Christine’s Blog
posted on April 18, 2015 by
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To Retreat, or Not to Retreat?
How to Hold an Effective Corporate Retreat
Corporate retreats represent a significant investment of time and energy. Many companies refrain from holding them because they are regarded as time consuming. However, conducted properly, corporate retreats can be the best overall investment companies can make. [Read more…]
posted on March 5, 2015 by
Avoid Negaholics
Seems like every time I write about negative people, I get lots of hits on my site, and “forwards” of Monday Morning Motivation. It’s no wonder, there are a lot of really negative grumpy people out there these days. [Read more…]
posted on February 24, 2015 by
Marketing and Advertising Strategies
Capture Your Competitors’ Customers With Smart Marketing and Advertising Practices
There are many great marketing and advertising strategies and tactics in place today. Learning by their example is the best way when it comes to lessons in marketing and advertising. Some of the smartest and most forward-thinking companies are using superior marketing techniques and maximizing today’s technology to communicate their messages. [Read more…]
posted on February 11, 2015 by
10 Things to Ditch in 2022
1) Ditch the term “employee.” Progressive companies refer to their staff to as “business partners,” “colleagues,” “team members,” or “associates.” All of these infer a level of respect for the individual. Smart.
2) Ditch the term “customer satisfaction.” Satisfaction isn’t enough. Strive for higher levels of customer loyalty. Measure the number of repeat and regular customers. Strive for higher levels every year.
3) Ditch micro-managing. Instead, help, guide, approve, thank, coach. When you are sure employees are competent, empower them.
4) Ditch boring meetings. Maybe even ditch some of the meetings. And certainly do all you can to make your virtual meetings interesting through employee involvement, contests, brainstorming, etc. Be creative! Make sure you are not the only one talking.
5) Ditch the discussion of revenue and talk profitability to your “business partners.” Remind them that
REVENUE IS REALLY NICE! PROFIT IS WHAT MATTERS!
6) Ditch conflict situations. Apply conflict management techniques – whether the conflict is between you and someone else, between two team members, or between departments.
7) Ditch people in leadership positions who do not demonstrate the values of honesty, integrity, professionalism, health and safety, accountability, family, and your other core values. Every leader should treat employees exceptionally well and lead in the same way. Create “guiding principles” on how you lead, and how to treat people.
8) Ditch under-performers. As hard as it is to attract, hire, and retain employees these days, eliminate underperformers. You can’t afford to have them on your team- especially if top performers have to make up for the slack in their work.
9) Ditch using the term “back to normal.” Strive for higher aspirations if you want to achieve success in today’s world. Business has changed.
10) Ditch negativity. It’ just too hard for people to have a smile on their face and stay motivated to perform if you or anyone on your team is negative. Negativity has a powerful force of it’s own.
posted on January 6, 2015 by
How to Know you’re On the Right Motivational Path
Guest Post by: Doug Dvorak
It can be easy to lose your way in life. One day you can be perfectly clear on where you want to go and the next day you suddenly feel lost and lack true motivation. If you want to know you are on the right motivational path that will take you where you want to go, make sure you are doing the following: [Read more…]
posted on December 1, 2014 by
Tips for Selling Financial Services For New Advisors
By Guest Writer Emma Crosby
While there are many factors that are universal when it comes to achieving success in sales, there are some that are specific to selling financial services. Some are simply because of the nature of those services, and others are because they are services rather than products or commodities.
There’s a big difference between selling financial products and selling financial services, and it’s important to understand that even before getting into the business. Every client is different, and they have different needs, and that means they each require different solutions. It’s crucial to treat every client as an individual, and making a personal connection with each client you work with is a good way to help achieve this. Making a personal connection is increasingly important in all areas of sales, whether it’s in retail, customer service, or financial services. Also important is understanding that most clients don’t want to buy your services and then just walk away—they want your advice, too. For the most part, everyone who sells financial services is selling the same products; the difference you provide is you, and how you tailor those products to your clients’ needs. [Read more…]
posted on August 1, 2014 by
You Work For A Bad Boss? What to Do
If you’ve read my book, Wake Up and Smell the Competition, or attended one of my presentations on leadership or employee motivation, you know I believe that every company should adopt a “Zero Tolerance for Bad Bosses” policy. [Read more…]
posted on July 28, 2014 by
Smart to Think as “Merchants” and Entrepreneurs
How can you create and sustain success in today’s highly competitive business environment?
If you’ve ever heard me speak, you’ve probably heard me talk about the Five Critical Success Factors for Business Growth and Profitability.
Number One is a dynamic leadership. Dynamic leadership must be displayed by the “Top-Banana” and the entire leadership team.
Dynamic leaders are not only proficient in managing and motivating staff, but they can also create a smart competitive strategy. A strong part of that strategy should be a marketing plan that makes their competitors’ plans look weak in comparison. This holds true for businesses of all sizes. (You will receive more on this topic in the future.) [Read more…]
posted on June 2, 2014 by
Achieving Success in Sales When Your Boss Doesn’t Believe You Can
A partner in an international training and development company heard of a young woman who was seeking a career change. Although she had no real experience in sales, she came highly recommended for her strong work ethic and impressive interpersonal skills. She was soon hired but provisionally. The company was just willing to try her out and see what she could do. [Read more…]
posted on March 24, 2014 by
Women Buy More Tires Than Men: Adapt Your Selling Style and Your Business Environment
By Christine Corelli and Doug Dvorak
Smart automotive service businesses and tire dealers adapt their selling style when interacting with a female customer. They also take steps to ensure their environment is appealing to women and would be considered as “Female-Friendly.” They have recognized the importance of these vital aspects of business success. [Read more…]
