Mr. Dan Willson – Thank You!

I had a wonderful speech, drama, and English teacher back in 9th and again (at a different school) in 10th grade.  I teased him that I was his favorite student and that is why he followed me from Jr. to Sr. High school.  Mr. Willson taught me the basics of English that I had never learned.  In 9th grade I couldn’t tell a noun from a verb from an adjective.  I spoke well, read a lot and comprehended what I read so I was always put in the advanced classes.  I never was taught the basics!  Oops!

So he gently took me by the hand, brought me up to speed and taught me the following about writing.

  1.  Tell them what you are going to tell them. (First Paragraph)

  2.  Tell them (usually 3-5 paragraphs)

  3. Tell them what you told them. (Last Paragraph)

His added advice was to write the way you speak.  Keep things in a conversational tone.  Your audience will always be more engaged and it will flow more comfortably for you as the writer.

It’s deceptively simple and has carried me through my adult life. 

You know how most of us have ONE Teacher that stood out as the best?  Mr. Dan Willson was the best and I wish I knew where he was to thank him!

10 Ways to Communicate Confidence and Boost Your Credibility

PRESENTED BY LEW BAYER OF THE CIVILITY GROUP

DATE: Thursday, February 21, 2008
TIME: 5pm PST / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST
DURATION: 60 minutes (please call in 10 min. early)
COST: FREE!

IMAGINE… interacting with clients and feeling confident enough to ask for the sale every time you recognize a business opportunity.

IMAGINE…walking into a business reception or your weekly office meeting and not feeling self-conscious about approaching new people.

IMAGINE…what it would be like to have the capability to stay calm and act appropriately when the unexpected arises.

If there were 10 simple behaviors that could make you more self-assured, and help you know for certain that you could tackle any challenge that came your way, wouldn’t you want to know what they were? In this entertaining and informative session, Canada’s Civility in the Workplace expert, Lew Bayer, will provide insight and practical tools that, with practice, will ensure increased self-assurance, confidence, and productivity.

Regardless of what your profession is, confidence is key to effective communications, building relationships and sending a positive, lasting impression. By making a few simple adjustments and adopting a few good habits, anyone can feel more confident–and confidence boosts credibility in business.

Some of the things you will learn include:

• The four “E’s” of civility;

• How civility impacts your credibility and professional relationships;

• How to shift your perspective and remember the business priority;

• How to handle yourself appropriately in mixing and networking scenarios;

• How to get someone’s attention and then keep it;

• How to speak the language of confidence–learn what words to avoid if you want to close the deal;

• How to eliminate self-defeating behaviors that undermine confidence;

• How to handle uncomfortable situations with grace and charm…

• And much more!

Register Here NOW!

About Lew Bayer

Lew Bayer is nationally recognized as Canada’s leading expert on civility in the workplace and courteous communications. She is co-founder and partner of The Civility Group, Inc., an international training company. Twice nominated Manitoba Entrepreneur of the Year, Lew is a six-time published author who is regularly called upon for expert editorial commentary in her field. She writes a national “ask the experts” column called “Sticky Situations” for Canadian Living web and magazine. In addition to her role at The Civility Group, Inc., Lew is a certified Intercultural Competence Trainer. She sits on the City of Winnipeg Citizen’s Equity Committee, is director of the International Institute for Civility, co-director of the Winnipeg Chapter of Roaring Women, and President of the Center for Organizational Cultural Competence. For more information about The Civility Group, Inc., visit http://www.thecivilitygroup.com

Gary the Gizmo Guru

Gary was the Gizmo Guru. He even had the awards and accolades to prove it!  Twenty years of working in the Gizmo and Gadget industry had given him the skills and industry knowledge to sell Gizmos better than anybody. The problem was Godfrey’s Gizmos & Gadgets wanted him to sell an equal number of Gadgets. And he hated Gadgets! 

So Gary took some Business courses and opened up Gary’s Gizmos working from his home office. He had a few contacts, but was busy making more every day. Gary knew that relationships were the key to selling Gizmos. Gary wore all the hats. He was the Marketing Exec, the Bookkeeper, even his own IT guy and he did all the administrative stuff too. Gary really began to miss Gidget, the sales team Administrative Assistant. He had never truly appreciated all the hard work she had put into keeping him organized and on track. He thought, “well I can find my own Administrative Assistant to work for me.” 

He remembered his business courses told him about hiring employees. He went back to his books and looked up the chapter on Employees which referred him to the IRS and his state’s web sites. He was dismayed to learn that the cost of hiring an employee was far more than just the employee’s salary. There was insurance, taxes, and more that nearly quadrupled what he thought an employee would be paid. And when he learned that highly skilled Administrative Assistants were paid far above minimum wage, he knew he couldn’t go that route. As he looked around his small office he thought “and where would I put her?”

