Think Business Magazine - November 2008

November 2008 DC-MD-VA Vol. 4, No.
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c o n t e n t s
thinkbusiness
S M A R T B U S I N E S S I D E A S F O R T H E B U S Y E X E C U T I V E
IN EVERY ISSUE
6 Publishers Letter
8 BenchMarks
9 Snapshots
Driven to Succeed
Human Resources
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Workplace Relationships: Where Did the Love Go? Where Have All the Workers Gone?Part 1 Maryland adopts flexible leave law >>
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COVER PHOTO: Jessica Marcotte Photography
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Management
12 14 14 16 18 18 20
Questions That Count The Perception of Leadership Exercising Your Leadership Legs What Trumps Capital? Keeping Employees Happy is Smart Business Negative Employees: COVER STORY
Marketing
22 24 24
60...30...10 >> Keep Your Email Marketing Relevant Protect Your Marketing Data
Money

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The New Face of Outsourcing: In-shoring The Upsides of Leasing a Business Property >> Getting Creative without Credit Staying Afloat in Tough Times
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think business DECEMBER 2008
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DECEMBER 2008
D C - M D - VA Vo l . 4 , N o . 1 1
Advertiser Index

44 Business Events
46 B2B Directory
50 Biz Trends
Altronics Communication CXO Focus
www.altronicscom.com...................................................... 25 www.cxofocus.com................................................................ 11
Planning
32 32 34
Greening the WorkplacePart 10 Going the Distance with Clean Energy How Alternative Dispute Resolution Can Help You and Your Company Credit Card Security for Clients and Vendors >>
EagleBank Ecowise
www.eaglebankcorp.com. ................................................. 41 www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hazardouswaste............ 13
ExecuSuites
www.execusuites.net............................................................ 29
Green Earth Consulting Intelligent Office iREFERpro
www.greenearth-consulting.com................................ 27 www.intelligentoffice.com........................................... 2, 23 www.ireferpro.com. ................................................................ 35
Jackson & Associates
www.jjacksonhr.com............................................................. 25
Jessica Marcotte Photography
www.jessicamarcotte.com................................................ 41
Sales
36 37
Strategy for Debriefing Sales Calls The Good, the Bad, and the PowerPoint>> Documenting Management Practices Can Help Win Government Contracts
Joe Ragans Mortons
www.joeragans.com. ..................................................... 23, 52 www.mortons.com................................................................ 45
Mosaic Technologies NAWBO Greater DC Office Movers
www.mosaictechnologies.com...................................... 35 www.nawbodc.org................................................................. 29 www.officemovers.com...................................................... 51
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Pensare Group QueCreative!
www.pensaregroup.com.................................................... 17 www.quecreative.com......................................................... 17
RCD & Associates
www.rcdfn.com........................................................................... 7
Reston Limousine
www.restonlimo.com........................................................... 11
Rose Financial Services
Technology
42 43
Rethinking Your Supply Chain Using RFID Tags Creating a Web Presence That Works
www.rosefinancial.com....................................................... 13
Select Staffing
www.selectstaffing.com...................................................... 43
Spatial Insights
www.spatialinsights.com................................................... 43
The Columbia Bank
www.thecolumbiabank.com.............................................. 7
The Entrprenuers Group Timsco
www.metroareanetworking.com.................................. 45 www.timsco.net....................................................................... 11
Trade Source
www.tradesource.com......................................................... 15
Venture Starter
NOTE: The author of How Small Business Philanthropists Make Big Connections (October 2008, page 14) was attributed incorrectly. The correct author is Laura Bristow, an executive with an education management company in Baltimore, MD. She has held marketing management positions in professional services and media. She can be reached at lbristow21212@yahoo.com. We regret the error. www.sbimag.com
www.venturestarter.com.................................................... 27 Washington Photocopy.............................................. 43
Whitehorse Technology Solutions
www.whitehorse-tech.com.............................................. 15 DECEMBER 2008 think business
PUBLISHERS LETTER
TM
s a graduate of Leadership Montgomery (by the way, the class of 2004 is the best!), I recall one of our speakers who quoted Gandhi, I must follow my people, for I am their leader. Conventional wisdom holds that when times are good, you need strong management. In times of crisis, you need strong leadership. In this issue of thinkbusiness, we bring you articles on both.
PRESIDENT Juan Vega PUBLISHER Pete Grzybinski EDITOR Peter J. Moran CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Pamela Barnett Laura Bristow Ray Kennedy Molly K. Gimmel Diana Dibble Kurcfeld Amara Rose Ted Rose Mark Richardson Robyn Sachs ART DIRECTOR QuCreative! Advertising PHOTOGRAPHER Keith Barraclough Photography Jessica Marcotte Photography ADVERTISING DESIGN Vega Publications, Inc. MARKETING Meghan Totten mtotten@sbimag.com ADVERTISING Tracey Bonomo Director of Business Development tbonomo@sbimag.com FINANCE Cesar Ramirez finance@sbimag.com
Our cover story on John Kane provides insight into the management style of the Kane family and their commitment to their employees. We also revisit the Management by Walking Around adage and have articles on leadership perceptions and employee management. If you are a government contractor, you will find our article on documenting management practices to be very useful when looking to obtain government work. We also cover management in a telecommuting society, and include some advice on when managers should speak, when to hold their tongue, and when to ask the right questions. Robyn Sachs touches on how important certain aspects of putting together a direct mail program really are, and Ken Smith, from Sandler Sales Institute, talks about standardizing your sales strategy and debriefing sales calls. We also include articles on credit card security, dispute resolution, financing without credit, and staying afloat. We have packed this issue with information to help you run your organization, and I am sure that you will find tips and solutions that you can apply to your organization right away. In closing, lets get back to management and leadership. I recently had the pleasure of hearing Yanik Silver, of Maverick Business Adventures, speak at The Entrepreneurs Group (TEG) event in Bethesda. As businesses across the region continue to face significant challenges, he believes that opportunities still exist. We just need the vision and leadership to uncover them. Regards,
thinkbusinessTM
2735 Hartland Road, Suite 204 Falls Church, VA 22043-3542 703.204.1002 2275 Research Blvd., Suite 500 Rockville, MD 20850 301.296.4448 www.sbimag.com thinkbusiness articles do not constitute financial, management, marketing, personnel, sales, technological, or other professional services by the publisher or the articles authors. The facts and opinions in thinkbusiness articles represent the views of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the publisher. The publisher disclaims all liability for claims or damages that may result from errors in the magazine. thinkbusiness will attempt to correct material errors brought to its attention through appropriate means. The publisher does not endorse the advertisers in thinkbusiness, or the advertised products and services, unless indicated. The publisher has not assessed the accuracy of any advertisement or the quality of any advertised product or service. The publisher disclaims all liability for claims or damages that may result from transactions with thinkbusiness advertisers or from the purchase or use of advertised products or services.
Pete Grzybinski pgrzybinski@sbimag.com
(ISSN 1557-5349) is published monthly by Vega Publications Inc., 2735 HARTLAND RD, STE 204, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22043-3542. The annual subscription rate is $35. Single copies are available for $6. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to thinkbusiness, 2735 HARTLAND RD, STE 204, FALLS CHURCH, VA 22043-3542. All rights reserved.
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DECEMBER 2008 think business
BENCHMARKS
The Perfect Storm

By Mark Richardson
s a business leader, I am often asked to try to make some sense out of the business environment. This may relate to trends, consumer behavior, or to general economic issues. As a leader, you are often called upon to communicate and give perspective to your team or clients. Over the last several weeks, many people have spent a lot of energy trying to understand the situation and the solutions to the issues we face (from both a business and global perspective). I generally draw upon other aspects in life to help understand various situations and to help me communicate. Many of you have read the book or watched the movie The Perfect Storm. As you recall, this story is about how the weather forces from three directions (a weather front from Canada, a Noreaster, and a storm from the North Atlantic) came together to create a level of storm that even the most experienced fishing boat and crew could not handle. Any single one of these forces, while significant, was manageable, but together, the force of the storm grew exponentially and, as depicted in the movie, the results proved disastrous, with all hands lost at sea. While there are many differences in todays business environment, there are
some important parallels and lessons. The three forces coming together in October were the stock market collapse, an historic election, and a poor state of the Union. By the way, you can throw in the fact that the U.S. is fighting two wars and that the world is suffering through unstable gas. Like in the movie, each single one of these forces is significant, but together the negative impact on the business environment is beyond what many businesses can handle. In recent history, we have had other factors that have caused the business environment to be paralyzed, such as September 11 attacks or high tech crash. What is interesting about these catastrophes is that, at that particular moment, we felt the world was ending but within a few months, things stabilized. While I dont have a crystal ball, I do believe the present issues that we face are major and long term. The important lesson, however, is that we need to have the right perspective. As a leader within your business or industry, you need to focus on what you can control, not things you can not. You need to be the voice of reason for your team and address their natural fears and anxiety. Henry Ford said, If you believe
you can or cant, your right. Leading with the right mindset is critical. Businesses today have a tough road ahead and some hard decisions to make. To survive, you need to dig deep, have your axe sharp, and adopt a culture of change and adaptation. There is also a sense of urgency that you may not be prepared for or ever experienced. While I would not encourage overreaction, I do believe there is a sense of urgency to act now. This is a survival of the fittest environment. The opportunities are great, but the liabilities are even greater. At the end of The Perfect Storm, the sun came out and fishing boats headed back out to sea. While it is hard for some businesses to get over the impact of a single month, keep in mind that it is only one-twelfth of the year and although it may take some time to recover from the market crash, if government and industry measures are successful, this may all be just a memory by next year.
Mark Richardson is president of Case Design / Remodeling and Case Handyman Services and author of How Fit Is Your Business? He can be reached at 301.229.4600 or mrichardson@casedesign.com
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A unique look at DC area business leaders JOHN SAMPLE, President

Company name: ROI Digital Printing Company website: www.PrintROI.com Company focus (less than 20 words): To be the best digital printing provider in the Washington metro area and to make all of our clients raving fans! Latest accomplishment: Getting interviewed by ThinkBusiness magazine! How you celebrate success: I dont think we stop and celebrate our success enough. Whats next for your business? To continue growing every year, but in growing, we dont want the level of service and attention to diminish at all. We dont want our clients to feel like we are growing. Company you most admire and why: Cakelove. Its a bakery, but on steroids! The owner Warren Brown put his career as a successful attorney behind him to follow his passion; cakes. He has become a huge success, but remains down to earth and true to his passion. Most important characteristic for a CEO: To not be a know it all. You have to be open to learning new things every day. Youre inspired by: My family. I have a seven year old son and a five year old daughter, they inspire me everyday. Most fun part of running your business: Working with creative people. Biggest challenge: Getting 15 minutes. There are too many printing companies in this town and we are truly different. If I can get 15 minutes to explain how we are different and what we can do for you and your business, chances are we will impress you. What would you do differently? I am not sure I would have done anything differently, I have learned so much from making mistakes. One lesson learned: Love your clients and they will love you back. If you honestly have your clients best interest at heart, and truly care about their success, you become more than a vendor, you become a partner. Favorite quote: It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid should who know neither victory nor defeat. -Theodore Roosevelt Best business advice received: Talk less, listen more. Best business book: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Proudest moment: When my son came in last in his swim meet. My seven year old son was asked to swim with the nine and ten year olds due to a shortage of swimmers. In this age group they were not only older, but also had to swim two laps rath-
VERONICA EYENGA, President

