in mind that you are talking to real people. They don’t expect you to be perfect any more than you expect perfection of others. Most people are looking for honest, easy-to-understand conversation that’s delivered clearly and concisely.

What you say and how you say it goes a long way in communicating your message, building credibility, establishing relationships, and gaining respect. In a group setting it’s magnified a million times. Just ask Bill.

Michael Goldberg is a speaker, trainer, and the President of Building Blocks Consulting. He helps organizations achieve measurable growth in sales, service, and leadership. Michael delivers seminars, runs sales meetings, and conducts training programs on networking, leadership, public speaking, customer service, and job search. He can be reached at 732-446-2233 or via e-mail at megoldberg@building-blocks.net.

If you have questions, we have answers. Just Ask!

Michael,

As the owner of a small business with men and women working together, what written policy should I institute to show employees and have them sign as a method of agreed compliance?

Howard Rossman, President
Travel Reservations
Howard.travelres@wspan.com

Howard,

The first thought that comes to mind is a Sexual Harassment policy. If you work in an organization – even a small one with only a handful of employees, you are liable if you don’t have a sexual harassment policy. Most small businesses (and larger ones) take a big risk in not having a policy. They figure that they have a small, tight knit group of folks so what can happen? Of course, the first question the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) may ask you when a claim is filed by one of your tight knit employees is if you have a policy in place. The second question is usually about how you communicate the policy to staff and if there is training delivered on an annual or bi-annual basis on Sexual Harassment Prevention.

It’s a great practice to invest in having a Sexual Harassment Prevention policy and process rolled out into your organization complete with training and signed compliance forms. In doing so you protect yourself and your business from liability and you cultivate a safe and professional work environment.

Regards,
Michael

Building Blocks to Success is a newsletter published by Building Blocks Consulting. Feel free to visit our website at www.building-blocks.net. If you do not wish to receive our newsletter, click here to unsubscribe.

A guest column by…
Ted Polmar, President of Design Graphics

The Value of an Online Newsletter

Being in the graphics business for over 25 years, I have had the pleasure of designing, writing and producing hundreds of newsletters for clients in a variety of businesses. These have been in print as well as online. Many believe that a newsletter is simply a vehicle to deliver information to a targeted audience. Although this is clearly an important aspect, there is more to consider in producing an effective newsletter.

What are some of the objectives of a "typical newsletter"? What does a newsletter do for you, your company, or your organization? A well designed and written newsletter creates brand recognition for your company and establishes your credibility in the marketplace. Newsletters can inform readers of industry trends, breaking news, product updates and other relevant issues.

An informative newsletter establishes you as an expert in your field and may insure you a credible position among your peers. In writing an ongoing column addressing issues of concern and challenges your prospects may be facing, you become a knowledgeable resource in your field. In fact, if your newsletter reaches current clients, as well as prospects– it can be more effective than an expensive advertising campaign. When the copy is written in a delightful, easy to comprehend manner, your readers will look forward to it and miss it if it doesn’t get delivered to them in a timely manner.

Why do you need to put your newsletter online? There are a number of benefits. For one thing it’s easier now than ever to do. Newsletters can be easily formatted and assembled by a knowledgeable employee rather than an expensive artist. There is significant savings in print and postage.

More importantly, you exhibit that your company is on the cutting edge of technology and you have the most advanced product or service in the market. The exposure to the decision makers is amazing and when it comes time to consider a purchase, your Company’s product or service will be clearly the obvious choice. Finally, having an online presence makes it easier for prospects to visit your website, learn about your company, and make contact with you directly. Newsletters are the best and least expensive way to gain awareness in the targeted business community.

For more information regarding the design of online newsletters, websites, marketing collateral, corporate identity programs, etc. feel free to contact me. You can also login to my online business network at: www.bizcircles.com and select a convenient community to join.

Ted Polmar is a marketing strategist and the President of Design Graphics, a company providing services in design, print and web media. He also is the founder of BizCircles.com, an application which builds online business networks for membership-based organizations. He can be reached at 800-239-1605 or email at tpolmar@designgraphics.com.