Exec-U-Tips

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#000033" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>MORE LTD</B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>  </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> <div> <B>|   </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MORE LTD"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B>|   </B><A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Maximized Success"><U><B>Maximized Success</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Client Comments "><U><B>Client Comments </B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Products and Services"><U><B>Products and Services</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seminars, Playbooks Consulting "><U><B>Seminars, Playbooks & Consulting </B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Exec-U-Tips </B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ESurveys "><U><B>E-Surveys </B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The MORE LTD Challenge "><U><B>The MORE LTD Challenge </B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Partnerships"><U><B>Partnerships</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U><B>FREE STUFF </B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A><B>   </B><B>|</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="442c6c93.gif"> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="mailto:john.maher@cox.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:john.maher@cox.net"><U><B><U>john.maher@cox.net</U></B></U></A></FONT><A HREF="mailto:john.maher@cox.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:john.maher@cox.net"><U><B> </B></U></A><A HREF="mailto:john.maher@cox.net" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:john.maher@cox.net"><U><B> </B></U></A></div> <div> <B>757-672-1359</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1b58e910.gif" border=0 width="142" height="145" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5_m.htm#past_exec_u_tips___2003_" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="ExecUTips "><U><B>Past 2005 Exec-U-Tips</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5_m.htm#past_exec_u_tips___2002" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="ExecUTips "><U><B>Past Exec-U-Tips - 2002</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5_m.htm#past_exec_u_tips" TARGET="TRLX_Middle" TITLE="ExecUTips "><U><B>Past Exec-U-Tips - 2001</B></U></A></div> <div> <B> <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/US/VA/Portsmouth.html"> <img src="http://banners.wunderground.com/banner/bigtemptr_both/language/www/US/VA/Portsmouth.gif" alt="Click for Portsmouth, Virginia Forecast" border=0 height=94 width=185></a>  </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#003300" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Exec-U-Tips </B></FONT><B>-</B><I><B> </B></I><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Garamond" ><I><B>"Your Best Bookmark for Innovative Products, Services & Ideas"</B></I><I><B> </B></I></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B> <img src="HTMLobj-582/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="676" height="34">  </B></div> <div> <I><B>"A Great Mix of Powerful Ideas"</B></I></div> <bR> <div>  <STYLE> .spanstyle { position:absolute; visibility:visible; top:-50px; font-size:8pt; font-weight:700; font-family:Times; color:blue; } </STYLE> <SCRIPT> // CREDITS: // Cursortracker 5 // By Urs Dudli and Peter Gehrig // Copyright (c) 2001 Peter Gehrig and Urs Dudli. All rights reserved. // Permission given to use the script provided that this notice remains as is. // Additional scripts can be found at http://www.24fun.com/fast/index.html // info@24fun.com // 3/30/2001 // IMPORTANT: // If you add this script to a script-library or script-archive // you have to add a highly visible link to // http://www.24fun.com/fast/index.html on the webpage // where this script will be featured // CONFIGURATION: // Go to http://www.24fun.com/fast/index.html, // open category 'text' and download the script as ZIP-file // with step-by-step instructions and copy-and-paste installation. var message="SEEze Your Future Today"; var step=10; </SCRIPT> <SCRIPT SRC="cursortracker5.js"></script>  </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2008 to 2010's Exec-U-Tips - </B></FONT>Enjoy and check out our supporting materials available on our FREE STUFF page. Also, please send us your thoughts<I><B>? We'll include them in future exec-u-tips. </B></I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="4d9eb460.gif" border=0 width="747" height="582" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="past_exec_u_tips___2003_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Past 2005 Exec-U-Tips</B></div> <div> <B>February's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Happy Valentine's Day! All of us are outraged by the number of junk e-mails we get on a daily basis. I get the same amount and the same kind of spam that you do. Most of all, I am outraged that our kids are being exposed to vile porn spam online. The number of spam messages sent over the entire Internet this year could exceed 1 trillion e-mails. And spam messages will cost U.S. businesses more than $10 billion this year, and $4 billion in lost productivity. </B></FONT></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Guard your e-mail address and do not unnecessarily give it out</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Never respond to spam by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" link in junk e-mail you get; it generally does not work, and may actually result in your getting even more spam.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Make sure you have the latest version software from your online service provider. Many newer versions have "report spam" and "ad blockers". </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Have a very good security software and keep it up to date. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Whenever you fill out Web registration forms, surveys and so on, avoid typing in your email address. If you are required to do so, look for a box that asks you if it is okay to send similar offers or information to you. Make sure you say no. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Request Net directories (such as WhoWhere, Four11 and Switchboard) remove your name, email address, and other personal information from their databases. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you are a "List Subscribers", send a request to the list administrator asking him or her to shield you from such postings. Anyone can effectively spam you by issuing a simple command via email to display nearly every address on the list. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you are part of a "Newsgroup posters", disable your easy-to-grab email address by inserting asterisks or words (for instance: you@NOSPAM.yourdomain.com, or you@yourdomain**.com). Then add a line at the end of your posting that gives your true email address. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you are an AOL users, delete your member profile right now. All that personal information is a spammer's dream come true.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Other tips are available at <A HREF="http://spam.abuse.net/userhelp/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://spam.abuse.net/userhelp/"><U><B>http://spam.abuse.net/userhelp/</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>January's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Happy New Year! Having taken on a major Pentagon Air Force consulting project, I'm revisiting my fighter pilot roots this winter and spring. I thought I would kick off the new year by quoting some old, famous aviation sayings. In many ways, they speak directly to leading and managing an organization. </B></FONT></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Truly superior pilots are those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Fly it until the last piece stops moving.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Think ahead of your airplane.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Experience is a hard teacher. First comes the test, then the lesson.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Never let an airplane take you somewhere you brain didn't get to five minutes earlier.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Don't drop the aircraft in order to fly the microphone.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you don't gear up your brain before takeoff, you'll probably gear up your airplane on landing.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">He who sees first, lives longest.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Eagles don't flock!</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B> <A NAME="past_exec_u_tips___2002"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Past 2002 Exec-U-Tips</B></FONT>  - Focused mainly on providing <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>"Dynamic Business Building Tips"  </B></I></FONT>and discussing <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>"</B></I><I><B>How to Adapt to Changing Economics"</B></I><B> </B></FONT>that we are all seeing. Supporting materials are available on our FREE STUFF page. Enjoy and please send us your thoughts<I><B>? </B></I></div> <div> <B>December's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Merry Christmas! Taking the month off so no tips this month.</B></FONT></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <div> <B>November's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld recently put forward what has become known as "Rumfeld's Rules". Many of these rules have direct application to how senior executives maintain their daily leadership and management composure during changing times. Here, for your entertainment are some of his more powerful organizational guidelines (at the bottom are links to his other rules too):</B></FONT></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">When you initiate new activities, find things you are currently doing that you can discontinue -- whether reports, activities, etc. It works, but you must force yourself to do it. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Watch the growth of middle level management. Don't automatically fill vacant jobs. Leave some positions unfilled for 6-8 months to see what happens. You will find you won't need to fill some of them. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Reduce the number of lawyers (I would add to this accountants). They are like beavers -- they get in the middle of the stream and dam it up.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"The advantage of a free market is that it allows millions of decision-makers to respond individually to freely determined prices, allocating resources --labor, capital and human ingenuity -- in a manner that can't be mimicked by a central plan, however brilliant the central planner." (Friedrich von Hayek) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"The most important things in life you cannot see -- civility, justice, courage, peace."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"If a problem has no solution, it may not be a problem, but a fact, not to be solved, but to be coped with over time." (Shimon Peres) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you get the objectives right, a lieutenant can write the strategy. (Gen.George Marshall) </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Don't "overcontrol" like a novice pilot. Stay loose enough from the flow that you can observe, calibrate, and refine. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If you develop rules, never have more than 10.</div> <div> <B>Other links:</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.defense-aerospace.com/data/communiques/archives/2001Jan/data/2001Jan4501/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.defense-aerospace.com/data/co"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">http://www.defense-aerospace.com/data/communiques/archives/2001Jan/data/2001Jan4501/index.htm</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.analects-ink.com/weekend/020308.