tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25348607401748789872024-03-05T06:50:17.480-08:00The Cobalt GroupVisit us at www.thecobaltgroup.net to see how we can help you become a high performance business and create high performance leaders.The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-31635275802586305562019-11-05T08:22:00.001-08:002019-11-05T08:22:29.485-08:00[Define] Your Business Value Proposition - (4 min read)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">In my last two <span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">blog</span></span>s we talked about <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2019/10/why-youre-really-in-business.html">Why
You’re Really in Business</a></span>, and <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2019/10/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer.html">How
to Identify Your Ideal Customer</a></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">In this blog we’re going to take it to the third
critical question:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Why should they buy from you?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Businesses everywhere, and in every industry, are constantly
trying to figure out how to differentiate themselves from their competitors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Ask yourself these two questions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">- Why would a customer want to purchase your good or
service over that of a competitor? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">- How do you differentiate your good or service from
the competition?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">The answer to this is knowing what is called your: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Unique Value Proposition</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’ve
said this in my last two blogs and I’m going to say it again:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You’re selling your product or service
because you’re solving a problem, or problems, for your customers”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">But likely, other businesses are trying to solve their
problem(s) too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your
differentiation, or unique value proposition, is your secret ingredient. It's
something that's distinctive to your business that offers a definitive, tangible
benefit to your customer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Unique Value
Proposition</span></b> is something that only you can provide, or no one else
can do it as well, or they can’t do it at your price.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some
differentiators are easy to figure out while others are harder to come by.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Maybe
you're the only dentist with a kid’s play area on the premises. All other
things being equal, that’s a differentiator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
maybe you’re a business that doesn’t have such an easily defined advantage. So
how can you create a differentiator for your business? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Let’s
look at a few ways, but there are many others:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Look at your competition. What do they do that you can’t? What can you do that
they can’t do, or do as well? Maybe your location is more convenient to
customers – use whatever differentiator you can establish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Read your competitors’ social media reviews. Skip the 5-Star reviews and focus
on the 3 and 4-Star reviews. When you see a comment that goes something like, “I
would have given them a higher ranking if”, everything after the word “if” is
your golden nugget. Deliver on that and you will be doing something your
competition isn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Offer something to address common customer concerns and frustrations. For
example, guarantee that your service delivery technician will show up within 15
minutes of the scheduled time or you’ll provide the first hour of work free. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Never make a claim you can't deliver on. Be sure you can do what you promise or
your differentiator will be useless, your reputation will suffer, as will your
business. Trust is important!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Build great customer relationships. The <u>#1</u> way to differentiate yourself
is to build great customer relationships. Move from a transactional mindset to
a relationship mindset.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why????<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
simple truth is that….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Buyers and sellers with
the best relationships will do the most business together.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Here
are some questions you need to answer to help you <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Define Your Unique Business Value Proposition</span></b>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Product/Service Description and problem you’re solving:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
What are you not going to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
What will be unique about your offering?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
Where is the proof you can deliver on the promise?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">-
What is your pricing strategy?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once
you've established your differentiator(s), reduce it or them into a few words –
this is your elevator pitch! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Communicate
it at every opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Use
it in your ads, letterhead, marketing collateral, your website, signage, sales
calls, and everywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your
differentiators should roll right off of your tongue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you don’t know why customers should buy from you, they won’t either!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
make sure you deliver on it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ultimately,
you need to help your customers answer the following question: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why my product or
service?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">We can help you with this!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For more information about
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<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-77305189765453403412019-10-31T15:29:00.000-07:002019-10-31T15:29:39.384-07:00How to Identify Your Ideal Customer Persona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bU1wifB634Ty5U-c7T7As-SYGNnD-UOOiQyJJ4VgTotchhBklU4rshBtIkM_Cv1lHcp6E0e7cJhvinG_10h9rBFNPuujYfkZWvo7KKt1pD2K6WQHsv6BZlzWSTkN7zh6Mdi5nd5_3no/s1600/customer-563967_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="640" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bU1wifB634Ty5U-c7T7As-SYGNnD-UOOiQyJJ4VgTotchhBklU4rshBtIkM_Cv1lHcp6E0e7cJhvinG_10h9rBFNPuujYfkZWvo7KKt1pD2K6WQHsv6BZlzWSTkN7zh6Mdi5nd5_3no/s320/customer-563967_640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">In my last <span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2019/10/why-youre-really-in-business.html">blog</a></span>
we talked about the first question you must answer to help keep you from struggling
to market your business, or even get it off the ground:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">What problem are you solving?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">As I said in my last <a href="https://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2019/10/why-youre-really-in-business.html" target="_blank">blog</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">“You’re selling your
product or service because you’re solving a problem, or problems, for your
customers”</span></i><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Once again, I want you to read that last sentence! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Knowing that answer sets you up to answer the next
important question:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Who
Is Your Ideal Customer?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Who exactly are your customers? Whose problem(s) are
you solving?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">And it doesn’t matter what you sell, your
target <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">isn’t</b> ‘everyone’. Not
everyone needs what you sell, nor can you reach everyone that needs it.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You’re going to invest a lot of time and money getting
the word out about your good or service, so your marketing plan needs to be
specific. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You have to be more specific about whom you’re marketing
so that you’re ROI on your advertising dollars is higher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You need to know <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Your Ideal Customer Persona</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">A customer persona is a semi-fictional representation
of your ideal customer, or customer set. It’s the segment of the market you’re
trying to reach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">To do this you need to do some basic market research.
And you don’t need to be a giant corporation to do this. There is information
readily available to you right in front of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Look at your customer database or sales records.
Interview customers when they are in the store. Send out surveys. There are
many other ways that don’t cost an arm and a leg.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Use website forms and social media platforms to
capture important customer information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Quora.com – see the most common questions for your
niche.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Facebook Groups – review profiles of group members.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Online Marketplaces & Review Sites such as Amazon, Yelp, Udemy,
AppStore etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Google Analytics – review demographic &
interest reports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Facebook Analytics – review demographic reports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">YouTube Analytics – review demographic reports.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">This research will give you real data about your prospective
and existing customers, and the problem(s) you’re solving for them. This is the
person for whom you’re creating your content, products, or service.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Your ideal customer persona is not a real person but
an aggregate of your ideal customers’ traits. Not everyone will have the exact
set of traits you list, but they will fall in there somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Knowing your ideal customer persona will allow you to
personalize and/or target your marketing for different segments of your
audience. This means you may have multiple customer personas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You’ll need to discover:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">- What problem(s) your customers are trying to solve<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">- What their demographics are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">- What problems you can help solve<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">- And where they’re going now to get help<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">By knowing these things about your customers, you
won’t be sending the same lead nurturing emails or other marketing campaigns to
everyone in your database. You can segment by customer persona and tailor your
messaging accordingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Developing a customer persona results in stronger and
more cost effective marketing. It allows you to convey a more tailored message,
minimize advertising waste, and even discover objections holding back customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Keep in mind, remember your buyer persona is a
theory. Test this theory with the feedback and data you’ll collect about
your audience as you grow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You can now get the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">right message</span></b>, to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">right people</span></b>,
at the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">right
time</span></b>!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">It starts by spending a little time identifying <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Who Your Ideal
Customer Persona</span></b> is. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">We can help!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For more information about
how The Cobalt Group can help you identify your ideal customer persona, or any
business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact
us</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright © 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></span>The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-59348967360207998702019-10-29T08:36:00.003-07:002019-10-29T08:36:56.219-07:00Why You’re Really In Business<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfEQq4mkR-yg_0pIiR5UdtHTf2QK3g1ARf1drYbfv5LuBtqIATLaRIKatzxCU1O2Bk9Zoj2Sh_s09F-fJIC8Q369nVzvJriWSH-XQ7NklJ7WLqDaoaWURqWZDSrT-1jyXotDoTMBaw5M/s1600/fixing-errors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfEQq4mkR-yg_0pIiR5UdtHTf2QK3g1ARf1drYbfv5LuBtqIATLaRIKatzxCU1O2Bk9Zoj2Sh_s09F-fJIC8Q369nVzvJriWSH-XQ7NklJ7WLqDaoaWURqWZDSrT-1jyXotDoTMBaw5M/s1600/fixing-errors.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">If you don’t have a clear answer to the following
question, you may struggle to market your business, or even get it off the
ground:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">What problem are you solving?</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You’re selling your product or service because you’re
solving a problem, or problems, for your customers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Read that last sentence again! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">This is a fundamental mindset shift that must occur. And
before you hang your shingle over your door and start trying to bring customers
through the door,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Know the problem you’re solving!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You may make the greatest widget in the world but if
your widget doesn’t solve a problem for someone, then you’ve made a great
widget with no market to sell it.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Make sure you understand exactly what their problem is,
or what issue they’re trying to resolve</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Not only do you have to know what the problem is,</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">but you must understand how it impacts your customer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">You’re going to invest a lot of time and money getting
the word out about your good or service, so your marketing plan needs to be
specific. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">Knowing the problem you’re solving is the first step.