Company focus: Name: Veronica Eyenga Title: President Company name: VBP Outsourcing, Inc. Company website: www.vbpoutsourcing.com Company focus (less than 20 words): We are a full service marketing and accounting firm. Latest accomplishment: We were recently recognized as one of the largest minority owned businesses in the Baltimore area by the Baltimore Business Journal. How you celebrate success: We like to have fun as a team to celebrate our successes. After we were given that recognition by the BBJ we had a mixer to celebrate. Whats next for your business? Continue to grow. We have had a really great time getting to where we are today, so now since we work regionally, I would like to work more within the international market. Company you most admire and why: Procter and Gamble. They have been in business for many years and no matter what the economy is like they succeed. I also admire Google; they have revolutionized the way online marketing is done. Most important characteristic for a CEO: Being able to listen to your team. You have to be passionate about what it is you are trying to do. Youre inspired by: Creativity. It is very important to me. Being able to intertwine creativity and normal standards; I like thinking outside the box. Most fun part of running your business: Being able to help all of our clients over the years. Biggest challenge: Continuing to find access to quality people to join our staff. What would you do differently? I dont think I would, we have been doing this for eleven years and the past is the past. I have learned from my mistakes, so I think we had to go through those experiences to get were we are today. One lesson learned: Time can pass by very quickly! Favorite quote: Imagination is the beginning of creation. - George Bernard Shaw Best business advice received: Take a leap of faith. Best business book: Steve Kaplans Bag the Elephant. We have eleven elephants in the office because of that book. Childhood ambition: wanted to be a lawyer, I can argue anything! First paying job: Wendys, but I quit because of the hairnets. How did you break into the industry? In college, I was writing a community newsletter that grew in ways I never imagined it would. That showed me that I could do this. Favorite hobby: I am actually a reality TV junkie. I love watching these
NOVEMBER 2008 think business
HUMAN RESOURCES
Workplace Relationships: Where Did the Love Go?

L
ike any relationship, the one that exists between workers and management has a natural ebb and flow. But when something happens that seriously erodes trust, causing morale to plummet and productivity to falter, some major triage is needed to get things back on track. Although restoring harmony may not be easy, its important to keep in mind that communication is the key. As manager, its up to you to set a strategic goal for reestablishing trust in the same way you would establish any other aim for your business. Heres a five-point plan to get you started: Envision what a trusting atmosphere should look and feel like. Likely, this will be an environment with open lines of communication, where individuals feel free to express themselves in constructive, not grievous, ways to one another. Pinpoint the current barriers to achieving that environment. Survey current employees to get their take on how management is performing its role. Bring in a neutral third party to conduct this assessment so that your workers wont feel inhibited in expressing their opinions. Be sure to let your people know, as they go into this process, that not all of their concerns will necessarily be addressed or resolved. Pledge to do what it takes to bring your vision to reality. Dont let the ball drop after youve polled your workers. Act on your findings and issue additional surveys to gauge whether your employees perceive progress is being made. Be aware that failing to make and follow up on these commitments will only exacerbate the current aura of mistrust. Craft a plan for remedying the problems your research uncovers. Make a list of the issues starting with the most important in terms of their effect on the workplace environment. Develop a separate list of issues that acknowledges matters that have
Where Have All the Workers Gone?Part 1

n the midst of an economic crisis, when people are scrambling for jobs, it might be hard to imagine that in just a few years the tide will turn, and employers will be wooing talent. The changing face of the labor force isnt necessarily about fewer available people though. In this first segment of a three-part series, well examine the factors that affect tomorrows workforce. Part 2 will focus on the steps companies can take now to prepare for the future, and Part 3 will look at which segments of the labor market are changing the most.
Baby Bust Bad for Business?
With U.S. population growth declining, doomsayers predict a labor shortage for business as early as 2010. But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the numbers must be considered in context. Merely subtracting the num-
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been raised, but which you dont plan to act on. Double check that youre moving forward in meeting your goals and that constant progress is being made. Dont assume your employees will automatically recognize the changes youre implementing or necessarily make a connection between your actions and their concerns. Keep employees abreast of your progress via regularly issued written updates. Bear in mind that the deterioration of trust in your office probably has been a long-simmering situation. Obviously, remedying it wont be a quick fix, so if your office culture is offkilter, dont delay in taking steps to reverse the trend.
Adapted from How Do We Rebuild Trust between Employees and Managers? by Lonnie Harvey Jr.
Maryland adopts flexible leave law

Beginning October 1, 2008, Maryland employers who have 15 or more employees must allow their employees to use any form of accrued leave with pay such as vacation, sick leave, and compensatory time to care for an immediate family member who is ill. Employers are not required to advance leave to their employees, however, since the law only applies to leave that has already accrued. Employers who do not provide any form of paid leave are not affected by the new law. For purposes of the law, immediate family member includes a child, spouse, and parent. (It is unclear whether other family members, such as stepchildren, in-laws, or domestic partners, also qualify.) The
law also prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee for taking flexible leave, or against an employee who participates in a proceeding involving a violation of the law. House Bill 40, amending Md. Code, Labor & Employment, 3-801 and 3-802). trend.
ber of estimated workers from the number of estimated jobs leads to a flawed prediction, for several reasons: Its an apples-to-oranges ratio. While people love to use statistics to support their argument, the data on population growth and that on projected jobs derive from different sources, says the BLS. Therefore, they cant be accurately compared. Employer estimates may fall wide of the mark. Employers usually have business strategies that extend out only a year or two, making it difficult to predict how many (or even what type) of employees theyll need in the future. BLS numbers are linear. While the statistics estimate how many workers will be available, they do not take into account the fact that many people hold two or even three jobs. The statistics also dont reflect peo-
ple who are not currently looking for work, or those who are willing to work, but only part-time or those on a flexible schedule (such as older adults and parents).
Enough Milk, Less Cream
In addition, its the top-tier talent that is declining the most, causing companies to compete for these crme-de-lacrme individuals, as well as for the less skilled people just below them. Why the shrinkage? The cause is two-fold: education and immigration. The U.S. educational system is not keeping pace with international standards, according to a workforce education and development expert. More than half of all entering college students do not graduate, and a majority of employers rate employees skills as fair or poor even in basic English. Business has sought to make up for this shortfall in American education
by importing workers; over the past 20 years, the U.S. has been the worlds largest importer of international labor. But this foreign labor pool is decreasing, in part because talented immigrants no longer wish to come here. Post-September 11th tightening of visa approvals, the threat of terrorism, and the American response to foreign workers have all combined to make opportunities in other nations more attractive. Immigrants will still vie to study at top tier universities and to work at blue chip companies, but sectors that historically have had difficulty recruiting top talent, such as education and government, will experience increased competition as the labor pool shrinks. In Part 2: Steps businesses can take today to prepare for tomorrow.
Adapted from The Truth about the Coming Labor Shortage by Robert J. Grossman on www.shrm.org
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MANAGEMENT
Questions That Count

I
n the classic, Letters to a Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke advises his young correspondent not to seek the answers now, when he may not yet be able to live them, but to live awhile in the questions, and to learn to love the questions themselves. in a typical brainstorming session; Staying open and non-critical, so that both questioner and question are received in the spirit of exploration; Moving slowly, allowing the process to deepen instead of seeking immediate solutions. Here are some of the ways you might live into the five question categories: R-Mode: What is beautiful or unusual about this project or situation? At a gut level, how do I feel about this project? What do I hope will happen? What am I afraid might happen? What-if: What if we failed what good might emerge from that? What if we tossed out everything we think we know and started fresh? What if I let my team handle this with zero input from me? Wild-card: What trends could alter our business completely? What could decimate us? So-what: Whats so terrific about our new product? This type of question requires participants to drill down to essence level: if they keep asking about the product, eventually theyll arrive at the core reason the improvements make a difference to the customer (such as increased productivity). Appreciative: What do we do well? Whats the grandest version of our highest vision? Marcel Proust said, The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. Asking powerful questions will help your company attain this goal.
Adapted from Asking Powerful Questions on www.ccl.org
Rilkes counsel might well be applied to the business world, where asking the right questions can make all the difference between mediocrity and superiority. In a nanosecond environment, harried executives can spend too much time solving the wrong problem, simply because they failed to ask the powerful questions that would unlock the core issue needing to be addressed. There are five types of power questions managers can ask to start the ball rolling in the right direction: 1. R-Mode. These questions draw upon the right side of the brain, which thinks in images and patterns rather than words. 2. What-if. These types of questions, popular with children, encourage imaginative thinking. 3. Wild-card. Think of the Joker in Batman. Wild-card questions stretch the limits of credulity, and may turn up unexpected ideas or problems. 4. So-what. These questions turn assumptions on their ear, by asking why we believe what we do or why a certain products features matter. 5. Appreciative. This type of question, as its name implies, focuses on whats right with the situation rather than on what needs to be changed. Before delving into the questions, however, its important to frame the context. This means: Creating an environment conducive to sharing without establishing limits, as
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MANAGEMENT
The Perception of Leadership

an you picture Woody Allen as the CEO of a major corporation? How about Sylvester Stallone? Diametric opposites in appearance and demeanor, they nevertheless share at least one trait: few people can easily envision either actor sitting in a corner office and commanding the business troops. Yet, Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully segued from bodybuilder and film star to governor of California, a tremendous leap. What, then, determines leadership image? Who you are as a leader, and what youre able to accomplish, is as much about how others perceive you as about your innate skills and ability. Your personality, behavior, body language, and speaking style, together with your physical appearance, all contribute to the image others hold of who you areand this perception can be molded over time, as Schwarzenegger has proved. Whats most important is being real; authenticity trumps plasticity every time. To build and manage an image that says leader, consider the following questions: What is the source of peoples opinions? If your face is on the silver screen or TV, in magazines or on
the Internet, people will have a far greater opportunity to form opinions of who they think you are than if youre more anonymous. Clearly, this can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how youre publicly portrayed. What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say. This chestnut has particular bearing on leaders whose message may not be congruent with their demeanor or intonation. If youre known for frequent gaffes, that will be what people remember, no matter how well intentioned your efforts may be. Are you a connector? Can people identify with what you say and the way you present yourself? Do others feel like they know you, or want to know you better? Do you come across as approachable, likeable, and friendly? All of these impressions affect how successful you will be as a leader. Are you impeccable? Do your words match your manner? Do people sense they can trust you and what youre saying, or is there a lack of congruence between your message and behavior? If youre inconsistent, your staff will be less likely to see you as someone who can lead them
to new heights. Be accurate, be authentic, be consistent and confident, and youre well on the road to building a better image the way Arnold Schwarzenegger first built a better body, and later the body politic. Because who he is already appealed to the masses, he simply adapted his trademark behavior to a new arena. Consider how you can tune your own image for similar success. Some people are naturally charismatic, and were drawn to follow them regardless of any foibles they might display. Think of John F. Kennedy or Mick Jagger, disparate in character, similar in their ability to magnetize an admiring crowd. In the business world, leaders such as Lee Iacocca and Steve Jobs come to mind. Such leaders have mastered the components of leadership, so that their message, behavior, body language, speaking style, and audience rapport are all highly congruent and effective. Heres how to polish your own leadership image: Lighten up. At one company, the director of marketing took to calling the CEO Big Cheese in her mem-
Exercising Your Leadership Legs