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.analects-ink.com/weekend/0203"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">http://www.analects-ink.com/weekend/020308.html</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/tester/6_05/national_news/4632-1.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/tester/6_"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">http://www.dcmilitary.com/navy/tester/6_05/national_news/4632-1.html</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.maricopa.gov/sbeap/rumsruls.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.maricopa.gov/sbeap/rumsruls.h"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.gif" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">http://www.maricopa.gov/sbeap/rumsruls.htm</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>October's Exec-U-Tips - </B></FONT><B>Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center just created a superb example of a one-page strategic plan easily understood by all their personnel. To </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Garamond" ><B>download</B></FONT><B> or print, </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Garamond" ><B>click on picture</B></FONT><B> to get a </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Garamond" ><B>"Power Point" file</B></FONT><B> for your own copy. Notice, that it contains all the VRM</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>Ô</B></FONT><B> (Vision, Race and Manage) components written about in September's tips. From all of us at MORE LTD , we hope you are having a great fall? </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://2020vision_intl.tripod.com/SBDCStrategicPlanningPoster.ppt" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://2020vision_intl.tripod.com/SBDCSt"><U><B><IMG SRC="4d157fb0.gif" border=0 width="343" height="507" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B> </B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>September's Exec-U-Tips - </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>After 25+ years of providing strategic planning for a wide variety of organizations, I've created a simple V.R.M.</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" ><B>Ô</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B> (Vision, Race and Manage) concept for high performance strategic development. Using the idea of space travel, this approach uses a simple, effective language that any type of organization can understand and implement to achieve ignition and blast-off to their desired planet! </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>Both our new "Blast-off Your Business to the Planet Profit" </B></FONT><A HREF="id20_value_added_pricing.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seminars, Playbooks Consulting "><U><B><U>Seminars</U></B></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Garamond" ><B> and </B></FONT><A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purchase Playbooks"><U><B><U>Playbook</U></B></U></A><B><U> </U></B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>use this powerful process to accelerate an organiztion's voyage. Why not </B></FONT><A HREF="id15_blast_off_business_workshop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purchase Playbooks"><U><B><U>order yours today?</U></B></U></A><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B> This is the "countdown" checklist:</B></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="4cf7c8a0.gif" border=0 width="124" height="138" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>“Vision the Present & Future”</B></div> <div> #10 - Focus on Passenger Payload – Who Are Relevant, Repeat & Referral Riders?</div> <div> #9 - Create a Unique, Out-of-this-World Idea w/Give Away Value</div> <div> #8 - Envision State-of-the-Industry Support – “Imagineering”</div> <bR> <div> <B>“Race for the Present & Future”</B></div> <div> #7 - Brand, Test & Sell Image w/Sizzle & Expeditionary Marketing </div> <div> #6 - Fuel Starship Enterprise Team w/Capabilities, Not Tools</div> <div> #5 – Adjust Course & Program Resources to Engage Warp Drive</div> <bR> <div> <B>“Manage Your Starship Present & Future”</B></div> <div> #4 - Lead Your Starship Enterprise Team Passionately</div> <div> #3 - Integrate Your Unique, Out-of-this-World Ideas & Exciting Discoveries</div> <div> #2 - Strengthen Promotions, Give Away Values & Relationships</div> <div> #1 - Don’t Compete – Propel Light Speed Travel w/ Engines Delivering Unique Values & Benefits</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>  <script language="JavaScript" src="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/poll/control.poll?u=2020vision_intl&i=1&a=render"> </script> <noscript> <font face='arial' size='1'> take my poll at: <A HREF="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/poll/control.poll?u=2020vision_intl&i=1&a=render">htmlGEAR.com Poll:</A> <img src='http://htmlgear.lycos.com/img/log/po_i_getgear.GIF' border='0'><br>htmlGEAR.com</a></font> </noscript>   </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>August's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>You're getting the first glimpse of what my research will begin to suggest over the next months. This was recently presented to the Portsmouth Kiwanis Club. Enjoy!</B></FONT></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>“Steps for Seizing Economic Change”</B></div> <div> <B>REMEMBER:</B></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The world is not coming to an end, the economy as a whole has just changed for a brief period. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">A few areas may be hit significantly; but most will not be affected that dramatically.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Three basic, key themes I'd suggest you need to focus on to make the best of market conditions we haven't experienced in ten years.</div> <div> <B>1. Vision</B> - <B>Prepare</B> for tough times or change that might occur<B>, </B></div> <div> <B>2. Race - React</B> quickly and appropriately to what is happening, and </div> <div> <B>3. Manage </B>- use leadership to focus on the <B>fundamentals </B>you may have strayed from during the easier times.</div> <bR> <div> <B>10 proven steps you can take now to increase your marketing effectiveness during economic change. These steps are built on Vision, Race & Manage!</B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>VISION</B></div> <div> <B>1. Be Dominant - Position Yourself to be a Market Leader </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>(take our 22 question self-evaluation E-Survey)</B></FONT></div> <div> Many studies show that companies which slow market spending lose out now, as well as after the recovery. Just as important, you want your customers to know that they've picked a winner, and that your prospects of surviving and thriving in these tough times as well as during the recovery are good. Tune your marketing to communicate a position of confidence, stability and strength, and get the message out. Empower your employees to understand this by training them.</div> <div> <B>2. Have a Change Team to Audit Your Image - Stay Focused On What's Working </B></div> <div> Does your company or product image accurately reflect who you are and who you want to become? Is what you say you stand for believable and important to your target audience? Make sure the image you put forward is the right one, and put systems in place to maintain its value. Consistent logo usage, a single "voice" and the way you communicate your image is critical. If you are like most companies, your image is the most valuable intangible asset your company owns.  </div> <div> <B>3. Reevaluate Your Product and Service Offerings, Lock-in Sales in Advance & Test New Ideas</B></div> <div> During economic uncertainty, it seems like everyone's concerned only with price. In all likelihood, customers' real concerns are likely value. Reassess the contribution of individual lines of business. Look for ways you can repackage existing products or services in ways that can provide them more value. Or, develop a product or service line that can accommodate smaller clients or customers with reduced budgets. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>RACE</B></div> <div> <B>4. Enhance Customer Service so that You Create RAVING FANS!</B></div> <div> Don't cut prices first. Instead, try rewarding loyal customers & build value. Make doing business with your company easy and fun.<B> </B>Do you provide "bullet proof" customer service? The cost of getting new customers is much higher than getting more business from existing customers. To really grasp what your customers are worth, figure our their "lifetime value". Each customer you lose is taking that money out of your pocket over time. It's never a good time to lose a current customer. In a downturn, the cost is even greater.</div> <div> <B>5. Influence Costs - Substitute Variable Costs for Fixed Costs, Manage Inventory, Renegotiate Agreements, Build Cash Reserves & Strengthen Order-to-Cash Cycle.</B></div> <div> Controlling costs does not mean cutting costs. It means being smarter with the budget you have, and wringing greater value from every dollar you invest in your marketing program. Controlling costs allows you to invest your money where it drives the greatest revenue & profit. Now is not the time to avoid new approaches "because you always have done it this way." </div> <div> <B>6. Increase Customer Insight & Seek New Ways to Improve</B></div> <div> The more you know about your customers, the more accurately you can use their language and motivations in the marketing messages you use to sell your products and services, especially new or better ones that address their specific needs. To do this, marketing executives need to get down in the trenches. Engage in direct contact with customers personal phone calls, or ride along on sales calls. Conduct web-based surveys, and promotions aimed at gathering opinions.</div> <div> <B>7. Launch a Targeted, Integrated New-Business Campaign & Intensify Marketing In the Right Places</B></div> <div> Now is a great time to launch a customer acquisition campaign. Strategically, set specific goals, reallocate budgets and strive to sell products while building brand. Target your best customer profile, and speak directly to them in your marketing messages. Tactically, develop an integrated campaign across different media, with a focus on results-driven on- and off-line direct-marketing techniques, as well as low or no cost PR strategies such as speeches, articles in trade publications, and the like<B>. </B></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>MANAGE</B></div> <div> <B>8. Reevaluate Your Marketing Service Relationships</B></div> <div> Are you totally satisfied with your current PR agency, marketing firm or internal marketing staff? What about outside strategic marketing counsel or relationships? Several business improvement practitioners may be able to give you great insight, higher levels of service, and greater value for your investment. Choosing the right partner is an investment that is critically important to your organization. The cost of investing your limited resources in the wrong areas can be catastrophic. Over the next year, our monthly tips for executives (EXEC-U-TIPS) will continue to discuss business growth during uncertain economic times. </div> <div> <B>9. Measure Your MROI (Marketing Return on Investment) </B>The problem with many marketing efforts is the inability of management to ascertain what really works, and why. That's why smart marketers always measure outcomes so they know exactly where to invest for the greatest return. The more you test and measure, the more relevant data you'll get. And the more data you get - and analyze - the smarter your marketing will become. <B>Why not become an expeditionary marketer?</B></div> <div> <B>10. Adopt Cutting-edge Technologies, Especially a CRM database & Ecommerce. </B></div> <div> Your current database probably houses former customers and prospects, as well as current customers and suppliers. Now's the time to go after them. Reactivate dormant accounts and leads with new products, promotions and services. Also, contact current customers for referrals. Give them ideas they can use to help their business in the current economy, and they'll be happy to refer you on to others who could benefit from your knowledge <B>Lastly, Brick & Clicks are the future! If you lack a strong web sidewalk presence, you'll find yourself part of a ghost town in the near future. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Bottom Line</B> - I hope this helps you cope with and better utilize these tried and true principles of envision, perform & manage! During periods of prolonged prosperity people tend to get tend away from what works. We're using our FREE summer and fall series called the MERIT Mainstreet Programs to continue to reinforce these timeless principles for Hampton Road's businesses using 1-hour power seminars. Maybe, we'll see some of you August 20th at Kincaids (MacArthur Mall) or visit our web site for updates on programs and services that can assist your strategic growth so that you <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000080" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>“SEEze Your Future Today”.</B></I></FONT></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>July's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>our summer software best buy recommendations for accounting, POS, publishing, etc.! Thanks to PC Magazine's survey of 15,000 users for the first 5 recommendations. Click on a category:</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/download/0/1529/desktops.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/down"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcbf000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Desktops</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/download/0/1537/notebooks2.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/down"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcbf000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Notebooks</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/download/0/1532/printers.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/down"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcbf000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Printers</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/download/0/1534/pdas.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/down"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcbf000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">PDA's</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/download/0/1533/digitalcameras.pdf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/down"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcbf000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Digital Cameras</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,369377,00.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,369"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dcbf000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Other Categories in PC Magazine Article</B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Accounting & Cost Effective POS software</B></FONT><B> - </B><A HREF="http://www.quickbooks.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.quickbooks.com/"><U><B>Quick Books hands down!</B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Free POS Software</B></FONT><B> - </B><A HREF="http://www.freemarketshare.org/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.freemarketshare.org/"><U><B>FMS software</B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">On Line Shopping Cart Service (FREE)</B></FONT><B> - </B><A HREF="http://www.paypal.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.paypal.com/"><U><B>Paypal</B></U></A></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Executive Putting Game</B><B> - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.stonetable.org/files/games/miniputt.swf" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.stonetable.org/files/games/mi"><U><B>http://www.stonetable.org/files/games/miniputt.swf</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>May & June's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>great tips in the form of Internet locations that can help you continue to build a profitable and efficient organization. </B></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Fastest way to build new organizational solutions - PLAYBOOKS - </B></FONT><I><B>"</B></I><A HREF="id15_championship_selling_1_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purchase Playbooks"><U><I><B>Championship Selling</B></I></U></A><I><B>", "</B></I><A HREF="id15_e_commerce___the_e_in_money_1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purchase Playbooks"><U><I><B>Ecommerce - the E in MonEy</B></I></U></A><I><B>", and "</B></I><A HREF="id15_blast_off_your_business_development__1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Purchase Playbooks"><U><I><B>Blast-off Business Development</B></I></U></A><I><B>"</B></I><B>.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Best car rental pricing search engine -  </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.southwest.com/cgi-bin/carItinerary" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.southwest.com/cgi-bin/carItin"><U><B>Southwest's added value of comparing car rentals for any location!</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Great commodity pricing search engines so you can shop your competitors - </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.dealtime.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.dealtime.com/"><U><B>Dealtime</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>, </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.nextag.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nextag.com/"><U><B>NexTag</B></U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>,</B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="http://www.bizrate.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bizrate.com/"><U><B>BizRate.com</B></U></A><B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>and</B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="http://www.37.com/37w.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.37.com/37w.htm"><U><B>MegaGo</B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Painless way to convert your companies documentation to a format that is easily read by your clients - </B></FONT><A HREF="https://createpdf.adobe.com/index.pl/1163234919.81229?BP=IE" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://createpdf.adobe.com/index.pl/116"><U><B>Create Adobe PDF Online</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> <B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Self publishing ISBN numbers - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/index"><U><B>ISBN.org</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Executive summaries of important reaserch and popular books - </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.summaries.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.summaries.com/"><U><B>Summaries.com</B></U></A><B>, </B><A HREF="http://track.summary.com/aff.pl?id=16" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://track.summary.com/aff.pl?id=16"><U><B>Soundview</B></U></A><B>, </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>and</B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="http://itnet.ca/communications/exec.shtm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://itnet.ca/communications/exec.shtm"><U><B>ITNet</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>April's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B> <img src="HTMLobj-892/aniGif.gif" border="0" align="bottom" width="100" height="75">  </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B>- a list of the 12 most common "BIG" mistakes most young companies make:</B></FONT></div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Board of Directors - </B>are you taking advise only from yourself and those working with you? It's what you don't know you don't know that can blind side you and your organization.</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Vision - </B>almost two-thirds of the companies we've examined get themselves sidetracked by not driving toward focused results that create a picture of who and what they are trying to become in the future.</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> KSA’s - </B>what are your key strategic actions - short and long-term - that give each day meaning and a sense of accomplishment?</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Performance Measures - </B>do you have expectations clearly articulated for each critical KSA you are trying to achieve? Are you keeping these measurements simple and easy for everyone within the organization to see?</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> TRUTH (Baseline) - </B>when was the last time you performed an honest strategic audit of your company's current accomplishments? Does everyone know how the company stands<B>?</B></div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Performance Pay - </B>you ask your employees to work hard as a high performance team. How are you compensating them for these extra efforts? </div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Expeditionary Marketing (TEST) - </B>a marketing plan has at best a 39% probability of success until it's tested. Are you trying new marketing ideas out on a small, focused and measurable scale before executing a full blown campaign?  </div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Raving Fans - </B>are you creating more than satisfied customers? Do they brag and boast to others about how good you are at meeting their needs? Are they creating referrals for you all by themselves?</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> CRM or IT - </B>If you got 200 inquiries from new potential customers, how will you handle them in a "high tech, high touch" way? Are you using a client relationship management database to create and maintain close touch with all your clients, regardless of their stage in the purchasing process?</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> R & D - </B>are you taking time to imagine future possibilities by researching and developing new potential products and services? If not, your competition is!</div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Hiring Team for Interviews - </B>How do you hire new employees and ensure there is a good fit within your organization, its people and its culture? Do you ever involve customers in the hiring process? </div> <div> <B><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NO</U></B><B> Management Team</B> - as an organization grows, people with a variety of skills, gifts and personality traits become necessary to keep all the balls in the air functioning properly.</div> <div> <B>March's Exec-U-Tips -</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Garamond" ><I><B>"Strike Up the Marketing March"</B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Garamond" ><B> </B></FONT><B><IMG SRC="31081990.gif" border=0 width="129" height="153" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>a collection of marketing tunes you might find useful to help others get with the beat! </B></FONT></div> <div> 1. <B>The 6 P's (not just 4 anymore) of Marketing</B> - <B><U>P</U></B><B>rice, </B><B><U>P</U></B><B>roduct, </B><B><U>P</U></B><B>romotion, </B><B><U>P</U></B><B>lace</B> that generates <B><U>P</U></B><B>rospects</B> and <B><U>P</U></B><B>urchases</B>. </div> <div> 2. <B>The 6 R's of Marketing (innovation beyond the 6 P's)</B> - <B><U>R</U></B><B>eturn</B> on value, <B><U>R</U></B><B>elevance, </B><B><U>R</U></B><B>esponsive, </B><B><U>R</U></B><B>elational </B>that creates explosive <B><U>R</U></B><B>eferrals</B> and <B><U>R</U></B><B>e-purchases</B>.</div> <div> 3. <B>OODA Loop</B> - “OBSERVE, ORIENT, DECIDE and ACT.” Dr Tom Hayes at Xavier University states that the institution with the fastest “OODA Loop” will stay ahead of organizations competing for similar customers. In many ways this parallels the PepsiCo concept of “ready, fire, aim”. How good is your OODA Loop?</div> <div> 4. <B>Animated ABC's</B>  - Are you selling the sizzle to your "<B><U>A</U></B>lways <B><U>B</U></B>e <B><U>C</U></B>losing" sales strategy? The world of marketing has become very visual. Are you using animated selling presentations? If not, your competition is. </div> <div> 5. <B>What 3 advertising methods are you integrating?