From there you can narrow down your efforts to those people whose problem(s)
you’re actually able to solve?</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">And it doesn’t really matter what you sell, your
target <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">isn’t</b> ‘everyone’.</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 90%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 90%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-font-kerning: 12.0pt;">So, don’t forget <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Why You’re Really in Business</span></b>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">For more information about how The Cobalt Group can help you with
any business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright
© 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-12815888829765562772019-10-16T14:51:00.000-07:002019-10-16T15:02:31.635-07:008 Benefits of a Business Health Check<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM6mxs0syUi-pAmw3srZTXKunbNSqpw8mXv9HZ24nztgiw7jWg5ZHMDVMShCBLjhuBzBs_2scD2ybM300sRNt7ZhbPPJMESYujcNlewfw2Fkv7w34BnGErgmxNcN6s7zmsuMN1AbhBLk/s1600/business+health+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="960" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM6mxs0syUi-pAmw3srZTXKunbNSqpw8mXv9HZ24nztgiw7jWg5ZHMDVMShCBLjhuBzBs_2scD2ybM300sRNt7ZhbPPJMESYujcNlewfw2Fkv7w34BnGErgmxNcN6s7zmsuMN1AbhBLk/s400/business+health+6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">EVERY</span></b> business in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">EVERY</span></b>
industry in the world there are always more costs savings, more efficiencies, more
profit, more market share, and more success obtainable than what is currently
being achieved? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Do you want more of any or all of
those things? Are you happy with where your business is today or do you want it
to be more?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Every year most of us go to our
doctor to get and annual health checkup. It helps us see how things are doing and
identify where problem areas are in our health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">So why not do a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">Business Health
Check</span></b> every year? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Let’s start by identifying what a
business health check is.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A business health
check is simply a full diagnostic of the state of a business. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">It starts
with an evaluation of the current position of the business and provides an
assessment of the critical elements affecting your business both internally and
externally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">This assessment gives
an external view of the business to highlight where things are going well, the
areas that need change, and how to improve those areas to make a business even
more successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 3; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Why does your business
need a health check?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">The main reason would be to see how we are doing as a business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">And a business health
check is not just for struggling businesses. Healthy businesses can benefit
from one as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">It’s just like
getting an annual health check – we may feel just fine but the doctor may
discover something we weren’t even aware of so we can address it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Here are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">8 Benefits of
getting a Business Health Check</span></b> regularly!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-line-height-alt: 15.6pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">1. Know the Current State
of Your Business.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Probably the most
obvious benefit of a business health check is getting an objective overview of
where you stand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">This offers you with
the basic knowledge of the overall business performance, where things are going
well, where opportunities for improvements and growth are, customer experience,
employee engagement, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">You should come away
with a clear, objective view of your current overall business health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-line-height-alt: 15.6pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">2. Understand Your Business
Maturity.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-line-height-alt: 15.6pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Businesses all go through three basic maturity stages:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-line-height-alt: 15.6pt; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 40.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">A.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Infancy: Startup and
initial growth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 40.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">B.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Adolescence: Emergence
and expansion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 40.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">C.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Maturity: Stability
and progress<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">At each stage there
are a lot of competing demands upon the business owner. A health check will
help pinpoint exactly where a business stands internally, and externally in
relation to the market. Understanding your maturity is necessary for
identifying improvements to get your business to the next stage of maturity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">3. Identify Strengths & Weaknesses.</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">There are many
business owners don’t think they need help. The truth is that some of them may
be right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">But wouldn’t it be
valuable to have an external expert an objective look into what you are doing,
how you’re progressing toward your goals, and make further suggested improvements
to help your business become stronger?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">4. Spot New Growth Opportunities.</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Sometimes you can’t
see the forest for the trees. Maybe you think you’re ready to expand but you’re
not…or vice versa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Look for new growth
in your industry, other growth areas you may not have considered. Or, perhaps
further growth in an area that you have already built upon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A business health
check can help you identify potential growth areas, and better prepare for this
expansion?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">5. Identify Business Threats.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Do you fully understand where the threats to your
business success are coming from? Internally or externally?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Identifying these threats won’t necessarily make
them go away, but knowing what they are will help you adapt your business to
mitigate the damage as much as you can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>6. </b></span><span style="font-size: 24px;"><b>Re-calibrate</b></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b> Your Business Goals</b></span></span><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Re-calibrate</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"> and refocus
on the long-term goals you have for your business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">It’s easy to get
caught up in the everyday problem solving, we lose sight of the reason and
goals we had for the business, it’s time to get back on track again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">7. Get an Objective View</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">An opportunity to
look at your business from a different perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Getting another
perspective from outside the industry with business experience can provide
constructive ideas to really ensure future success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-outline-level: 4; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">8. Gain a Mentor</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">You get an expert
to discuss your business with, much like a mentor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Sometimes a business
owner does not have anyone suitable to talk to about the business at a
strategic level. Employees are usually not appropriate, friends and work
colleagues may not understand or be experienced, but a business health expert,
or consultant, is trained to quickly assess your business and help with
problems and changes for improvement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">There are many more benefits of doing a <b><span style="color: #20124d;">Business Health Check</span></b>, but the 8 above are great benefits for you and your business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">For more information about Business Health Checks and how The
Cobalt Group can help you do business health assessment, or help you with any
other business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Copyright
© 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-31878560370893566392019-06-26T17:53:00.000-07:002019-06-26T17:55:37.952-07:0010 Ways to Differentiate Your Business<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vB-3h4NJVbe8VxWpb3f6mkmX0v5z3NY2HDR88bewCbcLN3aLzOgKJWO2VbtH-V2prmAPBcgVkSATn2F2y1fks2cGL0WgWBl4xnwjdyCKmgcpPmv6h-rF9V4xvI3ZJTUIzHyp1yDc064/s1600/8230004725_0008be0a36_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vB-3h4NJVbe8VxWpb3f6mkmX0v5z3NY2HDR88bewCbcLN3aLzOgKJWO2VbtH-V2prmAPBcgVkSATn2F2y1fks2cGL0WgWBl4xnwjdyCKmgcpPmv6h-rF9V4xvI3ZJTUIzHyp1yDc064/s320/8230004725_0008be0a36_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: #002060; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why would a customer want to purchase your
good or service over that of a competitor? How do you set yourself apart from
the competition?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Businesses everywhere are trying to figure
out how to differentiate themselves from their competitors. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This is sometimes called
your Unique Value Proposition (UVP). But for our
purposes in this discussion I will use the term <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Differentiation</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB">Product or service <b>differentiation</b> is
a marketing process that showcases the differences between offerings by various businesses. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB"><b>Differentiation</b> is making a product or service
more attractive by contrasting their unique qualities with the competition.</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This is done all of
the time by some of the most successful businesses in the world. They have made
their name by articulating their unique capabilities, and delivering on them. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Perhaps
in your industry, when others are scaling back their products/services you
might see a benefit in expanding yours</span><span lang="EN-GB">. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There are plenty of examples of successful
companies and how they differentiated their offering to stand out from the
crowd. After all, you want to lure prospective customers in your door and away
from competitors. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">As I’ve said before, you want your unfair share of the
market.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another reason for
differentiating yourself is to help you avoid competing on price alone. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Think
of your differentiation as your secret ingredient. It's something that's unique
to your business. And it offers a definitive, tangible benefit to your
customer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some differentiators
are easy to figure out, while others are harder to come by. Ultimately, the
question becomes – Why me?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let’s take a look at
some ideas for helping you answer that question.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">1. Know the problem
you’re solving.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> You are
really in business selling your product or service because you are solving a
problem for your customers. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Make sure that the problem you’re trying to solve
is real. Make sure you understand exactly what that problem is. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">List the main issues
your potential customers have and create a differentiator to address them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">2. Know your ideal
buyer persona.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Having a
great offering is a good thing. But if you’re not marketing it to the people
that need your product you’re wasting marketing dollars. You want to market to the right people with the right message
at the right time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">3. Take a look at
your competition.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> What do
they offer that you don’t? Is that offering significant? What do you offer that
they don’t? Is their location and advantage for them, or is yours? What is
bringing customers to them?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">4. Define your unique value proposition.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Maybe
you're the only dentist with a kid’s play area on the premises. Or maybe you’re
a business consultant has experience working with and for Fortune 100
companies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What is it that you do that others cannot do, or cannot do as well as
you? These are examples of differentiators that might set you apart.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">5. Your differentiator(s)
may change.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Another
competitor may match one of your differentiators, or may exceed your capability.