BWA. Its not an MBA with an extra letter thrown in, although managers who master it could be said to have an MBA in MBWA. It actually stands for Management By Walking Around, which means taking a proactive stance, crisscrossing company corridors on a regular basis to see how projects are going, to lend an ear or a hand when necessary, and to generally get a feel for what your people do on a day-to-day basis. Think of MBWA as a benevolent king (or queen) walking amongst the people rather than hol-
ing up behind castle walls. The term has been in use for more than a quarter century, first identified by Peters and Waterman in their breakthrough book, In Search of Excellence. For the first decade after the concept was coined, CEOs and business owners happily threw wide the door to the corner office and embraced the frontlines. Later, as some of these excellent companies began to falter, the idea fell into disfavor then was res-
urrected as the ultra-leisure work environment of today, where casual has been taken to new heights. The greatest challenge to successful MBWA, however, is using it for the right reasons. A manager who haunts the hallways to make sure people are at their desks and not using their computers or phones for personal business doesnt understand the MBWA philosophy. Heres how to implement MBWA so that it becomes a stepping-stone to even greater sucwww.sbimag.com
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os. He returned the friendly banter by nicknaming her Little Cheese. She began to sign her memos L.C., and then, Elsie (playing on the popular Bordens cow advertisement). This was all amusing enough until one day, the CEO stood in her doorway and began to moo! While an incredibly effective manager who knew when to be serious, his ability to enjoy lighthearted repartee with his team solidified their high regard for him. Tune your talk. Its essential that a leader in todays media-savvy world be an accomplished speaker. While this doesnt mean never saying um or searching for a word while addressing a group, it behooves you to develop your own style, which includes a clear, well-modulated voice, accurate grammar and diction, and a strong vocabulary. Your message likewise needs to be well honed and specific. Engage. Remember how the captain on Star Trek would always say Engage when he wanted the Enterprise to start on a new course? You need to do the same with your audience. Focus your energies on them rather than on yourself. In order to fulfill your vision and mission for the company, everyone on board must be ful-
ly engaged in making the journey. Commit. Your staff will take their cue from you. If youre dispassionate about a project or about the business, this is the attitude youre imparting to your team. How then can you expect them to give 100%? Light your own fire in order to light theirs. Relish the reins. If youre uncomfortable being in a position of authority, no matter how informal your company culture may be, people will start to wonder whether you can ever lead them effectively. Train yourself to enjoy being the linchpin. Say what you mean, do what you say. Consistency is the cornerstone of trust. When you act from integrity, people see that youre the real deal, and are happy to put their all into making the business a success. Magnanimity. Defensiveness has no place in leadership. As head of the company, its incumbent upon you to listen to opposing views, diffuse difficult situations when necessary, and seek and receive feedback from all sectors of the company. Your ability to handle sensitive information with equanimity is the hallmark of a true leader.
Adapted from Building a Leaders Image on www.ccl.org
cess for your business: Daily Acts. Include MBWA in your daily schedule. Consider it a business exercise that strengthens your body while strengthening the body of your business. While you neednt walk the halls at the same time each day, make it a practice to stroll the corridors at least several times each week, visiting different departments. If you wait to walk until a crisis hits, the purpose of MBWA is lost. Open Hearts. Entrepreneurs are used to going it alone; thats the nature of a self-starter. However, your business now has employees who look to you for vision and direction.
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So be willing to open your heart and share what you know. MBWA means being accessible as well as available. The First Step. True leaders lead by example, accept responsibility, and hold themselves accountable for the outcome. Answer the challenging questions, solve the thorny problems, and make the tough decisions. By going to your people rather than waiting for them to come to you, youll solve the big problems you might otherwise not even know existed.
Adapted from Are You Walking Around for the Right Reasons? by Rieva Lesonsky
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MANAGEMENT
What Trumps Capital?

o doubt about it, money is important when launching or growing a business. But capital alone wont take you to the heights, or keep your company on the cutting edge. Some keys to entrepreneurial excellence lie beyond the company coffers, in the intangibles that have molded millionaires throughout time. Here are a few core attributes that can take you to the top, even if capital is in short supply. Commitment. This translates most noticeably into the time you invest in your enterprise. Your business is not a 9-to-5 job. Thats not to say you should work yourself into the ground, but the time you commit to your business is the greatest investment you can make in your future success. Dont waste it and dont give it away. Instead, invest it for growth. Perseverance. Edison didnt invent the light bulb on his first try, yet he considered all his attempts not failures, just discovering the ways it doesnt work. Similarly, Jonathan Livingston Seagull , which went on to become a huge seller for Richard
Bach, was rejected by numerous publishers before it found one willing to take a chance on his unusual book. Determination to go the distance is an essential ingredient in business success. Backbone. Call it what you will: true grit, raw courage, pluck. Fearlessness will take you farther than money. Human beings are by nature survivors. The ability to take action despite trepidation is what will produce sales, and propel you forward. Drive. Once youve realized a modicum of success, ambition kicks in as you become mesmerized by dreams of whats possible. After it takes hold, not much should quell your fervor. Conviction. Believing in yourself and your product or service, you begin to operate on faith. As you start to recognize that you really can make a go of this enterprise, your faith deepens, and a wellspring opens up. Creativity. This is when ingenuity becomes your modus operandi. How else might you market this product? What if you tweaked it a particular way? Tap that source of creative ideas to make the business work.
Love. Theres no other way to describe pouring your heart and soul into your endeavor. Love is more powerful than millions of dollars. Your lovefor your customers, your product, your business, your employeeswill work magic, motivating people to respond in unimagined ways that help your business grow. Fluidity. While its important to have your own personality, its also necessary to be comfortable in a wide range of situations. If you can be at home in the backcountry and at a black tie ball, youve developed fluidity: a genuineness that can stretch to accommodate the circumstances, without getting bent out of shape. Humility. Finally, theres no substitute for modesty. The most successful CEOs credit their people for the companys success, rather than turning the spotlight on themselves. People appreciate someone who recognizes that others play a crucial role in their success.
Adapted from Eight Things More Important than Capital by Jim Rohn on www.jimrohn.com
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MANAGEMENT
ncreasing the contentment and morale of your employees might seem especially challenging at a time when the economy is downswing and cutbacks are common. Nevertheless, there are still steps business owners can take in helping keep their workers enthused. The benefits to productivity and the solvency of your business are myriad, especially when economic times are tough. After all, your top employees may consider leaving if they are feeling unhappy with their circumstances, something that can be especially devastating to your business at any time, but particularly during a down period. Keeping employees happy isnt just about ensuring they are productive and engaged; too many employees feel over-
Keeping Employees Happy is Smart Business I

worked, unsupported, underappreciated, and drained of vital energy. Many organizations are in the same boat in this respect, in that staffs are rife with workers who feel disillusioned and undermined. Although these employees may be boosters for the company and are bent on doing their best, they are hindered by being asked to conform to roles that dont suit them or work environments that obstruct them.
Here are some tips for ensuring your best workers remain happy members of your team: Let workers plow their energies into the most crucial tasks that add the most value to your organization, and contin-
ue to present them with new challenges as well as frequent feedback and advice about their performance to help ensure their talents are used in the best way possible. Allow your employees the independence they need to configure their work arrangements in a way that promotes personal effectiveness. This sort of self-direction can better the odds of employees finding more ways to take full advantage of their capabilities and skills. Afford your staff the resources they need to do their jobs, whether it is in the form of information, equipment, or supplies. Give your workers the continuing professional education they need to make
Negative Employees: A Glass Half Full

ome people have honed negativity into an art form. Comment on the beautiful weather and theyll complain its too hot. Mention that youre happy that its cooler outside and theyll reply, Bet its going to rain. You tend to leave an interaction with such people feeling drained, and wishing youd simply smiled and gone your merry way. In the workplace, such a person can be like a weed in the lawn, insidiously spreading discontent and sowing the seeds of poor performance. Yet they may not even realize theyre being negative; they see their statements as constructive criticism. Letting such people go isnt necessarily a solution; you cant fire everyone who has a dour personality, espe-
cially if they do a good job and are not aware that their gloomy outlook is metaphoric poison to the company. Here are a handful of tips to help a glum employee begin to see the proverbial glass as half full: 1. Speak up! As basic as it sounds, sometimes just pointing out how a person is behaving, and how this behavior affects others, may be enough to bring about change. No one can solve a problem until he or she is aware it exists. Emphasize that while everyone says something negative from time to time, the extent of this employees negative remarks is the issue. Suggest they keep track of their
criticisms as well as solutions for one week, and then revisit the topic. 2. Ask for suggestions. Everybody likes to feel that his or her input is valuable. When youre in a meeting where an employee is being negative, ask what he or she would do to remedy the situation. This inquiry automatically sets the person on a course of solution-based, creative thinking. 3. Have them consider being wrong. Ask, Are you willing to consider the possibility that you may be wrong here? This can open a negative person up to coaching about their behavior. If they say Yes, you have an opportunity to work with them around shifting their perspective. And if they say No, they may come
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sure they can do their jobs to the best of their abilities. The right training can put budding productivity into full bloom. To lessen frustration among employees, organizations also need to embark on strategic personnel reviews to find out where worker support is needed or in what ways it may be deficient. Once a baseline has been established, the support levels afforded employees should be observed on a regular basis to ensure staff feel supported and heard. Managers should be urged to view their oversight of employee performance as an ongoing conversation rather than a yearly occurrence. In this way, the management team can provide well-timed advice while staying vigilant to aspects of the work environment that may be hampering workers accomplishments.
Adapted from The Frustrated Employee: Help Me Help You by Tom Agnew, Mark Royal, and Rebecca Masson
ith downsizing and streamlining the watchwords of an onerous economy, allowing employees to telecommutework from home all or part of the timemakes smart business sense for companies that are not dependent on having all staff members onsite every day. Of course, prior to managing remote workers, you need to manage expectations, both theirs and yours. For instance, if you allow an employee carte blanche to work from home and then discover you need them at the office on a certain day for an important meeting, all parties will likely be frustrated. But with proper planning and follow-through, telecommuting can save your business time, money, and headaches, while boosting productivity. Heres how to introduce telecommuting as an option that can benefit your people and the company: Agree rather than assume. Once youve determined which employees can work effectively from home (i.e., their presence onsite is not mandatory and theyre self-starters who will get the work done whether management is in the next office or across town), write up a simple agreement that outlines when the employee will work from home, how often the employee will communicate with his or her supervisor, and when management can preempt telecommuting (for things like staff meetings or client visits). Measure productivity. Track the employees performance just
Remote Workers: Managing From a Distance

