business Archives - Dennis E. Gilbert

07
Jul 21
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Business Story, Are You Telling It?

Tags : audience business customers sales story

What is your business story? Are you being clear, or vague about what you do and what you offer? Is your story worth sharing?

Gaining customers is part of every business. It doesn’t matter if it is a for-profit or a non-profit, people engaging with your work mean that you have something of value. A traditional business grows through revenue, a non-profit might grow or succeed when more people are interested to support the cause.

Services, products, and even ideas can become a movement.

Home repair services needed, see you next month.

The latest iPhone or related product, get in-line, or better yet pre-order.

It is true about any place where lines form and people wait. It might also be true about political movements, causes, and as the pandemic eases, true about rock concerts or outdoor sporting events.

All of these things start with a story. Stories bring in new customers, they also refresh and in best cases, energize existing customers.

What is your business story?

Is it working?

Business Story

Have you asked yourself, “Who is the customer?” And a secondary question, “What does the customer want?”

Any business or organization needs to develop a base. A base of followers, leaders, and those who are eager to share.

It is commonplace to suggest the customer is anyone who buys your product or service. It may be anyone who donates, volunteers, or shares your message.

A definition that is too broad means the story won’t resonate.

A Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or an Aston Martin car may not be for you. It may also be true for the Chevrolet Spark, or a Mitsubishi Mirage.

Louis Vuitton shoes aren’t for everyone.

Yet all of these offerings have their space.

Not every business or non-profit succeeds because they are all things to all people. The most successful are the right things, to the right people, at exactly the right time.

A small but viable audience can be much more powerful than shouting your brand name without a microphone at a sold-out rock concert.

Pokémon, doesn’t matter much to many adults. Likely, only adults with kids or grandkids, and perhaps for Santa Claus.

Tell your story to the audience that matters. Size might be a factor for your success, yet it often starts by appropriately serving the smallest viable audience.

Your story repeated by one customer may create two or three new customers.

People engage with stories.

Have a good story.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

11
Jun 20
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Business Connections Mean Little, or Everything

Tags : business career commerce jobs networking

One hundred years ago when you wanted to telephone someone it wasn’t as easy. Today it is different. Do you believe that you have good business connections? What is the value?

In the early 1900’s it seems that business networking really wasn’t a thing. Commerce was very localized. You had stores and markets in town, and you typically wouldn’t travel far to get essentials.

Certainly, there were gatherings at public events, county fairs, and perhaps a traveling circus. Train stations were still serving many expanding cities and towns.

Instead of waiting a few seconds, a minute, or an hour, for some electronic mail, people waited days, weeks, or longer for a hand written letter from an acquaintance far away.

The perception of the world was likely smaller, or maybe larger. Your people network wasn’t as vast, and for most purposes, outside of a few close neighbors or friends, a network would have probably seemed unnecessary.

Business Connections

It is different today. Business is moving faster and faster. Quality and efficiency still matter but patience often seems lost.

Expectations are driven by speed and complimented through convenience.

What is quick, easy, and affordable seems to hold higher interest when compared with waiting, of substantial quality, and worth every penny.

People amass hundreds of social media connections, some attain thousands, and some hundreds of thousands or more.

Commerce happens. It is often about your network.

Need a job? Who do you know?

Need a roof repair, a lawn mower fixed, or a custom-built cabinet? Who do you know?

If you don’t know anyone, you search the internet.

Your choices are greater and the options feel riskier.

Everything seems bigger now.

Word of mouth has transformed to World of mouth. What happens in Tennessee is known about in California and Vermont in seconds.

Lost in the Hustle

You can also easily get lost.

Perhaps you shout but no one hears you. You create a website, or a social media group or page, and everyone can find you, or no one does.

One hundred years ago businesses had a connection. It happened through people.

Today, a lot has changed, only nothing has changed.

If you are doing business, your connections still matter the most.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

30
Aug 19
-

Building Connections Is More Than a Tactic

Tags : business connections networking professional growth relationships

Are you building connections? Friending someone on Facebook is a connection, yet it is does not ensure a human relationship. Who makes up your network and why?

People Connections

People attend business breakfast meetings, luncheons, and evening mixers. What is their reason or motive? In part, it may be to build relationships.

Why do people come away from the conference or convention feeling motivated and pumped up? It probably has something to do with the connections made or relationships built.

What inspires or motivates people in your workplace? It probably has something to do with the people, the environment, and the culture.

Building Connections

On-line or in-person people are often seeking a community. Communities of like interests, hobbies, or professions. People who have something to give, share, or gain from the interaction. It doesn’t make them fake. It makes them real.

The statement often is, “Everyone is in sales.”

Yes, it is true. We’re all probably selling something. Sometimes, more often than we realize, we are selling ourselves. That doesn’t mean a forced activity, it means building relationships.

Connection is more strategy than it is tactic. The tactical approach may be the literal part of a technological connection. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or many others. Friends, followers, and social networks. Your connection count is a tactic.

