I Went to Jail - Again

For the second time, I had the privilege of teaching job-seeking skills to a group of men incarcerated at the Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center at Camp Minden. While the group was different than my first trip out there, their attentiveness was just as strong.

One of the keys to a successful life on the “outside” is finding meaningful employment. When I asked how many of these men believed they had a skill to earn a good living, nearly every hand was raised.

The reality is that an ex-convict faces an uphill battle to obtain employment. There are plenty of job seekers out there without a criminal record.

Knowing that, I shared the following steps (along with others) with these men. These are steps that any job seeker should put into action.

1. Do your homework. Just like a great salesperson researches and prepares for a client, a job seeker should research and prepare for an interview. That means learning all they know about the company, and its leadership.
   
   
   Also, a job seeker should have a resume ready — tailored to the company who has the job they seek. We have all seen too many resumes with “To obtain a position with a company that utilizes my skills.... blah blah blah.”
   
   
2. Dress for the part. Show up for the interview in the proper attire. You don't have to wear a suit to an interview to be a welder, but you better wear the best casual clothes you have. No holes, etc.
   
   
   Don't have much money? Places like Goodwill have plenty of great clothes. You can typically put together something interview worthy for less than $20.
   
   
3. Look the interviewer in the eye, OR The ear? When interviewing a potential employee, eye contact is a major indicator. Someone who fails to make eye contact brings integrity into question. 
   
   
   Some people just have a problem looking others in the eye. To combat this, a job seeker can look at the ear of the interviewer. It can solve the issue, and the interviewer doesn't know the difference.
   
   
4. Follow up with a Thank You. People in sales know the power of the “Thank you” note. It sets them apart from others in sales. The same is true in the job seeking market. If someone is interviewing ten people for one position, a thank you note may keep your resume in the “review” pile.

These steps are no guarantee of employment, but they definitely help. As one of my colleagues says, “We are all in sales. We are selling ourselves.” And in the job-seeking market, no truer words were ever spoken.

Question:

As a leader, what things do you look for in any potential hire? What are some “red flags” you see all too often?

All Things to All People

Minden Press-Herald site - Circa 1998

I had an editor that worked for me who was as “old school” as they came. He believed in such things as the “inverted pyramid,” concise leads, and newspapers are to be printed on paper, not posted online.

At the time — the mid 1990's — he had a lot of company in his assessments, especially when it came to the online newspaper.

We went round and round about it. However, he agreed to post the day's stories on the newspaper's website — after 3 p.m. Being the boss does have its advantages.

I put a visitor counter on the page to see how many people would even care about the stories online.

Then, a funny thing happened. My editor started watching the counter each day.

He would run the numbers and see how many people viewed the website overnight. “150 last night,” he would say.

The numbers began to climb. “200 last night.”

Our site got picked up by a couple of search engines and that increased traffic. “500 last night.”

The anti-online guy started asking if we could put some breaking news items (i.e. traffic accident photos, weather alerts, etc.) online when they happened.

Of course I was all for that. It was a little more difficult to pull off in those days, as we still had to develop film and scan photographs to put them online.

As things warranted, my editor put them online — and watched the web traffic increase.

Fast forward 10 years...

I was on vacation with my family in the mountains of North Carolina. We were visiting my in-laws at a RV park near Asheville.

I woke up early one morning and ventured outside with my cup of coffee just in time to see the Citizen-Times carrier making his rounds. He must have thrown 90 percent of the RVs in that park.

As he passed, doors opened, followed by housecoats and slippers emerging from each RV. These people were anxiously awaiting their morning newspaper.

I was reminded of that “old school” editor who was so enamoured by the website traffic. His excitement turned a lot of his focus away from his “first love,” the printed newspaper.

What I witnessed that morning showed me that in our effort to stay relevant and embrace new technology opportunities, we should not forget who “brought us to the dance.”

The newspaper industry has to be all things to all people. To the baby-boomer and post-baby boomer, we need to be that consistent presence in print.

And to the up and coming generation, we need to be where they are — be it a website, mobile or social network.

We live in a time of constant change and changing opportunities. The leader who can properly balance the old and the new will thrive throughout all these changes.

Whatever happened to the "old school" editor?

After he left our newspaper, he edited his hometown newspaper for many years. He left that job and now publishes an online only news site in that same town.

Funny how things (and people) can change.