as you do for staff members who work onsite. Are project modules completed on time? Is the employee as effective as he or she is in the office, where other departments are readily accessible? Provide the right tools and support. Does your employee have a computer, cell phone, fax machine, and whatever else they need in the way of equipment to maximize productivity? What safeguards has the employee taken to ensure that other family members will not accidentally see sensitive company information, whether on the computer or within hard copy files? Advocate an appropriate environment. Even the most dedicated employee will have a challenging time being productive at the kitchen table with a crying baby in the room. Before you agree to telecommuting, ensure that the employee has a quiet place with minimal distractionsideally a home office set up in a spare bedroom or studiowhere they can focus on the task at hand without interruption. Reevaluate at intervals. Telecommuting isnt for everyone. An employee who enthusiastically embraces the idea of telecommuting may discover the reality is less appealing, and vote to return to the office. As the manager, be prepared for this possibility, and be ready to welcome the employee back to the office should this prove to be the best move for all concerned.
to realize just how dogmatic they are being, which can also open them up to input from others. 4. Allow for venting. Sometimes just getting whats bothering them off their chest can be sufficient to stem the tide of negativity. In a meeting, once the negative person has shared their view, thank them and move on. If more than one person holds the same perspective, ask each person for suggestions (see step 2) in order to reduce the amount of complaining. 5. Opt out. Its a basic truth that we become like the people we spend time with, so in order to keep your own energy positive, choose not to be around complainers. Excuse yourself from the conversation and get back to the enjoyable business of helping your company grow.
Adapted from What to Do When Someone is Being Negative? by Steven Gaffney
Adapted from The Occasional Telecommuter by Margaret Steen
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COVER STORY
ohn M. Kane is a serial entrepreneur, and always has been. As President and Chief Executive Officer of The Kane Company since 1997, Kane constantly searches for new, complementary service lines to start. Over the years, some of these corporate ideas worked fairly well, some became blazing successes, and some utterly failed. I like to keep doing new things; otherwise, things get old, and I get bored, said Kane, who would rather go to work than spend all day on a golf course. I just really enjoy my job. The Kane Company, headquartered in Elkridge, Maryland, and originally founded in 1969 by Kanes father, now includes the following related companies: Office Movers, Inc., Office Archives, Office Installers, Office Shredding, Kane 3PL, Kane Hospitality Services, Kane Printing Services, and Government Services Division. Kane explains how he reevaluated the company for growth opportunities in the late 1990s. Basically, I blew up the company, took apart all the parts and pieces, and then a series of businesses were born, shared Kane. Good earning opportunities result from creating value, and once
A major difference in our companies is our strong bench, offered Kane. We arent just one or two people deep in any of our business units or key positions we cross-train people all the time. If one qualified manager is not available at any particular moment, then another one is ready to handle the situation. Kane suggested the depth of quality and strength stems from the companys deep passion for service. All of its 1,250 employees began their Kane Company career with an intensive two-day training that focuses on meeting customer needs through perseverance and working with excellence. One of the highlights of the training is watching the movie, Rudy. The inspirational football film showcases a young mans penchant for never giving up and never giving in. We are doggedly passionate about working for the customer, said Kane. We dont say no to them.we get it done (whatever it takes). Doing what it takes has translated into 24 hour shifts, delivery pick ups at 2 a.m., and on time to-the-minute transfers of telecommunications equipment. The passion level our folks have is contagious, stressed Kane. We work hard to make sure that all systems in place, from training to bonus plans, are working to help provide that level of service to our customer. Office Shredding, which began two years ago, is growing like a weed, according to Kane. This on-site and off-site service helps companies manage paper documents in an environmentally friendly manner as well as address any security concerns. Kanes GSA Division started five years ago and provides the companys services to the federal government. Another indicator of growth was the recent split of Kane 3PL into two different divisions: Kane Hospitality and Kane Distribution Services. Kane Hos-
pitality provides receiving, storage, installation of furniture in approximately 256 hotels or 56,000 hotel rooms. Even though we anticipate a slow down in 2009 and 2010, the industry should be fairly strong, said Kane. We currently have about 8% of the market and hope to get up to 15% soon. On December 1, 2008, the Kane Companys launched its newest addition: eCyclers. This service provides a recycling solution for companies needing to get rid of old office computers, whose shelf life, according to Kane, is now only three years. He explains how the hard drive is taken out and shredded on-site to maintain data protection. Later the rest of the computer is placed into a large shredding machine that chews it up, and with the help of magnets, sorts all the different metals into heavy cardboard drums. Our guarantee is not one bit of the computer will end up in a landfill, offered Kane. With a busy year ahead, Kane also looks forward to January. Every year he solicits feedback in an annual survey of his employees. I want to know what they think were doing well and what were not doing well, said Kane. Honestly, the intelligence of a company is in its people, and not the ownerand I need to know what they think. He values their input and wants to listen intently. Ideas and solutions as well criticisms and compliments are all discussed during the town hall meeting. We need to allow for imagination, innovation, and growth, said Kane. Were all in this together. Kane strives daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly towards this common goal of success. His greatest motivator is fear of failure. He stays fanatically focused on being the best in the business by never giving in and never giving upwhether that means making one more phone call, sending one more email, or coming up with one more new idea.
there is value, you have success. Office Movers, Inc., the primary company that inspired all the spin-off companies, maintains more than 10.5 million cubic feet of secure, fully racked warehouse space in nine branch locations in the Mid-Atlantic region and nationwide with strategic partners. Office Movers handles only commercial moveseverything from desks, chairs, and equipment, as well as inventory. Moving sequentially and efficiently is the key to reducing down time for a company while it is in transit, said Kane. According to Kane, Office Movers and the other Kane Companies set the bar regarding service level. And we consistently look to raise that bar, said Kane. For example, we now at Office Movers use plastic crates and computer totes, which cut down on waste, improve security (with bar coding technologies), and increase moving efficiency. Office Archives, Office Installers, and Office Shredding all specialize in providing the different types of services named to companies of all sizes. Yet each of these companies is vertically integrated with one another. This integration is all to benefit the customer, says Kane.
MARKETING
60
o, these numbers arent sports scores or stats; theyre reminders for effective direct mail. For great direct mail that generates leads, sales, and market recognition, getting the List right is 60% of the job. Making the right Offer is 30% of the job. And it may surprise you to learn that your Creative presentation is just 10% of the job. Essentially, these numbers mean that a good offer creatively presented wont succeed if it goes to the wrong people. Here are key ways to ensure that each part of the formula lives up to its role and that together, they add up to success. The List Choose lists that pre-qualify your targets as being interested in your product or service. These can be targets that currently use a competitors product or service, or those whose niche makes them perfect for your product or service. Subscribers to magazines in which you advertise or owners of systems you support are just two examples. Use selects or overlays that target your prospects by job function, lifestyle, income, education, age, and other factors to improve the quality of your responses. Remember that direct response lists will almost always be more effective than compiled lists.
By Robyn Sachs
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ey-back offer with no strings attached. If you have confidence in your product and know people will be more likely to fall in love with it than return it, this may be the way to go. More information or a free assessment of a customers needs can even be the offer. Some examples: self-running analysis software that shows the customer what theyll save or achieve with your product. White papers on issues of current interest. Information kits (not just a brochure or product sheet). All of these are good next steps that propel the customer to take the most important step: buying your product or service. The Creative Start selling on the envelope (or on the cover if its a self-mailer). Remember that the pieces job is to get noticed and opened. Continue the sell inside. Dont make the mistake of starting your pitch over again inside! Put your promise, teaser headline, or question on the outside, and pay off the promise or answer the question on the inside. Make the piece inviting and easy to read. Dont cram it full of everything you want potential customers to know. If its too busy and difficult to read, itll
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The Offer Sell the offer, not what youre selling. The offer is what the recipient gets for responding. Space is at a premium in direct mail. You wont have room to sell both. Selling the offer piques customer interest and forces them to contact you. Once they do, your salespeople can sell your products or services and convert the contacts into sales. Price can be the offer only if its a bargain. Buy one, get one free or 25% off are good offers. People are not impressed by 10% or 15% off. Here is a test for your offer: Think of a product or service that interests you. What would get you to take that leap and buy it? Substitute the price you are considering offering. Would that be enough of an enticement for you? Money-back guarantees and free trial periods are powerful offers in high tech marketing. In this market, you are usually asking customers to invest a considerable amount of money and often employee time in training, etc. A free trial period lets them test drive the product without making a complete commitment until they determine if the product will suit their needs. A money-back guarantee tells them they have nothing to lose for trying your product. Just make sure its a true mon-
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just be tossed aside. Make it easy to respond. Provide an 800 number or toll-free fax (make them search for it, and youll lose them for sure!) Pay the postage on the business reply card. How many times have you set something aside until you can find a stamp or get to the postage meter? And ask the fewest possible qualifying questionssave those for your follow-up call. The ListThe OfferThe Creative. Choose lists that truly pre-qualify your targets. Make an offer that will send them running for the phone. Grab their attention with something intriguing on the outside, then pay it off on the inside. But keep it simple. All you want your direct mail to do is entice them to contact you; your sales staff can take it from there. 603010. Remember these rules and percentages and direct mail can become your direct link to super sales.
Ted Rose is the President of Rose Financial Services, based in Rockville, MD. If you have any comments or questions, he can be reached at info@rosefinancial.com or 301.527.1130.
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www.sbimag.com DECEMBER 2008 think business
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MARKETING
he relative economy of email marketing is a double-edged sword. As more businesses hop on the bandwagon, users are seeing the resultsemail inboxes bursting at the seams that often prompts one to delete rather than peruse. However, even with fiscal times being tough and most businesses undergoing some belttightening, experts agree that email marketing is not to be given short shrift. With email being a fairly inexpensive and simple way of marketing, finding ways to capture eyeballs using this alternative is more worthwhile than ever. To get the most our of email marketing, try the following: 1. Make your messages more highly targeted. Having a haphazard approach sends the wrong message (no pun intended). Time your email marketing campaigns to coincide with key events, such as a customer who just established an account with
Keep Your Email Marketing Relevant

you or one that is experiencing a service milestone, such as a contract renewal or anniversary. Develop a set of measurement systems to determine how messages yield greater click-throughs, further engagement, or purchases so that you can analyze and justify sending particular emails to each customer. 2. Demonstrate the benefits associated with registering ones email address. Also, make it simple for them to register at any stage of their website visit, not just on your companys landing page. If you host webinars, offer useful downloads or host a blog on your site, making sure that every page contains something of value including various benefits subscribers will receive by signing up, such as opportunities to network with peers, special tips, the latest information, or access to members-only events. 3. Customize emails based on demographics. The email messages you send your clients should be different from those sent to your prospective customers. Keep in mind that there should also be natural differences within your client base, especially in terms of how they relate to and use your offerings along with their degree of technical knowledge about your products. The messages each segment receives should take into account these variations, mostly because overly broad messages are apt to fail when trying to capturing anyones interest. 4. Pay attention to your reputation. If you are getting data from your ISP that corporate recipients are labeling your email sends as junk or
eeping data secure must be a priority for staff and managers within all the departments of your company, and marketing is no exception. Cybercriminals abound, and they increasingly target company databases. Finding new ways to protect marketing information is made all the more difficult b y the fact that there are certain regulatory constraints imposed from both within and without, not to mention needing to operate within the confines of a budget. The job of protecting your market-
Protect Your Marketing Data