It was getting late, and he still didn’t have anything in the house to fix for dinner. He headed off to the store to pick up a few groceries and promised himself he would take a look and see what else was out there on the internet. Surely someone had come up with a solution for the solo-prenuer.

As he was picking up a tomato from the produce department he heard a cheery voice behind him say, “Gary, is that you? How’s the Gizmo gig going?”  It was none other than Gidget! 

“I was just thinking about you,” Gary said, “and before you say anything else, I want you to know how much I appreciated all you used to do. I never appreciated it until I had to do it all myself!” 

Gidget blushed and laughed, thanking him for the compliment.

Gary went on to tell her about his latest dilemma about finding someone to take on his Administrative tasks so he could focus more on selling.

Gidget couldn’t believe what she was hearing!  She told Gary about a group of individuals that call themselves Virtual Assistants or VAs. She told him they are highly skilled Administrative Professionals that work with small business owners like Gary to help take care of the Admin stuff so they could spend more time on things that bring in money. She admitted to him that she was looking into starting her own VA Business and quitting her job at Godfrey’s. But not until after her 2 year anniversary. She would be vested in her 401K and would be able to take that money with her when she left!

Gidget told Gary about a wonderful group of individuals at the Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce (VACOC). She had checked out the site herself, purchased a few forms and read everything she could find on the industry. She knew that the VACOC had a directory where Gary could find the perfect guy or gal for Gary’s Gizmos.

Gary was so happy he picked up Gidget in a bear hug. She had provided him with exactly what he needed, when he needed it. He thanked her and rushed to the checkout so he could look up this new industry, Virtual Assistance. He just knew this was the solution he was looking for! 

---

Okay, it’s a little corny, but if this sounds like a scenario you’ve played out in your business, it really is time to see if a Virtual Assistant is for you!

VACOC Monthly Guest Expert Teleseminar Series:

Know Your Inner Consultant:

5 Steps to Learning the Art of Intuition

Presented by Intuitive Artist Jennifer Crews

 

DATE: Thursday, January 17, 2008
TIME: 5pm PST / 6pm MST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST
DURATION: 60 minutes (please call in 10 min. early)
COST: FREE!

INVITE YOUR BUSINESS BUDDIES! This class is open to all Virtual Assistants and small business owners. Copy and paste any text on this paste and post invitations on the forums, listservs and groups you participate in.

Everyone is blessed with intuition, and with practice and dedication to learning, one can excel and strengthen this innate gift.

Learning intuition is not any different than taking art, dance or music lessons to advance in the learning of a skill. The first of these five steps is “awareness” of your inner language. Your inner language is your own source of receiving information. You have your own personalized way to receive information—your own inner consultant.

Learn more as well as all five steps in how to master this invisible intelligence and strengthen your intuition in business and in all areas of your life.

Register Now!

About Jennifer Crews

Jennifer Crews, M.A., is an intuitive artist, child intuitive, visionary educator, writer and speaker dedicated to honoring the essence of children worldwide. She began her work in the care-giving profession as an international pediatric speech language pathologist. She has 13 years experience working with children and their families all over the globe, and specialized in working with children with severe and multiple physical, sensory and cognitive challenges. Though the children were non-verbal, she realized she literally could hear and see what they wanted to share, communicate and express through her own inner language—her intuition. She decided to honor this gift and founded Intuitive Teachings, LLC.

Jennifer offers individual and group teaching sessions on the following topics: Five Steps in Learning the Art of Intuition, Understanding the New Children, Energy Management, and Multidimensional Living. She also offers individual intuitive sessions locally and long-distance.

For more information about her work and services, visit Jennifer’s website at http://www.IntuitiveTeachings.com

 

Missing My Muse

I’ve been in a real funk.  You know that place where we all end up from time to time with no creative juices flowing.  My muse has taken a vacation and I am finding it difficult to put pen to pad.  I’ve had some rather large personal issues that have taken the forefront in my life and then inconveniently contracted the flu as well.  We’ve all been there.  In our 9-5 business days we would pick ourselves up and trudge off to work.  We would share our sniffles and sneezes with co-workers and then commiserate about the lousy working conditions and sick leave policy!  But independent business owners working from home often find it easier to do other things.  Like stay in bed days beyond what would have been acceptable when we were working for someone else.  We put things on the back burner because who is gonna get on our case? – One of the perks of being the boss!

