Category: Social Media

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 This week’s blog comes from:

Dale Carnegie Training Newsletter

By Anita Zinsmeister, President — anita.zinsmeister@dalecarnegie.com
Dale Carnegie® Training of Central & Southern New Jersey 

As a small business owner, managing your time and expectations are extremely important if you want to maintain the proper focus. I struggle with this issue and can be easily distracted by a phone call or a tendency to check my emails more often than is probably needed.

Time management is one of those skills no one teaches you in school but you have to learn. It doesn’t matter how smart you are if you can’t organize information well enough to take it in. And it doesn’t matter how skilled you are if procrastination keeps you from getting your work done..

I’m going to share some of my favorite time management skills in this post. I hope they will help you.

1. My personal favorite – cut the clutter. Keep a clean desk and desktop, clutter can be very distracting.
2. Use your peak productivity time well and make sure you get sufficient rest. Coffee will not assist you forever. It’s OK to take breaks throughout the day. Some of us are ‘morning people’ others are ‘night owls.’ You know what your strengths and weaknesses are better than me.
3. It’s most important to know how you structure your day and manage your time that makes the difference. Know the best days and times to target your prospective clients or targeted companies – which may be different than you first think.
4. Set daily goals for yourself and making sure you don’t work past your burn out time. This might include networking in person, making follow-up calls, writing a business proposal or putting a budget together – each day complete one specific goal – you’ll feel much better being able to check something off your ‘to do’ list.
5. It’s absolutely OK to block out some non-planned activities. Life happens and there will also be some unexpected event or emergencies to deal with. Or maybe you’re under the weather.
6. Plan for some specific time away from the computer and phone, 30 minutes a day. By that, I don’t mean a coffee break or to eat a meal. Talk a walk, run some errands, anything to take your mind off your business. Meet a friend for a cup of coffee.
7. Start your day by prioritizing what you need to get done (To-do list!). Block time out on your calendar each day to ensure you get work done.
8. When you are on a deadline and you need to finish something – Close your door (if you have one), put your phone on “send to voicemail”, close your email, and turn off the instant messenger. It is liberating! Not everything is urgent; yes, some things can wait until the next day.
9. Minimizing distractions – distractions are a big time waster. A lot of us have this constant urge to check our email every 15 minutes. There are many other common distractions and it is important to limit them.
10. Make sure social networks serve your purpose. Do you really need to be on all of them? Pick one or two that are really important and discard the rest. Be careful not to check your social sites while at work. It is a big time waster even if big brother is not watching.
11. Decide the time or times when you will check mail and stick to those times. There will always be some distracting message in your in box. Keep your emails short. That is how they are meant to be. Use the phone in preference to email where feasible.
12. Know your target company or companies whether it will be for job search or to find business partners. Starting out, that’s one of the most important things to consider. If you’re not sure what you want to do, it’ll be hard for you to communicate that to another client or company
13. Yes weekends are a time to take a break, but not entirely. Use weekends to review the previous week’s successes (and failures) which will give you the opportunity to prepare your upcoming week. The goal is to hit the ground running on Monday morning.‘

Can you think of more time management tips? Please let me know in the comments!

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Visiting Philadelphia, New York and D.C. last month, Pope Francis  showed us a leadership style we can all learn from. (For more on leadership, check out The Public Relations Practioner’s Playbook for (all) Strategic Communicators via www.larrylitwin.com. It is loaded with excellent strategies and tactics for today’s “leaders.”)

By William Vanderbloemen

“Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change.” Those were the words shared—on Twitter—by Pope Francis, Time‘s “Person of The Year” in 2013, who assumed the pontificate that year and has since projected a transformational leadership style.

Those who aren’t spiritual leaders should also rethink what their most important responsibilities are—people over processes, names over numbers.

That approach has earned him titles like “Holy Reformer” and “The People’s Pope.” In New York City today on a visit to the United States, Pope Francis reflects not just the changing tenor of the Catholic Church but evolving ideas about leadership itself. That makes his trip this week a perfect time for entrepreneurs, CEOs, politicians, and other leaders of all stripes to reflect on their own leadership styles. Here are five lessons all of them can learn from the Pope’s.