</B> How could you build others into your marketing strategy? Find out answers to these questions by examining the<A HREF="id21_marketing_options_slide.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U> </U></A><A HREF="id21_marketing_options_slide.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U><B>"Marketing Grid".</B></U></A></div> <div> 6. <B>Boston Consulting Group Matrix</B> - examines marketing growth potential against the relative positions of your competitors. The goal is to milk cash cows while continuing to build rising stars from new, yet unproven products. <A HREF="id21_boston_consulting_group_matrix.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U><B>Click here for picture!</B></U></A></div> <div> 7. <B>Do You have a selling system that keeps contact with your clients?</B> Are you using a customer relationship management database? If not, <B>download a free one by clicking here!</B></div> <div> 8. <B>Two powerful books - "The Strategic Enterprise", by Bill Bishop and "Mission Possible", by Ken Blanchard</B> - when combined together offer an explosive strategy for building a world-class organization. Our Rapid Action Planning Playbook uses these and other tools to create a winning strategic enterprise marketing model. <A HREF="id21_strategic_enterprise_model_review___.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U><B>You can download executive summaries of these books by clicking here.</B></U></A>   </div> <div> 9. <B>Want perform a quick assessment of your strategic marketing effectiveness? </B>Take the first 5 questions of our strategic marketing management questionnaire developed from the leading marketing experts. <A HREF="id17_strategic_marketing_management.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The MORE LTD Challenge "><U><B>Click Here! </B></U></A><B> If you want to take the entire survey </B><A HREF="mailto:jbarrettmaher@aol.com " TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:jbarrettmaher@aol.com "><U><B>e-mail us. </B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >10. </FONT><A HREF="id21_how_to_succeed_in_business___.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U><B>Bottom Line - Sell the "VPM" - Vision, Performance and Management</B></U></A><B>! This how you can succeed in business.</B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO COMMENT ON THIS MONTH'S TIPS. THANKS</B></div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:JM2020VIPTeam@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:JM2020VIPTeam@aol.com"><U><B><U>john.maher@cox.net</U></B></U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="mailto:JM2020VIPTeam@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:JM2020VIPTeam@aol.com"><U> </U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>Need Business Building Tips, Templates or Software? - </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FREE STUFF "><U><B>GO TO FREE STUFF PAGE</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <B>February's Exec-U-Tips - Plus Up Your Organization's Action Planning - </B>After examining over 400 business plans for either new start ups or those reorganizing existing operations, here are the top 10 items that make the plan more <I><B>"realistic", "doable" and "sellable"</B></I> to those that either have to fund or invest into your operations. </div> <div> <B>1.</B> Present a powerfully persuasive one page executive summary in your proposed action plan convincing those reviewing your proposal that they ought to lend their time, energy and money to the plan. <B>Sell </B><B>the sizzle!</B><B> </B></div> <div> <B>2. </B>In this executive summary make sure you have covered: </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Explanation of use and effect of new funds. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Earnings projection and potential return to investors. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">If the plan needs capital, address the amount needed (at least 25-30% of total expenses should come from collateral or personal funds).</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Terms and timing of requesting financing linked to your ability to service this debt.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Business description with your products or services, their market and competition emphasizing how your selling and management expertise will make these new operations succeed. </div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">The next tactical steps you will take once the proposal gets approved and financed. </div> <div> <B>3. </B>A list of your key customers and the revenue generated by them. </div> <div> <B>4. </B>How sales will get made, how sales growth will happen and how sales will get managed.</div> <div> <B>5. </B>Does the plan have a calendar showing promotional activities and how each should contribute to future sales revenues (referrals, yellow pages, e-commerce, radio, etc.)? </div> <div> <B>6. </B>How sales and services will get managed. Have you depicted your management team or staff and their responsibilities?</div> <div> <B>7. </B>Do you have an oversight group that can hold you accountable for executing and revising your action plan? These are either a formal board of directors or advisors. </div> <div> <B>8. </B>Is there an operating plan that includes a schedule of upcoming work for the next 3 to 6 months. </div> <div> <B>9. </B>Have you shown key business ratios and how your plan performs when compared to these benchmarks?  </div> <div> <B>10. </B>How have you ensured that you have minimized internal expenses (out sourced work, vendor bids, technology efficiencies, cross trained personnel, etc.)?</div> <bR> <div> <B>January's Exec-U-Tips - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Biggest Mistakes Salespeople Make</B></FONT></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Too focused on their own agenda. They fail to think about customer's buying process.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Focus on what they have, instead of what the customer needs. Does the seller show and communicate excitement and enthusiasm about the clients needs?</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Overaggressive selling that conveys a self-focused product pusher with "commission breath."</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Working with potential clients without identifying their buying focus and needs, especially the cost associated with the prospect choosing not to buy</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Fail to identify the true decision-makers. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Biggest Mistakes Sales Managers Make</B></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Sales organization not "in sync" with customer buying behavior.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">No common selling language or lessons learned used across the sales force. AND NO GAME PLAN FOR YOUR SALES TEAM!</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Sales managers focused on closing deals, instead of developing them.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Focus salespeople on "more calls" instead of "referral or targeted calls.</div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc00000000.gif" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Assume that because sales force "got training", they can "apply" what they heard.</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="past_exec_u_tips"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Past Exec-U-Tips - 2001</B></FONT></div> <div> <B>December's Exec-U-Tips</B>  - <I>As a way to prepare proactively for the new year, we are publishing an executive summary provided to us courtesy of Ysaac Chabo. Enjoy!</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>TWENTY WAYS TO HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS EFFECTIVELY</B></div> <div> <I>(From the Newsletter of the Tidewater Chapter of the American Society for Quality)</I></div> <bR> <div> The ability to solve complicated problems quickly is more important than ever in today's slowing economy. From the time we're little kids we're taught to solve problems by trial and error. That's fine if the problem is as simple as burned out light bulb. When the issue is a muddle of business, technical and political problems, we need something that helps us untangle the mess. Unless you're Harry Potter, treating a complex issue the same way you fix a burned out light bulb is as effective as wishing for magic.</div> <bR> <div> Fortunately, there are alternatives to magic. Many key concepts in problem solving seem obvious, but often are overlooked and cause delays and frustration in getting important problems solved. Here are some tips and reminders that will help you solve messy problems quickly and easily:</div> <div> <B>1.</B><B> </B><B>Define the problem first.</B> Explain what the problem is – what went wrong, the symptoms, the impact on your business. Write it down.</div> <div> <B>2.</B><B> </B><B>Use your time for problems that are truly important. </B>Just because a problem is there doesn't mean you have to solve it.</div> <div> <B>3.</B><B> </B><B>Test your assumptions about everything.</B> Check the facts first. Be sure that you and your team understand the problem the same way, and that you have data to confirm that the problem is important.</div> <div> <B>4.</B><B> </B><B>Measure.</B> The key question to answer is, “How will you know when the problem is solved?” If you don't measure, you won't know for sure.</div> <div> <B>5.</B><B> </B><B>Measure the right things</B>. A common measurement trap is to measure something simply because it's measurable or “interesting.” If knowing a measurement won't change anything, help you make a decision, verify an assumption or prove the problem is solved, then don't waste your time measuring it.</div> <div> <B>6.</B><B> </B><B>Use your project management skills. </B>Solving a big problem is a project: you're far more likely to solve it successfully if you treat it like one. That means you'll need to identify tasks, make and adjusts assignments, and keep track of what is due when. Be sure to get appropriate management support for your project.</div> <div> <B>7.</B><B> </B><B>Look for solution owners rather than problem owners.</B> Avoid the finger-pointing trap by looking for solution owners; for example, the people who can do something to help solve the problem.</div> <div> <B>8.</B><B> </B><B>Whatever you do, do it on purpose.</B> Doing nothing is a wimpy way to decide not to solve the problem and is quite likely to leave you making awkward explanations when the problem resurfaces.</div> <div> <B>9.</B><B> </B><B>Communicate.</B> Don't leave your key stake holders guessing. You're more likely to get support and understanding if you get the word out honestly about what is happening.</div> <div> <B>10.</B><B> </B><B>Avoid “bug mentality.”</B> Fixing bugs fixes symptoms. Like taking aspirin for headaches, it may provide relief but does not prevent the next headache.</div> <div> <B>11.</B><B> </B><B>Identify and fix the root causes. </B>Don't waste time or money on causes that are either insignificant in impact or only peripheral causes of the problem you're trying to fix.</div> <div> <B>12.</B><B> </B><B>Choose solutions that are effective and implement the solution(s) completely. </B>Double check to be sure that your solution plan really will eliminate the causes you have identified, and then execute the plan. It's easy to get distracted by other projects once you get to the implementation phase, and never finish.</div> <div> <B>13.</B><B> </B><B>Focus on avoiding fires.</B> Although it's generally understood that it costs more to deal with crises than to prevent them, many organizations have a mixed message on this. If the guy who puts out the fire is treated as a hero, it tends to make people want to be fire fighters.</div> <div> <B>14.</B><B> </B><B>Have the courage to say “no” when appropriate.</B> If you believe the problem can't be solved in the time frame allowed or with the resources available, your best option is to say so right away. Accepting an assignment that you believe is impossible is setting yourself for failure.</div> <div> <B>15.</B><B> </B><B>Meet your commitments.</B> Do what you promise and don't promise what you can't deliver. Meeting commitments strengthens relationships and builds trust. You need both to solve messy problems.