I’ve found that the best thing to keep me on track is to have a schedule of simple things that I can do even when I am feeling awful.  These things keep my mind in and on business just enough that I don’t stray too far.  For me it is checking my email about 3 times a day and checking in with colleagues to read forums at least once a day.  It’s not a “Must read every email and post” sort of thing.  More like keeping a pulse of what is going on.  Short of being passed out, running a high fever or having a severe (praying to the porcelain god) migraine I can do that!  And since there is almost always something amusing shared, it lifts my spirits as well. 

I also know that when I am not feeling well I am not going to be putting my best foot forward.  I am learning that being picture perfect is not always as important as getting the job done.  This one is a tough one for me because I am more critical of my own work when I am not feeling well.  Learning to do it and let go can be an up hill battle, but an important one.

And finally, KNOWING what can sit on the back burner.  And then knowing when to pick it up and trudge through, even if you don’t have your muse to assist you.  Sometimes just doing it is enough.

SEVEN COMMON MISTAKES BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE WHEN TRYING TO HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

If you find yourself bogged down with the business of running your business, you may need a Virtual Assistant or VA. A VA can set up systems and procedures to free you from time consuming tasks that eat away at your billable hours. Finding the right VA takes time. Because the work is collaborative, it is important that you find the right fit for you and your business. Too often, business owners become overwhelmed and decide they need help. They contact a Virtual Assistant without knowing why and have the wrong expectations. Here are seven common mistakes business owners make when trying to hire a Virtual Assistant:

1. They don’t understand what a Virtual Assistant is or does

A Virtual Assistant is a highly skilled administrative professional working from his or her own office, utilizing their own equipment. Virtual Assistants are not at your beck and call, they work more like an attorney, accountant or billing service providing you with a set number of hours per month on a retained basis. It is your responsibility to make sure you use those hours. A few VAs will also take on “pay-as-you-go” (PAYG) work as well. A competent VA should have a minimum of 5 years working in upper level administrative positions in the brick and mortar work place before stepping out to start their own business. They may, or may not have additional training or certificates.

What a VA does is create a collaborative working partnership with you to help you succeed. They create systems and procedures to streamline your business and help it flow in a logical, intentional way. They do the things that eat away at your time and prevent you from being most effective.

2. They don’t know what they want their Virtual Assistant to do for them

Virtual Assistance is the new buzz word and often business owners’ call without knowing what they want their VA to do. That is certainly okay if you are over burdened and don’t have a clue yet what you should handle or your VA should handle. But before you contact a VA have an idea of what the administrative tasks are that you do on a regular basis. Know the types of administrative jobs that are bogging down your business. Take time to think about what it is you are doing that is eating away at your time as well as things you just hate to do. A quick way to do this is to take one week and write down all the non-billable, administrative things you do and the time it takes to do them. See how much more money you would be making if even 50% of that time were billed to your clients. Or for those looking for more free time, what fun things could you do with those free hours? Chances are, the right VA will love what you hate!

3. They shop for price and not for value

Stop thinking in terms of “how much will this cost me” and think of how this will save you time, energy and yes, in the long run even money. We all know that running ourselves ragged is not the answer to a successful business. “Work smarter, not harder” is the mantra of small business owners, and VAs are the smart solution.

4. They expect their VA to be and do all things

In this day and age, so many people are looking for someone that does it all. VAs are not bookkeepers, web designers, and graphic artists. They are first and foremost administrative professionals. That is not to say they cannot perform some of the duties typically assigned to a bookkeeper, web designer and graphic artist. And some will over these services at a different rate as part of their VA packages. Most are able to handle some billing, update existing websites and use graphic artwork to create brochures, newsletters or presentations. And if a VA or VA company says they can do anything and everything, beware. Every VA has their strength and weaknesses and the smart VA will know what they do best and not accept work that they don’t do well. You may find that two 10-hour retainers with two VAs works better than 1 20-hour retainer with a VA that might not do some things as well.

5. They have an employer/employee mentality

If you find yourself thinking of a VA in terms of being an employee, stop and ask yourself. Would you ever think of an attorney that you have hired on retainer in that manner? Probably not. VAs are consummate professionals that do not need babysitting nor do they jump just because you called. They are in the business of making your business run smoothly and if you have constant “emergencies” that need immediate attention, you either are holding on too tight or have hired the wrong VA for your business. On the other hand, if you are the type of person who needs to control every aspect of what your VA does, then perhaps a part time in house employee is best for you.

6. They do not respect their VA’s system and procedures

Many small business owners do not respect the VA as an equal in business. They forget that their VA has several clients and walk all over their boundaries. Since a VA works with – not for – several clients, it is important that their time be respected and the procedures they set in place adhered to.

7. They don’t look for a VA that is targeting their specific market

If you are a business coach, speaker, attorney, or horse breeder, do your due diligence and look for someone that is specifically targeting your profession. If you cannot find one that is in your exact field, then broaden your search a bit. By finding someone in your field, you are going to find that special connection of someone who speaks your language and understands your passions.

