How to Maximize Success?

Aug12012

For as long as I’ve been in business, I’ve been fascinated with what it takes to significantly increase our success as well as what are the habits of those who have done so. I do acknowledge that although success often has unique and subjective attributes for each individual, there are several widespread components that apply to most individuals. In my continued quest of decoding success and uncovering these attributes, I have recently come to realize that there are four primary...

Is Your Site Attracting The Right Candidates?

Jul292012

I was interviewed by Roberta Matuson for her article, Your Company Website: What Does it Say to Job Seekers? that was published on Monster. Below are the three questions I was asked and my complete answers: What are three things you believe are most important, as it relates to websites, when it comes to attracting candidates to your organization? Credibility – The site must to come across as credible and also by portraying it to be the place of a world-class...

Provocative Question Redux

Jul262012

I know, it hasn’t been that long (just a couple of days ago), since I posted my definition of what a provocative question is. Yet, you must be wondering (I know you are) what are some examples of effective provocative questions. So here are my favorite 10 questions: Would you describe the profiles of your best clients, what markets are you targeting, and what may be some of the best ways to reach them? What are the key distinguishing factors...

What is a Provocative Question?

Jul242012

I was recently asked, by one of my mentorees, to help identify what is a provocative question. Here is my take. A provocative question is one that: Unveils the key issues that need to be addressed Helps expedite the process of reaching a strong conceptual agreement Helps establish trust yet is uncomfortable at times for the person to answer Stimulates the discussion and forces the person to think hard and dig deep Eliminates the junk which but that I mean...

Don’t Let Your Next Great Idea Go to Waste

Jul222012

What do you with all the great ideas that come to you or the ones you learn about from reading, brainstorming, listening, or watching? There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t come up with ideas to improve my life or my business as well as those around me, whether family, colleagues and clients. What I am referring to are such ideas as: improvement, innovation, new product development, writing and content creation (articles, process visuals, audios, videos) and...

Getting Noticed – How Provocative Are You?

Jul202012

What do you think are the reasons people come to read, listen or watch your content? You would probably agree with me (perhaps not) that the main reasons they show up are because the content is interesting, valuable, intriguing, educational or fun. Yet I would like to suggest that they show up not because you sound just like everyone else but because you uniquely stimulate their thinking, are provocative and often stir things up. Here are some examples of provocative...

Top Technology Challenges for Small Business

Jul172012

Over the years I’ve worked with hundreds of clients to help improve their technology. Here are their top challenges: Lack of effectively using technology to communicate with their customers, partners and staff The need to constantly balance between implementing cutting-edge technology vs. using outdated technology The need to continually improve the skills set of their technical team The need to effectively train staff on new technology (hardware & software) and find the balance between lack of proper training vs. too...

Do You Know Your Own Content?

Mar162012

I am amazed (and not pleasantly) at how many so-called “experts” I meet, are unable to answer simple questions about their own business and expertise. Let me give you some examples. Say you are a sales consultant and and expert and I were to ask you the following five questions: What is the most common challenge your clients are facing and can you give me three ways of resolving such challenge? Why is it a huge mistake to promote your...

Thought Leadership Concepts

Oct242011

Here are my key take-aways from attending the Thought Leadership Symposium, hosted and facilitated by Alan Weiss with his guest presenter, David Maister: Thought leadership, for me, means being sought after by clients and the media to help improve my clients’ businesses and live. It also means high degree of self-worth. It’s not about credentials and education but how smart you leverage your applied intelligence. Stop worrying about what people think. Instead, lead them and tell them: “here is what...

Changing Your Small Talk to Big talk

Jul122011

A common question I am often asked by clients in my mentor program is how to start a conversation with a prospective client or what do I say after I say hello? Although there are probably questions that are better suited for different personality types, I find the following quite provocative in any situation and the kind of questions that stimulate great discussions. These are also the questions I often ask before reviewing the effectiveness of one’s web and Internet...