Move Fast

Are you frustrated when you call, email or text someone and they do not respond ASAP? How fast do you respond when someone contacts you? People notice how long it takes to get a response, so if you expect one back quick, then you better answer fast. You might not have the information they need, but still, respond letting them know you’re working on it.

This strengthens your relationship with the client. I never have my “out of office response on,” because you can send a quick response. Don't give your client an opportunity to call someone else.

As a Business, the best way to move fast is having people in the right jobs. Have open/honest discussions with employees making sure they like what they’re doing and if they don’t, move them. An unhappy employee can wreak havoc in the company and with clients. A simple change of department could be all it takes. It starts with people and your employees make or break your company.

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www.JadeAlbertsConsulting.com

Do You Suck at Meetings?

People dread meetings, and the time they spend in them. There are many ways to improve meetings and would love to discuss all of them, but that would be a very long blog. I focused on the individual meeting and ways to handle worst case scenarios, plus a couple of tips to make them efficient. 

1. Are you going to be late? 

This is a bad scenario. Being late for a meeting shows a lack of respect. It doesn't matter if it's a long time client or your initial meeting, never be late. A person's most valuable resource is their time and if you don't respect it, why should they respect you. 

2. Canceling the Meeting 

An absolute last resort and you better have a good reason. If you have to cancel, do not send an email. Pick up the phone apologize and explain why. While on the phone set up another date. Make sure you apologize for the inconvenience and THANK them for rescheduling. 

3. When should I show up for a meeting? 

I show up 15 minutes before every meeting. I sit in my car, or my office and focus on what I want to accomplish. I go over my questions and the responses I might receive. I also review the questions I think they might ask me. During this time I'm 100% focused on the meeting. I arrive 5 minutes before the meeting starts. Arriving too early puts pressure on them to finish what they're doing, respect the time they've allotted to you.

4. How long should the meeting be? 

I always ask how much time they're willing to give and try not to go over 30 minutes. Research says that 20 minutes is the perfect length, any longer you lose their interest. Send the person information ahead of time and ask them to read it. This speeds things up and allows them to do more talking. It also shows that you respect their time. 

Be on time, be prepared and ready to go as soon as the meeting starts. A lack of preparation is easy to sniff out, don't let this be you. 

Thank you for your time and have a great day.

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Office Creativity: Social Media Style

It's time to break out your Employee creativity. How much have you spent hiring someone to create a marketing campaign for you? Most big firms have no idea who you are or what makes you tick. They sit in a room, pitch you ideas and hopefully one resonates with you.

It's time to start thinking inside the office. What I mean by that is have your employees contribute to your marketing campaigns. Who knows your company better than them? No one. You hire someone to engage the employees and bring it to life. Your staff is your Social Media Army. Other benefits are improved morale, teamwork and culture because they feel valued. You never know who has the next great idea.

Once YOU understand the ‘why & how’ of digital marketing, social media becomes much simpler to understand. You can do it from the confines of your shop with a consultant that's part of the team.
Thank you for your time and have a great day.
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Who Is In Control of Your Brand

Everyone believes they are building their Brand the most effective way, but is that true? Ask yourself, what is your Brand? Quick answer, your Brand is what Google says it is. Another way to look at it is your brand is what other people say about you when you are not in the room.

Why is this statement true? In today’s Social world you do not have total control of your Brand. People can post comments, write articles, blog, tweet or post their experiences. Are they accurate or greatly exaggerated, unfortunately, it does not matter because people tend to believe what they read? A great example is the US election, how many stories were fake news, exaggerated, or outright lies that people believed. You work vigorously building your Brand, and it can be damaged in a heartbeat.

The best way to combat the negativity is through honesty and integrity. Reply directly to the people that are making the comments. Take the conversation offline and find out why they are disappointed. You never want a war of words playing out on Social Media. People want their issues listened to and once you have solved them, ask them to post their new experience online.

If you do not have time to update or monitor your social platforms, then you should not be on them. If you are on them, be you, be honest, be authentic and be consistent when building your brand. Sign up for Google Alerts; this sends you emails when the chosen words are used in Google.

Thank you for your time and have a great day.

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Building Your Brand

Building your Brand does not happen overnight. Have patience, be consistent and ready to work your ass off. Growing your Brand is not a 9-5 job, but enjoy the ride because it is a lot of fun. Below are a few things to keep in mind. 

Be Yourself 

Nothing is more important in business than being authentic. You are your Brand, and your Brand is you. Honesty and Integrity should be the cornerstone of your brand. 

Social Media 

Set up accounts on all Social Media platforms. Post relevant articles, updates on your business and any successes you have. Be active and post 2-4 articles a week. Post at different times of the day and week. 

Website 

Get a domain name and email set up. Nothing is more unprofessional than handing out a business card with gmail.com at the end of your email. It is very simple to set up a website. Do not go crazy with too much information because people tend to lose interest after reading a paragraph. Keep the information short and to the point. 

Logo 

Design a logo using the correct colors and keep it simple. Make sure it is front and center on all marketing.  

Blogs 

Start blogging about topics relevant to your industry; it gives you credibility. Add a tab to your website and all post on your Social Media outlets. Try to blog every 2-4 weeks. 

