Tag: Things I Recommend

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You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression!

You know the saying: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”; and equally, it is reasonable to say that, what your customers say about you (especially online) matters, right?

When consumers have something to say, everyone can hear it – everywhere. How good is your social media listening? Are you managing your online reviews? Why are your customers leaving? Can you discern what’s really important for your business?” ~ Cargo Digital

A First Impression Is All About ReputationFirst Impression

Your online reputation is essential and with today’s online review sites being so prevalent, the need for reputation management is crucial!

So, what is your reputation? What are people saying about you?

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Often overlooked because of its non-tangible life within a business, the long-term reputation of perception is always at play; and perception is never a negotiation, it is always one direction in the marketplace. That direction is from the angle of the consumer.

A First Impression And Subsequent Reputation

First Impression factors are distinct and represent the actual character — or behaviour in many cases — of the company.  There have been many examples across the business landscape over the years, and there are some great lessons to learn from others’ mistakes.

“BP [learned] this the hard way. The energy giant [had] striven to portray itself as a responsible corporation that cares about the environment. Its efforts have included its extensive “Beyond Petroleum” advertising campaign and a multibillion-dollar initiative to expand its alternative-energy business. But several major events in the past [few] years are now causing the public to question whether BP is truly so exceptional.” ~ Harvard Business Review February 2007

Reputation And Brand Management

First Impression And The 4-Truths Of A World-Class Reputation

1. Business Rationale: Building and protecting corporate reputation has a direct business impact.

2. Strategy Informed by Intelligence: Most firms do not need more data; they need better intelligence from the data they get.

3. Management and Accountability: You can’t manage reputation from a corporate silo. Reputation and support are driven on a day-to-day basis by the actions and communications from people across the organization.

4 Activation: Building trust and support are done across three influencer channels: a) what people experience directly with your company, b) what you say through your marcoms, and c) what other people say about you.

Let’s talk about your reputation and how you are making a first impression. You can contact me directly here.

 

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Lists — Are You Making Them? Experts Say They Are Crucial to Success!

Ah, the dreaded lists!

Most of us make lists — shopping, chores, and important dates to remember are just a few. So why do many not make lists for their business? And even worse, why are some touting that task-lists are not good?

List of ListsIt is well established that making lists can assist you in reaching your goals.

The list methodology has driven many to achieve success in business.  Kevin Kruse, author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management asks, “Do you really think Richard Branson and Bill Gates write long to-do lists and prioritize items as A1, A2, B1, B2, and so on?”.

So with all things being equal,  Simon Sinek says, “If we think of everything we have to do, we feel overwhelmed. If we do the one thing we need to do, we make progress.”. While Simon is not specifically talking about list making, I believe this speaks to the positive side of making a list.

Regarding lists, I believe that Kevin Kruse’s Richard Branson and Bill Gates example is not true, not to mention lacks insight.

Of course, these two powerhouse leaders do not make a list themselves — at least as we see lists.

Big Picture Thinking

That said, I can guarantee you that their staff does. Further, “big picture thinking” and running worldwide companies, is drastically different than the daily lives most of us lead.

I ask, “Have you ever had a successful day without a list?”. I have, but it is only on the bigger tasks of running a business. Doing things like reconciling finances and other business necessities. And all my lists range from big-picture to the micro-list within a task.

Not all lists are created equal!

My most successful days are all done via task lists that are in a time-blocking format with ‘to-be-completed’ items or contain a host of details that need to be included in a project.

I happen to use “the listing methodology” for everything in my life. In fact, I even use my calendar to create reminders for me throughout the day. At the end of the day, however, that is simply another kind of list.

Regarding Simon’s point of being overwhelmed, for many, lists are just the fix to keep you and your business on track.

It is true that being overwhelmed is a road to non-productivity — however — a simple task list will help you organize with the same efficiency of your simple shopping list, checking off items as you do them.

lists and Business EfficiencySo, lists are bad?

In my opinion, “No.” — In fact, experts on business efficiency say that operational efficiency is about making the best possible use of all resources.

“Operational efficiency is the capability of an enterprise to deliver products or services to its customers in the most cost-effective manner possible while still ensuring the high quality of its products, service, and support.” ~ Webopedia

For most of us, I propose that list-making is crucial to completing your job with efficiency.  As, with every position, there is a constant influx of new things to do and older things to remember.