You may develop a new one. Don't be afraid to change the message as your
business evolves. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Your customers evolve, you need to be agile as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">6. Offer a
guarantee.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Offer
something to address common customer frustrations. For example, guarantee that
your service delivery technician will show up within 15 minutes of the
scheduled time or provide the first hour of work free. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What you’re trying to do
is build trust with your customers and give them a no-risk opportunity to do
business with you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">7. Be specific.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Be as clear as you can on what it is that
you offer that others don’t. Put it out there in big, bold colors and use it as
a differentiator.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">8. Never make a
claim you can't deliver on.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
Be sure you can deliver what you promise or your differentiator(s) will be
useless. Then, your reputation will suffer, as will your business.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">9. Make sure your employees know and deliver on
your differentiator(s).</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> It
does no good to advertise a unique good or service if your employees can’t
follow through for you. Make sure they understand your differentiator(s) and
deliver on them consistently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">10. Build great customer relationships.</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Every step in the buyer/seller process is a
chance to build and strengthen a great customer relationship. Work on it all
the time and make sure your employees do the same. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Remember, buyers and sellers
with the best relationships will do the most business together.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, then what? Once
you've established your differentiator(s), reduce it into a few words and then
communicate it at every touch point. This is your elevator pitch! </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Use it in your
ads, letterhead, marketing collateral, your website, signage, sales calls, and
beyond. Your differentiators should roll right off of your tongue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Think of it this way:
what makes you choose one grocery store, dentist or moving company over
another? Chances are it's their success in defining their differentiator and getting
that message to the right marketplace. That’s what you want to do, too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This should be a good
start to get you thinking about how to make your company stand out from the
competition. Above all, when defining your differentiators, be brutally honest
in your evaluation. I guarantee that your customers will – either directly to
you or by taking their business elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #002060;">For more information about creating your Unique Value Proposition, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html" style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration-line: none;">Contact us</a></span>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Copyright © 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group LLC</a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. All rights reserved.</span></div>
The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-25965295841152859472019-03-28T15:20:00.000-07:002019-03-28T15:20:01.730-07:004 Things Ethics Is Not<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZ4GEPVt0b00LGMhvKnElHtzNspfc_Kqnji95t2BPr-sjGIItItRbyvgreLrtn5Yrl0lKgpd5LmE15i-EodZu9WdaTR7DA4Vd8PLSCJWSrovporGBWkHZcpjy5_lNIF-c5tB46gmDerA/s1600/Ethics1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="261" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZ4GEPVt0b00LGMhvKnElHtzNspfc_Kqnji95t2BPr-sjGIItItRbyvgreLrtn5Yrl0lKgpd5LmE15i-EodZu9WdaTR7DA4Vd8PLSCJWSrovporGBWkHZcpjy5_lNIF-c5tB46gmDerA/s320/Ethics1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A company’s ethics will determine its
reputation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Good business ethics are essential for the
long-term success of an organization. Implementing an ethical program will
foster a successful company culture and increase profitability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">A company's ethics will have an influence on
all levels of business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">It will influence all who interact with the
company including customers, employees, suppliers, competitors, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">All of these groups will have an effect on
the way a company's ethics are developed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">It is a two way street, the influence goes
both ways, which makes understanding ethics a very important part of doing
business today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Ethics is very important, as news can now
spread faster and farther and quicker than ever before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Simply stated - Ethics refers to standards of
behavior that tell us how human beings ought to act in the many situations in
which they find themselves. Whether as friends, parents, children, citizens,
businesspeople, teachers, professionals, and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">I will cover Ethics more in future blogs but
for now, I think it is helpful to identify <span style="color: blue;">4 Things Ethics Is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">NOT</b></span>:</span><b style="text-indent: -22.5pt;"></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="display: inline !important; text-align: justify;">
<b style="text-indent: -22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">-Ethics is not the same as feelings. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Feelings provide
important information for our ethical choices. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Some people have
highly developed habits that make them feel bad when they do something wrong. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">But many people feel
good even though they are doing something wrong. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">And often, our
feelings will tell us it is uncomfortable to do the right thing if it is hard.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="text-indent: -22.5pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-weight: bold; text-indent: -22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br />-Ethics is not following the law. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">A good system of law
does incorporate many ethical standards, but law can deviate from what is
ethical. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Law can become
ethically corrupt, as some totalitarian regimes have made it. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Law can also be a
function of power alone and designed to serve the interests of narrow groups. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">It may have a
difficult time enforcing standards in some important areas and may be slow to
address new problems. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
</span></div>
<div>
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<b style="text-indent: -22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">-Ethics is not following culturally accepted norms. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Some cultures are
quite ethical, but others become corrupt or blind to certain ethical concerns. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">"When in Rome,
do as the Romans do" is not a satisfactory ethical </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">standard.</span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: -22.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">-Ethics is not science. </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Social and natural
science can provide important data to help us make better ethical choices, b</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">ut science alone
does not tell us what we ought to do. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">Science may provide
an explanation for what humans are like, b</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -27pt;">ut ethics provides
reasons for how humans ought to act.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">The challenge is that there are two
fundamental problems in identifying the ethical standards we are to follow:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- On
what do we base our ethical standards? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">- And how do those standards get applied to specific situations we face?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Ethics is </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">NOT</b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> an easy topic. But it </span><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IS</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> a
topic that needs to be addressed by our businesses and business leaders. I will
dive more into this subject in future blogs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">For more information about Business Ethics, or to see how The
Cobalt Group can help you do an ethics assessment, or help you with any other
business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright
© 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-37026047113665364392019-03-12T13:03:00.000-07:002019-03-12T13:03:25.786-07:005 Benefits of Clearly Defined Coaching Goals<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you don’t know where you’re
going, how are you going to know when you get there?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the coaching side of my practice
I sometimes run across clients that have been previously told to ‘improve their
performance’, but not what part(s) of their performance actually need
improvement. When coaching a client/employee it is important for both the coach
and the client/employee to have specific goals and timelines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Goals have to be established
in order to give direction and purpose to the coaching session whether it is a
client or an employee. Ambiguous goals are usually never achieved and may cause
frustration, at a minimum. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Defining <b>S</b>pecific, <b>M</b>easurable,
<b>A</b>ttainable, <b>R</b>ealistic, and <b>T</b>ime driven </span><span style="font-size: large;">(<b>SMART</b>)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> goals will plot a marker in the
horizon. It’ll act as your beacon. Without that beacon you are navigating
blindly.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Having no <span style="color: blue;">clearly defined</span>
goal causes frustration for both you and your client/employee because there
never seems to be any improvement or progress. It creates a constant cycle of
failing to meet some objective – a cycle that will keep repeating without a <span style="color: blue;">clearly
defined</span> goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Setting a <span style="color: blue;">clearly defined</span>
goal gives you and your client/employee direction and purpose. Imagine being
handed a bunch of tools and materials and told to build something without a
clear vision or goal of what is to be built.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The same holds true for
developmental goals. It is not good enough to tell your employee they must
improve in sales or build widgets faster. These types of goals create more
confusion because they do not know where to start because they don't know where they're specifically going. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are <b>5 benefits to establishing clearly defined goals </b>upfront for your client/employee:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">Both you and your client/employee have a better chance of starting in the right direction together</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">Coaching time is more efficient once goals are discussed upfront</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">You are able to plan ahead of the session and prepare targeted questions</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">Coaching session are direct and avoid meandering</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">You, as the coach, will come across more clear, instilling confidence in your client/employee</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Going back to the building
analogy, you may end up building a stool when what was really needed was as
birdhouse. Clearly defined goals are the cornerstone of effective and successful
coaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By establishing clearly
defined goals you help to set your client/employee up for success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">For more information about coaching and
mentoring, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with this or any other
business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Copyright © 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black;">. All
rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-20973702540591929512019-02-26T10:27:00.000-08:002019-02-26T10:28:54.987-08:0010 Important Ways to Increase Employee Engagement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmFkoAfJSotzXX3RSnTZWXjOEDb2y_euq4cbmX1HijcHAr8Sbr8U8VvLjWMYt2IXEU313oFF1hiHkXijxz4AneKpA7x6ioR5HoGoHeef5-xzoN8IAH9v7m8uWebDZWyMe5AZ3aVShdA0/s1600/EE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="537" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmFkoAfJSotzXX3RSnTZWXjOEDb2y_euq4cbmX1HijcHAr8Sbr8U8VvLjWMYt2IXEU313oFF1hiHkXijxz4AneKpA7x6ioR5HoGoHeef5-xzoN8IAH9v7m8uWebDZWyMe5AZ3aVShdA0/s320/EE.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As I stated in a previous
<a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2018/12/5-characteristics-of-engaged-employees.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, employee engagement is the next level above employee satisfaction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Basically stated, employee
engagement is the level of commitment and involvement an employee has towards
their organization and its values.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">There are two components of
engagement: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Rational Engagement</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The involvement, understanding and motivation an
employee has in his/her job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">Emotional Engagement</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The attitudinal attachment an employee has to his/her
company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">In essence, employee
engagement is a barometer that determines the relationship of a person with the
organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">At the heart of the
engagement model is Leadership. This is where it starts. Your organization’s