Think more strategic and less tactically.

In order to connect, you have to find other people. You have to arrive, engage, and take risks. You have to look for the opportunity in misfortune, adverse conditions, and economic challenges. Celebrate wins, good fortune, and growth.

Building connections are part of the strategy for growth.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

23
Jul 18
3

Powerful Belief and the Facts Surrounding It

Tags : belief business career outcomes success

Believe you are going to have a good day or a bad day, and you will find lots of evidence to support your belief. Belief has an amazing effect on performance. Do you have powerful belief?

We see it in religion, in politics, and with innovation. Belief often creates power. Have you considered how your belief is guiding your outcomes?

Just the Facts

“Show me the facts!” is often proclaimed as a requirement to establish belief. Yet, much of our discussion, our presentations, and what is repeated is based on theory or opinion.

In the business meeting when people are looking for a reason why the strategy won’t work, they’ll probably find some. Of course, in contrast when the group seeks reasons why something may work or is worth a try, they’ll likely find some.

People with experiences (we all have some) want to share those experiences as facts. We tried this once, it didn’t work, and that is a fact.

Manifested facts become beliefs, and beliefs manifested are often presented as facts.

Seeing Is Believing

We believe what we see. Throughout many forms of media, the persuasion to buy this product so you can look like me, feel like me, and have success like me is overwhelming.

Social media attempts to remind us of how people live large, have luxurious homes, vacations, and “life is good.” We also see some of the opposite. The bad boss story, the customer service horror stories, and the passing of people and pets.

We live surrounded by stories of fame and fortune. And stories of tragedy and gloom. There is not much room for average, yet on the bell curve it is exactly where most people or businesses exist.

Powerful Belief

Powerful belief happens every day. It is connected to decisions, a choice, and what you look for.

Most of what comes true for your career, for sales revenue, or the marketing plan starts with belief.

You decide what you’ll look for. The why’s or the why not’s.

You’ll find it and you’ll believe it.

Powerful.

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

15
Jun 18
-

Busy Metric, How Do You Stack Up?

Tags : business busy metric strategy

No one should be surprised that the origin of the word business developed from the word busy. Old English connected it with anxiety and the state of being busy. Do you have a busy metric?

Use of the word business really took off around 1900. It hit a peak around 1920. Then it took a decline only to start to increase again around 1980.

What are your days like, are you busy? What about your team, co-workers, and the person behind the counter at the hotel check-in?

All Business

Whenever I casually talk with people about the work they do, their place of employment, or what is new in their world, they’ll often say, “busy.”

Organizations are too busy to get to the small stuff, too busy to train employees, and too busy to even think about strategy. Is busy just a catch all word that serves as a socially acceptable excuse to skip performance improvement efforts?

In other words, “I’m busy, leave me alone.” or it could also be a one-word-way of saying, “I’m successful, how about you?”

The financial planner wants to help you prepare for the future. The attorney, they want to protect or support you through law. At the tire shop, someone wants to be sure your riding on something safe. Their busy-ness is helping you.

What if you are too busy?

Busy Metric

As a person with a professional services business, it is common for me to talk with people who are too busy. In between their expressions of busy-ness and attempts to persuade me of their success, I also listen for clues about problems. I learn a lot.

It seems to me the biggest problem that they have is that they are too busy. Too busy to enhance the customer experience, too busy to train their workforce, but still they express desperation about shortcomings, pitfalls, and a limited talent pool.

How is your busy metric, too busy?

-DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

22
Nov 17
-

business reputation appreciative strategies

What Is Important For Your Business Reputation?

Tags : business customer service marketing media reputation

Businesses spend billions of dollars each year on marketing and advertising. Much of this effort is to build their brand. What is important for your business reputation?

Today we have a service economy unlike any other time in modern history. Media and connections often form our first impressions. What matters most?

Shape Reputation

Most businesses believe that they shape and control their reputation. They believe they do it from clever and impactful marketing and advertising campaigns, and ultimately what their product or service delivers. All of this is important, but it isn’t the whole picture.

Clients, customers, and your market will always enter the scene with bias from past experiences or what they saw in their social feed. In a sense, most businesses, like books, are often judged by their cover.

This is true for individuals, as well as businesses. It is true for sales and marketing professionals, the front line, and the C Suite.

What Happens First

First impressions are powerful, and many experts talk about the moments you have, measuring them in the number of seconds.

Ultimately, your reputation may be influenced in not only those first few seconds, but also what you become known for.

The person with the muscle car speeding through the parking lot is a motor head. A person in professional business attire is a corporate executive, not a well-respected (brick layer) mason. The college math professor giving a presentation about social media is not a professor, but a social media expert.

The 5-star restaurant that caters the upscale wedding runs the risk of becoming known as a caterer, not the best dinner spot in town.

True for individuals, true for businesses, we should know by now that perception is reality.

