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Magnetic: The Art of Attracting Business

February 1, 2016/0 Comments/in Books, Customer Service, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Sales, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Growing your business is all about understanding how to attract and retain customers. There are several simple techniques you can apply immediately to make customers flock to your business.

Today’s post is by Joe Calloway, author of Magnetic (CLICK HERE to get your copy).

We’ve entered an entirely new marketplace for business with an entirely new set of rules. Businesses can no longer thrive following a strategy of going out and getting customers. Today we must become, in effect, magnets for customers and create a never-ending flow of new business that comes to us. It requires letting go of much of what we’re used to, what we’re comfortable with, and what used to work.

Let Cate represent a business. Cate can be in any arena of business – retail, business-to-business, consumer, industrial – it makes no difference. There are some new factors at work that can, if Cate gets them right, ensure steady and ongoing growth. Of course, the main rule is this: the rules always change.

The first factor that Cate must understand is that traditional advertising and marketing will play a much smaller role than ever before in creating business. They are still part of the mix, but the most powerful factor in buying decisions, whether business to business or consumer purchases of products and services, is word of mouth. Nothing else even comes close. It is the single most important element in the growth of any business. It is more powerful than any advertising and it should be at the core of Cate’s marketing strategy.

To be a magnet for business Cate must also change how she thinks about social media. It’s not what she says about herself on social media that influences prospective customers; it’s what her existing customers say about her. The Internet has changed the math on the power of Cate’s customers, be they satisfied or dissatisfied. They don’t tell a handful of people anymore. They tell dozens, or hundreds, or thousands. Today’s buyer of almost anything goes to the Internet to see what others think as they make their buying decisions. If the Internet, meaning everyone who posts their impressions of Cate, says “we love Cate’s business,” then her success is assured. She becomes a magnet for attracting business. If the Internet says “one star – stay away,” they stay away.

Best of thoughtLEADERS 2015: Even Better than Last Year

December 16, 2015/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Innovation, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s time again for our annual year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published over the last 12 months. Welcome to the 2015 edition of The Figgies (our SEVENTH YEAR of em! Wow!) which are the awards we give ourselves for writing awesome blog content (here are the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 editions of those awards).

This is an annual event at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. This list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work. Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so I have two small requests as your holiday gift to me (you are getting me something, right?):

1. Invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we all get better is by raising everyone’s game. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email folks and tell ’em to come take a look.

2. Pick up a copy of my books. They make great holiday gifts for the professionals in your life. The titles include:

One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful Personal Leadership. In the words of Roland Smith (former CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s) “This book could change your life.” To get a sense for what the book is about, read this free ChangeThis Leadership Manifesto which is based on the book. If you like the manifesto, you’ll love the book.

Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results. “Finally, a leadership book that cuts through all of the noise. This book needs to be on every leader’s desk!” – Andrea Procaccino, Chief Learning Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

The Elegant Pitch: Create a Compelling Recommendation, Build Broad Support, and Get it Approved. If you’re looking to get to “yes” for your idea, this book will give you the method for doing so in an efficient and effective way.

Thanks for your incredible support in ’15 and best wishes for ’16! We hope to be a part of your future success! Now on to the best of list!

How to Deal With Someone Taking Credit for Your Work

October 7, 2015/3 Comments/in Books, Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

When someone else takes credit for your work, there are four steps you must take: seek clarification, request it be fixed, get mad, then get over it.

We’ve all had that experience where we work really hard on something and instead of getting recognized for our contribution, we have to sit there and choke back bile when someone else takes credit for the work. It’s infuriating to think about how hard you worked and how much effort you put into a project only to see some other glory-hound or charlatan pass all that effort off as their own.

I’ve dealt with it many times. I’ve found copies of my articles and blog posts on other websites only to find they weren’t attributed to me. They were passed off as someone else’s work. It’s maddening. There’s a feeling of helplessness that comes along with that situation.

So what can you do when you’re in this situation? What do you do when someone else passes your work off as their own? How do you handle it when someone else takes credit for work you did? Here are a few thoughts:

Seek Clarification

It could be an accident. You might be wrong in thinking someone is taking credit for your work. They might have sung your praises before you walked in the room to find them presenting your deck. They may have written a nice email giving you full credit but all you heard was “I received this presentation from (NOT YOU) and it’s great.” Clarify first. Just ask. If you are wrong and the person gave you credit, thank them politely for promoting your work.

