Thinking of Selling…Reduce Your Liability Now

By Dianne Conway

If your family has had the good fortunate of enjoying the hot summer months around a backyard pool, you’ll soon be making plans to winterize it. And if you’re thinking about selling your home in the spring before the pool is opened, this is not the time to make pool closing a do-it-yourself job — even if you’ve closed it successfully over the years. Consider this additional expense as a form of insurance.

By getting a third party to winterize the pool, you can potentially reduce your liability risks. This procedure, if not done correctly, could initiate an unwanted costly repair next spring. And with the proper paperwork on hand, you can alleviate additional costs down the road.

Before hiring a third party to close your pool, ensure they understand that you are planning on selling and get the details in writing when the work is done.

You’ll need:

• A receipt for the winterization service.
• Details of exactly what was done to complete the pool closure.
• Remarks on the condition of the pool at the time of the closure.
• All of the above written on company letterhead.
  

Store these papers in a safe place so you have them available when you’re ready to list your property. This will go a long way in making buyers feel more comfortable about purchasing your property with a swimming pool that they have not seen in operation.

Getting the paperwork complete at the time of the work is paramount. Potential buyers will want to see what was done. Recently, one family went to the expense of having their pool closed but neglected to get the necessary paperwork. When they went back to the pool company later, they were advised they would be charged to come out again, re-open the pool, and then to close it again properly — a costly proposition.

So, if you’re considering a move next year, be prepared. Have your pool closed professionally now — and get it in writing.

Dianne Conway is a Sales Representative with Sutton Group – Preferred Realty Inc., 181 Commissioners Road, West, London, Ontario. Phone: (519) 438-2222 Email: homes@dianneconway.com www.dianneconway.com

Reality Check: Excuse Me…

By Leif Smith

I recently had a consultation in my office with a woman who had found me on the Internet. She was familiar with some of my work with sports teams, and was impressed enough to pursue a consult for one to one work.

From the moment we sat down together, however, I knew that there was no way I could work with this woman. She wanted help, but had to explain every situation and obstacle she was facing in excruciating detail, to the point that I couldn’t even respond. None of her problems were of her own doing. Not her divorce twenty-one years ago. Not her failure to leave her church after feeling criticized by her pastor, nor her failure to keep a job longer than two months, and certainly not her inability to maintain a relationship with anyone for longer than a couple of months.

After fifty minutes of listening to her explain how her predicament was not of her own doing, I suggested that we would not be a good fit for working together, given my penchant for pushing my clients a bit further than they are used to being pushed. It then took her ten more minutes to leave my office, even after I explained to her that I had another client waiting. She didn’t care that she made me late to see this client, and she didn’t care to hear a thing I had said during our hour together.

Lesson here: Nobody controls your life but you. Some situations and events are outside our sphere of influence, certainly, but in the end, it is you that controls how you react to things around you. You are directly responsible for the quality of your daily life, and for the quality of your relationships.

So, before you begin complaining about your lot in life, stop for a moment and figure out what it is that you have done to bring about these consequences. You may not have had a choice in being fired, or divorced, or any other unfortunate event, but you certainly had a choice in how you responded to that event and portrayed it to others. Work to eliminate excuses. You’ll find that you actually have more influence over your life than you previously thought. You’ll also be a more productive and well-adjusted individual.

Now, if you’ll excuse me…

Leif Smith, Psy.D., President of Personal Best Consulting, LLC, has worked with athletes and coaches from The University of Iowa, The Ohio State University, and the College of Wooster. He specializes in improving performance and production, and has also worked with corporations such as America Online. Subscribe to the free monthly email newsletter, "Personal Bests: Techniques for Living an Extraordinary Life" when visiting his Web site at www.personalbestconsulting.com.

Protecting Your Interests: Using Competitive Intelligence Gathering Techniques at Tradeshows to Safeguard Your Bottom Line

By Susan A. Friedmann

“This looks absolutely amazing!” The attendee was smiling, eyes bright, and a wide grin. “If this is what I think it is, I’m pretty sure this piece of equipment will solve all of our problems.” He turned to the booth staffer, a young woman at her very first show. “Could you tell me how it works?”