ing data comprises numerous aspects, but there are two primary aims: 1. Ensuring that data cannot be changed in an unauthorized manner, and 2. Guaranteeingthatonlythe people intended to see the data are able to do so. Laying the groundwork for these goals means setting down appropriate expectations for staff regarding security and privacy. However, bear in mind that developing such a policy does not rule out the possibility that even approved users may inadvertently or intentionally access and/ or change information in inappropriate ways. Nor will your policy necessarily guard against outside users from doing the same. Remember, too, that employees often pass along system passwords to other employees, and even though not ill intended, such a practice can seriously harm data safety. This is where digital encryption comes into play, as a means to protect sensitive company information from hackers, fraudsters, or even well intentioned employees. Used by most big companies today, digital encryption is designed to safeguard information that is either sent or cached. Encryption entails changing data into ciphertext, which is a series of characters interpretable only by those who know how to decrypt the text to uncover the original wording via mathematical algorithms, which unlock the
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spam, you need to find the underlying cause as to why this is taking place. If you cant make it past company firewalls and into users inboxes, your efforts at crafting targeted, captivating, and enticing marketing emails are all for naught. Services like www.senderscore.org can start you on the path of determining your reputation as an email sender. 5. Remember that tone counts. Do some testing and surveying to determine what tenor best suits and appeals to your clients/subscribers. Do they prefer upbeat and friendly, serious and strictly professional, or messages that are aimed squarely at their bottom lines? Remember, not every product category or audience will work with a given pitch, so a mix and match approach may prove best.
Adapted from Five B2B Email Marketing Tips by Stephanie Miller
message. Of course, your IT department should be involved in setting up the algorithms, but make sure you dont communicate the message that privacy and security are the sole responsibility of your technical staff. Every one of your employees must see security as part of his or her job. After all, the IT department does not work in isolation. With respect to encryption, for example, the technical experts need to know about the different needs and requirements of each respective department in order to develop systems that secure data at the appropriate levels. With that said, Marketing management needs to grasp how encryption works so that they can effectively communicate their needs and concerns to the IT staff on an ongoing basis.
Adapted from What Marketers Need to Know About Encryption by Robert McKim
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MONEY
The New Face of Outsourcing: In-shoring

By Ted Rose
ver the past 10 to 15 years, outsourcing has grown from a niche in the information technology industry to a global network of service providers that focus on Information Technology Outsourcing, Finance and Accounting Outsourcing, Business Process Outsourcing, Human Relations Outsourcing, Knowledge Process Outsourcing, Legal Process Outsourcing, Document Process Outsourcing, and more. During this same time period, the focus of outsourcing has changed. In the past, most companies would embark on outsourcing initiatives to produce cost savings. Today, while cost effectiveness is still an important component of any outsourcing arrangement, most companies now view outsourcing as a strategic tool. In fact, cost was not listed by Brown-Wilson Group, Inc. in the top eleven reasons firms select an outsourcing vendor. As cost loses its position as the primary driver of outsourcing engagements, the push to contract with offshore companies has also been decreasing. Many Indian outsourcing firms have recognized this trend and have begun to setup U.S. offices to gain access to U.S. talent and to get closer to their client base. This has all been happening in the face of increasing wages in India. Further evidence of this trend was displayed as the top five rankings in the 2008 Black Book of Outsourcing list of top vendors went to U.S. based companies (See www.theblackbookofoutsourcing.com). Inshoring or Onshoring is a term utilized to describe outsourcing services provided inside the United States. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Unisys president of Global Outsourcing and Information Services, Tony Doye, said, Some of our U.S. clients
are now insisting that work is done onshore. Doye goes on to state, Whats important is balancing the fine line between providing smaller services and being efficient on a large scale. Becky Bright of the WSJ states that much of this he believes is due to dissatisfaction with outsourcing services, as rates escalate in India and theres a battle for talent there. In addition, hes observed a higher comfort level of doing business in the U.S. When selecting an outsourcing vendor, keep in mind the top three reasons companies select an outsourcing vendor based on the Black Book of Outsourcings 2008 survey. References, reputation, and ex-
perience How long has the company been around? How do their clients feel about their relationship with the outsourcer? Does the outsourcer have experience in your industry? Vertical competencies or industry specific acumen Are there specific competencies that are unique to your industry? Does the outsourcer have experience with these competencies? Does the outsourcer understand your business? Cultural fit Are the values of the outsourcer aligned with your companys values? Do you feel comfortable with senior management? Do you feel comfortable with your outsourcing team? If these top three factors align be-
Outsourcing Initiatives Relationship management and security capabilities are among the top outsourcing initiatives respondents say would influence their decision to select a vendor. Delivery location options and bundled functionalities were seen as less important.
Top Three Initiatives Influencing Vendor Selection References, Reputation and Known Client Experiences Vertical Competencies, Industry-Specific Acumen Cultural Fit Relationship Mgmt, Preferred Vendor Programming Security Capabilities Acclaimed Domain Expertise (e.g., ITO, BPO, FAO, HRO) Managerial Stability and Leadership Competence Strategy, Creativity, and Innovation Contribution Business Transformation Processes Leadership Commitment to Outsourcing Quality and Process Expertise
Percentage 78.3% 70.1% 69.5% 63.8% 62.7% 61.3% 55.2% 54.0% 47.2% 45.8% 42.4%
Source: Brown-Wilson Group, Inc. as published in WSJ Note: Results dont add up to 100% due to multiple responses
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tween both organizations, there is a strong chance that you will be able to build a solid long-term strategic relationship with your outsourcing partner. It is clear that companies want an outsourcing partner that demonstrates experience and expertise thats closely aligned with their own business model. They also want a provider that is small enough to care, but big enough to deliver as their needs grow and change.
Ted Rose is the President of Rose Financial Services, based in Rockville, MD. If you have any comments or questions, he can be reached at info@rosefinancial or 301.527.1130.
SPACE VACANCY
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The Upsides of Leasing a Business Property A

t some point in the life of your business, you may be confronted with the question of whether to lease or buy the property that will serve as your companys base of operations. In the decision to buy or lease office space, youll need to be guided by the particulars of your situation. What might be an appropriate choice for one business owner, even one operating a similar business, may not be the right move for you.
MONEY
buy, leasing still may be the wiser move, for a number of reasons. Among other things, leasing provides you with: The freedom to relocate when your lease term is over, which is especially important if you find that the current arrangement doesnt fit your needs or budget. Less hassle associated with upkeep, security, and other management issues that youd have to confront if you owned the space outright. Tax advantages, insofar as lease payments can be deducted as operating expenses. The absence of a mortgage, which could otherwise be used to help grow
For starters, you may lack the cash you need to buy a commercial workspace, in which case the decision to lease is straightforward. However, even if you do have enough capital to
Getting Creative without Credit I

ts axiomaticand more than a bit frustrating to small businesses in need of additional capitalthat the companies most eligible to receive a loan are seldom the ones who need it the most. If you have a solid credit history, a strong down payment, and stable income, obtaining credit is as easy as falling off a log. Lack any one of these components, however, and youre lost in the financial forest. What can small business owners do to circumvent the cash flow crunch so pervasive among young businesses? Get creative. Here are some financing alternatives that may never have occurred to you and that might just prove to be the best way to guide your growing business through the trees until you can see clear skies and a sunny bank balance. Credit unions. About a fourth of credit unions now make business loansoften on a much smaller scale than a bank may be willing to offer, which could suit your needs better. Almost two-thirds of credit union loans were for $50,000 or less, according to a Treasury Department study. Peer-to-peer lending networks. Who understands your needs better than someone whos been there? Its like having an investor whos one of the gang, and doesnt demand a piece of the pie for helping you out. You describe your business and how much money you need; someone from the network decides whether to make you a loan. Several lending networks to check into: o Prosper - a San Francisco-based website whose users make loans for as little as $50. o Lending Club - formerly open only to users of the social network Facebook, and now available to
all. o Virgin Money - formalizes transactions between friends, colleagues, and family members. Factoring. This is something like a collection agency in reverse. You sell your debt, in the form of accounts receivables, to a company that specializes in collecting payments. They reimburse your business for at least three-fourths of the outstanding amount upfront, freeing you to grow your business while they wait for your customers to pay. Factoring works best with recurring payments (i.e., a set number of transactions per month, and monthly billings in excess of $100K). If youre in growth mode and cash is of primary concern, factoring may be a good option for your business. IRAs. Yes, your self-directed individual retirement account can be used for business investments in certain instances, although its wise to
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your business. A potentially reduced lease payment since building owners can avail themselves of an investment tax credit, and may choose to pass the savings in part onto their lessees. Leeway with respect to lease terms and rates, especially if there is more supply than demand in your area for commercial properties. A reduction in paperwork since your tax return, as a lessee, will be far less complicated than it would be if you owned the space. No down payment. Even though youll still have to come up with a couple of months of the lease value before you can move in, its still smaller than the down payment associated with buying a building, which typically amounts to 20% to 25% of the purchase price.
Adapted from Advantages to Leasing Your Office Space on www.allbusiness.com
check with your accountant first to make sure you dont ruffle the IRSs feathers in the process. In some cases, such as limited liability, you may be able to get an exemption. The key to securing the resources you need is to tap all available monetary resources, and see which alternative is the best fit for your unique financial and business needs at this time.
Adapted from How to Avoid the Credit Crunch by Diana Ransom
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MONEY
Staying Afloat in Tough Times
hether or not the nation is headed for recession, there are steps you can take to ensure your business will weather the storm and come out smelling like a rose. The keys are customers, cash flow, and cost cutting. Follow these tips to recession-proof your business now: Tighten your belt. This is priority one. If a product line is just squeaking by, this may be the time to sell off or eliminate it. And if you have an employee whos slacking or if a job being done by two people could easily be managed by one downsizing could be the kindest cut for your business. Practice just in time inventory. Theres no need to maintain an extensive back stock of items that can be delivered overnight when needed. Streamline your inventory, and keep an eye on consumer indicators, such as those produced by the National Retail Federation, so youll know when to build it up again. Watch your margins. Dont be tempted to offer price reductions, which will eat into your profits and affect consumer perception of your brand. Discount with discretion. The same holds true for discount offers.
Unless you are an actual discount store on the order of a Wal-Mart, competing on price can be dangerous because it changes how your business functions in the marketplace. If you do plan to offer special pricing, reserve it for repeat customers in order to reinforce loyalty. Boost customer service. One area to increase during a downturn is service. Now is the time to make every effort to impress in terms of going the extra mile: the phone call to let a preferred customer know when an item they covet has arrived, personal thankyou notes, a bonus item included with a large order. Be creative in how you show appreciation for regular business. Celebrate your staff. Reward your teamtheyre the ones who will make or break your business, especially during a downturn. Show your gratitude for them as you do for your best customers: offer incentives to boost productivity, such as extra days off, awards, and vacations. Liquefy your assets. Getting money flowing in is crucial. Ask suppliers if theyll accept extended payments, at the same time that youre calling in outstanding debts. Having cash on
hand is essential to growing your business and paying both employees and suppliers. Pare down. Can you make do with less space? When your lease contract is up for renewal, try negotiating a price reduction or consider a smaller space. Expand your reach. Finally, as strange as it may seem, see how you can expand now, while everyone else is running scared. Find your competitors soft spot and pick up their business for a song. This is also where your emphasis on marketing even in lean times will pay off. Companies that advertise during a recession are statistically more likely to increase their business than companies that are out of sightand also out of mind.
Adapted from How to Recession-Proof Your Business by Diana Ransom on www. smsmallbiz.com
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SPACE VACANCY
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PLANNING
Greening the WorkplacePart 10 Going the Distance with Clean Energy