Request (Nicely) a Correction

If it’s clear they did pass of your work as theirs or they took credit for your idea, ask them (in private) if they could clarify to others that it was actually your work. You might say “I’m glad you liked my work but after your presentation some people are under a mistaken impression that you did the work. I would appreciate it if you could clarify to them that the work was mine.” More often than not they’ll heed that request.

If it’s your content that has been stolen/plagiarized, send an email or make a call asking the person to remove it and to never do it again. Give them a clear timeline for action and show them a reference back to your original work. They might be unaware that the work was stolen (maybe someone on their team did it – see the point above on clarification). If you’re okay with your work being republished with attribution, ask them to include the correct attribution with any links you desire back to your original article. Many times they’ll comply with this request.

9 Reasons Your LinkedIn Profile Views Dropped and Best Ways to Fix It

June 29, 2015/2 Comments/in Career, Guest Blogger, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Are you experiencing profile view dropped on your LinkedIn Profile? These 9 reasons your profile views dropped will help provide the fixes you need.

Today’s post is by Lisa Rangel – an Executive Resume Writer and Official LinkedIn Moderator at ChameleonResumes.com.

LinkedIn can be a truly powerful tool for creating meaningful business connections across the world and has helped thousands of people and companies find each other. However, in order to be discovered on LinkedIn by companies in search of new talent, you need to make sure your profile is as visible as possible.

One problem experienced by many users is a drop in page views. This means that there aren’t as many people or companies taking a look at your skills or talents which will then translate into fewer offers for interviews and it could even mean you are bypassed for a position that would have just been perfect for you.

Take a look at the following reasons for the possible cause and make the necessary changes to get your profile seen again by the right individuals.

You have not used all the skills allowed. LinkedIn allows you to include up to 50 different skills in your profile so you can truly show prospective employers what you are made of. One of the biggest mistakes many people make when setting up their LinkedIn profile is not including as many different skills as possible. If an employer searches for a specific skill and you have not listed it on your profile, you will not show up in the search results.

Best of thoughtLEADERS 2014: Seriously Our Awesomest Stuff Yet

December 10, 2014/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Innovation, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s time again for our annual year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2014. Welcome to the 2014 edition of The Figgies (our SIXTH of em! Wow!) which are the awards we give ourselves for writing awesome blog content (here are the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 editions of those awards).

This is an annual event at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. This list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work. Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so I have two small requests as your holiday gift to me (you are getting me something, right?):

1. Invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we all get better is by raising everyone’s game. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email folks and tell ’em to come take a look.

2. Pick up a copy of One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful Personal Leadership (especially if you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts for bosses, team members, or your mom – she’ll love it). I talk a lot about the book because I’m evangelical about the topic. Buy it. Read it. In the words of Roland Smith (former CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s) “It could change your life.” To get a sense for what the book is about, read this free ChangeThis Leadership Manifesto which is based on the book. If you like the manifesto, you’ll love the book.

Thanks for your incredible support in ’14 and best wishes for ’15! We hope to be a part of your future success! Now on to the best of list!

Why there’s No Right Way to do Things Like Strategy

November 10, 2014/5 Comments/in Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Today’s post is by Natasha Golinsky, founder of Next Level Nonprofits.

I saw an article on Harvard Business Review this week that I thought was dead on –Why Smart People Struggle with Strategy. As I read the quote “The problem with smart people is that they are used to seeking and finding the right answer; unfortunately, in strategy there is no single right answer to find” my entire life flashed before my eyes. I saw myself in high school on an event planning committee totally stressing out over the details of something. I saw myself as a young professional totally micro-managing the development of a course I was writing. I saw myself yesterday almost melting down as my kids were being graded for their final home-school report cards. My entire life has been a chronic search for the “right way” to get a job done.

If you’ve been at a startup for any length of time you’ll know that there is no recipe for success. During my first ten years in business I would regularly go out of my way to meet other leaders who were experiencing a lot of success in my field and ask them “what did you do to achieve your results” and they would give me an answer that was totally opposite of what the person I had sat down with last week had said. The inevitable result of each weekly coffee date was total confusion and discouragement. I would find myself trying to create a master strategy by fusing together everyone’s best tips hoping I would strike gold. The mix and match approached never really worked out financially but did a great job of driving my confidence as a business leader way down. I was following the best advice I knew and was getting nowhere.

Have you ever felt like that? You read a great blog post about what it takes to succeed only to read a totally contradictory post the next day but both are working for those individuals? “Who’s right” is probably what you ask yourself. My best response: instead of looking at what they’re doing differently, look at what they’re doing that’s the same. One of your competitor organizations may be having a lot of success gaining visibility through Facebook while another doesn’t use Facebook at all but uses Twitter. Who’s right? Both. Both invest in communicating with their stakeholders. No one method is the right way. What works for one may or may not work for the other; you’ve got to remove all expectations, try it out and see what happens for yourself. Who knows? It may work great or it might not work at all. Unfortunately there is no other way to really know for sure.