Question:
What are some ways your industry has changed? How did you adapt?

Everyone Is Looking for an "AND" from You

Have you seen those Coke Zero commercials where the guy is always asking "and?"

His attitude that there must be more than meets the eye is a great illustration of how consumers, clients and team members look any proposal, product or offer.

In the newspaper business, the advertising department is the revenue workhorse. While subscriptions bring in a good amount of revenue, it is advertising (in all its forms) that pays the majority of the bills.

In order for there to be advertising in the newspapers, there have to be advertising salespeople to solicit the ads. Anyone who has managed a sales force know it takes the right people, the right product and the right incentives to make it all work.

Gone are the days when salary plus commission were enough for the sales department to hit their marks. Even though many in management think, “selling is their job,” the proof is in the sales, or lack thereof.

Once it was realized that adding bonuses and incentives were key to sales success, many in my industry went overboard with cutesy contests and other programs — which led to lackluster results in many cases.

During a lunch meeting with a fellow publisher, the subject of incentives for salespeople came up. He made a statement regarding this I will never forget.

“Salespeople won't bust their tail for a chance to win something. They will bust their tail if they are guaranteed a win if they hit their mark.”

While contests are fun in a lot of ways, do not forget to reward for performance.

As managers, we need to “build in” investments in rewards and incentives into every project that requires sales. Our pricing structure should be such that it pays the bills, pays for a quality product and incentivize the salespeople.

Looking internally is a good start, but it is only half the solution.

Just like a municipality offers incentives for a sports team, industry, etc. to locate in their city, we should look for ways to offer incentives to our customers.

Many of those who are reading this column are thinking, “my product/service should not need any sort of gimmick for people to buy it.” I couldn't agree with you more.

But what should be reality and what is reality are two totally different things.

The truth is we all want a “better deal.” We wait for sales at our favorite retailers. We use coupons in the grocery store. We get excited when someone gives us a gift card to our favorite restaurant.

Another truth is your competition is already using incentives. Whether it is free vacations for their best customers, or a little something extra at the close of the sale, there are already incentives in play.

The sales “game” was once just about a product, a relationship and timing. But that game has changed.


It is time we all stepped up our game. AND win.




Until Next Time...

It's The Relationship, Stupid.

I recently had the opportunity to visit with a colleague from another industry. Our discussion was lively and informative. We talked about everything from the changing markets in our respective industries to the lack of branding some areas have.

As the discussion went along, I made the statement, “There is just no substitute for relationship.”

“You are absolutely right,” she said.

The statement, while not intended to be profound, opened up a discussion about how relationships are the key to success for any business, regardless of age, economic status or market.

Relationships can take many forms. With technology today, a relationship can begin via email or social networking. In fact, that relationship can be just as significant as any “face-to-face” one out there. The world has truly contracted to a smaller place.

That being said. There is still no better way to cultivate a relationship than “in person.” Looking someone in the eye and sharing your ideas has a dramatic impact.

In sales, it is the person with the best realationship who garners the business over the long term.

There is always a cheaper price somewhere, but not everyone has the best relationship.

When times (and budgets) get tight, it is the person with the best relationship that tends to keep the business.

Relationships help communities move forward, attract industries and survive setbacks. It is almost impossible to band together during tough times if you are the only one who is “banding.”

As business leaders, we should take advantage of opportunities to cultivate relationships with one another. Whether at a Chamber of Commerce event, non-profit advisory board, or lunch group, opportunities for relationships are plentiful.

The challenge is to recognize the opportunities and make them a priority for you and your business.

Take the challenge. You will be glad you did, and we all will benefit from it.

Until Next Time...

More Than Just Getting from Here to There

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How do you get to work? The question seems simple enough, but many of us fail to realize the impact transportation has on our “bottom line.”

In the newspaper business, transportation is everything. Regardless of how many ads are sold, stories are written or pages are printed, if the newspaper doesn't get into the hands of the readers, it is all for nothing.

Likewise, transportation may be making or breaking your business. While you may or may not have a product that requires delivery, you do have employees that need to get to work on time. The reliability of their transportation does have an impact on your business.

Take for example your sales department. Do you know what type of vehicles your salespeople are driving? Do you know the cleanliness of the vehicle(s) or state of repair? You may think this is none of your business, but if their transportation keeps them from making a sale, then it will truly be “none” of your business.