1. Be Accessible

Pope Francis is arguably best known for availability and openness to the public. On his first day as Pope, he reversed the tradition of blessing the people by inviting them to bless him instead. He’s since decided to ride in a bus with his team rather than in a bulletproof limousine. Pope Francis has also been seen getting around Rome in a Ford Focus and a Fiat during his U.S. visit.

Personal, handwritten thank-you notes and birthday lunch invitations to the homeless of Rome take priority in his schedule and exemplify his leadership vision.

Those who aren’t spiritual leaders should also rethink what their most important responsibilities are—people over processes, names over numbers. Accessibility sows trust and loyalty among colleagues and customers, making other transformations possible.

2. Don’t Ignore Social Media

The Pope is a tweeting aficionado. His primary Twitter handle (@Pontifex) is the English-language equivalent of eight others—in Latin, Arabic, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Italian, French, and German. And the English account alone has 7.3 million followers. In other words, communication matters, especially digitally.

Social media has proved one of the most effective—and democratic—mediums for influencing current generations. Its 140-character interface is clear, concise, and relatable, whether you’re a Starbucks barista, a Fortune 500 CEO, or anyone in between. For any business leader who has an idea to offer or a message to convey, social media is the main avenue for doing so. But bear in mind that the social sphere is about sparking conversation, not dictating from on high. The Pope’s tweets are popular not just because he’s the Pope, but because they’re humble, inviting, and pluralistic.

3. Flatten Your Organization

Pope Francis bypassed bureaucracy and reevaluated his organizational structure. He started with his own title, changing it from the “Supreme Pontiff” to the “Bishop of Rome.” Upon adjusting and delegating some of the papacy’s traditional responsibilities, he took a radical approach to age-old customs and rearranged his management team, reducing its sense of hierarchy.

As a result of Pope Francis’s innovative methods, the organization of the papacy got flatter. As a result, the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work referred to him as an “intrepreneur”—someone who generates genuine, sustainable change in an organization that’s resistant to it.

In the first few months of his papacy, Pope Francis took risks.

Flattening an organization can be one of the best ways business leaders can institute their vision without relying on the prevailing means. Restructure, revamp, and realign so that the top leadership drives the vision, and the subsequent layers can execute and sustain it.

4. Take Risks

In the first few months of his papacy, Pope Francis took risks. He made unprecedented claims and unconventional decisions. “To listen and to follow your conscience means that you understand the difference,” he wrote, reaching out to atheists and agnostics. He also proclaimed a year of jubilee for women who’ve had abortions but have since chosen to reflect on the Church’s teachings on the issue. It’s worth nothing that in both cases, Pope Francis didn’t revise Catholic doctrine, but his leadership style offered a refreshing new perspective to many who might have previously felt shut out.

In the business world today, many leaders are blinded by the fear of failure. Big changes are hard to make—they take time, and often many people, to institute—but messages are easy to change. Still, risk is vital to your business’s growth and your own development as a leader. Risk can help you rise, even though it sometimes leads to failure. But it will always prove a worthy teacher.

5. Value Input From Subordinates

Risk can help you rise, even though it sometimes leads to failure. But it will always prove a worthy teacher.

Pope Francis has shown he recognizes the intrinsic value of every person. First, he decided to transform the Synod of Bishops under his leadership into a decision-making body rather than a ceremonial group. And within his first 10 months at the Vatican, Pope Francis washed the feet of laity prisoners, women, and Muslims, rather than performing the ritual only on priests. He also refocused the role of bishops toward more pastoral activities, premised on the notion that human relationships should be esteemed above all else.

Leaders should approach the people in their organizations much the same. There’s real value in your lower subordinates—what they think and believe and the skills they offer—to achieve real progress. But it’s up to leaders to go out and seek that value, then develop it in everyone they lead.

In just two years, Pope Francis has taught us another lesson as well: It’s important to act. Start cultivating the right leadership style now, and you’ll begin writing your legacy today, rather than waiting for it to catch up with you later.

William Vanderbloemen is the coauthor of Next: Pastoral Succession That Works and president and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, a startup that leads in executive search for churches, ministries, and faith-based organizations.

