85% is Execution
By Dana
We all know that simply having a strategy isn't enough. But sometimes the sheer effort of creating one, and tweaking it, and doing all the hard thinking work of determining where we'd like our business to be by when, can become overly consuming. Just how important the actual work of execution is provides the underpinning of a Harvard Business Review article from 2003 titled "What Really Works". The authors actually followed a group of business for five years to figure out what management practices produce the best results. And while culture, structure, and strategy are all important considerations, it turns out that execution -- where the rubber meets the road -- trumps everything else. It's a good read, not to mention a reassuring one for those of us who prefer to be firing on as many cylinders as possible, rather than planning which cylinder should fire when.
Got Your Ducks In A Row?
By Dana
Or are you just boiling the ocean?
Forbes.com has compiled a glossary of the some of the most annoying business jargon. True bilingualism is a useful ability, they point out, but if your "second language" consists of phrases like breaking down silos or managing expectations (or my personal pet peeve, reaching out), it should be low hanging fruit to find clear replacement expressions, with meanings that everyone in the room can agree on.
The comments are nearly as much fun as the slideshow. Check it out and see whether the cliches that get your goat made the list.
Making the Most Out of Time
By Dana
I read some survey results back at the beginning of the year indicating that leaders rated time management as the #1 priority for themselves in 2011, with fitness being a close second. And since I've been intending to blog about the topic ever since, it's safe to assume that time management ranks high as a skill I could use help on, too.
Today I met with a client who told me that her top issue with marketing was that she couldn't find time for it. No surprise there, especially for the small business owner. As you respond to customer questions, troubleshoot day to day logistical issues, deal with vendors, invoices, accounting, and the hundreds of other details that demand your time, it’s probably difficult to think about adding marketing to your job description. And yet, how frustrating is it to find out that a sale was missed simply because a potential customer wasn’t aware of a particular service that your business may have been offering for years?
So that got me thinking: On Hold Messaging IS a time management tool. Maybe a full-time marketing staffer isn't right for your business, but how could you turn down a 100% dependable employee who never misses an opportunity to cross-sell? That's what quality audio marketing can do for you, with messages that are timely and consistent, helping you educate callers about your business.
Leverage your telephone time with On Hold Messaging and maybe that will free up other time while it helps your company increase revenues. And then who knows -- maybe time in the schedule for that second priority, fitness, might just open up too.