leadership sets the tone for your employee engagement model. And the engagement strategy must be directed from the top down. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The challenge facing the organization’s
leadership is to move the employee beyond the way each feels about his/her job
to the attitudinal attachment each employee has to his/her company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">So as you develop your employee
engagement strategy, here are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-size: large;">10 Important Ways to
Increase Employee Engagement<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. They Need to Know
what’s Expected of Them</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-indent: -24px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. They Need to Have
the Right Equipment to do the Job</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. Give Them the Opportunity
to Do What They Do Best</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. H</span><span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">ave a Formal
Plan for Recognition & Praise</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">5. Care for Them as
a Person</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">6. Let Them Know Their
Opinion Counts</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">7. Build a Connection
with Them and the Mission of Your </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">Organization</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">8. Talk With Them
About Their Progress – formally and informally</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">9. Provide Opportunities
to Learn and Grow</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large; text-indent: -0.25in;">10. Encourage Professional
and Personal Development</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">As your organization develops
your engagement plan remember, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">KEY</span></b> to successfully engaging employees is
getting to know each employee – not engaging a “them”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">For more information about engaging and
mobilizing employees, and to take our free self-assessment about how well you
are engaging and mobilizing, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with
this or any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Copyright © 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black;">. All
rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-31344285520779501792019-02-11T12:18:00.001-08:002019-02-11T12:18:57.017-08:00Why TEAMWORK Matters<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8NUZ_dmpfCc7pyVx2gcGLcN52MG3UgBL9_j7pSwO0hOMzcCCaJz7UFgdt1KrlAaA01VPgxP4FAzkM5VqXZoPo7DD9U9SKxvT-8a_vxpydPiKd5XmcCN9hD7PYqr3UM4KlyVgfh5OnLk/s1600/Teamwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="499" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8NUZ_dmpfCc7pyVx2gcGLcN52MG3UgBL9_j7pSwO0hOMzcCCaJz7UFgdt1KrlAaA01VPgxP4FAzkM5VqXZoPo7DD9U9SKxvT-8a_vxpydPiKd5XmcCN9hD7PYqr3UM4KlyVgfh5OnLk/s320/Teamwork.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">You have a passion about something and decided to turn it into a career. You are building, or have already built, a business to bring your good or service to market. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Or, you're part of a bigger company and are responsible for part of that organization.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Undoubtedly, you want your business or organization to be successful. But, with all of the moving parts to running them, what are the important things to be focusing on? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">While you are diligently creating and executing your business plans, go-to-market strategies, and all the other pieces of the pie, there is o</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ne important ingredient that is overlooked, or taken for granted too often:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #002060;"><span style="font-size: large;">TEAMWORK</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Why does this matter? Because
running a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">successful organization</b>
requires an effective team!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The simple truth is that
effective <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">TEAMWORK</span></b>
does, among other things, the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">- It enhances the sense of accomplishment
and promotes camaraderie <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">- <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">TEAMWORK</span></b> helps build enthusiasm
and creates a more supportive atmosphere <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">- It creates collaboration in
the organization – the sum being greater than the parts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">- When employees use their talents
together they are better able to overcome roadblocks and accomplish the mission<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">- Teamwork encourages interaction
across organizational divides – and externally with partners and customers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There are many other benefits of effective </span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="color: #002060; font-weight: bold;">TEAMWORK</span>. The point here is, </span><b style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="color: #002060;">TEAMWORK</span> </b><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">must be</span><span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"> an important ingredient for any successful organization.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So here’s the question... </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Does
your organization demonstrate effective <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">TEAMWORK</span></b> and reap the benefits?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt;">We'd be glad to discuss that with you. The Cobalt Group can
facilitate over <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/business-and-leadership-workshops.html">150
different workshops</a> for your organization, six of them listed below are entirely focused
on teamwork and team building.</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">Building High Performance Teams Inside
the Company</span></b></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">Building High Performance Teams in a
Remote Workforce</span></b></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">Team Building for Managers</span></b></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">Team Building Through Chemistry</span></b></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">Teamwork and Team Building</span></b></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></b></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #196e91; font-size: 14.0pt;">Virtual Team Building and Management</span></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;">For more
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 14.0pt;">Copyright © 2019 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none;">The Cobalt Group
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<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-23733952815466317682018-12-10T13:40:00.001-08:002018-12-10T13:40:41.893-08:005 Characteristics of Engaged Employees<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XAQzlszxXHOL638LpvyklNcCNWHsLsHYT5XakfLxdyp0oAbLlEqSzUYWLA3X5jtYsf8lR1ljZ3V9xckeb2rhFaoxaDFTSEBP_H9UM0YRb0HjD_6I1U3RNGvOYj9K0wMYlZKRZ0HiEmY/s1600/Resilience-is-the-Process-of-Adapting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1000" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7XAQzlszxXHOL638LpvyklNcCNWHsLsHYT5XakfLxdyp0oAbLlEqSzUYWLA3X5jtYsf8lR1ljZ3V9xckeb2rhFaoxaDFTSEBP_H9UM0YRb0HjD_6I1U3RNGvOYj9K0wMYlZKRZ0HiEmY/s320/Resilience-is-the-Process-of-Adapting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Employee engagement is the
next level above employee satisfaction. The difference between the two is distinct. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Satisfied employees perform under a more transactional relationship. They are willing to give X amount of work
and time because the company gives them Y in return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Engaged employees, in
contrast, will go beyond a transactional relationship and are willing to give greater
levels effort and time. They put more into their jobs</span> because they are <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">passionate about seeing the company and its customers
succeed. Employee engagement is a barometer that determines the relationship of
a person with the organization. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">These are certain
characteristics that are traits of more engaged employees. Among them are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">They have a belief in the organization</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">
Engaged employees feel connected to the mission and values of the organization.
They want to contribute to its success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">They have an understanding of the
‘bigger picture’</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> These employees know what is expected of them and
they know how what they do fits into the overall strategy of the organization.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">They work to make things better</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">
Engaged employees seek out ways to improve the organization and the products or
services they sell. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">They are respectful and caring to
colleagues</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">These employees appreciate that each has a role and
that each bring certain strengths to the solution. They genuinely care for each
other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">They are willing to go ‘above and beyond’</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Another
characteristic of an engaged employee is their willingness to go the extra mile
to achieve the goals of the organization. They do so out of commitment to the
organization’s goals and values,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">At the center of any
organization’s engagement model is its leadership. The tone for employee
engagement is set from the top to the bottom of the leadership chain. To
succeed, it has to be an all hands effort. The organization’s leadership must
move the employee beyond the way each feels about his/her job to developing the
attitudinal attachment each employee has to his/her company. This is the difference between having satisfied employees to having engaged employees. And it's not that hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">And remember from a previous
<a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2018/11/7-questions-every-leader-must.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">KEY</span></b>
to successfully engaging employees is getting to know each employee – not
engaging a “them”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt;">For more information about engaging and
mobilizing employees, and to take our free self-assessment about how well you
are engaging and mobilizing, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with
this or any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright © 2018 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All
rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-31335990493406965072018-11-28T17:29:00.000-08:002018-11-28T17:29:58.432-08:003 Questions You Must Answer to Know if You’re Setting Your Employees Up for Success<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUJXfzZx1Mct75HpLXh7uwVwwF7t7uw8Llir2U8yF44y6YXbcTzbemiDuK25xcZB0kFLmg_YIv4gd-EfOn5RPxFKUOJbDacuBIKank_5H8SYOmU42A7vl77VuzWRq9bVHE3MKvwZeEck/s1600/Employee+Success+or+Failure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1036" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUJXfzZx1Mct75HpLXh7uwVwwF7t7uw8Llir2U8yF44y6YXbcTzbemiDuK25xcZB0kFLmg_YIv4gd-EfOn5RPxFKUOJbDacuBIKank_5H8SYOmU42A7vl77VuzWRq9bVHE3MKvwZeEck/s320/Employee+Success+or+Failure.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">If you’ve ever had employees
work for you then you’ve likely been in the situation where you have to decide
whether or not to let them go for poor job performance. How did you get there? What
led that employee to perform poorly? If you’re in a leadership role your job is
to set your people up to succeed; to give them what they need to do what you
hired them to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There are legitimate reasons
to fire someone little to no notice. For me that would involve willful or gross
negligence, or criminal activity. In those cases the answer is fairly simple – termination is
warranted right then. There are other factors, as well, that would rightly lead
to ending their employment with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But, if you have an employee
that is struggling to do what you hired them to do and you are considering
letting them go, there are <b><span style="color: #002060;">three questions</span></b> that you must answer before
you make that decision:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">Did the employee know what was expected
of him/her?</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> It seems like a simple
question but I have worked with a few clients that had let people go without
knowing if the person knew what was expected of them. If your employee doesn’t
have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, then how could they
know what they were supposed to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">Was the employee properly trained to
perform their duties?</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There have been many times when I have seen people
thrown into a job or a task without adequate, or sometimes any, training to do
the job. That seems incredulous in this day and age but it happens more often
than you would think. If they haven’t been shown the proper way to do the job,
how can you expect them to do it properly?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">Does the employee have the right tools
to do the job?</span></b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This is the last question I ask. If they know what is
expected of them, and have been properly trained to do the job, were they given
the appropriate tools? If the employee’s job is to drive nails into the wall,
sending them out with a spoon is of little help. Why weren’t they given a
hammer?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Our job as leaders is to set
our employees up to succeed. The calculation is simple – our success is
dependent upon their success. If you can’t honestly answer ‘<b><span style="color: #002060;">YES</span></b>’
to each of these questions, you have set them up to fail. And in that case, you
have failed as a leader, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Make sure you can answer each
of those questions with a resounding ‘<b><span style="color: #002060;">YES</span></b>’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt;">For more information about employee engagement,
or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with this or any other business or
leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact
us</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Copyright © 2018 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration-line: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. All
rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-9509371541728357422018-11-19T13:53:00.001-08:002018-11-19T13:55:04.641-08:007 Questions Every Leader Must Communicate To Employees <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRToHdIEGcXo_wJj4UEVHJT8uBVDlDmnH7A0X4BZ6pvqoCAwf81pxkZ1VX8wfhEeVD08_LSp4tIYkamb9sarTwoX1DijbHJh9iScHTTpy4eLp_M99aIbhNJOHI63b1n_1LG2tFaIufjbY/s1600/employee_engagement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="574" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRToHdIEGcXo_wJj4UEVHJT8uBVDlDmnH7A0X4BZ6pvqoCAwf81pxkZ1VX8wfhEeVD08_LSp4tIYkamb9sarTwoX1DijbHJh9iScHTTpy4eLp_M99aIbhNJOHI63b1n_1LG2tFaIufjbY/s200/employee_engagement.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Engaging and mobilizing
employees can feel like an overwhelming challenge. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are many
simple strategies to engage and mobilize employees. Most cost almost nothing to
implement, can be put into place immediately, and have huge impact.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>The benefits of an engaged
workforce are numerous. Among them are:</b></span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Committed employees</li>
<li>Increased productivity</li>
<li>Lower turnover</li>
<li>Higher performing workforce</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>As well, the cost of an
unengaged workforce can detrimentally affect your bottom line. Among these disadvantages
include:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Increased turnover and associated costs</span></li>
<li>Lower morale</li>
<li>Decreased loyalty, creativeness, and energy </li>
<li>Reduced productivity</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This is a topic that goes
well beyond one blog post and I will be addressing it more in future blogs. But
for now let’s look at some questions to ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There are <b><span style="color: #002060;">seven simple
questions</span><span style="color: #002060;"> </span></b>every leader must
answer and communicate to employees. Do it often, it matters. Small, informal
conversations about performance go a long way – especially when they include
teachable moments about different situations and details. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The questions include:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you understand what I expect from
you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What are you doing well?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What, if anything, can you be doing
better?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What, if anything, do I want you to
do better?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(If appropriate): What will happen if
you improve (e.g., more responsibility, more time with leadership, more
desirable assignments)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">(If appropriate): What will happen if
you don’t improve?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How can I help?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">While all of these questions
are important, and certainly not the only questions to be asking, the last
question is especially important. It shows the employee that the leader cares,
and is not merely relinquishing responsibility or shifting blame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The <b><span style="color: #002060;">KEY</span></b> to successfully engaging
employees is getting to know each employee – not engaging a “them”. The truth
is, engagement is easy. Committing to improve engagement is where it gets hard.
Make employee acknowledgement and recognition part of the fabric of your
leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 14.0pt;">For more information about engaging and
mobilizing employees, and to take our free self-assessment about how well you
are engaging and mobilizing, or to see how The Cobalt Group can help you with
this or any other business or leadership challenges you are facing, </span></b><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">Copyright © 2018 </span><span style="color: #0000cc; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none;">The Cobalt Group
LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">. All
rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-29086710859939441832018-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:002018-07-06T13:20:38.302-07:00The 1% Changes That Will Grow Your Business <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Too often, business owners
view growth of their business or bottom line as a major, complex challenge. Granted, there
are some complexities involved, and some moving parts that must be managed to
expand your business, but there is a simpler way to make a quicker, positive
impact on your bottom line.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060; font-size: 12.0pt;">Make 1% changes</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Let’s take a look at how.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Our client is a manufacturing
company that does $4M in revenue a year. Annual expenses run about $3.7M. So
they’re netting $300K per year, or about an 8% profit margin. For any business I
would think that an 8% margin would be a good thing. But the owner wants to
expand and needs more available cash to do this. They do not want to take out a
loan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The company runs fairly efficiently
but in reviewing their numbers there were many areas that they could do better
in. Recall from <a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2018/04/looking-within-while-looking-without.html">Looking
Within While Looking Without</a> that the easiest part to control between
revenue and expenses are – the expenses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So we discussed this and I
suggested a bite-sized course of action. What if we were to reduce our expenses
by 1%? What impact would that be? We looked at all of the expenses and focused
on the line items that we felt were the easiest to control. Among those were: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Utility costs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Find lower cost
materials without sacrificing quality.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Lower the unplanned downtime to manufacturing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Labor costs – not
in wage reductions but through stronger retention. Training a new hire takes investment
in time and money. The more that employees can be retained means fewer that will
need to be trained.</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">With expenses around $3.7M, a
1% reduction would bring expenses down to $3.663M, or a savings of $37K. To
most businesses, saving $37K is a good thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Next, what we looked at was
how a 1% increase in revenue could be made. The obvious answers were to look at
the following avenues:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Small increase</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> in prices.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Increase</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> the number of customers.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Increase</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> the rate of transactions per customer.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Increase</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> the size of the average transaction.</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">A 1% increase in revenue
would mean and increase from $4M to $4.04M, or an increase of $40K. Again, I
cannot think of a business that would walk away from an additional $40K in
revenue each year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But these two <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">1% changes</span></b><span style="color: #002060;"> </span>are not stand alone. They are cumulative. When
revenue for our customer is increased by $40K, and expenses are reduced by
$37K, we have a growth to the bottom line of $77K. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">What that means is that our
customer grows the bottom line from $300K to $377K, or a little over a 25%
increase in their profit margin from making 1% changes. This is just in the
first year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Year two, all things being
equal, would bring an additional $37K in expense reductions and an additional
$80K in revenue. This is a net of $117K. Combine that with the $77K from year
one and there will be $194K in net profits over two years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Changes don’t have to be always
have to be major to make an impact. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #002060;">1% changes</span></b><span style="color: #002060;"> </span>can
make a positive impact too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/contact-us.html">Contact us</a> to see how The
Cobalt Group can help you with this or any other business issues you are facing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright © 2018 </span><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group LLC</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-55589264231855568592018-05-15T17:05:00.000-07:002018-05-15T17:05:03.137-07:00Why Hire a Business Consultant?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Typically, most small to
mid-sized business owners find themselves involved in every aspect of their
business, from running the business to doing the brunt of the administrative
duties. They are required to be great multi-taskers out of necessity. I have
found that most business owners struggle to delegate many of the tasks needing
to be done, even when they have access to the resources to do so. The upside of
that, by their logic, is that they know it is getting done the way they want it
done. That doesn’t always mean it is getting done correctly, just that they
know it is getting done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">There is a downside to this
as well. If as a business owner is spending too much time on the back office work
and not on the core business activities (those that run, operate, and grow the
business), it is probably time to ask the question - do you need to hire business
consulting services? This is not limited to just smaller companies. It applies
to businesses and organizations of all sizes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The challenge for a business
owner is to recognize when they should consider hiring a consultant, understand
what the role of a business consultant in their business is, and to determine when
it is cost-effective to hire one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">What does a business
consultant do?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">A business consultant is basically
an outside expert you hire to solve an internal business problem. A consultant
brings knowledge, skills, experience, and expertise to improve their client’s
condition. Unlike in-house employees, consultants are hired on a
contract/project basis.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Business consultants are
there to help you achieve your business goals. A consultant can help you with determining
a business strategy, the associated planning, and operational process
development and/or improvements required to achieve those goals. They can help
with setting a marketing and sales strategy. A business consultant can help
with business expansion and other improvements. And while the list is consulting
services is virtually limitless, a business consultant can also help implement
and execute their ideas and recommendations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Why hire business
consultant?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most business owners hire
consultants as an economical way to bridge a gap in knowledge and/or skills
within their company, or a as a way to bring an objective and professional
perspective to the company.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Here are the main reasons for
which I have seen most businesses hire consultants:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Help finding the problem(s)</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">: A consultant has only one focus and can come in
observe your business objectively, and determine the root of the problem(s).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Help crafting the solution(s)</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">: Perhaps you have a goal that you can’t achieve because
there is a skills gap or because it is simply not within your company’s
core competency. Hiring a consultant can bring those missing skills and, in
the end, help achieve the desired outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">Managing future business growth:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Every business
owner wants to succeed for the long term. But where does your future
growth come from? How do you get there? Hiring a business consultant can get
you pointed in the right direction.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Improving operational processes</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">:</span> Let’s say your company has grown very rapidly
and there are lots of things you know could be done better. Maybe you
don’t know where to start, or don’t have the resources to start. A
consultant can bring in some fresh perspective, evaluate any or all areas
of your business, and determine the processes and procedures to increase operational
efficiency.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">Your strategies aren’t working:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When things
don’t seem to work out most people will either go for quick, often wrong
solutions, or they go ask for help. Businesses are no different. They can either
keep going down the road they’re on and continue to lose revenue and
market share, maybe go bankrupt, or they can hire a business consultant
who can be a game changer that can analyze the strategies and make changes
that benefit your company.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">You need a certain expertise:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A business
consultant is an expert in business strategies. They possess the expertise
that your business may not have in order to identify problems, find
solutions, create new strategies, and they can even implement those
solutions or the necessary changes to your overall business structure.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">You’re short on expert staff:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Companies that are
short on expert employees hire business consultants who can do both jobs –
be an employee and be an adviser to the company. Hiring a business
consultant is usually less expensive and more cost-effective because
consultants don’t require benefits or withholding.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">You’ve lost focus:</span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It’s not unusual
for business owners lose their focus whenever an unforeseen situation
arises. This is where you need a business consultant that can adjust your