Pros and Cons of ListsThe Pros and Cons of lists

  • PROS
    • Better focus
    • It can help not feeling overwhelmed
    • Easier to recall conversations
    • Better manage multiple projects
    • Easier to present idea’s to business associates
    • Big picture understanding of the needed task flow
    • The pleasure of seeing completed tasks
  • CONS
    • It takes time out of your day
    • It can feel overwhelming
    • Your list is lost in the shuffle
    • Relying on it can be a nightmare if you lose it
    • You keep adding to the list and it never ends

I would love to hear your feedback on how you work best. Do you make lists or not? Message me, or connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.

You can also connect directly with me on LinkedIn.

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3 End-Of-Summer Marketing Tips

Modern Marketing Tips That Are Easy For You To Embrace!

Here are 3 Marketing Tips to help keep you going through the fall. Surely this won’t be the only marketing tips posted on the web, however, these are tips written from experience — not to mention that they are good reminders for all.

If you are interested in hearing more of these tips, enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Marketing Tip #1 —Slow and Steady Wins The RaceMarketing Tips - Slow and Steady

The concept of continuous innovation isn’t just a scientific marketing method, it’s a time-tested business philosophy. This methodology has built some of the world’s great companies, like Toyota and Google.  They are proving to be a critical component of what differentiates winners from losers in Silicon Valley and beyond.

Marketing Tip #2  — Mind Your P’sMarketing Tips - The 4 P's of Marketing

It’s about the importance of ALL P’s, particularly “Product” – it is one of the most important lessons that many marketers have ignored for the past 10-15 years. Unfortunately, many marketers have often thought of themselves as being in the ‘Advertising business’.

Now more than ever, successful and sustainable businesses are built by clearly presenting the Product, Price, Place, and Promotion of their brands.

#3 — Seek And Ye Shall Find FindMarketing Tips - getting The Results

This is a good reminder that it’s all about the results. This has been the underpinning of the scientific marketing method for 150+ years. It is what the modern marketing world has come to really appreciate in the past 5-years.

Learn more about the marketing in today’ business world…

I recommend also searching for  Entrepreneur Magazine Online and Forbs Magazine Online articles.

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Online Password Security

Poor online password security leaves popular online accounts susceptible to hacking
Online Password Computer Security
SOURCE: ABC News

Online Password Security experts at Dashlane® have identified the password weaknesses of popular websites – ones you’re probably already using at home and work.

The latest research in online password security also shows that individuals and businesses are equally likely to experience the consequences of poor online password policies.

From July 5 – July 14, Online password security experts at Dashlane® examined 37 popular consumer websites and 11 popular enterprise websites against five password security criteria:

1. Does the website require users to have passwords that are 8 or more characters?
When creating a new account on each website, Dashlane® researchers attempted to create passwords less than eight characters irrespective of the sites’ stated minimum password requirements.

2. Does the website require users to have passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols?
When creating a new account on each website, Dashlane researchers attempted to create passwords with all letters (“aaaaaa”) or numbers (“111111”).

3. Does the website provide an on-screen password assessment meter to show users how strong their password is?
When creating a new account on each website, we wanted to see if the site provided any notification, such as a meter or color-coded bar, they were credited as providing an assessment. Sites that only provided confirmed password length or where requirements were met did not receive credit.

4. Does the website allow 10 incorrect login attempts without providing additional security (CAPTCHA, account lockout, 2-Factor, etc.)?
Dashlane researchers attempted to log in using incorrect passwords. If the tester was able to continue entering incorrect credentials after 10 attempts without receiving any security mechanism, such as a CAPTCHA code or the account automatically locking, the site did not receive credit.

5. Does the website have support for 2-Factor Authentication?
A website was given credit if they offer any two-factor or multi-factor authentication.

In the study, a website received a point for each criterion they performed positively, for a maximum, and top score, of 5. A score of 3/5 was deemed as passing and meeting the minimum threshold for good password security. SOURCE: https://blog.dashlane.com/dashlane-password-power-rankings-2017/

Dashlane® is the is the only online password manager and secure digital wallet I recommend. It is because they are the best!

It keeps track of all your passwords, and auto-fills all forms including logins and checkouts. 

For online password security, Dashlane® uses military-grade encryption and never stores your master key anywhere.

Without it, no one can unscramble and use your passwords.

You should use Dashlane® at work — share this with your coworkers and keep your whole team safe.

Best thing is, with this link below, Your first YEAR is only $20!

(I get a small kickback too – thank you!)

Check it out: https://www.dashlane.com/en/im/3ba7a552
Online Password Manager — Dashlane Online Wallet

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