Your Business Reputation

You can try to buy your brand and your reputation through a marketing budget, but conflicting with every dollar spent is what lies under the surface.

The business who says they have exceptional customer service but doesn’t deliver will eventually be found out.

Perhaps the best way to build your business reputation is to become it. It isn’t an image you buy. Authenticity matters more than dollars spent.

What you do first may be what you become known for, all the while remembering that bias, stereotypes, and media influence will help your target market decide.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

08
Aug 17
-

business roadmaps appreciative strategies

When Business Roadmaps Are Useless

Tags : business goals purpose roadmaps why

Processes are important. Systems designed to follow a standard, replicate quality, and improve efficiency are also important. All of these may be connected to a plan, a map. Business roadmaps aren’t always the right tool. Some people aren’t wandering because they lack direction.

You wouldn’t suggest using a map of the United States to help someone get across town, find the nearest gas station, or the best coffee shop. Better yet, you wouldn’t hand someone a globe at Central Park North in New York City and tell them to use it to get on the subway and go to Wall Street.

Modern technology has provided us with some easy methods to find our way from point A to point B. Many people have an electronic map, a way finder, and it is in their hand, purse, or pocket. It will likely even speak to you. Maps are useful but not for every directional purpose.

Business Roadmaps

Businesses and organizations are always trying to find their way. They go to great lengths to plan, design, and deliver a roadmap for employees to follow. They talk about timelines, milestones, and goals. All very important, but it might not help employees find their way or understand why.

Guiding the way with a roadmap is useful to those who already see the big picture and who are committed to it. Everyone else, those who are uncertain, not committed, or lack trust for the described outcomes really do not have use for a map.

Sometimes what employees need are not more directions. They don’t need more standards, a process, or a system. All of those things are useless when they don’t understand why they should go.

Pictures and Purpose

What they really need is someone to connect them with the purpose that leads to the big picture. They aren’t lost, a lack of direction is not why they are wandering.

Most people can follow a map, or have someone tell them when to yield, turn, or stop. The solution might not require more direction.

Productivity, efficiency, and quality really don’t matter that much when they aren’t committed to the purpose.

A globe doesn’t help much on the subway. Handing them business roadmaps won’t be helpful if they aren’t lost.

They’ll reach for the map when they understand why.

Have you answered the question about why?

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

07
Mar 17
-

Winning Team, Pick One or Build One?

Tags : build business confidence leadership winning team

Are you on the winning team? Should you pick one or build one?

Our technology and industrialized society has suggested that there is a price for admission. The price to pay is a combination of experience and education. Neither of those represent bad, they’re mostly good. Many people qualify, but only a few seem to make the team.

While I’m not sure what the recruiting world would say about this, it seems that a resume building culture might be the trend.

Building for two years here, and eighteen months there, and then people put in a weekend for a charity. Not because they truly care, but because they view it as a bonus for their resume. That’s often the belief. It’s all part of the price of admission.

Pick One or Build One

Many sports fans dream of being connected to the team that won the World Series, the Super Bowl, or the Daytona 500. Through jersey sales, hats, and t-shirts you might be as close as you can reasonably expect. On some level, you feel connected. You’ve joined.

The best companies, or at least the best known, those with the reputation and cash flow to make it all seem possible aren’t hurting for resumes. They’re flooded. The thought is, join the winning team.

Emerging professionals might dream of working at Google, Apple, or SpaceX. Sure they might be able to buy something connected to these companies and feel good about it, but that’s not success. They believe their success exists with joining.

Winning Team

Here is the secret. A winning team isn’t always something you join. Sometimes it’s something you build.

It seems counterintuitive because we’re often taught that they way to get to where you want to be is to sign up. We’re brainwashed into believing that the way for opportunity is to find it, not make it. The belief is that you can’t build it, that’s too hard. You’re better off just picking a winner.

Sure it makes sense to join a team, or if you want to go big start your own. The secret formula doesn’t exist in just joining, that isn’t the only price of admission. Often the hidden cost, the one that no one wants to mention, exists in building it.

It’s not really up to someone else. It is your contribution.

Signing up isn’t really a contribution, today it isn’t even a commitment.

You can’t just pick one. You’re also responsible for the build.

If you want to be on the winning team, it’s really still up to you.

– DEG

Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSP^TM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a four-time author and some of his work includes, Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce and Pivot and Accelerate, The Next Move Is Yours! Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.

Dennis Gilbert on Google+

Tag Archives: business

Jul 21

-

Business Story

Jun 20

-

Business Connections

Lost in the Hustle

Aug 19

-

People Connections

Building Connections

Jul 18

Just the Facts

Seeing Is Believing

Powerful Belief

Jun 18

-

All Business

Busy Metric

Nov 17

-

Shape Reputation

What Happens First

Your Business Reputation

Aug 17

-

Business Roadmaps

Pictures and Purpose

Mar 17

-

Pick One or Build One

Winning Team

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