focus towards your goals and objectives and help you make the right decisions.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: blue;">Help save you time and money:</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
you’re still doing too many of the non-core business activities a
consultant can take over some those tasks and save you money. They are
there to deliver their service and help you run your business more efficiently,
effectively, and profitably.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A consultant can also provide
insight that can enable you to seize new opportunities while avoiding spending
time and money on activities that could derail your success.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While those are the most common reasons I have seen, the
list above is my no means all inclusive. There are many ways for you to work
with consultants throughout your business lifecycle. <i>Perhaps most importantly, business
consultants can be cost-effective resources that can give you the valuable time
needed to focus on what you do best: developing and growing your business, and
being an expert at whatever it is that led you to start your own company.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>The Cobalt Group</b></span> can help you
with this. Ask us how.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a
discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright © 2018 </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cobalt Group LLC</span></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-5092041106362739732018-05-07T16:12:00.001-07:002018-05-07T16:13:14.213-07:00People as a Primary Growth Area<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">In the course of my week I talk with a lot of
businesses at various stages and sizes about where they want to grow. It’s not
unusual to hear things like:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I want to grow
into a new market.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I want to
increase my offerings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">I want to add a
new location.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The list goes on, and every
one of them are good goals and good growth areas. Most of these business
leaders have a good strategy to reach those goals, too. But as I talk with them
about those strategies there is one common denominator that I don’t hear them
talk about growing – <span style="color: blue;"><b>their people!</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">So I want you to change your
approach to business growth and think of your <b><span style="color: blue;">People as a Primary Growth Area!</span></b>
While this is true for all of your people, it is especially true for your
leadership team. After all, if you’ve read my blog on the <a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-3-ds-of-good-leadership.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">3 Ds of GoodLeadership</span></a>, then you know that these are the people to whom you will entrust to
one of the <span style="color: blue;"><b>Ds</b></span> – <b><span style="color: blue;">Delegate</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Your people are the most
important asset you have in your business. Even if you are self-employed,
taking care of yourself will benefit your business. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s the people that take
your vision and direction and help you achieve your goals. They are the ones
that make things happen. You have those people because your business grew
enough that you could not do it all yourself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Don’t overlook your <span style="color: blue;"><b>Primary
Growth Area</b></span>. Invest in your people. Make sure they know what to do, and have
the tools and training to do it. Sure, better benefits help when they are
affordable but what I am saying is to make sure they understand what the
mission and vision are, and what their role in it is. Seek their input into your plans and they’ll feel like
they have ownership, and with that they will want to succeed even more. And when
you’ve achieved results in that <b><span style="color: blue;">Growth Area</span></b>, you’ll be better positioned to grow
your business in other areas, and be able to do so with your people as part of that strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The Cobalt Group can help you with this. Ask us how.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright
© 2018 </span><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none;">The Cobalt Group LLC</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-24259089387643555282018-04-11T14:05:00.001-07:002018-04-11T14:11:16.421-07:00Looking Within While Looking Without<br />
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About 3 years ago I took a sabbatical from <span style="color: blue;">Cobalt Group</span> to
be the Executive Director for a park and recreation district that employed
about 60 full and part time staff. It was a fantastic job and a great
experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I started I discovered that the district had been
running at a loss for the previous six years. Even though the district was supported
by an operations and maintenance tax levy (about 58% of total revenue), I knew
that I had to treat it like a business and start making it profitable. My first
approach was to start <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">looking within</span></b>
and control the controllable. In my experience, the easiest thing to control is
the expense side of the P&L. The harder thing to do is be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">looking without</span></b> because revenue is
harder to control than expenses because, while no business can make customers
come in, they can have more control over their operating costs. So I began looking at what the expenses were and where savings could be made. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first thing I did was to determine what the cost of operating
the district was. This had not apparently been done before but I figured out
what it cost to open the doors every day. From there I looked at all the items
on the expense side of the P&L and began working with my senior staff to
understand what those expenses were and what they really needed to be. We
looked at labor costs, vendor contracts, regulatory expenses, maintenance,
utilities, cost of goods sold, and every other expense category to get an idea
of where we could shave those costs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some tough decisions were made but I made sure that my staff
understood what we were doing and why we were doing it. They knew their
departments better than I did and by making them part of the process they now
had ownership in the outcome. We met frequently to see how costs were tracking,
and made adjustments where we felt it was warranted. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The staff performed wonderfully and at the end of my first
full fiscal year, with only one fee increase made to only one program, we ended
up with slightly over $20K in profit. This was the first profitable year the district
had achieved in six years. We kept up the cost controls and at the end of my
second full fiscal year we had a profit slightly over $50K. This occurred
because my entire staff understood what we were trying to do, they were
invested in the outcome, and they worked diligently to make it happen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Getting back to profitability provided many lessons learned that
I will share in future blogs. But going back to the basics was key. For any
business, if you want a better chance at increasing your margin, start where
you can have the most control – expenses. But don’t neglect the revenue side of
the equation either. Start <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">Looking
Within While Looking Without</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group can help you with this. Ask us how.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Copyright
© 2018 </span><a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0000cc; text-decoration: none;">The Cobalt Group LLC</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-26798689266491850402015-01-14T10:49:00.000-08:002015-01-14T10:49:26.460-08:00Your Value To Your Customer<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Most companies have a value proposition. They have some product(s) or service(s) that they believe will benefit their customers. While this value proposition is a great thing to be able to articulate, it isn’t what your real value to your customer is or should be. The customer, on the other hand, wants to believe that they will see value from those products or services. But is that what they really want? My experience is that the value that they see comes more from how you do business with them rather than the actual product or service you’re providing.</div>
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The key is to go beyond a value proposition statement and do what you can to help the customer solve their problems. So how do you do that? To begin with, your value begins by getting to know your customer. Get to know them deeply. Know what they do, why they do it, and how they do it. Know what their strategic plan is; learn what their problems are. Many of the problems you can help solve are based in them getting from where they are to achieving their goals. Knowing those goals and why they are important is key here, and will differentiate you from the competition that doesn’t try to understand them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To do this you have be in there talking with them. Find out what they are trying to do and why. <a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2014/10/be-excellent-listener.html" target="_blank">Be an Excellent Listener</a>. Try to get to know their problems before they become a business opportunity. Help shape the way they want the solution to look. For this to happen it will require an investment of your time so that you can understand what they are trying to solve.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The truth is that what customers really want are partners that can help them solve problems. They have plenty of vendors trying to sell them something. So what this really means is that you must move beyond the transactional sale of a product or service and become a business partner and a trusted agent. If you are able to do that then you will increase <b>Your Value To Your Customer</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Copyright © 2015 <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group, LLC</a>. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-1562786768350835522015-01-08T11:16:00.000-08:002015-01-08T11:16:25.983-08:00The Hot Wash<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Almost every evolution that occurred in my Navy career was hot washed. That is a military term for reviewing the lessons learned. We debriefed every flight, every exercise, and almost every evolution. We looked at what we did right and what we did wrong. It never made us perfect at what we were doing but when those lessons learned were incorporated into the next event, it made for fewer and fewer mistakes. This especially helped in the planning phases.</div>
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Since joining the corporate world I have not seen that done very often. In my first job as a sales rep I went to my boss after the first win to see if she wanted a debrief. She asked me if we won and I said yes. Then she asked what there was to debrief. Being new to the corporate world, I guessed that winning meant not needing to review things. I was used to hot washing everything so I figured it was how things were done. After my first loss I went back with the same thing and the response was about the same with the exception of her asking what I would do differently the next time. That was the extent of the hot wash.</div>
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In successive jobs I have had much the same experience. Most of these were not small companies but big multi-billion dollar corporations. Even the company that had a process for what I call a hot wash did not enforce it, nor did it ever really even ask for one. I offered to do one and while they did agree to it, I would have thought that they would have been more interested to know why we lost a $30M+ opportunity. So I put the presentation together and gave it. They were grateful and said all the right things, but nothing really changed.</div>
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So why should you do a hot wash? That could be a rhetorical question, but worth addressing nonetheless. All of our lives we should learn from our mistakes. We all make them and nothing is perfect. But, if we don’t take a look at what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong we will set ourselves up to possibly repeating the same mistakes again. And in business, those mistakes make us look bad, at best, and can cost a lot of money, at the worst.</div>
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Hot washes shouldn’t be finger pointing exercises either. Establish a formal process to review every bid you make. Look at what you did right. Reinforce those actions. Give praise to those responsible for it. Next, look at what you did wrong. Don’t adopt the zero defect mentality over these errors. Figure out what you need to do to keep from doing it again the next time. No phase of any business venture goes perfectly. Some mistakes may not have had any impact this time, but it doesn’t mean that they may not hurt you the next time.</div>
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Take the time to establish a process for reviewing your business successes and losses. Be objective and be honest in your critiques. Leave your egos out of it too. That is the only way to get better. And in the long run, doing a hot wash will pay big dividends.</div>
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Happy New Year to you all and our wish is for much success for you in 2015!</div>
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We want to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.</div>
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Copyright © 2015 <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/">The Cobalt Group, LLC</a>. All rights reserved.</div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-78742110544970332372014-12-12T10:24:00.000-08:002014-12-15T17:22:44.229-08:00Roadblocks to Results<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
What
keeps you or your business from being successful? What keeps you from achieving
the results you set out to achieve? This is a topic that books have been written
about but I will try to address at a high level view in this post. My list here
will not be all inclusive. There are too many independent variables in each
situation we face to list them all here. The ones I will discuss below are ones
that seem to be more prevalent in my experience and observations. So what are
some of the <b>Roadblocks to Results</b>?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Having no goal</b>. If we
don’t start with the end in mind then it is more likely that we will not get
there. As simple as that seems it is not too uncommon that I run across
situations where there is no real goal. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>No long range planning</b>.