e all have lots of energy when were young. The older we get, the more we crave resources to restore what we once took for granted. Thats the nature of energy, and its as true for buildings as it is for the people who inhabit them. Now that 50 is the new 30 and green is the new black (i.e., oil), entrepreneurs are discovering that greening their workplace is simply eco-logical. In fact, green has just about gone mainstream, as seen by ones ability to purchase sustainable lumber at popular building suppliers like Home Depot. Organic cleaning products, once the province of health food stores, are available on the shelves at discount giant Costco. One real estate company, whose home office is actually certified green by the city of San Francisco, is a model for an eco work environment. The office boasts
the following green markers: Constructed from green building materials, which means fewer toxic emissions, hence better employee health and reduced energy costs Energy efficient computers and kitchen appliances Office furniture made of renewable materials that do not emit toxic compounds Recycled paper and printer cartridges and marketing materials printed with veggie oil inks Granted, not every company may be capable of going this green immediately. But, there is a great deal you can do to start down the road to cleaner energy use, not to mention a long, healthy life for your business, your staff, and the planet. Here are five ideas to explore:
Dual-paned windows. Blake wrote, If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. Marvin windows are a step in the right direction. The spaces between the temperaturesensitive glass panes are filled with argon, an inert gas that acts as an insulator. Unlike regular glass that simply lets sunlight shine through, Marvin double-paned windows give off heat. In a building with southern exposure, the energy conservation can be significant. Ductless heat. Sanyo makes a heat pump that runs on recycled refrigerant fluid that can be heated or cooled. In a well-insulated office using compact fluorescent bulbs, this type of system spells savings. Solar shingles. Pair solar roof shingles with a wind turbine, and most of the energy your office uses in a day will be spelled g-r-e-e-n. Thats what
ave you ever had conflicts with employees, partners, vendors, or suppliers and wondered whether there was a better way to handle those issues? While conflict is a natural occurrence and you cant always prevent it, you can put systems into place to deal effectively with different kinds of disputes in order to get concrete results. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is an umbrella term for a variety of different processes, which are designed to handle different kinds of conflicts without going to trial. ADR is sometimes referred to as Appropriate Dispute Resolution. Common methods of ADR include arbi-
How Alternative Dispute Resolution Can Help You and Your Company H
tration, mediation, fact-finding, and early neutral evaluation. All ADR processes share the following characteristics: 1. Privacy 2. Confidentiality 3. Greater control 4. Faster results These features are the main reason a business owner would choose to use an ADR process over filing a lawsuit. The various ADR processes are very different, so here are some definitions to help you become familiar with each one. For example, mediation and arbitration are often referred to synonymously, but
there are significant differences between the two. Mediation is a process whereby the mediator facilitates the dialogue between each party and helps them make their own decision. Mediation is normally a very flexible process. Arbitration, by contrast, has the arbitrator functioning like a judge and issuing a decision on the dispute before him or her, which is based on the law and/or the contract, which established the arbitration requirement. Arbitration is generally binding and final.
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one entrepreneur found by buying solar shingles from UNI-SOLAR. Battery bank. Just as you back up your computer system, you can back up your energy in a GridPoint battery bank. One company reduced its energy bill to an astoundingly low $70 a month by installing a battery bank and backup hydrogen fuel cell. While the initial investment in renewable energy was higher than conventional energy, the company expects to recoup its outlay in about seven years. And in the meantime, its running clean and green. Save the rain. Rainwater collection is popular with permaculture-focused homeowners, and works equally well for small businesses. Rain barrels are inexpensive and impervious to weather. If all these suggestions still seem a tad overwhelming, take heart. In an office with ten PCs, simply turning off the computers at night can save up to $750 a year.
Adapted from Investing in a Green Work Environment by Brandi Stewart on www.money.cnn.com
Fact finding requests that a neutral third party reviews documents, conducts interviews, and writes an assessment of the issues. Fact-finding is used often in the labor and employment arena, such as when there has been disciplinary action taken or a proposed removal of an employee. Early neutral evaluation is a preliminary assessment of the issues in the case, along with the expected outcome, and is usually conducted by someone who has some expertise in the subject matter of the dispute. So how can you, as a business owner, use some of these tools to deal effectively with conflict?
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PLANNING
Credit Card Security for Clients and Vendors

ts a question on the minds of consumers everywhere, especially as they make their way through crowded malls or to online shopping carts this busy holiday season: Do you take credit cards? If youre like most businesses and associations, your answer is Yes. Just keep in mind that there are many new credit card security requirements you should know about to ensure a safe and secure environment for your in-store and online customers. Even if you answered No, read up on these latest requirements. They will provide you with the information you need to know, as a consumer, before booking your holiday travel or making any other online purchases. The Facts Identity theft results from non-secure business transactions every minute of every day. Whether collecting credit card data from customers online or in a physical store, companies must take steps to ensure the security of consumers private information to prevent identity theft and fraudulent transactions. The U.S. Federal Trade Commissions Consumer Sentinel reports that, in 2005, credit card fraud was the most commonly reported form of identity theft, accounting for 26% of all cases of identity theft. In a January 31, 2006 study, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) estimates that the identities of 8.9 million U.S. adults would be were stolen in 2006, costing $56.6 billion. In the same study, the BBB found that approximately 43% of victims identities were stolen through of business or online transactions. In one incident in July 2005, approximately 40 million credit card accounts were exposed to potential fraud because of a security breach at a thirdparty processor of payment transactions. In a matter of hours, hackers exported the names, card numbers, and card security codes for nearly 200,000 accounts. Tougher Standards Due to a long line of data security breaches in 2005, the main credit card companiesAmerican Express, DiscoverCard, MasterCard, and Visa U.S.A.created a series of stringent requirements designed to protect cardholders and the businesses that accept credit cards. Together, these requirements, released in January 2006, form the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard and govern the safekeeping and destruction of account information, as well as the use of agents or third parties in maintaining this information and reporting any security incidents. The PCI requirements are categorized into four distinct levels of online merchants, such that requirements and compliance mechanisms escalate with the merchants number of annual transactions. Level 1 merchants process more than 6 million credit card transactions each yearonline or otherwiseor have suffered a hack or other security breach that caused data to be compromised. These merchants are required to undergo an annual onsite security audit and to complete a quarterly network scan. The company audit must be performed by a certified auditor. The network scan must be conducted by a qualified independent scan vendor. Level 2 merchants process between 1 million and 6 million transactions online per year. These merchants must complete an annual PCI self-assessment questionnaire and complete a quarterly network scan. Compliance must be validated by a qualified independent scan vendor and by the merchant. Level 3 merchants process between 20,000 and 1 million transactions online per year. These merchants must meet the same set of criteria as the Level 2 merchants. They must complete an annual PCI self-assessment questionnaire and complete a quarterly network scan. Compliance must be validated by a qualified independent scan vendor and by the merchant. Level 4 includes all other merchants, regardless of the quantity of their online or in-store transactions. It is strongly recommended that these merchants complete an annual PCI self-assessment questionnaire, as well as an annual network scan, but validation is not required by a certified party. Why Comply? Failure to comply with PCI regulawww.sbimag.com
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tions can result in significant fines from the PCI Data Security Standard (as much as $50,000 for a first offense and $100,000 thereafter), as well as the cancellation of payment processing capabilities. But, at the heart of the PCI standards are basic tenets that should govern the behavior of any quality corporationmake sure your internal network and system components are secure and intact; protect your consumers and your employees; guard your credibility. As more and more of the general public uses credit cards for auto payments, business-to-business payments and more, it is crucial that consumers have a sense of security, says Katherine Novikov, CEO of Diamond Mind, Inc., a niche credit card processing company. These new regulations provide that security, and they are here to stay. Complying, Novikov continues, is a form of superior customer service. To fail to do so would be to risk great embarrassment, as well as a loss of consumer confidence should a problem arise. Getting Started As an online or store-based merchant, there are a couple of things you can do to gauge your security status. First, take a system security self-assessment to ensure that you are evaluating the right items. An information technology survey that will help you to assess the overall security of your network can be found at www.optimalnetworks.com/assessment. While this self-assessment is not a substitute for the questionnaire required by the PCI standards, it is a proactive tool that will help you to identify and suppress security problems before they occur. Next, conduct an external security analysis. Allow an outside company to perform a scan of your systems to see if they have been compromised in any way. A free, external scan can be performed by Diamond Mind Business Services by going to www.diamondmindinc.com. If, after the self-assessment and external scan, you find that your organization has cause for concern, contact an external IT services provider to comprehensively secure your systemsand your customers transactions.
Heinan Landa is President of Optimal Networks, Inc., a network support and technology management company. He can be reached at 240.499.7900 or hlanda@optimalnetworks.com.
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How Alternative Dispute...

First, dont shy away from dealing with conflict in your company. Many managers and supervisors avoid conflict, which often creates bigger problems in the future. Instead, analyze the conflict. Look at where the disputes are taking place, with whom and over what issues. Ask yourself questions like, Who is handling various types of conflicts? and What kind of decisions are being made? Second, review your documentation and make sure there is appropriate dispute resolution language in all of your contracts and agreements. Are there provisions for addressing conflicts over issues that might arise with your top customers or your reliable vendors? Do you have an employee handbook? What does it say about handling personnel problems and disputes? Third, pick one area of your business to really focus on dispute resolution. For example, if you have had numerous issues with vendor or customer disputes, then look more deeply at those problems and try to determine why you are experiencing those disputes. Once you decide what business dispute resolution area to focus on, conduct a thorough analysis of the issues in those particular disputes along with the consequences of those disputes. Are you losing business or have high employee turnover because of these problems? What are your goals in making a change to the existing dispute resolution method? If there is no specified language or process in place, what do you want to accomplish by adding mediation, arbitration, or factfinding? Here are some considerations when determining what type of ADR process would be best to use: While arbitration is binding, it can sometimes be quite expensive and almost as lengthy as litigation. There are local arbitration programs, such as one run by the Montgomery County Maryland Bar Association (www.montbar. org) that has reduced fees and abbreviated procedures. If you need a quick and final decision, sometimes arbitration is the best route. On the other hand, if there are key on-going or long-term relationships at stake, or issues with teamwork and key employees, you might decide to implement some kind of mediation program where the parties make the decision, all within a much more flexible framework. Fact-finding is helpful as part of a process for resolving employment issues or getting a neutral outside analysis of a complex issue. When the fact finding is done by a neutral outside party, it can have more credibility than if it is conducted by the companys HR department. With this knowledge, you may be able to put some of these new processes into place. Start small with a pilot project and, after six months to a year, test and evaluate whether the new system is working. As many companies can attest, correctly managed conflict is an opportunity for change and growth. Address it head on and you and your firm will be a winner.
Ellen Kandell, Esq. is President of Alternative Resolutions, a dispute resolution and training company that is dedicated to redefining the way organizations handle conflict. She can be reached at ek@alternativeresolutions.net.
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SALES
Strategy for Debriefing Sales Calls