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This comes from Eastern Michigan University’s Public Relations Student Society of America — Sept. 9, 2015

By: Katie Gerweck

It’s the beginning of a new school year, and for me it will be my last. I’m heading into my senior year, which means my schedule is full of tough classes, PRSSA duties, and work. Although I know it will be overwhelming at times, I’m going to try to stay ahead of the game this year and not fall behind. Although it can be tricky to juggle your different responsibilities, there are some steps you can take now that will help the rest of your semester go more smoothly. It’s not too late to form good habits and be prepared!

1. Make note of important dates and request them off work now.

Whether it’s an event for the club you’re in, an important family event, or a meeting for your second job, there are probably a couple days this semester that you’ll need off from work. Put them in the calendar in your phone or your planner so you won’t forget and request those days off from work as soon as possible to make sure you can attend.

2. Get a planner and use it!

A lot of students start out diligently noting homework assignments in their planner, only to abandon the practice two weeks in. But keeping a planner is a great way to help you keep track of assignments and remind you of upcoming deadlines. Check out Rachel’s post on how to organize your to-do list for some helpful hints.

3. Ask other students about the classes you’re taking.

If it’s early in the semester, it can sometimes be difficult to know what to expect from certain classes. How difficult is the class going to be? How does the professor run the course? Do you really need the textbook, or can you save $100 and just use your notes? If you’re not sure, find a student who has already taken the class and ask them for advice. You’ll feel more prepared.

4.Log off from social media.

Social media and websites like YouTube and Netflix can be distracting when you’re trying to get work done, and it’s hard to find the willpower to pull yourself away. If you know social media is going to be a problem for you, it might be time to take drastic measures. Before working on a big project, have your roommate change the passwords on your most distracting sites and keep them hidden from you until you get your work done.

Katie Gerweck is a senior majoring in public relations with a minor in journalism. She is the editor-in-chief for EMU PRSSA, and also works as a copy editor for the Eastern Echo. She was the copy chief for the Echo during the summer of 2015.

EMU PRSSA | September 9, 2015

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Rhonda Abrams has done it again. Here are her top tips — “Little things matter to a successful operation. Abrams contact info is at the bottom of this week’s blog. [To comment: larry at larrylitwin dot com]

 Running a business means taking care of lots of little things. Sure, success depends on the big things, such as your strategy, marketing and technology. But sometimes, we could use a bit of guidance on how to better handle the little things to make our business lives easier.

Here are a few tips and tricks learned in my years of business:

• Develop and practice your “elevator pitch,” a brief sentence to describe what your business is all about. Use it when you introduce yourself to others, at business mixers, meeting with prospects. You’re more likely to land a customer and get referrals if you can clearly describe what you do.

• If you’re giving a customer or client a discount, let them know it! When you send the bill, be certain to indicate the regular price and then the voluntary discount you’re giving them. That reminds them they’re getting a special deal.

• If you get more than 50% of your business from one customer or distribution channel, diversify. Don’t become overly dependent on one source for your long-term economic well-being.

• Think of the long-term value of the customer, not just the one-time transaction. It’s almost always better to retain a happy customer than to make a big fuss over a small issue in dispute.

• If you’re a consultant, don’t nickel-and-dime clients with charges for small, routine expenses, such as overnight delivery, parking, copies and such. Figure those costs into your hourly or project fees. You’d be surprised at how many clients who never blink at being billed $100 an hour get peeved by being charged $12 for an overnight delivery.

• Make it easy for customers to pay you. Accept credit cards and get the money in your bank fast, often the day after processing. If you’re on the go, get a card reader that attaches to your mobile device from Square Up, Intuit GoPayment, or PayPal Here.

• Get a mileage-earning credit card for business purchases you now pay for by check. Then IMMEDIATELY pay off the credit card bill. Ask your vendors if they accept credit cards. You’ll get miles and extend your payment period.

• If you travel frequently, look for hotels that feature lobbies set up for working and meeting so you can stay close and cut down on travel time. And look for hotels with free Wi-Fi and, ideally, free hot breakfast.

• Build a database of your current and former customers or clients. Get in the habit of tracking every customer interaction, not just orders, and their specific needs and concerns. Then you can personalize your offers, emails, and rewards. And be sure to remember their birthday.