Networking 

It is the key to your success. Join business groups, attend seminars, go to conferences or set up meet and greets. Use LinkedIn to reach out to old friends, colleagues, and associates. Use your hobbies as an opportunity to Network. The more people you network with, the greater chance of success you have. 

Continued Education 

It does not mean going back to school; it means attending educational seminars. I love to see how people speak, interact and hopefully learn something new. ALWAYS BE LEARNING.  

Thank you for your time and have a great day.

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Mismatched Socks

We seem to lose socks when doing laundry, do you? Our oldest daughter started wearing any two socks, and before you know it, her entire class was doing it. The other grade 4 class started, and now you have an example of something going viral. It is a small example but shows it does not take much for something to catch on. I have started wearing two different dress socks, not all the time, but no one has noticed. I am sure a few people will look now. LOL.

Why do things go viral? The answer is simple……. someone has put his or her heart and soul into it. How can you apply this to your business? Make original, funny, honest and authentic videos. Use your iPhone to take the video, and some apps can help you edit.

You do not have to be tech savvy to build social media. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.. are straightforward, easy to use and free. I recommend investing money to advertise. For as little as $7 you enhance your reach, and the analytics are great.

Here are a few tips

1. Keep It Short - You have 20-30 seconds to keep their attention,

2. Tell Don’t Sell - People love stories

3. Entertaining - Come up with fun & exciting ideas.

4. Be Involved - You are your brand, and your brand is you.

5. Variety - Don’t use the same subject or places. Switch it up

6. Date & Time - Change the date and time of your posts. This allows you to monitor when your posts are successful.

7. HAVE FUN!!!

Thank you for your time and have a great day.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Check out my Website for more information

www.JadeAlbertsConsulting.com

Thank You

When traveling, I always get teased about saying "Sorry," even though I've done nothing wrong. My colleagues and business associates get a kick out of it, but it's part of my Canadian DNA. The big question I want to ask you, is how often do you say Thank You? Thank you are the two most important words you can use when building a relationship. 

When you get a new client, do you thank them for the business? If you don't, you better start. I always send a thank you gift, this gesture shows your appreciation and how important they are. It doesn't need to be expensive, just something the office can share. An email is a lazy way of thanking someone for becoming a new client.

After a meeting, send a Thank you email. I send it approximately 15-30 minutes after the meeting has concluded. I Thank them for taking time out of their busy schedule to meet with me and recap the next steps. 

You can never overuse Thank You, and say it with a smile. 

Have a Great Day

How Do You Greet People

How you greet people says a lot about you. When people ask me "how it’s going" or "how are you," my answer is always positive and uplifting. I say “I’m great,” “Outstanding” “Fantastic” or “Couldn’t Be Better.” I might be having the worst day in the history of my life, but I never want the person asking to know that. After your response, ask the person how their day is going. After hearing my answer, I usually receive a positive response. 

It doesn't matter if I’m on the phone, having a Face to Face conversation, in a meeting, sending an email or giving a speech, my response is always positive. Starting with a positive response sets the tone for the entire encounter. I like reminding people that a smile is the simplest form of communication and it makes you and others feel majestic. 

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Be Different

How do you differentiate yourself from others? I would start by treating people how you want to be treated.

I heard a great quote the other day “There are no traffic jams on the extra mile”. People or clients want you to help them solve a problem. Sometimes it's a simple problem and sometimes not, but treat them same. Focus on what you can solve because you can’t be everything to everyone. If you can’t help then direct them to someone that can. If you don’t have the product, then send them to someone who does. They will respect your honesty and honesty is a building block of trust. Trust is the hardest thing to achieve, and everything you do should be focused on gaining it. It takes years to build trust and only seconds to lose it.

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Virtual & Augmented Reality will Change the Office

To start, I am sure no one will look as cool as me interacting in a VR world, LOL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5ClunZdt9M Special thanks to Matt Wright of Mammoth VR for this experience. 

How far away are we from VR taking over the communication space in the office? Some people say 2-3 years, but others say it is much closer than that. Google just released its Pixel smartphone and Daydream VR set; it is affordable. Facebook's Oculus Rift is a little pricey, but it is dropping. Apple has been hiring top talent in the VR world, so it will not be long before they release something. 

We have all experienced bad video conference calls using Skype, GoTo Meeting or any other platform. Currently, you are looking at a small photo or video on the computer. With VR, you look at the person talking to you by turning your head because the are right beside you. Their facial expressions, hand gestures are all real, you can even high five them after the meeting. How sweet will it be if your meeting background is Niagara Falls or some other exotic location?

VR will also increase engagement of the remote worker. Some companies are leery of remote work because it might affect the culture. Having H2H (Human 2 Human) contact is necessary, and this is a solution. Today, human capital is the most valuable capital in every company, no matter what industry it is in. It is critical to invest in people and their experiences. 

Imagine the benefits of training in VR. Oil companies can simulate scenarios like never before. For example, an employee can practice fixing an on-site oil spill or leak. You can create a 3D model that's leveraged virtually to see pipes and electrical wiring behind walls. HR can train sensitive issues or even conduct the interview in VR. Why read a resume when you can have the interviewee simulate different situations. Onboarding, E-Learning, Continued Education can be done virtually. 

The real life experiences a person or company receives from VR are limitless. Technology changes fast and the future of AR/VR is ............... just imagine.