If your receptionist or office manager is chronically late due to transportation issues, not only is there a loss of work time to be considered — there is also a perception problem for your customers. If the “smiling face” you hired isn't there to greet a customer as the business opens, what impression are you giving them?

Every business should evaluate its transportation issues. We all have them, and we all have room for improvement.

Until Next Time...

Lessons Learned from 'Confessions of a S.O.B.'

Many years ago, I read the book, “Confessions of a S.O.B.,” by Al Neuharth. In it, he chronicled his first publications — his rise within the Gannett publishing company and ultimately the launch of USA Today.

The book was fascinating. Neuharth was truly ahead of his time in many ways. I came away with an idea for the Minden Press-Herald, the newspaper I was publishing at the time. I wanted to revamp the design, incorporating some of the elements I saw in USA Today — especially the “Flag” which is newspaper jargon for the nameplate of the newspaper on the front page.

USA Today had a light blue box with white type on its front. The design was easily recognized from the road (not to mention the cool newsstands they had). It was unique and I loved it.

For the next two years, the Minden Press-Herald had a dark blue box with white type as it’s flag.
Unlike USA Today, the box was on the left side of the page and quite a bit larger.

The design itself was not all that great, and we opted to go back to a more traditional design.

After we switched back, my dad told me that he hated the USA Today inspired design. But admitted,
“I knew our paper wherever I went, because of that blue box.”

The experiment taught me a lot about marketing. The right logo can make a difference in your visibility and recognition.

I never forgot that lesson.

Last year, we looked at our local newspaper, the Bossier Press-Tribune. We reviewed the newspaper’s purpose, its audience and the market at large.

Bossier Press-Tribune is a community newspaper. It’s roots are in Bossier Parish and it’s content has always reflected the people of Bossier — their lives and their community.

As a group, the staff of the newspaper sat down and determined the best ways to do what we do. We went from a 5-day printed publication to a 3-day, giving our newsroom more time (and more news space) to cover the community better.

We expanded our online coverage to more of a 24/7 format. Posting news as soon as it happens to further benefit our readers in a more immediate way. We integrated our online coverage with our social media to reach our readers where they live, work and worship.

We also redesigned the printed product to reflect this new depth of coverage. That’s when the lesson from my past came back to my memory.

We agreed the new Bossier Press-Tribune had to look unique. We also wanted easy recognition in the marketplace. As a result, the “purple box logo” was born.

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that you remember it. One glance at our front page, and you immediately know it the Bossier Press-Tribune.

The logo is taking a prominent position on all of our marketing materials. You see a purple box, you think Bossier Press-Tribune.

If you haven’t thought about the marketing of your brand/business, you should. October is a great month to plan your marketing for the upcoming year. These plans will go a long way helping you achieve your 2013 goals.

Until Next Time...

Trends

When I logged on to Twitter this afternoon, I notice the following in the "Trending" column:

• #TroubleWithTheCurve
• #ObamaUnivision
• Tim Kaine
• #winning
• #Univision
• AT&T
• Andre Wisdom
• Maps
• West Wing Reunion
• Apple

The varied nature of these trending topics got me to thinking about how we often react to trends in the business world.

As leaders, we are often faced with trends in our industries, trends in human resources, and trends in technology — just to mention a few. But how do we handle all these trends?

With the weight of our companies, our team members and their families on our shoulders, it is important not to be easily swayed by the latest trend.

Evaluate each trend against the core values of your company. If it is in conflict, move on. 

If the trend does indeed line up, then watch it over time. If the trend holds, then it should be carefully considered. That is the thing with trends, they change pretty often.

Do not become so set in your ways that you fail to recognize a sustained trend. For example, businesses all over America are still wondering about the idea of "flex time." However, many companies have embraced the concept and have attracted high quality team members that would not have even considered the position had it not been for flex time.

Don't know what flex time is? Read more about it here.

So leaders, be aware of trends, carefully evaluate them, and implement those that apply.

Until Next Time...

Businesses Need Both Gardeners and Firemen to Succeed

“You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”
— Matthew 23:24, NIV

While I am not one to regularly quote scripture in a business blog, these strong words uttered by Jesus ring very true in today’s business climate.

To put this verse in context, Jesus was reading the riot act to the religious leaders of the day. He was pointing out the ridiculous nature of some of their rules and laws, while ignoring the important things in their lives and the ministry in general.
 