The staffer, thrilled at the possibility of selling a piece of equipment that sells for hundreds of thousands of dollars, was more than accommodating. She answered every question, even the most technical.

When the prospect wanted to take some pictures, she helped him get good shots—from every conceivable angle. When the prospect left, he had every relevant piece of sales literature. He also had a dozen great digital pictures, the card of the booth staffer, and a promise that someone from the exhibitor’s company would be following up directly after the show.

However, the attendee didn’t let the grass grow under his feet. His organization was in touch with the exhibitor’s organization within days.

However, instead of a purchase order, the communication was coming from the attendee’s legal department—who had a pretty good case that the exhibitor’s display model was based on their proprietary design!

Tradeshows offer the most overt intelligence gathering environment imaginable. There is no other place where you can find all of the companies in one industry gathered in a convenient location, with all their offerings on display. Helpful booth staffers will answer questions, often those questions that should raise red flags among an exhibiting team.

This can work against you, or as illustrated in the story above, it can work for you. The world is getting smaller every day. Ideas are stolen. They’re copied, reverse engineered, you name it. However, as the owner and originator of these ideas, you may have no idea that this has happened—until you stumble across the results at a tradeshow or industry event.

In an increasingly competitive world marketplace, you can’t depend on chance discoveries! Savvy tradeshow exhibitors and attendees know that they have to take the initiative, and carefully approach tradeshows with one eye toward protecting their own intellectual assets.

Determine a goal for your staffers or employees you’re sending to attend a show. Make it clear to them what type of thing they’re to look for: products that duplicate your own, for example, or that incorporate proprietary technology without permission.

It is never your employee’s role to have a confrontation about these topics at the show. Instead, their role is, as illustrated above, to gather as much information as possible about the product and company, and relay that data back to your headquarters, where it can be acted upon by the appropriate personnel.

Preparation is essential. You can’t send your staffers in with the command to protect your interests without equipping them to do so. Here’s how you start that preparation:

Prior to the show, study the exhibitor list. Identify which companies you already know, and make special note of any new names. It is far more common for emerging, smaller organizations to engage in unscrupulous activities—if only because the larger, behemoth firms have legal firms that keep them from getting into trouble. Sometimes, show organizers make this easy by listing exhibitors by industrial categories, but other times you’re left facing an alphabetical list.

Create a “hit list” of companies that you absolutely have to see. Of course you’ll want to visit your major competitors—but don’t be myopic. It is important to pay careful attention to any unfamiliar exhibitors, even if they are only tangentially related to your industry.

Augment your target list with pre-show research, including what readings from trade publications and industry knowledge. This will generally give you a starting point for your investigations. Pinpoint those items you definitely want to know more about, and include these on your team’s list of goals and objectives.

At the same time, it is vitally important to remain aware and open to any information that may arise serendipitously. It is impossible to know ahead of time what your team will encounter while they’re walking the show floor.

Having the skills and wit to recognize copyright infringement and intellectual property theft, no matter what form it takes, is a valuable asset in any employee. Make sure you recognize and reward your team appropriately!

Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, the Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, internationally recognized expert working with companies to increase their profitability at tradeshows. Author: “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market” and “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies.” www.thetradeshowcoach.com and www.richesinniches.com

Published Networking Today October 2008

How to Become a Winning Sales ACE And avoid getting shot down!

By Waldo Waldman

If you want to test the true character of a person, see how they respond to adversity. Watch how they handle the pressure of a lost sale, an angry client, or a difficult boss. What do they say? How do they act? What is their emotional state? Do they freeze up and get angry, or do they buckle down and increase their focus and commitment?

The same holds true for those who would assume the mantle of leadership in business. When adversity hits, how they respond in the market will determine their ability to stay in business and win. Leadership – both on a personal and organizational level – ultimately drives the actions taken amidst crisis and change.

Today’s economy is full of adversity. I call them “missiles of business and life.” It seems we are being fired at every day. Rising costs of fuel, shrinking budgets, demanding clients, and a lack of qualified (and loyal) employees all create an intense and constantly changing environment. As soon as we think we defeated one missile…BAM! Another one is fired. As soon as profits start coming in…BAM, another competitor enters the fight.

The missiles will come and you will be fired upon. It’s not a matter of if, but when and how often. The key is NOT to get shot down!

W recently saw one of the most reputable giants in the financial industry – Lehman Brothers - get shot down. Just a few years ago, who would have thought such a thing could happen? But it did. And it will happen again. It’s just the nature of business…and life.

In fighter combat, the best pilots who are able to adapt to adversity and change are called ACES. They prepare relentlessly and are the most focused and committed under pressure. They are the respected and accomplished leaders in their squadrons because they don’t run away when fear knocks on their door. They buckle down and ultimately take action. The right action.

Here are a few WingTips that can turn you into an ACE and help you avoid getting shot down on your next mission:

A: Attitude + Action. Attitude does not determine altitude. Attitude plus Action does. Being positive and enthusiastic is a critical component of success, but your customer ultimately rewards your actions, not your positive attitude! An attitude that breeds confidence is a by-product of disciplined preparation and mission rehearsal. When dealing with a price objection, last minute competitor, or late product shipment, it’s the commitment, focus and sense of urgency you have to fix the problem, provide value, and deliver results that counts.
C: Customer: Success in business is not about you, your company, or your product. It’s about your customer. Prior to each meeting, gather the latest, up to date intelligence (from multiple sources) and commit yourself to meeting the needs of your customer. Be original. Come prepared with questions. Learn about the person you’re meeting. If you’re not focused 100% on your customer – your target – you shouldn’t strap on your jet to fly. (By the way, it can’t hurt to learn about your Competition too …but only after learning about your customer.
E: Environment: Every mission is unique. What works with one client or industry, may not work with another. The environment in which you and your customer operate will ultimately determine your tactics. Was there a recent merger or perhaps some lay-offs at the company you’re meeting? How’s their stock price? What’s the nature of the industry you’re operating in? Who are you meeting? Who is the decision maker? What resources (wingmen) do you have that can help you prepare for your meeting? Never sell by the seat of your pants!

Take it from somebody who’s been shot at in real combat, the winning ACE’s in business and life prepare for the worst, but then expect the best. They acknowledge adversity and develop the confidence to overcome it by hard work and focus. But being an ACE is not easy. You can either “push it up” on your throttle and defeat the missile, or pull it back and risk getting shot down. It’s your choice.

I hope you’ll push it up!

Waldo Waldman builds team unity within organizations as a high energy leadership inspirational speaker. A former combat-decorated fighter pilot with corporate sales experience, Waldo brings an exciting and valuable message to organizations by using fighter pilot strategies as building blocks for peak performance, teamwork, leadership, and trust. Visit www.yourwingman.com or call him at 1-866-WALDO-16.

Published Networking Today October 2008

Emerging Workforce Has Different Priorities

By Barbara Bartlein

The new workforce of Gen X’s, Gen Y’s, and Millenniums has different priorities than the Baby Boomers or the Aging population that came before them. But before you complain that they don’t have a good “work ethic” or a “loyalty to the company,” it is helpful to look at some of the characteristics of Boomers and this group.

The significant events that impacted the Boomers were the Kennedy Assassination and the Viet Nam War. The Boomers are a hard working generation that often focuses on career and advancement. Sometimes bordering on workaholism, they work to live, are loyal to their managers and want credit for time spent at the job. The Boomers are technological immigrants as they did not grow up with computers. Many can even remember a time before television. They are sometimes resistant to new technology or techniques like texting, Webinars, and BlackBerries.

The Net Gen generations were influenced by the events of 9/11 and school shootings such as Columbine. They have been told that Social Security may not exist for them and have watched pensions and work security evaporate for their parents. Consequently, they are more loyal to colleagues and co-workers than to a company or manager. Work/life balance is extremely important for this group and they don’t want to sacrifice family time for career. This group LOVES technology and are considered technological natives. They grew up with it and are extremely talented at adopting new technology into their lives. The Net Gen generations presently make up about 51% of the workforce. This will increase to over 70% in the next ten years as Boomers begin retiring. But many people in management are Boomers with years of experience who may struggle with the Net Gen generations and their priorities.

