Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.
Leaving your business health and growth to chance will result in “never knowing what you’re gonna get.”
The best way for you to predict the future is to create it!
Creating a strategy for your business is more than what I like to call “doing the do.” Now I know that may sound a little gross, but maybe you can relate more when I put it this way – doing customer service, doing networking, doing social media, doing events – the act of doing without knowing why you’re doing it other than you think you should be.
Does this relate to you?
You can be like Forrest Gump and just take whatever you get.
OR
You can change how you do things and your approach.
By creating a clear and concise strategic plan, you set the course for your business. Your vision, mission, goals and action plan will provide you with the mindset and tools for success.
Strategic planning provides a format to guide your business through a systematic process to establish measurable and attainable results. The core components of any plan include the following:
- Vision Statement
- Values & Principles
- External Assessment
- Competitive and Trend Analysis
- Internal Appraisal
- Strengths, Limitations, Opportunities and Threats
- Mission Statement
- Critical Goal Categories
- Organizational Goals
- Market and Sales Plans
- Implementation
So why are you willing to settle for the coconut cream when you really wanted the caramel?
Greg Williams, internationally known as The Master Negotiator, shares his expertise as our guest on Blog Talk Radio-30 Minute Business Dig.
Greg has enhanced the negotiation skills of people worldwide. He is an author and presenter, who has mastered the fine art of negotiation and is a worldwide recognized public speaker and trainer on that subject. In his latest bestselling book, Negotiate: Afraid, ‘Know’ More, he gives insightful strategies and tips into how to use new tactics that will disarm an opponent and leave the reader in a powerful position.
Click here for more information about Greg, and to sign up for his weekly negotiation tip.
Do you have any negotiation tips or comments?
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Deborah Frey, co-host of our Blog Talk Radio Show - 30 Minute Business Dig, shares her knowledge and expertise during this interview about “Purposeful Networking.” In the era of relationship marketing, we cannot passively connect in face-to-face networking opportunities. Presence has power and engagement is the fuel. Individual approaches to networking vary, but the successful among us strategically plan to optimize the value for sales and customer loyalty.
Do you have anything to add to this? Please comment.
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Elkay Corporate Advisors is pleased to announce the launch of our Blog Talk Radio Show, 30 Minute Business Dig. With my co-host Deb Frey, we will focus on trends, tips, tools and tales that will inform, educate and entertain you while providing nuggets of value to enhance your professional and personal life. Visit our show page here.
Our inaugural show has Deb interviewing me, Lisa Kanda, chief results officer, discussing the three critical steps to success in social networking and why it’s a mistake for businesses to take the “wait and see” approach to using social media. Do you have anything to add to this? Please comment.
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This podcast explains how to use the Activities Analyzer to prioritize your time and get more done. Download the pdf here.
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Lessons Learned from United Airlines on What Not to Do
You may remember this past summer a story about David Carroll and United Airlines. David had flown on United and when he went to retrieve his guitar from baggage claim, it was broken. United refused to pay for the $1200 repair. David was not satisfied with the way United Airlines handled his complaint, so he took it to the Internet and placed this video on You Tube.
Well, it gets better. Just last week, David had no choice but to fly on United Airlines again - and guess what - they lost his bag! United’s response was that they will fully investigate what regretfully happened. The story was covered in The New York Times and many other news outlets. You can read the entire article here.
So what can we learn from United Airlines? Read More »
Does your “to do” list seem to grow longer and longer regardless of your efforts?
If your life is out of control, it could be because you believe and practice one or more of the myths below about how we manage our time to get things done.
Myth # 1 - The more you sweat, the more you get. Edison perpetuated this myth with his definition of genius. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. We often overstate the value of hard work. While you may be working hard in one area of your life, you may be failing in others such as family, marriage, school etc.
Myth # 2 - Activity means productivity. Don’t confuse activity with results. We can measure activity and it may become an end in itself. Activity should be a means, not an end. Read More »
I received the following story in an email message and it made me pause. We all live with judgments and fears. Many times they cloud our perception of what really is happening in the present moment.
We never really know another person’s circumstances. But we can certainly open our eyes and look beyond the exterior to find their soul.
Take a moment today and notice what’s beyond the exterior. You might be surprised.
One evening I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to finish work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him he had no car, no home, no clean clothes and no money. There are times when you feel generous, but there are times that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of the “Don’t want to be bothered” times! “Hope he doesn’t ask me for money,” I thought. He didn’t. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop and he didn’t look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. Read More »