Too often we worry about the near term requirements to the neglect of the long
term goal(s). We then make decisions based on what are more immediate needs
vice the longer term needs we have. That doesn’t mean that near term needs aren’t
important. But don’t make all of your decisions based on the more immediate
issues to the neglect or impact on your long term goals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Lack of adaptability</b>.
Another roadblock is being unable to adapt to changes in the business
environment. Things change and unless we either predict the change or adapt
quickly we run the risk of getting left behind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Getting sidetracked</b>. Seems
obvious but letting other distractions interfere can keep you from achieving
your goals. If you pursuing a certain goal and another shiny object appears it
takes good business discipline to stay focused. There may be times when you
want to change direction and go for the new opportunity but it needs to be
weighed heavily and it needs to align with the long term goals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Relying on technology to solve problems</b>. We all love technology and the way it is supposed to make our
lives ‘simpler’. But there are problems out there that technology doesn’t
solve. A look at your goals and the objectives you laid out to reach them
should indicate whether your problem is a technological problem or business
problem. One example is…will that new CRM database help you achieve your goals?
Or will it create unintended consequences across the company? Often, it’s the
basic blocking and tackling that leads to victory.<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b>Looking for </b><b style="background-color: transparent;">other </b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">examples to emulate vice solutions for
you</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">. Don’t look to the example of others
to simply cut and paste a solution into your environment. They may have had a
very similar problem but the cause of the problem may be different. Make sure
it is an exact fit before just copying a solution used elsewhere.</span></div>
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As I
said, this topic has had many books devoted to it. My aim is not to write a
book about it but to get you to take a hard look at what <b>Roadblocks to Results</b> are keeping you from achieving your goals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Copyright
© 2014 <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group, LLC</a>. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-43026656301720070212014-12-05T06:31:00.000-08:002014-12-05T06:31:33.571-08:00Clichéd Phrases Don’t Motivate<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Every
profession has them. A lot of people in leadership roles use them. They are <b>Cliched Phrases</b> and they <b>Don’t Motivate</b>. Some
of them are downright catchy but regardless of how well-intentioned the phrase
may have seemed, they don’t give the employees what they really need – the support,
tools, and means to do their jobs. This is especially true when used by someone
in a leadership role that offers little more than a clichéd phrase vice real help.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
But in
every phase of my career I have heard them. And, I am sorry to report, I have
even used them a couple of times. Some of them are cute, even funny. Witty,
maybe. But none of them ever helped me do my job better. In truth, everyone I
have talked to about this is turned off by cheap clichés. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
So here
is a question. How many of you have ever been motivated to do better by one of
these clichéd sound bites? I really don’t know who they inspire other than
perhaps the person quoting them. They don’t provide anything to make anyone
successful. And to the persons using these quotes – do you really think you’re
motivating anyone with them? Are you making sure your employees are equipped
properly to do their jobs? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
While I
have seen them everywhere in my various career paths, the ones that stand out
the most are the ones I have heard in my sales/BD career. Here are a few of the
types of phrases about which I am speaking:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>Are you In It to Win It?</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Because everyone likes losing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>The difference between try and triumph is
umph!</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Only with
bad spelling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>This quarter is our most important quarter!</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Every
quarter is the most important.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>We gotta make the number.</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Oh, I
thought you were kidding about that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>I piss excellence.</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
That must
hurt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>Do you have the juice?</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Yeah,
which flavor do you want.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Seriously,
are goals achieved through catchy phrases? I’d love to know one that is (other
than a goal of creating catchy phrases). These clichés are NOT a strategy.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some great motivational phrases out there but a
motivational phrase without the means to accomplish the goal are useless. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
This is equally true when dealing with customers. I did not seek out a career in sales. It found me.
I was on a colleague’s sales call with him at the very beginning of my sales career
and in the meeting he says, “So, Mr. Customer…what keeps you awake at night.” I
almost burst out laughing. I’m pretty sure I cast a sideways look at him. I can’t
tell you how many times I have heard people say that you need to ask them what
keeps them awake at night. I know what the intent there is but I would never use that phraseology. So I made a vow to try NEVER to sound like a clichéd
sales rep. I think I have done pretty well with that vow. Customers don’t want
clichéd phrases either. They want help and they want results. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
So, what clichéd
phrases top your list? And “at the end of the day” did they motivate you?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Copyright
© 2014 <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group, LLC</a>. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-44917243271635798862014-11-25T12:13:00.002-08:002014-11-25T12:13:53.250-08:00Failing Our Leaders<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Right out
of college I was hired to be a supervisor in a poultry processing plant (yes, I
studied chickens in college). With the ink on my degree still wet, I was now in
charge of 42 people at the seasoned age of 21. I received no leadership or
management training other than a four week indoctrination where I spent one
week in each of the four major areas of the business to learn what they do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Then I
was thrown to into the fire of ‘management’. With absolutely no formal training
on how to lead people I reverted to what I learned from my dad as I was growing
up. He was a military man and very strict. I learned pretty quickly that his
way of raising us did not necessarily work in everywhere. The result – I failed.
It was ugly. And now I look back and can see how I failed the people that
reported to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
I entered
the Navy after that and during that time I received some of the best leadership
training I have ever had. Throughout my career I had formal training and on the
job training. The military invested in my training. What was taught to us in
the classroom was only the starting point for leadership training. But having
that formal framework gave me the foundation for each job I have had since.
Those jobs, in turn, gave me the opportunity to apply what I had learned and to
grow as a leader. I made a lot of mistakes but I always had good mentors that
guided me through the learning point of each mistake. Because of this it was
very rare that a mistake was repeated.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Keep in
mind that when you put a person in a leadership role of any kind you are putting
them there to help the people reporting to them do their jobs better and be
successful. But are you helping your leader do a better job? If you don’t train
them then you are doing them and your company a huge disservice. There is
really no reason not to invest in them. Would you hire someone to do a job for
you without training them on how to do it? I don’t think so. So why do we not
invest in our leaders? Why is it expected that just because someone is promoted
into a leadership role that they immediately know how to lead? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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They need
training, especially those that are in their first supervisory role. This
training can be in a formal classroom setting and/or with a coach or mentor. Ideally,
it is formal training followed up with some degree of leadership coaching. But
they need to be given the right tools to do their job just like anyone else in
your company. Sure, there is cost to it for both the formal training and the
coaching, but what is the cost of having someone in a role that was never
trained to do it? Can you afford to have someone learn it as they go?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
So when
do you invest in them? As I discussed in a previous <a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2013/09/when-to-start-grooming-your-leaders.html" target="_blank">blog</a>,
the time to do this is when they get their first supervisory/management role. Invest
in them early and the return on that investment will be greater. With proper
training/coaching they can become good leaders and help your business grow.