• Whenever possible, expand the number of contacts you have at each client company. Other divisions may have additional opportunities. And your current contacts may change jobs. Get to know additional decision-makers.

• Join your trade association. Participate in the local chapter if such exists. Attend a national industry convention at least every two to three years. Subscribe to and read an industry magazine or e-mail newsletter.

• Keep a list of your best referral sources and best customers where you can see it frequently. Contact these people at least every couple of months.

• Fire bad clients. A few reasons to end a client relationship: they don’t pay their bills, are unethical, want you to take on work you’re uncomfortable performing, they soak up all your time and energy, they make you hate your business.

• View customer complaints as an opportunity to learn how to improve your product or service rather than merely criticism.

• Keep as little stock on hand as possible and avoid waste. Don’t purchase something just because it’s a good deal. Inventory is money in a different form.

• Never compete on price alone. Make sure you have other competitive advantages that make your customers want to purchase from you even if a competitor undercuts your price.

• If you work from a home office, set office hours. Set time aside for personal and family life.

• Do everything with integrity. Treat everyone fairly and honestly, including employees, customers, and vendors. Don’t rationalize bad behavior by saying, “It’s only business.” Be someone worthy of respect.

Among Rhonda Abrams‘ recent books is the 6th edition of Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies. Register for her free newsletter at PlanningShop.com. Twitter:@RhondaAbrams.

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From Ragan’s PR Daily

by Tor Constantino (Jan. 26, 2015)

Every leader, entrepreneur and business owner needs to communicate their visions to stakeholders.

If a vision is complex or the contextual environment is noisy, it’s a good idea to hire a PR adviser to help get the message out.

The table stakes for a good PR practitioner are pretty standard: deep media relationships are a plus; experience working in a newsroom is helpful; strong writing skills are mandatory; managing and developing a solid team is a must; event management is good; social media savvy is a requirement.

Good PR personnel need to have each of those boxes checked, but there are four additional skills that separate great PR professionals from good ones.

1. Speaking truth to power.

Most people are intimidated by power and tend to fear those individuals who are higher on the organizational hierarchy. Surprisingly, that fact holds true even for people who already hold positions of influence and power, such as corporate or senior VPs. Higher-ups often intimidate them.

On more than one occasion I’ve witnessed every direct report of a CEO refuse to share with the leader some kind of bad news because they were afraid the top executive would figuratively “kill the messenger.”

The best PR folks need to be fearless in those meetings, willing to deliver the bad news as well as a positive strategy to respond or overcome the stated challenge.

Related: Why Investor Relations and Public Relations Should Work in Harmony

2. Ability to compartmentalize issues.

This is tougher to achieve than it seems. Every organization faces some type of crisis at some time or another. The challenge occurs when multiple crises occur and begin to overlap each other.

Some issues, such as civil lawsuits or regulatory investigations, become protracted and extend over years like a smoldering fire you can’t extinguish. Other issues, such as a data breach, flare up to intense heat instantly like a grease fire. They seem to go dormant, only to flare up later when least expected.

These critical situations require messaging and affected audiences to be effectively managed. The best PR advisors can “strategically ignore” those important issues when the immediate urgency of the crisis subsides. The issues are still there, but the expert communicators are able to still operate at peak performance and deliver day-to-day results, despite the slow or hot burn of an unyielding crisis event.

3. Seeing around corners.

When it comes to media relations, this particular skill takes years to develop. The best PR advisers in this regard tend to be former journalists, editors or producers.

It’s tricky to predict the exact trajectory a story will take prior to its publication or broadcast. However, the most effective PR counselors have a strong idea based on the type of questions asked, the manner and tone in which those questions were presented, other “news makers” the reporter interviewed to round out the story, and a good understanding of how the journalist covered the topic in the past.

Those insights equip the adviser to appropriately establish the expectations of the leadership team to help prepare for the story’s tone, message, impact and relevance. It also helps the internal team develop a ready response if needed.

Related: The Venerable Press Release Remains the Cornerstone of Public Relations

4. Powerfully persuading.

Leaders and entrepreneurs crave control, but one of the things they cannot control completely is the media coverage they engender. Whenever a negative story appears about an organization or executive, the nearly universal reaction is to issue a press release or letter to the editor refuting the “errors” of the article.