Some things your company can do to manage Net Gen employees more effectively:

• Offer flexibility and work at home options. The old model that a person has to be in a seat at the office just isn’t valid anymore. That model was based on time rather than production. The emerging workforce is focused on results, not appearing busy to impress the boss. Smart companies are growing through a virtual workforce; no office space, equipment expense, or commuting. Staffs are paid on a project or production scale.
  
  
• Build on and off ramps for women and caregivers. The Boomers were often forced to pick between career and family. The Net Gen’s are not willing to do this. Update policies on family leave, re-entry and part-time employment to attract and retain good employees. Many companies are now guaranteeing a comparable position when employees return from leave.
  
• Avoid micromanaging. These employees are use to working and learning independently. They work to contribute and are adverse to a chain of command. Set the parameters and then get out of their way. Net Gen’s are fast, efficient, and not likely to waste time.
  
• Embrace technology. To have any other framework will make you and/or your business look foolish. Republican candidate, John McCain, discovered this recently when he described himself as a “computer illiterate” who had never gone online. He not only looks old, he appears out of it. Unfortunately, many executives and business leaders are also in the OOI league and don’t understand consumer desires because they are not plugged in. The creation, marketing, and demise of the Hummer is a stark example.
  
• Encourage creativity. The traditional workplace often treated people like machines. But if you look at many of today’s most successful companies, they are the result of creativity by a couple of people. Whether GoDaddy.com or FaceBook, there are business opportunities for new products and services. How is your company encouraging new ideas?
  
  
• Build relationships. Since this generation connects with colleagues and friends, evaluate how your business encourages critical connections. Are there any opportunities for socializing at work or after work? Smart companies establish softball teams, bowling teams, company picnics, and support groups for new mothers, etc. to encourage interaction and teamwork.
  
• Ask key employees to recruit their friends for work. Chances are that good employees know other people who would also be effective. Some companies are paying bonuses to their employees for recruiting. Others simply follow up on leads. Whatever your approach is, friends that join the company already have connections. These can jumpstart teamwork and collaboration.
  

Barbara Bartlein is The People Pro and President of Great Lakes Consulting Group. She offers keynotes, seminars and consulting to help you build your business and balance your life. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by e-mail at: barb@barbbartlein.com or visit her Web site at www.ThePeoplePro.com

Published Networking Today October 2008

Don’t Stress About Stress During Times of Stress

By Mark Vockentanz

The devastating part about stress can simply be your response to it. In other words, some stress is inescapable, which means you have no choice but to confront it. Your best approach is to deal with it in a healthy and responsive way. That is, your response is not reactive or destructive.

The formula for stress management is: stress + your response = outcome. Therefore, you still have a chance to adjust your response so it will result in a positive outcome.

Tip #1 Make a list of all the things that make you feel stressed. Identify those that you can control and those you will need to prepare yourself for.

Tip #2 Try to minimize your to-do list by identifying a few manageable tasks. This will lessen your load.

Tip #3 Take time to recharge your batteries. Take scheduled breaks and know your limits.

Tip #4 Open up to family and friends sharing your ups and downs. This will help you gain a better perspective on things.

Tip #5 Laugh and smile more often finding humour in yourself and life. Laughter has a therapeutic effect.

Tip #6 Integrate some form of solitude and relaxation in your day. Yoga, tai-chi, meditation, and prayer are a few examples.

Tip #7 Take part in both cardiovascular and strength training exercises on a regular basis.

Tip #8 Take the time to enjoy soothing forms of music and get your daily dose of nature. A walk in the park will do just fine.

Tip #9 Give your body the opportunity to repair, recover, and rejuvenate by making sure you get adequate sleep each night. No less than 7 hours (no more than 9) of quality sleep.

Tip #10 Nourish your body, mind, and soul. That is, healthy food, healthy thoughts, and healthy behaviours.

Don’t let stress scare you. You have more control over it than you think.