</div> <div> <B>16.</B><B> </B><B>Everything necessary, nothing extraneous.</B> Make sure you solve the problem completely, but don't get sidetracked into doing other things that won't make this problem go away. Put those extras aside to evaluate later as special projects.</div> <div> <B>17.</B><B> </B><B>Everyone necessary, no one extraneous.</B> Make sure everybody who can contribute to the problem-solving effort is appropriately involved. Only have the people on your team who will contribute actively to solving the problem.</div> <div> <B>18.</B><B> </B><B>Plan for things to go wrong.</B> We've heard it before, and it's still true: If something can go wrong, it will. Figure out what can get in the way of your problem-solving effort and develop appropriate contingency plans.</div> <div> <B>19.</B><B> </B><B>Use completion criteria.</B> Define what successful completion of each task entails. Specify when it is due and what standard must be met to avoid misunderstandings and delays.</div> <div> <B>20.</B><B> </B><B>Acknowledge and thank everyone who helps. </B>Solving and important problem deserves recognition, and nobody else is going to take care of this for you. Make sure management and key stake holders know what you and your team achieved. Remind them of the risks involved. Thank everyone who participated in the project.</div> <bR> <div> <B>November's Exec-U-Tips</B> </div> <div> <B>1. Fastest way to make par - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >execute a long drive in the fairway, hit a short iron straight to the green, miss your ten foot putt and take a "gimme" from your foursome for par. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2. Fastest way to make a birdie – </B></FONT>miss a hole-in-one by six inches. </div> <div> <B>3. Fastest way to get your ball out of a sand trap - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >take it out with your hand.</FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to lose a dozen golf balls - </B></FONT>play a links course. </div> <div> <B>5. Fastest way to hit a 320 yard drive into the middle of the fairway – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >team up with Tiger Woods and let him hit off the tee for you. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to drive your ball safely over a large body of water - </B></FONT>use your golf cart.</div> <div> <B>7. Fastest way to get fired as a caddy - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >start a round of competition with 15 clubs in your golfer's bag.  </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to lower your score - </B></FONT>forget how to count past 4.   </div> <div> <B>9. Fastest way to maintain clean clubs - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >replace the set you just used with a new set from the pro shop. </FONT></div> <div> <B>10. Fastest way to win a golf match - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >pay all the others to lose.  </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>Need some more advise?</B> Here are <B>past months of </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>“fastest ways to”</B></I></FONT> prepare your organization for the future. Bill Gates (IT wizard) and Philip Kotler's (marketing guru) assessment of the 21st century roads personnel and organizations will travel was dead on target! Their conclusion was that <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>the "speed at which we strategically think, strategically market and continuously improve will become powerful accelerants for high performance organizations." </B></I></FONT>Thanks to 18 months of input, here are <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>tips to lead and manage at the speed of light. </B></I></FONT>We've published tips for government, business and higher education suggestions. MORE LTD  continues to receive important concepts that might increase personnel and organizational productivity. What are yours? Please feel free to share your organization's <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>"fastest ways".</B></I></FONT><I><B> We'll include yours in future exec-u-tips. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>September and October's Exec-U-Tips</B> </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1. Fastest way to write a customer focused strategic plan - </B></FONT>link Bill Bishop's strategic enterprise model (SEM) with your performance management model. An executive summary of this concept is available by <A HREF="http://www.juergendaum.com/whysys.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.juergendaum.com/whysys.htm"><U><B>clicking here</B></U></A><B>. </B><B> </B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2. Fastest way to keep abreast of great leadership and management research from a practitioner's perspective – </B></FONT>find a web site that has the latest publications and some for of summary. <A HREF="http://www.profitguide.com/features/bookshelf.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.profitguide.com/features/book"><U><B>PROFITGUIDE</B></U></A> - a Canadian company - is one such resource. What are yours? Send your favorite and we will post it on our FREE STUFF page next month. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>3. Fastest way to move from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to Strategic Enterprise Management (SEM) – </B></FONT> move your organization to some form of database management model. By building a "Business Information Warehouse", it becomes possible to more easily analyze, manage, and query complex and multidimensional organizational data. A longer discussion of this is available by <A HREF="http://emedia.sap.com/usa/html/8503/body9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://emedia.sap.com/usa/html/8503/body"><U><B>clicking here.  </B></U></A>Creating this type of high-technology communication system helps ensure fast and cost effective flow of critical information so that accurate decisions occur as often as possible.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way for a strategic enterprise model to fail - </B></FONT>four elements typically cause any strategic undertaking to fail: 1) Core leadership instability, 2) Core organizational instability, 3) Core financial instability and 4) Core psychological energy level in the organization is insufficient to tackle the job (Ford, 2000). </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>5. Fastest way to launch strategic teamwork – </B></FONT>the OODA loop (see March's Tip #1) linked to the traditional strategic planning components  - Mission, Vision, Values, SEM assessment, SWOT, Goals, Actions Plan and Performance Implementation System - creates a dynamic process that accelerates teamwork. MORE LTDs new <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>STRATEGIC ENTERPRISE MODEL PLAYBOOK</B></FONT> is a great way to accomplish this critical organizational project. Contact us for more information on this and other training tools and methods. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to transform your strategic plan to a strategic enterprise model - </B></FONT>in June's Tip #7, we offered four strategic planning goals that can act as foundations to build any plan. They were growing customers, continually innovating, empowering people (workforce) and aligning processes (strategic alignment). Bishop's SEM approach fits nicely with this approach when you consider his discussion of creating four teams or departments focused on 1) Relational Management, 2) Ideas and Innovation, 3) Value Creation and Delivery and 4) Strategy and Systems Support. Before a company puts meat on any "strategic enterprise" bone, it's critical to attach the bones correctly. Furthermore, his model supports the important tenets of effective strategic planning - an organizational audit, strategy workshops as well as progress and action review sessions.</div> <div> <B>7. Fastest way to build a powerful strategic enterprise model (SEM) - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >follow the 8 steps Bishop outlines of 1) Create your SEM team, 2) Choose your customer type, 3) List your value components, 4) Develop your controlling promotional idea, 5) Determine the free value to give away, 6) Craft a unified message, 7) Establish your definite identity, 8) Build your people database, 9) Integrate your information systems, 10) Develop interactive communication tools, 11) Launch your controlling promotional idea and 12) Foster long-term, quality relationships. Over the next few months we'll be providing some examples of companies using this approach in our FREE STUFF page.  </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to show a customer that yo care about them than yourself  – </B></FONT>use Bishop's 5th step to "determine the free value to give away." Besides our free stuff page, another example exists at <A HREF="http://www.succeed4u.com/download/turbo.exe" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.succeed4u.com/download/turbo."><U><B>www.succeed4u.com. </B></U></A><B> </B>What other great giveaways exist? Send us yours and we'll post them in future tips. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9. Fastest way to interview and hire successfully – </B></FONT>create a list of specific tasks that you expect that new or existing position to accomplish. Mail that to each person you plan to interview so that you can ask them how they see themselves performing these important tasks.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>10. Fastest way to conduct business successfully on the Internet – </B></FONT>remember Bill Ringle's 4 critical measures of 1) Information rich (content is KING), 2) Interactive content, 3) Individualized experiences and 4) Integration with the business. More on is available by <A HREF="http://www.frogpondgroup.com/articles/bringle05.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frogpondgroup.com/articles/br"><U><B>clicking here.</B></U></A>  </div> <bR> <div> <B>August's Exec-U-Tips</B> </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1. Fastest way to write an effective brief that recommends a new path, idea or way of conducting business to senior executives - </B></FONT>use a one-page brief sometimes called an executive summary containing 3 paragraphs describing: 1) your recommendation, 2) your justification for this suggestion and 3) the next steps to take once the concept is approved. Try out the one page executive brief “template” on our FREE STUFF page coming August 20. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2. Fastest way to find new organizational benchmarks – </B></FONT>utilize MORE LTD's FREE STUFF page. Each month we research best practices. Starting August 20, we will post that recent research to guide you toward companies who are willing to provide free templates that can show other organizations quick, innovative paths to pursue and achieve their institution's goals. </div> <div> <B>3. Fastest way to define “quality” – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >use Phil Crosby’s definition he wrote in his popular books. “Quality Is Free”. In this book he proposed that quality in its most effective form is “conformance to standards”. Since great organizations are always trying to improve their standards this concept promotes the notion of continuous quality improvement. An organization seeking to communicate that it produces quality services or products must incorporate both short and long-term standards. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to activate effective strategic planning - </B></FONT>use some type of planning format that promotes a simple, understandable set of steps and definitions that can promote a consistent means to track short and long term actions, results and benchmarks. Three web sites discovered this month are: http://www.c3i.osd.mil/bpr/bprcd/3007.htm, http://www.gurusoftware.com/Programs/Double.zip and http://www.oingo.com/topic/132/132660.html. On August 20, our FREE STUFF page will contain several other links and downloadable software, including our own, to provide an effective format that is simple to understand and easy to execute. </div> <div> <B>5. Fastest way to audit your SACS education accreditation efforts – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >utilize an internal “audit” form that quantifies to what extent your institution meets critical SACS criteria. We will provide several examples in this month's FREE STUFF. Come back and visit is on August 20th. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to provide cost effective professional training for your employees – </B></FONT>seek on line tutorials that are free on the World Wide Web. One that we found just recently was a project management tutorial provided by Microsoft at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/projolg.aspx. Even if you do not plan to use their software, this tutorial can provide some solid, basic guidelines to improve an organization's project management efforts. </div> <div> <B>7. Fastest way to build a powerful customer relationship management (CRM) system - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >follow the checklist developed by Norkom Inc. They remind any organization pursuing this objective to keep in mind eight critical ingredients. Visit them at http://www.norkom.com/ or return to our FREE STUFF page next week to download this checklist. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to provide an effective and simple team leader project management communication tools – </B></FONT>set up a tasking design that tracks past, present and future tasking assignments the team is performing during the course of the project. Use this as a real time communication tool to capture modifications, remarks and lessons learned during weekly project management meetings. We will provide a downloadable Excel template in our FREE STUFF section next week. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9. Fastest way to promote your organization on a limited advertising budget – </B></FONT>use E-commerce. When used properly, this strategy is a dynamic way to broadcast your company's vision, mission, products and services to a national and international audience. By linking direct e-mail (from some type of CRM tool) with targeted newsletters, a downloadable or viewable company prospectus, client testimonies and company multimedia presentations your organization can leverage its promotion message on a limited marketing budget. </div> <div> <B>10. Fastest way to check the effectiveness of your university's web site for recruiting new students – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >use the 10-point checklist we will provide on our FREE STUFF page next week.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>July's Exec-U-Tips                                          </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1. Fastest way to launch your strategic vision - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >since vision implies image, an organization wanting to rapidly demonstrate its vision to others must invest capital to launch some sustainable activity designed to convey proof that their vision is becoming reality. The city of Portsmouth, Virginia recently completed the building of its new waterside amphitheater. Two well-known musical groups - the Irish Tenors and Monkeys - performed over the July 4th weekend. The attention the city received in the local media supported the city's vision "Proud of Portsmouth". Financial risk is often associated with big ideas. If the economic boost and tourism gained by downtown shops and restaurants was an accurate long-term indicator of new revenue, then the future financial returns should more that justify the initial perceived risk.</FONT></div> <div> <B>2. Fastest way to know whether you are ready to start a plan - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >download the three questions about beginning strategic planning located in our FREE STUFF" area. Try to think through how you would go about answering and passing on this tasking to those working for you.</FONT></div> <div> <B>3. Fastest way to execute create programmatic planning - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >download the KSA strategic planning template and definitions templates located in our FREE STUFF area. Designed in Excel and Word, several organizations have found this a useful electronic way to track important activities and their status. If you would like an even more powerful solution contact us to see our new workflow database management model built in Microsoft Access. This new product allows institutions to build a strategic plan and comes complete with a series of important reports designed to track critical organizational projects and processes. </FONT></div> <div> <B>4. Fastest way to link planning with ISO9000 or CQI concepts - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >using the articles and templates downloaded above in #2 and #3, complete the sections addressing baseline, expected and long term results. Next, link the action with the appropriate ISO9000 requirement. Once that task is completed, fill in the actual result and write a brief analysis and recommendation in the ISO9000 remarks section. If you commit to this for all ISO9000 related actions, you and your organization will have historical and programmatic proof for future ISO audits. If you would like an even more powerful solution contact us to see our new ISO9000 database management model built in Microsoft Access. This new product allows institutions to automatically link actions with ISO9000 criteria. Also included are a series of important reports designed to track critical organizational ISO projects and processes. </FONT></div> <div> <B>5. Fastest way to link planning with educational accreditation - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >using the articles and templates downloaded above in #2 and #3, complete the sections addressing baseline, expected and long term results. Next, link the action with the appropriate accreditation requirements. Once that task is completed, fill in the actual result and write a brief analysis and recommendation in the accreditation remarks section. If you commit to this for all accreditation related actions, you and your organization will have historical and programmatic proof for future accreditation visits. If you would like an even more powerful solution contact us to see our new accreditation database management model built in Microsoft Access. This new product allows institutions to automatically link actions with accreditation criteria. Also included are a series of important reports designed to track critical organizational accreditation projects and processes. </FONT></div> <div> <B>6. Fastest way to demonstrate empowerment to employees - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >from the FREE STUFF area download the “Who's Got the Monkey” approach to solving organizational problems. This concept comes from an old Harvard School of Business article. If you substitute the word "problem" everywhere you see the word "monkey", the presentation makes sense. Next month we will publish an article that will describe how to write a powerful on-page executive level recommendation with justification and next steps that empowers your employees even more to take action supporting any employer's strategic directions. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>7. Fastest way to get customer praises built into your marketing strategy - </B></FONT>prepare and send a "proposed" rough draft of the testimony to your clients for review and approval. If done in the right spirit, you will find satisfied clients willing to help you promote your organization and appreciative that you have saved them the time often necessary to compose a client's feelings of satisfaction about you and your organization from scratch. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to add clip art - </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >visit this site and download</FONT><B> </B><B><U>Microsoft clip art</U></B><B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >to your software. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9. Fastest way to publish web site - </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >visit and download a powerful</FONT><B> </B><B><U>web software from Trellix</U></B><B>.</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > We used this to republish our site and found it extremely dynamic and simple to use. For certain web hosts, it's even free (e.g. Tripod, Dell and Affinity) </FONT></div> <div> <B>10. Fastest way to produce meaningful promotional statements - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >collect statements that you have heard your clients say about you, your organization and what they say you did for them. Try to organize them and place them in critical promotion literature that you use to promote and advertise your organization. We recently completed this project and have placed some of our client comments at the top of each of our new web pages. This should provide you an example to build upon. Next month we will publish other companies that have done this. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>June's Exec-U-Tips</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1. Fastest way to prove customer satisfaction - </B></FONT>utilize a real time up date of customer satisfaction statements using an interactive web interfaced database to post updated customer satisfaction stories. Ebay’s CEO recently stated that this will become a critical marketing strategy for companies to compete in the future. For small organizations on a tight budget, using a simplified version built on an MS Access platform can provide satisfactory results by exporting testimonies in an HTML formatted report to their web site (easy to do by following the help suggestions in MS Access). Another way is for an organization to use existing customer feedback web portals already built and free as long as you use them as partners for sales. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://meaghers.tripod.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://meaghers.tripod.com"><U><U>Meagher’s Uniques and Antiques</U></U></A></FONT><A HREF="http://meaghers.tripod.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://meaghers.tripod.com"><U> </U></A>is doing this.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2. Fastest way to execute Dr. Tom Hayes’ OODA Loop (see March Exec-U-Tips for explanation) - </B></FONT>institute a "rapid action development" (RAD) method to build an operational strategic plan. Dr. Mike Stockstill has done this for Old Dominion University's higher education centers. In less than six weeks, they built a viable strategic business development plan that will move them powerfully forward over the next year. July's Exec-U-Tips will have more on this exciting concept. If you would like more information on this now, feel free to contact us. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>3. Fastest way to maintain an organization's focus and drive – </B></FONT>executive and senior management must maintain and communicate the PASSION for driving the vision forward. Kouzes and Posner in their book, “The Leadership Challenge’, call this the fifth personality trait of a leader. They use the expression, “encouraging from the heart” as the leader's reason for caring about the organization succeeding in ways that take care of the people doing all the work and making a stable living. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to create a reinforced marketing campaign – </B></FONT>brainstorm all the possible specific actions it might take to help a customer understand and buy into your organization's mission, vision, goals, objectives, product and services. Using this approach, you'll find you are developing actions that address creating better customer relations, enhancing the way you promote your products and services, helping salespeople communicate and follow up more effectively with clients, staying abreast to future customer needs, etc. The knowledge-based customer Peter Drucker talks of today will demand more so you must think of ways to elevate your products and services above the others in your industry. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>5. Fastest way to empower employees – </B></FONT>implement the “whose got the monkey” approach to solving organizational problems. This concept comes from an old Harvard School of Business article. Recently, this concept became part of several Army command's leadership indoctrination for officers. A discussion of this powerful approach to getting more members of an organization involved in heading off problems before they spin out of control is available by my FREE STUFF PAGE. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to get customers to remember your promotional message –</B></FONT> create at least three media communications that have chance to be heard by target customers during the course of several days. Adam's Outdoor Advertising conducted research and concluded that a customer needs to see, hear or read three impressions timed relatively close together about your company to remember your message. If the messages address their needs, you will have a higher probability that they may prefer you to your competitors. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>7. Fastest way to create goals for your strategic plan – </B></FONT>use the “Power of Alignment”, by George Labovitz and Victor Rosansky. They state that any organization must built four goals relating to their customers, innovation, people (workforce) and processes (strategic alignment). An example of this was provided in April's Exec-U-Tips (see FOSSAC Strategic plan and example). Further summaries of these authors is available at: http://www.meansbusiness.com/Strategy-and-Competition-Books/The-Power-of-Alignment.htm and http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0471177903/customer-reviews/002-9284511-4504000 </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to capture up to date best practices in reinforced marketing strategies – </B></FONT>register and attend the upcoming October Virginia Tidewater Consortium two day workshop where experts in marketing will go into this concept in greater depth. Contact us for dates and information. </div> <div> <B>9. Fastest way to market a region's educational curriculum – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >built an integrated web based database listing all educational curriculum. An excellent example of this concept is the Virginia Tidewater Consortium's web based curriculum listing called EduFind.</FONT></div> <div> <B>10. Fastest way to capture best practices when critical organizational projects are finished – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >institute a check or review requirement within your management cycle that documents lessons learned and best practiced used by these teams. Rutherford Controls Inc. in Virginia Beach has found this a critical ingredient for them successfully accomplishing their future business objectives.</FONT></div> <div> Participation by organizations in this network to share <B>“fastest ways”</B> continue to exceed expectations. </div> <bR> <div> Thanks for all your past participation. Don't forget to visit our <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" ><B>"examples", new workbooks" and "pricing pages"</B></FONT> as well as other pages that list our personal consulting, workshops, workbooks, e-surveys, institutional audit services and much more.</div> <bR> <div> <B>April's Exec-U-Tips</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1. Fastest way to steer your organization down the straight and narrow success path - </B></FONT>Captain Henry Conde, commanding officer of Fitting Out and Supply Support Assistance Center (FOSSAC) keeps two words before him and his senior and middle managers – <B>FOCUS</B> and <B>DRIVE</B>. He tells his personnel to think of rowing a boat with two oars, each oar having one of these words painted on the handle. If you only row with “DRIVE” you go in a circle and if you row with only “FOCUS” you go in the opposite circle. Neither approach moves you forward. But if you row simultaneously with “focus” and “drive”, a straight path to your distant shore becomes possible. </div> <div> <B>2. Fastest way to “focus” and “drive” your organization - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Although it took some initial elbow grease to produce a proactive operational plan with his senior managers, Captain Conde’s approach to executing daily operations is quite simple and effective. He uses a one-page strategic plan “briefing sheet” linked with data based “key strategic actions” (KSA’s). Everyone knows where the boss wants to go and how and when they should have the organization at those next destinations. He has permitted me to provide these examples on our FREE STUFF page.</FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>3. Fastest way to improve Internet client interaction – </B></FONT>use a system like that provided by <B>Humanclick.com</B> to give clients visiting your web site the immediate capability to chat <B>“live”</B> with a company representative. <B>Meagher’s Uniques and Antiques - one of our new partners – doubled their sales</B> last month using this tool. If you visit <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://meaghers.tripod.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://meaghers.tripod.com"><U><B><U>Meagher’s (click here)</U></B></U></A></FONT><A HREF="http://meaghers.tripod.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://meaghers.tripod.com"><U>,</U></A> we believe that you too will become sold that this “high touch” approach has application for any sales force – company salespeople, real estate agents, university recruiters, etc. AND IT'S FREE. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to increase charitable donations in to your organization – </B></FONT>use secure, web based donation system. <U>Donation-Net</U><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B><U> </U></B></FONT>provides a complete online fundraising solution. You might want to check them out. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>5. Fastest way to add to your e-direct mail clientele – </B></FONT>use the concept called <B>“ ezine”</B> which is short for <B>e</B>lectronic maga<B>zine</B>. Zinos.com provides an exhaustive list of ezines (http://top7business.com is one example) for those curious about almost anything. This concept avoids spamming people and follows the Internet marketing courtesy often referred to as “permission based marketing.” </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to prove and promote organizational excellence –</B></FONT> gain recognition by receiving either a national or state award recognized by your customers and competitors. A prestigious award difficult to obtain adds physical proof to your words. At the state level in Virginia, the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award parallels the national Malcolm Baldrige award (see our partnership page for web address). Other states have similar initiatives. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>7. Fastest way to increase workforce development skills – </B></FONT>partner with a higher education institution. One example developed by Paul Sobczak at Old Dominion University's Center for Continuing Engineering Education (see partnership page for web site) is called “Pipeline”. This school works with Tidewater companies building certificate programs consisting of groups of non-credit courses designed to meet specific objectives for specific job requirements or disciplines. We've partnered with them on several projects and I can attest to their commitment to customized solutions. They've even taken our general workbooks and had them customized to fit their client's training requirements. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to identify your organizational strengths and weaknesses – </B></FONT>conduct an audit by selecting several critical performance areas – strategic planning or marketing, institutional effectiveness, production practices, work force development, project management, etc. (we have an inexpensive online survey system for these and other areas). Many organizations are accomplishing these audits through the use of online surveys. <B>Our FREE STUFF page</B> depicts a recent project management audit we conducted for a Tidewater company. This simple, quick and effective tool gained them invaluable insight where workforce personnel and management might need addition skills. Areas scoring below 70% (red vertical bar) show potential workforce improvement areas and provide them <B><U>specific</U></B> rather than general training areas to target for organizational improvements. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9. Fastest way to improve student and university success – </B></FONT>use “data mining” of critical data fields in your higher educational institution's student information system. At a past American Marketing Association conference, Ron and Don Ingersoll addressed the value of building student enrollment models by warehousing information about student demographics and attitudes. Knowing how to do this can improve critical educational areas like enrollment, marketing, competition profiling, curriculum design and program offerings. </div> <div> <B>10. Fastest way for a university, college or community college to pass an accreditation visit – </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >use e-surveys to demonstrate student satisfaction with institutionally expressed curriculum, program goals and career development promises made in catalogs and web pages. Our FREE STUFF page depicts a university's graduate exit survey (one of several types that they use). With a 98% response rate, this simple, quick and effective tool clearly outlined student satisfaction and dissatisfaction (especially in the area of career services and computer service satisfaction). After all, isn't a visiting accreditation team seeking proof of a perpetual, systemic self-assessment and improvement process? That's what reaccreditation is all about?</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>March's Exec-U-Tips</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1. Fastest way to stay ahead of your educational competition</B></FONT><B> – </B>remember the marketing cycle abbreviation <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>O.O.D.A.</B></FONT> stands for “OBSERVE, ORIENT, DECIDE and ACT.” Dr Tom Hayes at Xavier University states that the institution with the fastest “OODA Loop” will stay ahead of schools competing for similar students. In many ways this parallel the old PepsiCo CEO's concept of <B>“ready, fire, aim”.</B> How good is your OODA Loop? Just take the MORE LTD Challenge by using either the planning or marketing survey. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2. Fastest way to ensure effective market planning </B></FONT><B>– </B>remember that interactive Internet communications will require a powerful and provable institutional brand linked with dynamic recruiting communication skills. Dr. Don Schultz at Northwestern University states these two assets will be your college's only sustainable competitive advantages in the 21st century. To learn more about the principles of creating explosive recruiting order one of our selling workbooks or sign up for our future selling seminar coming April 19, 2001. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>3. Fastest way to create a high-impact visual identity for your institution</B></FONT><B> – </B>remember Dr. VandenBerg's 6 steps to success: 1) Establish the need for conducting an institutional identity audit (see the MORE LTD Challenge surveys), 2) Rally support building a senior leadership team championing this need, 3) Determine your educational position - both present and that desired in the future, 4) Develop a strategic marketing blueprint (order our strategic marketing workbook for help), 5) <B>TEST</B> the blueprint with internal and external constituencies and 6) Get official endorsements as you rollout and maintain this renewed identity. She developed these for use at Mount Holyoke College. Constant improvement of this identity will require accountability. Also, why not consider using a powerful tool summarized in <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>"Managing Higher Ed by 5 Charts - Linking Strategic Planning with Performance (see FREESTUFF page).