lenges grew as I found it more difficult to manage a group of people who had been indoctrinated and trained under different disciplines. To my surprise, some of these recruits didnt adhere to any particular process for their sales calls, but used whatever they thought would work in each situation, and then would rationalize any less than satisfactory results. When salespeople have a sales process with specific steps, and outcomes associated with each step, they can function proactively and retain control of the process. When all salespeople on a team use that process consistently, the manager can benchmark a set of behaviors and standards, which will help facilitate each persons sales process. The management technique of sales templating can help managers develop a consistent sales process regardless of the background of individual salespeople. It is a tactic that requires you to document the steps of the ideal typical sale. What sales templating allows you to do, however, is capture the best practices of each salesperson in order to create a model sales process that everyone within the organization can follow.
n an initial session with a new client, I asked the owner, sales manager, and sales team to individually outline the steps in their selling process. I then asked everyone to compare his or her steps. At this point, you can probably guess the outcome of this simple exercisethere were predictable inconsistencies between each respective persons processes. For example, dealing with a prospects budget was a step that two salespeople omitted entirely, while the owner was adamant that the budget needed to be dealt with at the very beginning of the sales process, before any time was committed to the prospecteven an initial meeting. The sales manager split the difference on this, with her process requiring that the budget be known before a proposal was submitted. However, when I questioned her
further, she admitted that if a prospect wouldnt share their budget they could still receive a proposal. So why this prelude to my suggestions on debriefing sales calls? While I believe managers must be experts at debriefing, their mastery of this critical management function will always be dependent on every salesperson following the same sales process. As a past business owner and VP of Sales, I adopted the policy of recruiting top producers from my competitors. While the pros of this strategy are obvious, I did not initially recognize the cons. A significant drawback was that I ended up with some individuals that had varying selling backgrounds, different philosophies, and different approaches to their sales process. My chal-
Its important that the entire sales team participate in developing your sales template. This level of involvement is vital because individual salespeople must ultimately commit to using the process thats developed from everyones input. After all, sales templating takes into consideration what your salespeople have been doing well, within the defined process, and builds on it. Ultimately, your company will have a documented approach to the sales process as a whole, which will allow you to train new hires more efficiently. And what about debriefing? With a consistent sales template and process, your debriefing effectiveness should soar to a new level. Of course, the hardest thing to do in subsequent debriefing sessions, is to avoid asking salespeople,
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How did it go? At best, youll be told a story from the salespersons perspective. It went great, they know some of our other customers, they liked what I had to say, and we both like to play golf! Instead, control the discussion by asking the salesperson, How did the call end? As you ask questions, mentally observe how well the template was followed. Also, by starting at the end and working backwards, youll get facts rather than the salespersons spin. Once you have the outcome, you can continue to work in reverse by asking a question like, Why did you get that outcome? Then follow up by asking, Is that what the prospect told you or is that what you think? Then ask, What could you have possibly done or neglected to do that might have caused that outcome? And then, What could you have done differently which might have gotten you a different outcome? After you ask enough questions about what happened, you should be able to help the salesperson understand an error in strategy or how they may have deviated from the template. Make sure the salesperson learns a lesson, and has the resolve to avoid this mistake the next time out. The successful post-call debrief is one where you lead your salesperson to discovery. Effective questions help the salesperson determine for themselves what alternative approaches they could have taken. Furthermore, since your debriefing questions are a product of the template, they should be anticipated by the salesperson and, as a result, youll greatly enhance your ability to shape and mold each salespersons behavior to produce more positive results.
Ken Smith is a principal with the Sandler Sales Institute and is responsible for Sandlers operations in the Washington DC and surrounding area. He can be contacted at: KenS@SuccessInSelling. com or 301.296.4544.
owerPoint has become ubiquitous in many circles, but that doesnt mean it is being employed judiciously. In fact, some would argue it has become overused to where just a mention of the word is enough to make those on the receiving end of the presentation cringe inwardly or go numb. Hardly the responses you want when you are using the software as a means to persuade an audience of something or inspire an active dialog.
The Good, the Bad, and the PowerPoint P

PowerPoint has its place; it is an excellent way to present graphs and other hard data, for example, and can be used to spice up a talk by presenting pictures and photographs. But even in these instances, presentation is the key. Make sure that everyone in the audience has hard copies of the slides so that they can study things before you begin to walk them through the data points or graphs. Also, consider that PP visuals can be interspersed in your presentation, but dont have to be the sum total of it. Used sparingly, they can carry much more punch; remember, PP slides can complement a good presentation, but they cant carry its weight entirely. Consider that the best speechmakers are those persons whose grasp of their subject matter is heartfelt and expertpeople who would hardly break out into a cold sweat if their teleprompter broke down or their note cards went missing. A truly skilled presenter possesses the same capabilities. If the PP machine died on you midpresentation, could you do justice to the remaining material contained in your slides and feel confident that you were still making a persuasive case? If the answer is No then that is all the more reason to question whether PowerPoint has a valid place in your next presentation.
Adapted from How NOT to let PowerPoint Kill Your Presentation by Susan Dunn, MA, CEIC
The stuff of your presentation should be substantial enough to stand on its own; if it only looks impressive when wrapped up in a PowerPoint bow and sprinkled with confetti that is a tip-off you need to think more about the usefulness of your ideas or proposals. After all, PowerPoint is a presentation tool, not a cure-all for a weak pitch, boring material, or perhaps your own poor grasp or lack of confidence in the data you are presenting. More than that, PP can be just plain boring: No one wants to be subject to the tedium of a jillion dull, data-filled slides that can be confusing and, therefore, give your audience reason to shut down their mental facultiesperhaps even catch up on the sleep they lost during their travels to your presentation. A wall-to-wall PP presentation also leaves no room for spontaneity because it leaves nothing to chance, which is one of the things that make a live presentation exciting and intriguing. PP slides also can be a way of tuning out your own audience; in many respects, it is a form of talking at people about your agenda as opposed to exploring with them what they think matters most.
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SALES
GOVERNMENT
Documenting Management Practices Can Help Win Government Contracts

nal and external); subcontractor management; contract administration and close-out; quality assurance and quality control; project controls and performance measurements; finance, accounting, and invoicing; status reviews and reports; problem identification and resolution; security; training; and logistics (facilities, technology, etc.). We recommend making the SOPs electronic and available to everyone needing to reference them. For ease, it should be one searchable document with hyperlinks to major topic areas. For quick reference, you can have a printed copy available for review and also to take to customer meetings. Documenting your processes offers several benefits beyond proposals: program managers work from the same plan so all of your contracts are managed the same way; and companies can see what works and what doesnt work, and make changes accordingly. As a management tool, you need to have comprehensive processes, policies, and procedures that address all management areas. Its a daunting process to have create management SOPs, especially for small businesses with limited resources. However, its even more overwhelming when you need them and only have a short timeframe to create them. For proposals, you should have two baseline management approachesone for standalone contracts and one for task order (TO) contracts. Management procedures for standalone contracts and TO contracts are basically the same, except that TO contracts require additional processes to accommodate the concurrent management of multiple projects. When its time to submit a proposal, dont just insert your SOPs, but tailor your management approach and processes to the RFP and to the contract requirements. For instance, if your Plan states that you have monthly progress reviews and the contract requires bi-weekly, you need to change your Plan to reflect this. If the RFP only gives you 10 pages and your standard Plan is 20 pages long, you should delete the aspects of the plan that are not relevant to the contract youre bidding on. Also, include information about how you will interface with the government project manager, contracting officer, and other personnel, and what roles everyone will play in keeping the project on track. As we stated, many companies talk about their proven management practices, but what do we mean by the word proven? Include in your proposal specific examples of how your management processes have allowed you to meet project deadlines, avert problems, or provide added value to your customers. These examples help to show that your practices are truly proven. If youve received follow-on work for a contract, chances are that your methodologies and personnel are proven in that agencys environment. If you have testimonial letters from your customers about resolving an issue or a staff members performance, then you have proven experience. If you have an industry award, then you have proven experience. Whenever possible (and with your customers permission), you should include these awards and acknowledgments to bolster your claim that you are a proven entity. Your proposal has to give the government confidence that if you are selected, not only can you do the work, but you can effectively manage the project and the project team. A well thought-out Management Plan that accurately describes your processes and procedures can be the key to a winning proposal. Molly K. Gimmel & Diana Dibble Kurcfeld are the owners of Design To Delivery Inc, a government contracts consulting firm based in Bethesda, MD. For more information, they can be reached at 301.657.4440 or visit www.d2dinc.com.
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By Molly K. Gimmel & Diana Dibble Kurcfeld We have proven management practices that. If youve responded to a government solicitation that asked for a management approach or plan, you probably included the previous statement in your response. In many government RFPs for services, the Management Plan is a key evaluation factor, and having a strong response can be the key to winning the contract. However, if the Management Plan does not reflect your actual management practices, you could be setting yourself up for failure down the road. For example, if you handle a situation differently than your Plan outlined as the process you use, it may affect your credibility with the government and your ability to win future or follow-on contracts. In many companies, the Management Plan document used in proposals is written in a vacuum. Weve seen businesses develop flowcharts, organization charts, and complex narratives that make it appear they have very robust practices, but often, these dont accurately portray the companys actual management processes. The most effective Management Plans are those that document your actual management processes and procedures, and demonstrate how these processes have proven successful in managing past projects. The simplest way to develop a strong Management Plan is to document what you actually do. Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) that can be referenced by your corporate management and contract program managers. Your SOPs should be comprehensive and include all areas relating to managing your contracts: general and task order management, including organization charts; human resources; recruiting and retaining employees, including how you staff personnel surges and ramp-up; access to corporate executives and additional resources; personnel management (contractor site, government site, and managing personnel at multiple locations); communication (inter-
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SALES
Tips to Avoid Tanking Your Sales CallPart 2