When searching for a Virtual Assistant, be sure you fully understand what a VA is and what he/she will do for your business. Look for one that is targeting your market, someone that speaks your language and understands your business. Realize that a superior VA will not be or do all things. Drop the employer/employee mentality. Understand that you are working with a business owner, like yourself, providing a service and partnering with you for mutual benefit. Understand the terrific value a VA will bring to you and your business. Respect their time and procedures. They are busy professionals just like you. Last, but not least, honestly appraise your ability to trust and let go. Can you trust another individual to do the work and use your time and money wisely? Even VAs that hire other VAs struggle with this one. It’s hard to let go of “your baby”. But letting go might be the most rewarding thing you do!

Giving and Receiving

Yesterday’s post about writing to American Soldiers in Walter Reed hospital, and an email I received about complimenting people who deserve it, got me to thinking about compliments, gratitude and appreciation. It always feels good to be paid a special compliment. I’m not talking about false flattery or butt kissing, I am talking about being paid a genuine compliment.

A number of years ago this concept was impressed upon me. Share compliments and accept them graciously. And so I attempt to pay a compliment every time one of those thoughts comes into my head. You know the kind I mean. You see someone or something that is striking, or someone does something nice and you notice.

While shopping in the store a lady may walk by wearing the prettiest dress. I will pass her, smile and say, what a pretty dress, I really like it! Often I will get a funny look and a hesitant thank you. At that I just smile and walk away. Sometimes the person will smile back (usually with a little bit of surprise) and say thank you and engage in idle chit-chat. But I know that I have someone that really “gets it” when she twirls around beaming and says Me too! I feel so good when I wear it.

It’s so easy to pay a compliment, but in our cynical world, too many people believe that if you are being nice you must want something. The old adage that flattery will get you anywhere has contributed to this notion. How sad. And I truly know how sad it is because I used to be one of those people! For every compliment paid, I would find a put down for myself. I feel that way now when someone compliments my most recent hair cut. Everyone else loves my short hair, but I just hate it! However I have learned to accept the compliment graciously and know that it is genuine even if it is something I don’t like. I’ve also learned not to assume that a compliment is a way to wheedle into a conversation or get into my good graces. I’m easy going, so a compliment is not necessary to do that!

And think about it. Even if someone is using flattery for their own purposes, they are not going to choose to compliment you on something that is unflattering! Wow, you have the biggest butt I’ve ever seen! is not going to get someone on my good side. But should they compliment my eyes, for example, I know they are choosing something they do appreciate. I say thank you and then deal with whatever comes next.

It all comes down to choice. How are you choosing to receive the compliment? If you are suspicious, the only person it hurts is you! But if you choose to receive the compliment with grace YOU feel good.

So, try this: whenever a complimentary thought comes into your head, share it! And if someone compliments you, smile and graciously say thank you.

See; that does feel good, doesn’t it?

American Soldiers

I encourage you to take a few moments this next week to think about our American Soldiers.  It doesn’t matter what you think of the war we are waging.  Our troops are out there doing their job and deserve our love and support.  A good friend of mine just sent me this and I think it is a wonderful idea!  You can send cards to recovering soldiers at this address:

         A Recovering American Soldier
         c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
         6900 Georgia Avenue NW
         Washington DC   20307-5001

Let them know that we appreciate and support them and hold them in our thoughts and hearts as they recover. 

My older step-brothers fought in Viet Nam and I know how much little things, even cards from strangers, really mean.  Please take time to write down this address and be sure to pass it on to others that you would normally email — or add it to your own blog.  Let’s flood them with love, support and thanksgiving.

Cheryl A. Harless
Owner, CH Enterprises
Get Out of the Office and Back to the Barn
http://www.ch-enterprises.com

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

Well, they say that stepping outside of your comfort zone is the first big step to personal growth.  I must be growing by leaps and bounds as posting a blog is wayyyy outside my comfort zone. 

Really, when I think about it, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.  I like to talk, I like to share my thoughts (probably more than people wish I would!).  But the idea of “having to post” something on a blog on a somewhat regular basis terrifies me. 

 I think I fear the pressure of having to write something when I have nothing of substance to say. Hmmm… that doesn’t make sense either. I frequently blather about nothing of great importance. Maybe it’s just putting it down in a semi-permanent fashion. You know where someone can come back and say, but you said… Yep!  I think there is a mother/child issue at work here.

The time has come to face my fears. My bags are packed, my saddle is cinched up tight, stirrups adjusted.  I’m mounting up to take off on this little ride.  Saddle up and join me. I’m not sure how fast or how far we will go, but wherever the path leads, we can enjoy the scenery on the way!