</U></B></FONT> </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to maintain an effect market position</B></FONT><B> - </B>remember Dr. Bob Sevier's critical elements of successful branding - AWARENESS and RELEVANCE. His research at STAMATS emphasizes the importance of striving to own a word in the mind of the consumer and remembering that the definition of quality resides in the minds of your target audience (not just yours). </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>5. Fastest way to grow enrollment in adult learners </B></FONT><B>-</B> recognize what they value the most. According to Dr. Robert Johnson, VP of Creative Communication of America, adults place the highest value on location (both campus or distance education web site), convenient times (synchronous or collaborated feedback), cost, opportunity to network and faculty with practical experience. They place less value on reputation, faculty prestige, campus beauty and research. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to remember effective management</B></FONT><B> - </B>use the P.O.L.E.R. and P.O.E.M. abbreviations. <B>P</B>LAN, <B>O</B>RGANIZE, <B>L</B>EAD, <B>E</B>VALUATE and <B>R</B>EVISE the plan becomes the management cycle for getting work done. When you LEAD others, remember the <B>P</B>LAN has to have specific <B>O</B>perational actions that personnel can understand in order to <B>E</B>xecute against prescribed benchmarked performance indicators and completion dated or <B>M</B>ilestones. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>7. Fastest way to mend a relationship</B></FONT><B> – </B>start off the conversation by stating sincerely that the conflict probably occurred from something you did either intentionally or unintentionally that in hindsight was inappropriate. This will lower the other party's defense mechanisms. Then “listen” and learn how the other person thinks. Using this approach, resolution is often just around the corner. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to increase personnel productivity, satisfaction and growth </B></FONT><B>– </B>let people know that you believe in investing in their professional and personal development. This can start with a simple “thank-you” to them for all the hard work they accomplish – you've immediately invested in developing and increasing their morale. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9. Fastest way to conduct effective strategic planning</B></FONT><B> – </B>remember 4 P’s - <B>P</B>roactive operational thinking that produces fast, flexible <B>P</B>lanning solutions tied to key <B>P</B>erformance indicators (short and long-term) that influence <B>P</B>ersonnel in the organization to improve areas relating to finances, customer satisfaction, innovation and internal efficiencies. Want help in this area? Order a MORE LTD workbook on effective strategic planning. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>10. Fastest way to increase sales </B></FONT><B>– </B>train your sales force get five referrals from the client they just closed. Want help in this area? Order a MORE LTD workbook on championship selling or sign up for an upcoming seminar.</div> <bR> <div> <B>February's Exec-U-Tips</B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>1. Fastest way to increase your personal sales</B></FONT><B> – </B>remember the <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4 P’s</B></FONT> of championship selling – identify referred <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>p</U></B>rospects</FONT> that <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" >salespeople</FONT> can give oral or written <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>p</U></B>resentations</FONT> to that excite these buyers avoid<B><U> </U></B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>p</U></B>ostponement</FONT> and to then <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>p</U></B>urchase</FONT>. To learn more about the principles of creating explosive sales revenue for your organization, bookmark our seminar and workbook web page coming February 15, 2001. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>2. Fastest way to empower the 4 P's of selling</B></FONT><B> – </B>remember the five simple principles that make a champion salesperson – <B>1)</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008080" FACE="Arial" > <U>m</U></FONT>aking the <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><U>c</U></FONT>lose equals <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><U>e</U></FONT>mpathy and <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><U>e</U></FONT>nthusiasm (sometime referred to as Einstein's other law – <B>MC=E squared</B>), <B>2) </B>the <B>Lavitch-Steiner psychology selling ladder</B> moves prospects from <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >awareness </FONT>to <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >interest</FONT> to <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >knowledge</FONT> to <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >conviction</FONT> to <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >preference</FONT> to <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >purchase</FONT> to <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" >repurchase</FONT>, <B>3)</B> the <B>12 second rule</B> salespeople initiate to pause and wait for their potential buyer to respond to their question, <B>4)</B> salespeople should <B>ask more questions</B> than they make statements and <B>5)</B> <B>always try to close</B> – they just might say “yes” and buy! To learn more about the principles of creating explosive sales revenue for your organization, visit our seminar and workbook site coming February 15, 2001. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>3. Fastest way to manage change</B></FONT><B> – </B>although there is no<B> “O” </B>in the word “manage”, most institutions will have to continually <B>re-</B><B><U>O</U></B><B>rganize</B> themselves and their personnel to cost effectively maintain their competitive and innovative edge. Another concept that can provide powerful accountability for personnel within an organization is, <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>"Managing by 5 Charts - Linking Strategic Planning to Critical Performance-Based Standards"</U></B></FONT> </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to restructure an organization's workforce</B></FONT><B> – </B>ask employees what tasks they currently perform and then ask them what new tasks the company ought to consider performing in the future. A comparison of these two descriptions and differences stated becomes the starting points of any new workforce restructuring. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>E-surveys</U></B></FONT> can help too.</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>5. Fastest way to lead others – remember the ICMEE acronym</B></FONT><B> –</B>“<B><U>I</U></B>nspire a shared vision” that those following can understand and embrace so that they help “<B><U>C</U></B>hange organizational practices” while you as the leader provide the professional development that “<B><U>M</U></B>entors", "<B><U>E</U></B>nables" and "<B><U>E</U></B>ncourages them from your heart” to take risk themselves so that the organization moves powerfully forward. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to accurately capture your organization's purpose</B></FONT><B> - </B>ask employees what actions they perform coming to work and based on the goods or services they produce what they believe buyers receive when they purchase from your organization. To learn more about how an organization can operate strategically in the 21st century visit our seminar and workbook site coming February 15, 2001. <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>7. Fastest way to test market a new product</B></FONT><B> – </B>see if anybody will buy your product or service on an auction site like Ebay. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>8. Fastest way to add an inexpensive advertising strategy </B></FONT><B>– </B>add an on-line newsletter that will continually spark interest and inform your clients and partners what you provide. Get their permission to e-mail them every time you publish the next issue. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9. Fastest way to leverage current advertisements</B></FONT><B> – </B>ensure you have at least 3 different advertising mediums (Internet, e-mail, direct mail, newsletter, radio, TV, etc.) that overlap enough to reinforce your company's message and provide prospective buyers a consistent impression they will remember. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>10. Fastest way to collect powerful client testimonies </B></FONT><B>– </B>train your sales force how to create written rough drafts of testimonials that their satisfied clients can read, revise and approve the day the sale is completed. </div> <bR> <div> <B>January's Exec-U-Tips</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>1. Fastest way to increase organizational morale - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >e-mail employees and ask them to state six reasons why they enjoy working for your institution. From their returned e-mail, try to assimilate and state 20 to 100 unique reasons that accurately portray your organization's positive workforce climate. Brainstorm how to communicate these feeling to other employees and even to your customers.</FONT></div> <div> <B>2. Fastest way to go out of business - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >allow the organization's leadership to ignore having proof that they can accurately demonstrate clear and visible evidence that your institution executes its mission and vision, especially from the customer's perspective. </FONT></div> <div> <B>3. Fastest way to increase short-term productivity - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >ask employees to review the company and/or CEO's goals. From these statements, ask them to state what they would recommend doing differently to move the organization toward these future directions. Use concepts like Managing by 5 Charts - Linking Strategic Planning to Critical Performance-Based to measure progress. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>4. Fastest way to validate the organization's value seen by others outside the institution - </B></FONT>ask an outsider you respect as an expert to spend a few days with your company. Ask that person to communicate to you what they see your organization offering its clients. </div> <div> <B>5. Fastest way to renew your organization's job descriptions - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >ask employees what they believe are the necessary tasks they need to accomplish over the next 3 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>6. Fastest way to waste money - </B></FONT>incorporate new technologies without changing existing infrastructures. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>7. Fastest way to know your marketing idea attracts customers - </B></FONT>test market to see if anyone wants what you are offering. </div> <div> <B>8. Fastest way to go global - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >strike up an e-mail relationship with network people from three other countries to discuss and/or solve a problem. </FONT></div> <div> <B>9. Fastest way to need a union - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >have middle and senior leadership fail to have enough guts to stand up to the CEO and Board when it comes to workforce development and benefits. </FONT></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>10. Fastest way to improve long-term profits - </B></FONT>think of potential and realistic return on investments (ROI) ahead of cost containment and teach middle and upper management how to balance both. </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#008000" FACE="Arial" ><B>11. Fastest way to understand marketing - </B></FONT>remember the 4 P's - the <B>price</B> someone will pay for the <B>product</B> they perceive they want, <B>promoted</B> to them in ways that naturally attract their attention and <B>placed</B> in locations or pathways they frequently travel to make purchases. </div> <div> <B>12. Fastest way to ease organization change anxiety - </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >have several outside experts that employees would respect visit and help encourage, support and champion these new directions from life experiences and stories they can share with your workforce.</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>