Invest early because it is also very hard to correct improper training and ingrained,
poor habits. And the damage that can be done to your business will cost you in
the long run if we continue to <b>Fail Our
Leaders</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Copyright
© 2014 <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group, LLC</a>. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-36685915506991475482014-11-19T07:32:00.000-08:002014-12-04T06:10:04.642-08:00If I Become King<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
We all do
this. We sit around with friends and colleagues and complain about the way
things are being done where we work, and about the people in charge. And we
always have a better way to do it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Back before
the earth cooled I was a young junior officer at my first actual job in the
Navy (at the ripe old age of 25) after receiving my wings. I was the branch officer responsible for the
care and feeding of 27 aviation electricians. It wasn’t my first leadership
role. I’d already held a couple of those before I entered the Navy. And like a
lot of young (and sometimes even old) guys I sat around with my pals and we
often complained about how screwed up things were and how we would do things
differently if we were the King. So I decided to keep a log of things I liked
and disliked about the way things were being done, and what I liked and
disliked about the leadership styles of the senior officers with whom I served.
Most of the comments were bullet points about this and that, and over time it filled
about 15 or so pages. I was determined that <b>If I Become King</b> I would do things differently. I would do things
right!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
About ten
years later, when I was put in my first department head job, I recalled that
book and pulled it out. I was no longer a junior officer. So as I read through
it I was amazed at some of the things that I had written. I was amazed that some
of what I had written was still valid. I was even more amazed that about 75% of
what I thought needed changing was due to utter naiveté. Of course, when I was
younger I thought I had all the answers. But I now had more life and work
experience and, while some of what I felt needed to be changed or incorporated
into what I wanted my leadership style to be was still pertinent, a lot of what
I thought needed changing was due more to my lack of knowledge and experience
than a process or leadership style that was erroneous.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
On the
surface, it would appear that if about 75% of what I wrote down to change was
wrong then it was a failed exercise. I don’t think so. I did learn some things
from that exercise that have stuck with me since:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background: white; margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->It’s easy to complain
about something when we don’t have the whole picture.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Not everything that we
think is being done wrong is actually being done wrong. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Many things we don’t
like have nothing to do with the efficiency or effectiveness of what’s being
done, it’s more about our personal preference.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; margin-left: 39.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Just because we become
leaders doesn’t mean we’re done learning. On the contrary. I’ve learned more
about leadership while being a leader than I ever learned in a water cooler
conversation or in a leadership training class.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
There are
times when I wish I had kept a similar journal when I started my corporate
career. It would be interesting to see if the results would be the same. I
still see things being done that I don’t agree with but now I am more able to
discern whether it is an actual problem that needs to be addressed, or just
something that I would personally do differently <b>If I Become King</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Copyright
© 2014 The Cobalt Group, LLC. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-10174766816091744222014-11-13T06:16:00.000-08:002014-11-13T06:16:57.606-08:00When They Say “NO”<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
It
doesn’t matter what you do for a living, there will come a time (many,
actually) when a customer will say NO. It could be that what you are offering
doesn’t meet their needs, they have gone with a competitor, or decided that
they don’t want, or aren’t prepared, to make a decision at the moment. As
disappointing as it can be, it’s not the end of the world and there are ways to
turn it into a positive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Years ago
when I was selling software I was trying to get on a couple of teams for a
major government outsourcing procurement. I was trying to get on two of the
teams in particular. I only ended up on one of them. Nothing unusual there. So
over the next 12 months or so of the source selection process I stayed in touch
with the other team and actually worked with them on another program. When the
contract was awarded our team was not selected, but the other team I tried to
get on was. I called and congratulated them and moved on to closing other
business. A few months later they called me. The software provider they had
originally chosen was not able to be used in that environment and they were now
in search of a replacement. It would now be a competitive runoff between us and
two other vendors. Back in the game!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
The point
here is that a NO is not always the end of the story. There are ways to handle
a NO that may keep the relationship alive. So what should you do when you hear
NO?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>Ask for feedback.</b> Why were your products or services not selected? Did your
company lack something the customer wanted? What could you do better the next
time? No one wants to hear criticism but if it helps win future business it is
worth hearing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>Thank them for their consideration.</b> No one will win everything they attempt. But if you at
least got to be considered, be thankful. And let the customer know that you
appreciate their time too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<b>Stay in touch.</b> Maintain contact with them, especially if you think there
is potential to do business down the road. Remember a recent <a href="http://the-cobalt-group.blogspot.com/2014/10/build-long-term-client-relationships.html" target="_blank">blog</a> of mine where I discussed building long term
relationships. Customers don’t want to feel like the only reason you’re there
is to sell them something. Sometimes a loss may lead to another opportunity to
help that customer in a different and/or even bigger way. So stay in touch.
Send them pertinent information as needed. Keep trying to learn their business.
But don’t be a stalker. Make your interactions with them relevant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Also
remember, getting told NO may be a blessing in disguise. Not every deal is a
good deal. You will have to determine how to react to a NO. My experience has
shown me that staying professional and in contact after a NO built a longer
term relationship that in some cases reaped bigger rewards.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Oh, the
shootout with the other two vendors…we won and it was the biggest software sale
of my career, and the biggest in that company for the year. I am still in
touch with some of those teammates even 12+ years later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Copyright
© 2014 The Cobalt Group, LLC. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-3901993856383622062014-11-11T07:31:00.002-08:002014-11-11T07:31:20.001-08:00HAPPY VETERANS DAY<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Cobalt Group</b></span> honors all that have served, and those that are serving now.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_xpk_MEe8hKLTZRc8tAFljJ57MDIIta0rIF0TW6te42WXqkGsctZC42uLbJkN1Ga0iv5aK49xqAy-wQmh73PcM4iUoXLJm7Q86wm0BnDehtd3tydo6M2D-xcyiSHnrIC61UsFSfmRmw/s1600/Veterans+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_xpk_MEe8hKLTZRc8tAFljJ57MDIIta0rIF0TW6te42WXqkGsctZC42uLbJkN1Ga0iv5aK49xqAy-wQmh73PcM4iUoXLJm7Q86wm0BnDehtd3tydo6M2D-xcyiSHnrIC61UsFSfmRmw/s1600/Veterans+Day.jpg" /></a><o:p> </o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
Copyright
© 2014 <a href="http://www.thecobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group, LLC.</a> All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2534860740174878987.post-6980193190586889872014-11-04T09:57:00.000-08:002014-11-06T05:08:02.494-08:00Are We Going to Abilene?<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
We've all
been there. We are in a discussion about something and we sense that the path
we’re taking is the wrong direction. Either through what we believe the
evidence to be or by instinct, we know that the decision being made is going to
be a bad decision. But then, we just sit there and say nothing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right after I received my Wings of
Gold in the Navy I was sent to their Leadership, Management, Education, and
Training (LMET) course. This was the first course on leadership and management
that I received in the Navy and it was a good course. I was a young Ensign and
had already been a supervisor before joining the Navy. In one of the sessions
we were discussing what I mentioned in the first paragraph and they had us
watch a short movie called <b>‘The Road to Abilene’</b>. As I recall, it was about a
group of people that were sitting around, bored, on a hot Friday or Saturday afternoon
trying to decide what to do when someone suggests that they take a trip
to Abilene (about an hour away) for dinner. No one really protests
but no one really wants to spend the hour on a hot and dusty car trip. When
they get to the cafe, the food is just as bad as the drive. Then they drive
back home and are exhausted.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of
them says, "It was a great trip, wasn't it?" The others now said they
would rather have stayed home but went along with it since the everyone else seemed
so eager. Then they all sit around and try to figure out why it was that they
together decided to take a trip which none of them wanted. They each would have
preferred to stay at home, but did not admit to it when they had the chance to
say so.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have
experienced this in the Navy and in my corporate career. Someone comes up with
what they think is a good idea and the rest of us aren't really sure, or know
we shouldn't, but we all just go with it. No one wants to speak up and be the
voice of reason or dissent, and challenge the group think or momentum that the
idea is beginning to build. There have been times when I was in decision
meetings on what tactic to use to destroy a target, or what opportunities to
pursue, and I knew inherently that the decisions being made were bad but I
didn’t speak up. In the Navy some of those could have life or death
consequences, while the corporate consequence was usually fiduciary.
Regardless, I should have spoken up. Why didn’t I?<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is
hard for a lot of us to say no in these circumstances. Perhaps we aren’t sure
of our reasoning. Perhaps we fear the group pressure that would follow. Maybe
we fear not being seen as a team player. The reality is most people want to be
liked and perceived as part of the team so at times we seem to agree to things
even if we think the decision is bad. Whatever the psychology or the reason is,
the fact is that by agreeing to going down a path that is undoubtedly wrong is
detrimental to you, your team and your organization. And they deserve better
from you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is not
always easy but if something isn't right about the direction being taken, or if
it doesn’t seem right, speak up. There are ways to do it tactfully that won’t
make you seem like a counterproductive member of the team. You just might be
surprised at how many others feet the same way but chose, for whatever reason,
not to rock the boat. And the last thing you want to do is waste time and
resources on a venture that is likely doomed to fail.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So if you
have a doubt, be the one to speak up and ask, <b>“Are we going to Abilene?”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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We want
to hear what you think. Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Copyright
© 2014 <a href="http://www.thcobaltgroup.net/" target="_blank">The Cobalt Group, LLC</a>. All rights reserved.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cobalt Group LLChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16526862634227700151noreply@blogger.com0