10 Things that Took Me 10 Years to Learn

August 27, 2014/5 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Strategy /by Mike Figliuolo

Happy Birthday to me! No, it’s not my birthday (although you can send me gifts if you like). It’s thoughtLEADERS‘ birthday and the firm just turned 10. 10 years old. Mind-boggling.

In those 10 years I’ve had ups and downs. I’ve learned a great deal as an entrepreneur, an executive, a leader, and a person. Good times, bad times, y’know I’ve had my share… (yes… Zeppelin). I’d like to share some of those things I’ve learned with all of you. My hope in sharing these things is that you’ll avoid mistakes I’ve made, be more successful than I’ve been, and enjoy your life more.

Before I launch into that top 10 list, I’d like to thank everyone around me who has helped me succeed with this business. My wonderful clients who make it all possible. The awesome participants in my classes (except that one guy that one time… you know who you are). The fantastic colleagues who do such amazing work. My friends and professional contacts who recommend me and my work. My family members who have supported me throughout this crazy ride. Without all of you, thoughtLEADERS is just a cool website. Thank you for everything from the bottom of my heart.

Shutting up now. Time to drop the knowledge. Within each of these tips is a link to another post I’ve written on that topic so if you want to learn more about that particular topic, click on through to the other side (Jim Morrison… kinda).

10. Jump in with both feet. If you’re considering starting your own business (or you’re taking on a major new project or role), you have to go all-in if you want it to succeed. You can’t be half-pregnant. When I first started the business, I ran it part time while I held a full-time job. I reasoned I would go full-time with thoughtLEADERS when I had a big, stable, predictable client base. Hey idiot – you won’t have a big, stable, predictable client base until you do it full time. I have another venture I ran part time while running thoughtLEADERS. It’s not doing so well. You’d think I would learn… Commit. Dive in. You can be an entrepreneur with zero risk.

Best of thoughtLEADERS 2013: The Greatest Posts EVER

December 17, 2013/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Innovation, Leadership, Project Management, Sales, Social Media, Strategy, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

It’s time again for our year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2013. It’s time for the 2013 edition of The Figgies which are the awards we give ourselves for writing awesome blog content (here are the 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 editions of those awards).

This is an annual event at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. This list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work. There’s also a kicker bonus post on the list just for good measure. Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so I have two small requests as your holiday gift to me (you are getting me something, right?):

1. Invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we all get better is by raising everyone’s game. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email folks and tell ’em to come take a look.

2. Pick up a copy of One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful Personal Leadership (especially if you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts for bosses, team members, or your mom – she’ll love it). I talk a lot about the book because I’m evangelical about the topic. Buy it. Read it. In the words of Roland Smith (former CEO of Wendy’s/Arby’s) “It could change your life.” To get a sense for what the book is about, read this free ChangeThis Leadership Manifesto which is based on the book. If you like the manifesto, you’ll love the book.

Thanks for your incredible support in ’13 and best wishes for ’14! We hope to be a part of your future success!

Enough blahbitty blah. Here’s the best stuff we’ve written all year:

Atropine, Ovaltine, Magazines, and Nicotine – 4 Keys to Writing a Great Blog

July 29, 2013/3 Comments/in Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

If you’re a blogger, are thinking of blogging, or your company has a blog that you know isn’t all it could be, you’ll be happy to hear there are four simple keys to writing a great blog: atropine, Ovaltine, magazines, and nicotine.

No, those aren’t the things you should be injecting, ingesting, interpreting, or inhaling. They’re simply four reminders of how you should approach your blogging and the posts you write.

These four keys are in addition to the 31 tips on successful blogging and the 8 great tools for building your blog which I’ve offered previously. These four keys are a set of lenses to look at your content through to ensure your readers take interest in your blog and stay interested in it.

Atropine

Injections of atropine are used in the treatment of bradycardia (an extremely low heart rate). Atropine blocks the action of the vagus nerve, a part of the parasympathetic system of the heart whose main action is to decrease heart rate. Therefore, its primary function in this circumstance is to increase the heart rate. Said simply in non-medical mumbo jumbo, atropine is like a kick in the chest to speed up your heart when it slows down.

