Month: December 2014

It’s All About Adding Value

The last few days I have been thinking a lot about how to explain a concept that is important to understanding how to be successful in any company, but especially in mine.

When I look at those who have risen up through the ranks and have seen promotions and pay raises, there is one thing that really stands out. They have found ways to add value to the business. They do more than just the minimums and they have been rewarded for it.

When I look at those who have not been as successful I see the opposite. There is a sense of entitlement that they deserve something more, but at least in my eyes, have yet to prove they have earned. In each of their cases I see opportunities missed and choices made that did not add value to the company.

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I did a little research and came across this statement from a business blogger Brian Loomer, “If you go through your workdays just trying not to get fired, then you are probably headed for trouble,” says Loomer.

“Instead, push those negative thoughts out of your mind. Focus on the work you do and how you add value to your company. Infuse positivity and a can-do attitude to those on your team. Work smarter than your competition and you can get ahead every time.”

And finally, I would add you need to figure out what is valuable in the eyes of your customers, your boss, and the company as a whole. Focusing on just what is valuable to you is not what being part of a team is all about .

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A Compliment That Really Made My Day

Just wanted to share a compliment that really made day from a colleague of mine. Esin and I met at a Tableau conference in October 2011, which was right when I was in the midst of planning on leaving Wells Fargo to set up my own business in the Philippines.

I asked Esin if I could share this in my blog, “It has been very inspiring to see the growth of your business via Linkedin. I remember vividly you describing your business plan over lunch at the Las Vegas Tableau conference.”

“You had a vision and you executed it successfully. Not many people have that kind of follow-through. I wish you health, happiness, and continued success in 2015.”

Now that really made my day.

We Are The Choices We Make

This time of the year, I tend to be very reflective.. both on the year that is almost past and the life that is one more year of me in the making.

Which each year we are faced with new challenges and new opportunities. How we deal with these challenges and what we do with these opportunities shape the year and the person we have become.

Its all about the choices we make.

As wes spend the last few days of the year with family and friends, enjoying the holidays, I think its important to look at the choices we have made that have led us to where we are now.

We made some good choices and we made some bad choices, but if indeed we are happier now than we were before the we are mainly making the right choices. If not, then its a good time make some resolutions to make better decisions in the coming year.

For in the end we are the choice we make.

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Once You’ve Committed To Doing Something Daily…

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/12/daily.html

Seth Godin is really on a roll… here is another awesome post that really hits home for me.

“There’s a fundamental difference between the things you do every day, every single day, and the things you do only when the spirit moves you.

One difference is that once you’ve committed to doing something daily, you find that the spirit moves you, daily.”

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About two years ago, blogging became something that I committed to doing at least 3-4 times a week. Blogging is the single best way to market my company.

It’s not just something I do because I have to do it, I do it because I love to share my knowledge and experience.

What is something you wish you could do more of, but only seem to do it once in awhile. Figure out how to make it daily, and you will see Seth is right!

Start With People Who Already Believe That They Have A Problem You Can Solve

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/12/this-or-that-vs-yes-or-no.html

Sharing another post from my blogging idol, Seth Godin.

“It’s much easier to persuade a philanthropist to fund your project than it is to persuade a rich person to become a philanthropist.

Encouraging someone to shift slightly, to pick this instead of that, is a totally different endeavor than working to turn a no into a yes, to change an entire pattern of behavior.

When looking to grow, start with people who already believe that they have a problem you can help them solve.”

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To me the most important point is the last one. I see so many business leaders and decision-makers not really understand their customers. Having a solid grasp on the the challenges your customers face and how you can solve them is a key to success.

For all my network marketing friends this is especially true, you really need to make sure your product is something your potential customers really want and need. if not, you either need a new product or a new network of prospects.

If you need help, let us know. DMAI can show you how to optimize your business strategy to offer the right product to the right people.

Social Media Analytics > Don’t Have It? Then You Are Missing Out!

Came across this interesting article on LinkedIn today about how few companies are seeing social media lead to direct revenue. Tying return on investment to social media is really not all that hard, but a lot of us don’t have an idea of where to start.

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The conclusion of the article by Richard Meyer (no relation) pretty much sums up the current status of most companies using social media to market and/or sell. “Even brands that have a long track record of success are beginning to realize that when it comes to social media, a business as usual approach doesn’t cut it. While 86% of companies today maintain a Facebook page, many have discovered that simply following the herd isn’t much of a strategy. The fans and likes may roll in, but meaningful results like improved customer satisfaction and increased sales revenue remain elusive.”

Why? Because the real power of social media lies in its ability to engage and enlist, not just tally. We must deliver social customer experiences that entice customers to interact with us, share their passions, their insights, and their ideas.

It’s so much more than just assigning someone to post articles, to share a page with friends or to just stand ready to reply to comments.

DMAI specializes is helping small businesses, entrepreneurs and network marketers bring some analytics into their social media efforts.

Using a combination of free or inexpensive online tools and our own data management and analysis methodologies, DMAI can help you get the most out of your social media efforts.

Don’t be like everyone else who is starting to think of social media marketing and online business as a black hole. It’s a lot easier than you might think. Let us show you how!

Five Tips For Motivating Your Team In 2015

As the New Year approaches, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to keep the team motivated. We’ve come so far so quickly, there are bound to be some instances where things start to normalize and perhaps even get a bit stale.

So here are some things the management will be making a focus in 2015 to keep engagement high:

1. Say Thank You – A timely, specific and public thank you often generates a sense of engagement even greater then a small monetary reward. Simply put, we can strive to do a lot more thank yous in the coming year.

2. Looking Ahead – Ambition and career progression are two of the key staff motivators, no matter what level an employee is working at. In 2014, we promoted over dozen team members from entry level to leadership positions. We will constantly look to optimize skills and interest as we continue to grow.

3. Showing Up Matters – We have been talking about an attendance based incentive, perhaps something along the lines of offering employees who have 100 percent attendance with some kind of recognition gift? This is one I think can really let the team know it matters a lot to the business when they are present and on-time.

4. Follow The Leader – A sense of competition can be a great way to motivate and pitching teams against each other in terms of productivity or quality often has many positive side effects. We’ve had some success with this in 2014, but I think with some fine tuning and polish, we can make it a staple of 2015.

5. Share The Love – Sharing pictures of the team on social media is one way to show your team how much they truly are valued. It’s more then just work. It’s a family.

These ideas are just the tip of the ice berg. When we have the next leadership meeting in January, we will figure out how better to empower, engage and motivate the team for the coming year.

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Start With A Simple Market Assessment

Assessing growth potential in existing or new markets requires some common sense, critical thinking, the right data and solid analysis.

To get started you need to consider if you are asking the right questions when assessing market growth opportunities?

This simple assessment will help a company determine whether to invest time and resources in a new initiative:

• What is the current size of the market?
• What is the potential size of the market?
• How much of the market share do you have now and how much do you want?
• How well does our product fit into the current market?
• Can we create a new market for our product?
• If we are in the market already, what has made us successful and/or what has made us unsuccessful?
• What are the different segments of the market?
• Do we want to compete in all of them or only some of them?
• Who are the competitors in the market and why do customers buy from them?
• What do we need to do to get customers to buy from us?

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Understanding the demographics of your customers and the marketplace, having a clear picture of the competitive landscape around you and having insight into current and potential customers are all things you need before you expand.

DMAI Analysts are available to help you gain a strategic perspective on your market. Let us know what we can do to help.