Mark Vockentanz, BHK, CMTA, CHLC is a Wellness Coach and founder of V3 Life Transformations – for Vision, Vitality, Victory. With more than 20 years industry experience, Mark offers one-on-one coaching to help individuals find an alternative path to true health and vitality. Mark can be reached at 519.777.6811 or email v3lifetransformations@sympatico.ca. www.v3lifetransformations.

Published in Networking Today October 2008

Business in a Knapsack...Can you run your projects when you’re on the run?

By Michelle LaBrosse

Business on the go is part of our daily lives. Whether you’re running a business or running a project on the go, don’t mistake mobility for absence. When you’re not there in person, you need to be more effective at being there virtually. That means you have to sharpen your communication skills like a pro.

Most of us think first about the technology tools in our knapsack and forget about the invisible tools – until there’s a problem. Communication is one of those invisible tools that every business needs to hone – especially in a virtual world.

Here are six keys to clear communication in a virtual world

1. Build trust in person and grow that trust with clear expectations.
   
   In order for people to work effectively virtually, there has to be trust. Trust doesn’t happen magically. It is built when you bring your team together for training or team building, and then continues to grow with clear expectations consistently set by leaders and met by the team. It’s important to bring people together at least once a year. You don’t have to have everyone fly into one location at once – meet with key people on one on one to get a handle on something that wasn’t obvious.
   
   
2. Manage Results, Not Activity.
   
   In the physical office environment, “busy work” often gets mistaken for real work. In the virtual environment, when you can’t see what people are doing, the key is to manage results. Set expectations and monitor the results, not the daily activities. This is empowering for people who are motivated and who take the initiative, and on the other hand it is a virtual microscope, which reveals people who don’t know how to get things done.
   
   
3. Schedule Regular Communication.
   
   Have a regular time for reporting both progress and potential pitfalls to the team. This keeps people on track and gives everyone the discipline of a team check-in. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in a 30-minute conference call when you set expectations beforehand and tell everyone what you need to accomplish in that timeframe.
   
   
4. Create Communication that Saves Time – Not Kills It.
   
   Have you created an e-mail culture that wastes time with endless “daisy-chain” conversations that take several hours to read? Does your team spend hours trying to solve an issue with an e-mail conversation that could have been solved with a 30-minute conference call? With e-mail being a critical tool in our work environments, it’s important to create a new culture of effectiveness around it. Ask yourself: How you can make your team’s e-mail communication even more productive?
   
   
5. Create Standards that Build a Cohesive Culture.
   
   What are your standards of quality? How do you define excellence? What does your brand mean to each employee? Making sure everyone knows the answers to theose three questions is vital when people are scattered geographically. Virtually, you need to create cohesion with excellence and a sense of pride in what your company stands for. People want a reason to belong and a strong culture gives them a sense of belonging and also the confidence of knowing what the rules of the road are for them and your company.
   
   
6. Rules of Responsiveness.
   
   When people are working remotely, it’s important that you define what your rules of responsiveness are for your culture. How quickly are people expected to return an e-mail, an Instant Message or a phone call? What is your protocol when people are out of the office or on vacation? If you’re in a customer service environment, it’s important to have clear expectations regarding how to respond to all customer inquiries. No one likes to be kept waiting, and knowing what to expect immediately lowers the blood pressures on both sides of the customer/company relationship.

Once you have your communication keys in place, don’t forget to be a model of the behavior you want to cultivate. Set boundaries for yourself, and let your team know when you’re not available. If you’re on a family vacation, give people plenty of notice, and let them know when you're not available. Empower people when you are unavailable. You’ll be surprised how the world still turns while your Blackberry was off.

Michelle LaBrosse is the founder and Chief Cheetah of Cheetah Learning. An international expert on accelerated learning and Project Management, she has grown Cheetah Learning into the market leader for Project Management training and professional development. In 2006, The Project Management Institute, www.pmi.org, selected Michelle as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Project Management in the world, and only one of two women selected from the training and education industry. Michelle is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Owner & President Management program for entrepreneurs, and is the author of “Cheetah Project Management” and “Cheetah Negotiations."

Published in Networking Today October 2008