In business, we can fall victim to the same attitudes as the Pharisees that Jesus was rebuking. We focus so much on the problem or situation in front of us at that very moment we often miss the “big picture” or the underlying cause or causes of our troubles.

In business, there are usually two kinds of managers — gardeners and firemen.

Gardeners tend to constantly tweak, check and adjust their businesses. They love the idea of taking on a project and helping it to grow.

Firemen, on the other hand, only jump into action when there is a fire to extinguish. They are very competent at swooping in during an emergency, moving fast, and saving the day.

Both types of managers have their strengths, but neither fully grasp the entirety of their positions. And each could learn something from the other.

Gardeners do not get rattled very often, but their need to “work on the garden” constantly can cause others to feel “meddled with” or “not trusted to do the job.”

Firemen are often slow to move. Without smoke or flames, the fireman does not even notice the potential problem before it erupts. Then, when things ignite, the fireman tends to break whatever is necessary to put out the fire, including camaraderie, loyalty and morale.

It is the manager who can strike a balance between being a gardener and a fireman that really can see positive, long-term progress in business.

Like the gardener, a good manager will keep a watchful eye on the details of the business, helping others without meddling.

Like the fireman, a good manager will spring into action when necessary, making swift and just decisions that preserve and protect the company.

Getting back to the scripture, we need to recognize what things rank highest in importance for our business. These would be the guiding principles which are not negotiable.

However, we also need to recognize that items which are not part of the core principles are may not be worth getting “fired up” over. If all we do is create rules, policies and regulations, then we are not growing our businesses. We are merely micromanaging them.

Jesus saw how much damage the religious leaders of the day were doing to the Jewish faith. They were so wrapped up in the regulations, they forgot the core values behind them.

As leaders in our own businesses, we need to identify and keep our core values and principles at the forefront of every decision we make. It is amazing how many things we thought were “camels” turn out  to be just “gnats.”

Until Next Time...

What plans do you have for the future of your business?

I walked into a colleague’s office several months ago and asked him, “What are your plans for growth in coming year?” He looked at me like I was from another planet.

It was mid June and approaching the end of our fiscal year. The question threw him for a loop. He had been working so hard to end this year on a good note, that he had not even considered the coming “new” year.

After the shock of the question wore off, he came back to me and said, “To do better than we did this year — to make progress each and every month.”

This sounds like a noble goal doesn’t it? I wish I could say “yes.”

His answer was like that of many in the marketplace today. With so much uncertainty, it is easy to aim for “status quo, plus a little.”

While the response is understandable, it is also very dangerous. When a person or a business fails to strive for something great, mediocrity becomes the baseline. And many times, we fail to even reach that.

While we cannot set unreasonable or unattainable goals, we can put something out there that requires more than just “getting by” to attain. In fact the more grandiose the goal, the more it will focus those trying to reach it.

In a study of what motivates employees, “being a part of something great or something that matters” ranked above monetary considerations. In fact, many employees in the study were more than willing to volunteer extra time if the cause was considered “great.”

So if “greatness” motivates employees, the most important parts of our businesses, then what does mediocrity do? I think you probably know the answer to that.

As business owners and managers, we have a duty to ask more of ourselves and our employees than just “do your job.”

Certainly, we have to look at the realities of the marketplace and factor those realities in any plans or vision we might put forth. Risky behavior is not what I am advocating at all.

When we become so engrossed in the anxiety of things we cannot control, it can cripple us. We fail to make any more out of fear of making the wrong one. This isn’t management, it’s cowardice.

I encourage you to take a step back from the day-to-day worries and duties of your profession and think, if for just a moment, “what great thing can we do this year?”

I assure you that it will not only help you focus on greatness, it will also raise your spirits.

Until Next Time...

Learn from the Past as You Look Ahead to the Future

Recently, I sat down with my executive team to review the past month and look ahead to the fourth quarter of the year. While planning, we pulled out our reports from last year to dissect what could b e expected and what gaps needed filling.

I thought of Simba the Lion...

There is a valuable business (and life) lesson that can be learned from the movie, “The Lion King.”
In the movie, the heir to the throne, Simba the lion, runs away from home because he believes he is the cause of his father’s death.

After many years, he runs into Rafiki, a wise baboon from his homeland who encourages him to go home and take his place as king.