There is a time and place for that type of response, but it’s rare.

The direct response from the company tends to land flat and typically emboldens hardcore reporters to continue squeezing for more of the story. I personally know a handful of investigative reporters from my journalism days who kept binders on their desks of those flaming corporate responses. The innately contrarian DNA of journalists tends to view these authoritative responses as evidence they’re doing something right.

The best PR advisers are able to persuade the executive team from taking that course of action, or at least consider other options, such as enlisting a trusted third-party to respond on the organization’s behalf.

If you’re a leader or entrepreneur who wants the best reputation management to protect your organization’s brand, make sure you raise these areas with your communications advisor to help determine if the individual is great or merely good.

Related: Generate Great PR on a Shoestring Budget With These 5 Tips

Tor Constantino is a former journalist and best-selling author, blogger and PR pro. A version of this article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.com. Copyright © 2014 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Rhonda Abrams always has excellent advice for strategic communicators. These resolutions first appeared in USA Today on Jan. 2, 2015.

What do you want to achieve in 2015 for your small business? The beginning of January is the time for New Year’s resolutions, so here are my top 10 resolutions for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

1. Focus on recurring revenue.

You may be thrilled to find any source of income, but some types of customers contribute more significantly to your long-term financial well-being. Focus foremost on customers who have the need and capacity to buy from you repeatedly rather than one-off purchasers.

2. Limit your time on social media.

Social media can eat up your day even when it’s for a business purpose. Establish a time limit—I’d say 30 minutes maximum—schedule it for a specific time each day and then click off and get back to work. To limit your time on social media, schedule your social media posts in advance using a social media management tool. We use Hootsuite. Others are Buffer andTweetDeck.

3. Put your electronic devices away.

Recent studies have shown that using an electronic light-emitting device (such as a tablet or smartphone) before you go to sleep at night significantly reduces both the quality and quantity of your sleep. You need your rest to be at your best. So if you want to relax before bed, pick up a good old-fashioned print book. (You remember those, don’t you?)

4. Get more help.

Your business may not growing sufficiently because you are trying to do too much yourself. It’s difficult to find good employees and contractors, but a great worker can truly help you grow your company significantly. Examine your operation for routine tasks that take too much of your time, and look for areas of business growth you need outside expertise to achieve.

5. Fully fund your retirement.

Sure, we all think we’re going to sell our small business one day and have enough to buy a beach house in Hawaii. But don’t bet everything on that. Instead, every year make sure you put as much money as you can in a retirement account—certainly the full amount that you can shelter from current taxes.

6. Take care of your health.

Health is basic to all our other endeavors. If your body and mind are not healthy, you won’t have the energy or capability to achieve business success. Make sure you carve out enough time to exercise, eat healthfully and get enough sleep. These are business necessities, not just personal indulgences.

7. Keep learning.

Attend conferences and workshops. Take classes. Watch instructional videos. Read. Your business depends on your brain, so make sure you are continually expanding it. The world is changing, technology is improving and your industry is evolving, so you need to know what’s going on to constantly improve your skill set.

8. Check your financial statements regularly.

In the crush of work—or from the fear of finding out bad news—many entrepreneurs hesitate to look too deeply and regularly into their financial reports: profit and loss, cash flow, aging accounts receivable and payable. Every week, perhaps on Monday or Friday, spend at least 30 minutes reviewing your financials.

9. Plan your day.

Every morning make a “to do” list and keep it in front of you. Keep it reasonable and (mostly) achievable. Use a project management tool to stay on top of your tasks. In our office, we use Asana; others use Basecamp. Use these tools not only to track your tasks, but the progress of your staff and consultants.

10. Send out your invoices.

You can’t get paid if you don’t send a bill, yet many self-employed consultants are too busy to get their invoices out on time. Better yet, accept credit card payments at the time of service or sales to eliminate invoicing.

Here’s wishing you and your small business a happy, healthy and prosperous 2015.

Copyright, Rhonda Abrams, 2015

This article originally ran in USA Today on January 2, 2015

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