Your blog should be like atropine for your readers’ brains. Day to day work slows down cognition and people drone on through their 8 to 5 like it’s a season of the Walking Dead. They’re coming to your blog to shake them from that stupor. Don’t be timid or bland in your writing. Treat a blog post like a kick to the reader’s head. It should jar them awake and get them interested… quickly. Use interesting titles (see above), talk about controversial topics, and be provocative.

Ovaltine

Read more

My Daughter’s Kicking Your Company’s Butt at Social Media

April 22, 2013/20 Comments/in Communications, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

It has been years since the term “2.0” has been coined and yet companies still struggle with social media.

“It’s hard. It takes a lot of time. I’m not sure what we’ll do with it. It doesn’t seem worth the investment.” Those are some really lame (and defeatist) sentiments.

Even for those who have started using social media, they still face challenges. I received an email just the other day that a company was shutting down its blog because they hadn’t seen subscriber growth in the 12 months since they started. That’s a fail, people.

Social media isn’t that hard if you know what you’re trying to accomplish with it and invest just a little bit of effort into understanding it. Heck, I’ve already given you 31 Tips for Growing Your Blog and 8 Tools You Can Use for Successful Blogging (What? You haven’t read those? Go read them. Now. Then come back…). Anyone can be successful in social media. Anyone.

“Gee, that’s a bold assertion Mike. Not just anyone can succeed at social media.”

Really? I’ll bet you’re wrong. And I know I’m right because Alli, my teenage daughter is kicking your company’s butt at the whole social media thing and she’s not even out of middle school yet. Don’t believe me? I promise if you follow Alli’s rules of social media, you’ll see dramatic improvements in the growth and effectiveness of your social media presence and efforts.

How to Differentiate Between Experts and Fraudsters

February 4, 2013/9 Comments/in Business Toolkit, Innovation, Sales, Social Media /by Mike Figliuolo

Warning: this post is a bit of a rant (but does have a story and some practical advice). Does it seem like every day there’s a new pile of “experts” cropping up on every subject imaginable? Social media expert. Blogging expert. Communications expert. Strategy expert. Wingdings font expert. It’s enough to make me gag. Sorry but having a bunch of twitter followers or being at the top of the twitter elite for a podunk little town doesn’t make you a “social media expert.”

Even worse than the seemingly-viral proliferation of these “experts” are the egregious rates they expect for their services. Just because you call yourself an “expert” it doesn’t mean you’re entitled to the fee levels “real experts” charge (then again, if you’re the individual hiring an “expert” and paying them ridiculous fees, I can’t save you from your own insipidness).

Lastly, the worst aspect of these “experts” is the damage they can do to your organization. In some cases I’d love to sue some of these folks for malpractice of the trade they proclaim they’re an expert in.

So how can you as a leader of your organization protect yourself from the damage false experts can cause and how can you find the real experts among that mess? How can you ensure the expert isn’t like the false tailor and you end up like an emperor with no clothes?

It all boils down to asking the right questions. Read more

Best of thoughtLEADERS 2012: A 55 Gallon Drum of Awesomesauce

December 17, 2012/0 Comments/in Balanced Lifestyle, Books, Business Toolkit, Career, Communications, Entrepreneur, Guest Blogger, Innovation, Leadership, Project Management, Sales, Social Media, Strategy, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

This year is almost over so it’s time for the year in review list of the BEST posts we’ve published in 2012. It’s time for the 2012 edition of The Figgies (here are the 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions).

This is an annual event here at the thoughtLEADERS Blog. Here’s how it goes: this list is comprised of our most viewed, most forwarded, quirkiest, most provocative work as judged by you the readers. There’s also a kicker bonus post on the list just for good measure.

Enjoy. Share. We’ve loved writing them. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them. I don’t ask a lot of you folks so I have two small requests as your holiday gift to me (you are getting me something, right?):

1. Invite all your coworkers, friends, and family to come check out the blog and become readers. The only way we get better is by raising everyone’s game. I’m not asking a lot here. If you found this blog helpful at all this year, here’s your chance to return the favor for all our hard work. Just email folks and tell ’em to come take a look.

2. Pick up a copy of One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful Personal Leadership (especially if you’re looking for last-minute holiday gifts for bosses, team members, or your mom – she’ll love it). Yes – I know I talk a lot about the book but it’s not for the money (I would have made more money if I worked in a sweat shop in Asia making sneakers). I talk a lot about it because I’m evangelical about the topic. Buy it. Read it. In the words of Roland Smith (CEO of Wendy’s) “It could change your life.”

Thanks for your incredible support in ’12 and best wishes for ’13! We hope to be a part of your future success!

Enough preamble. Here’s the best stuff we’ve written all year: