What can we learn from Obama

I’ve watched with great interest the means by which U.S. President-elect Barack Obama is assembling his inner circle of advisors, and I must admit I’m impressed.

Hillary Clinton, America’s next Secretary of State, fought a bitter, rancorous campaign to gain the Democrats’ endorsement to run for president. And, of course, we all know how that turned out.

However, Obama has talked at length about assembling “a team of adversaries” – an approach to governance that translates well to the business realm. Unfortunately, many company owners, regional managers, HR pros and others with the responsibility for hiring often avoid promoting adversaries from within the ranks, or hiring from the outside those with different (read new) views on management. Pity.

Those who lack confidence in their own ability to lead look for team mates who share the same opinions and points of view to re-enforce their own.

The result? A support team of “yes men and women.” Advisors too cautious to point out the obvious flaws in a plan or tactic. The wise business owner seeks out differing opinions, weighs these views and arrives at his or her own decision. The key is confidence. 

A confident leader listens to adversarial points of view from knowledgeable advisors and for good reasons.

Read the rest of this post at http://strategies.com.au/art0811.html

Stagnation or Survival

Over the last few weeks I have been revamping my website. Why? The current financial crisis will see the demise of many businesses. Will yours be one of them?

Whether you’re a financial advisor, real estate agent or other services provider, if you take a passive approach to building a client base your business will eventually stagnate. To maintain and grow your client base can be time consuming but it is absolutely necessary for long-term success – regardless of services rendered.

Lead Generation

Lead generation is as simple as it sounds. Finding individuals (leads) who might be interested in employing your services, but for many professionals it’s the least appealing aspect of owning or being part of a small business. It’s sales and for some just the word has an unsavoury quality to it.

A comment like: “Best accountant I ever had. Saved me a bundle on taxes this year” can instantly generate a new client. However, if you’re new and growing – building that word of mouth network – you have to be proactive. You have to generate leads.

As a general rule of thumb you should have 10 active leads in the pipeline at all times.

Where to Start

Don’t assume everyone knows what you do.

Write a template letter. A basic introduction that can be reused as necessary. Use the letter to illustrate out the client-specific results your service offers. Don’t sell services; sell results.

Start with a list of people you know. You already have credibility with these people. Then expand your list. Friends of friends, old business colleagues, suppliers and others in your contact base.

Other Ways

• Networking
• Breakfast seminars
• Social sites
• Public Relations and Media

are just a few of the ways I build exposure.

And don’t forget, in today’s world an informative, easy to navigate website is essential.

Isn’t that where you go to find out about people?