“I can’t go back there after what I have done in my past,” Simba argued.

At that point, Rafiki smacks Simba in the head with a stick.

“Ouch! Why did you do that?” Simba asks.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s in the past,” Rafiki replies.

“But it hurts.”

“Yes, the past can hurt.”

The lesson to be learned is that while we should learn from things in our past, we need to realize that we cannot change those things.

As business leaders, we need to review past performance to learn what worked and what didn’t work.  But, we should not dwell on the failures (or successes) in the past.

Typically, companies plan their next budget year during September and October. As we all do that, it is important to take what we have learned, make an improved plan and execute.

 Truly successful business leaders know that there is no such thing as a completed plan for success. The plan must be continually improved.

Henry Ford learned this lesson early on. After inventing the wildly successful Model T automobile, he ran into a major problem. He could not fill all the orders that were coming in. He was a victim of his own success.

Ford realized the problem was in the production of the Model T. Workers in the plant could only produce small number of vehicles per day. The method of production (a team of workers would build a Model T one at a time) was too inefficient.

Ford came up with the idea of running a conveyor through his plant and having his workers assemble only one part of the vehicle as it passed by. Efficiency went through the roof and the assembly line was born.

That was not the end of Ford’s challenges, but each time he came up with innovative solutions to the problems.

I hope you are looking forward to the future as one of tremendous business opportunity. Learn from the lessons of the past, without dwelling on them, and think of innovative solutions to the challenges your business will face. I believe when you look back on things down the road, you will be pleased with the outcome.

Until Next Time...

The "Go-Giver" Speaks

Not too long ago, I had the privilege of listening a seminar by Bob Burg, best-selling author of 'The Go-Giver."

The information is so good, I wanted to share it with all my friends and business partners. Luckily, Bob has posted the audio from the seminar in its entirety here.

This seminar is 82 minutes long, but well worth your time. And, you can pause it if you get interrupted. That would have been nice yesterday - haha.

The material covers the following areas:

• How to Reset Their Frame (Do This And You Are 80% There).
• How to “Overcome” Objections. (Trick is, You Literally Cannot. But You Can Still Close The Sale.)
• How to Quickly Get A Lower Price On What You Buy.
• How to Say “No” Comfortably and Effectively, And Have Them Love You While You Do It.
• How (And, Just As Importantly, When) To Use the 8 Key Words that Will Get you Practically Anything You Want.

So, sit down, grab a pencil and tablet and get ready to learn. You'll be glad you did.

Until Next Time...

So You Learned Something New... Now What?

It happens nearly every year. There is a convention, seminar or some other gathering where learning takes place. Perhaps it is in the conference center of a hotel, or maybe on a college campus. The location may be different, but the scenario is the same.

You have your trusty notepad. You scribble notes and cartoons, while an “expert in the field” pontificates with the help of a Powerpoint presentation.

Suddenly, the “light goes on.” You get excited about the prospects of taking these gems of new information back to the office. This is it. This is the key to future growth.

You leave the venue ready to take on the world — and win.

However, when you return to the “real world,” the demands of the day-to-day somehow take the wind out of your sails. Perhaps you even share your new revelations with a co-worker or a superior, only to be shot down with a “that won’t work here.”

Before long, you are back in the routine of doing things the way you have always done them, with no real benefit of having attended the seminar in the first place.

Does this sound familiar?

Unfortunately, this probably rings true with many of us. Before long, we quit attending seminars because we see no real benefit to investing our time and resources in them.

Where did we go wrong? Is it the presenter’s fault? Is it truly a waste of time?

Whoever coined the phrase, “knowledge is power” is only half right. It is indeed important to gain additional knowledge, but if we never put that knowledge into action, what good is it?

Will everything we learn at a seminar work in our individual businesses or markets? Certainly not.
However, it is the forward-thinking and acting CEO who corners the market.

MP3 technology existed long before Apple sold its first iPod. However, it was the forward-thinking management and employees at that company that took something they learned and turned it into something that fit their company and mission.

There is an old book that really drives home the message of putting action to what has been learned. Perhaps you have even read this book. It is called, “The Bible.”

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Or if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
James 1:22-25 (KJV)

Regardless of your faith, these words form a solid business principal.

Never stop learning, but also use what you have learned.

Until Next Time...