elling by phone is probably one of the more difficult arts to master, and its hardly surprising that most sales professionals dont like it. In fact, cold calling can be perceived by many sales reps as downright distasteful, given that it entails picking up the phone and calling someone they dont know, which raises fears of rejection, failure, and the unknown. There are concerns that the person being pitched to is going to be annoyed, rude, or simply wont respond in the desired way. If you are selling by phone, the best way to change a negative mindset is to build a record of success, which means avoiding some of the common pitfalls many sellers commit that can indeed sabotage your efforts and elicit the kinds of negative responses you were afraid of in the first place. Know and avoid the common mistakes that can lead to defeat and end the perpetual cycle of distaste and failure youve come to associate with cold calling. A failure to communicate: Willy-nilly suggesting solutions without first knowing what the prospects problems are is a quick way for a caller to lose any credibility in the mind of the person he or she is pitching to. In such cases, the dynamic swiftly becomes one in which the recipient of the call begins plotting an escape route from the exchange instead of engaging in a genuine give and take. The lesson for the caller is to think about what he or she will be presenting as the advantage(s) of the companys offering, having questions at the ready to pinpoint problems a potential client needs solving, and last but not least, determining the benefits of ones solution. Skimping on prep time: Like a fine meal, a palatable sales call doesnt start when the proverbial dish is placed on a diners table. It starts behind the scenes, and comes about because of painstaking preparation, as well as trial and error, to ensure that the entire consumer experience is an exquisitely prepared, delicious meal. The place to work out the kinks is in the kitchen, or, in the case of a sales call, well before the sales rep ever picks up the phone. To do otherwise practically ensures a call that will be meandering, messy, and not at all appetizing to the prospective buyer. Prepping requires determining a key objective from which all other conversation generates, like spokes from a wheel. Static on the line: Failure to grasp a prospects objections is a likely to kill any deal well before it ever gets off the ground. It is this failure than can prompt some sales reps to fall back on canned rebuttals that will only further alienate the listener. Sellers need to understand that their most effective defense against objections is to stop them from ever coming to the fore, but if they do emerge, the only remedy is to probe for the reasons behind them. Be sure not to toss off a slick response. Only after a rep truly understands the objection can they hope to try to answer it. Fear of commitment: Getting to the point where it is plausible to ask for a sale may be challenging enough, but actually taking that leap can be a very difficult task for some reps. Tying down the sale is necessary and is likely to require active steps by the caller, even with those prospects who seem amenable to a deal. Simply asking for the business after a pitch is a crucial, but often neglected, part of the process. Reps need to get into the habit of asking for an action step or commitment as opposed to avoiding taking this final plunge because they dread possibly hearing the word No. A bad first impression: The opening portion of a reps pitch is bound
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to make or break the deal, and will set the tone for the remainder of the conversation. If the initial impression is a good one (i.e., one that whets the listeners appetite for more information), chances of success invariably go up. If the opening pitch creates a feeling of pressure or conflict within the prospects mind, chances of winning them over with the balance of the call are almost nil. A failure to intrigue the listener right from the start will inevitably lead them to wonder why they are wasting their time on a call they did not initiate. A polished, professional intro that includes an explanation of who the caller is, the company he or she represents, and the most inspiring benefits of the offering need to be featured front and center. The key is to pack the largest emotional wallop into as few words as possible, emphasizing not only why this prospect should want to spend time on the phone with the sales rep, but also why they should want to do business with the company being represented.
Adapted from The Top 10 Phone Mistakes by Art Sobczak
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TECHNOLOGY
Rethinking Your Supply Chain Using RFID Tags

R
adio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies rely on extremely small automaticidentification tags, but their effective use requires big thinkingespecially when it comes to the way companies use them to improve their supply chain management operations. developing demand trends; disseminate that data throughout the supply chain; and bring production and inventory levels into alignment. Of these two prioritiesproduction efficiencies and analytical gainsit is the latter you should seek first, when incorporating RFID technologies into your supply-chain management structure. This may seem counterintuitive to you as a business owner, given that the benefits associated with RFIDs production applications are designed to immediately and significantly reduce your costs. As such, it is tempting to begin with this low-hanging fruit before progressing to the harder-to-grasp analytical applications of RFID, which necessitate forging new organizational relationships and ways of doing business, both internally and with your supply chain partners. However, aiming for analytical improvements in your supply chain structure via RFID will, in the end, yield greater profits than will a single-minded focus on production efficiencies. This is not to say that cost-savings measures are unimportant, but the key is to initially focus on the analytical gains and then, once those are in place, to concentrate on using RFID to reap production gainsnot the other way around. Moreover, selective tagging associated with analytical improvements can yield immediate and significant benefits at a considerably lower cost than whole-scale tagging associated with productivity, insofar as a business owner can selectively apply which product categories he or she wants to pair with the RFID technology. For example, where a retail chain is carrying promotional items whose demand is not yet quantified, RFID can be used to determine real-time selling trends to help determine an optimal distribution to area stores. And it is this sort of real-time determination that affords your company the flexibility to change up its assortment of offerings, the way they are presented and merchandized, as well as set stock levels and ordering cycles. In other words, RFID tags can help you, as a business owner, make quicker responses to shifts in the marketplace. In this way, you are making your supply chain more consumer-driven, using the data gleaned by the RFID tags in a forwardlooking, marketing capacity. To use RFID as a launching pad for overhauling your supply chain, you might want to: Start by designating a team, composed of both marketing and supply chain managers, to confer regularly on how RFID can change current business practices. Your next step is to contemplate what you might be able to do if you had real-time supply-chain data readily available. Ask yourself what essential information you would need to glean from the RFID tags to manage your goods and how would that information guide your actions Once youve done that, compose a list of a few supply chain improvements youd like to achieve soon and a more ambitious list of improvements for the future, to help you to identify the selective tagging program you need initially. Youll also need to determine how your company and outside supply chain partners will need to respond to this information. Once these steps are completed, it is time for the relatively easy part of figuring out how to tag your products. Used wisely, RFID can do more than just put a new twist on an outmoded supply chain structure: it can be used to reshape and optimize your supply chain management in a way that makes it as cutting-edge as the technology enabling that transformation.
Adapted from Are You Aiming Too Low with RFID? Jonathan L. S. Byrnes
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RFID depends on storing and remotely retrieving data using radio frequency tags or transponders. An RFID tag is small and can be attached to or embedded into a product, such as a retail item, that is able to receive and respond to radio-frequency queries from an RFID transceiver. RFID is having a particularly significant impact on every facet of supply chain management, and, understandably, many companies are looking to RFID to make existing supply chain processes more cost-efficient by deploying the technology in various production capacitiessuch as using it to identify large lots of goods moving through loading docks, which helps reduce labor costs, simplify business processes, and minimize inventory backlogs. The problem, however, is that too many firms are focusing on cost efficiencies to the extent they are losing sight of ways in which RFID could change the basic nature of their supply chainssuch as using the tags to manage the myriad supply-chain data they collect to present managers with an accurate, real-time picture of goods on hand. As mentioned, RFID can offer production and operational efficiencies and reduce labor costs by taking stock of items at a rate of speed and accuracy that cannot be matched by human beings. But simply substituting the technology for human resources in the more mundane supply-chain applications is to miss the huge opportunity that RFID presentsto revolutionize the supply chain structure itself, by analyzing and using the intelligence gathered by these tags to: glean insight into
42
nce upon an Internet, simply having a website was enough, mostly because people were eager to search and explore everything they could discover online. Its a different story in todays tech-savvy world. With Web 2.0, if you dont immediately grab the viewers attention with relevant copy, theyre goneand they wont be back. Heres how to make your website work for your business: Say it straight. While clever copy or flowery language may appeal to those who appreciate fine writing, neither will necessarily draw customers. Online, crystal clarity is the ticket to clicks. Tell visitors precisely what you offer, in crisp verbiage, and why they should stick around to learn more. Attract the right visitors. If youre selling office supplies, you dont want gardeners perusing your pages for new lawn care tools. Sounds obvious, yet targeted traffic is the key to your sites success. So consider where and how you advertise, the keywords you use, and whether your ad copy is congruent with what youre able to deliver. Remember, its always better to under promise and have customers be pleasantly surprised than the other way around. Dont play hide and seek . Information is power, but drowning customers in content wont boost your conversion rate. Direct visitors to a landing page that will meet their needs (e.g., product info and purchase pages or a page where visitors can subscribe to a free newsletter). If they have to navigate there from the home page, and are sidetracked or lost en route, your effort is wasted. Remind them to act. Creating a sense of urgency, even if its with arrows or pictures, helps increase conversion rates. Every picture tells a story. If your site design reinforces what your business does in the mind of the customer, it may help keep them interested. For example, an auto parts store might incorporate different hubcaps as buttons. The more creative and relevant your design, the
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Creating a Web Presence That Works

longer visitors are likely to remain on your site. Be flexible. Offer customers several payment options (check, PayPal, credit card) and different ways to contact your company (voice, email, and fax). Make it easy for them to follow through with what you want them to do. Review your rivals. What is your competition doing? Check your landing page, call to action, and other attributes against theirs, and see where you might improve your site to make it more user-friendly. Give them a reason to buy now. Incentives are always popular, and neednt be complicated. Something as simple as fast delivery can work wonders in a want-it-yesterday world. A free report, first time buyer gift, or free newsletter subscription can help build a mailing list. Build trust. People like to buy from companies that offer customers a positive experience. You should consider including a testimonials page and perhaps a money-back guarantee. Develop relationships. Unless its a very small financial investment, most people are unlikely to buy on their initial visit. Provide information that allows you to establish trust over time, such as a monthly newsletter. As the relationship between your company and the visitor develops, your call to action will resonate more and more over time. Anticipate yourself. Include a call to action in links and ads on other sites that direct people to your own site (e.g., Go to ( your site name) now to receive a free report, valued at $39!) This type of referral helps increase traffic, improves stickiness, and boosts your conversion rate.
Where and how you advertise, website content, and design all affect your success in transforming visitors into customers. By following this checklist, youll save ad dollars and turn more leads into sales.
Adapted from Ten Website Conversion Tips by Robert Kingston on www.smallbusinessbranding.com
43
BUSINESS EVENTS CALENDAR
12/2/2008 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 12/3/2008 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 12/4/2008 Annual Membership Meeting Loews Annapolis Hotel - Annapolis, MD 7:30 AM ANN 410.266.3960 Breakfast Connection Holiday Inn Ballston - Arlington, VA 7:30 AM ARL 703.525.2400 Annual Gala National Conference Center - Lansdowne, VA 6:00 PM LC 703.729.8000 12/5/2008 Business Owners Roundtable Chamber Offices - Chantilly, VA 7:30 AM DUL 571.323.5300 Quick Connect Chamber Offices - Bethesda, MD 8:00 AM BETH lmcgarry@bccchamber.org New Member Showcase Holiday Inn - Manassas, VA 8:00 AM PW 703.368.6600 2008 GGCC Celebration Dinner Wyndham Garden Hotel - Gaithersburg, MD 6:00 PM GG 301.840.1400 12/8/2008 Chamber 101 Western Prince William Branch Office - Gainesville, VA 12:00 PM PW 703.368.6600 12/9/2008 Annual Holiday Silent Auction Luncheon Best Western - Manassas, VA 11:30 AM PW 703.368.6600 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 Business Networking Reception Hard Rock Cafe - Washington, DC 5:30 PM DC 202.638.6736
12/10/2008 Brown Bag Seminar Western Prince William Branch Office - Gainesville, VA 12:00 PM PW 703.368.6600 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 Member Appreciation Celebration Chamber Offices - Reston, VA 3:00 PM REST 703.707.9045 Business After Business PNC Bannk - Arlington, VA 5:00 PM ARL 703.525.2400 12/11/2008 Business Showcase Breakfast Belmont Country Club - Ashburn, VA 7:30 AM LC 703.777.2176 119th Annual Meeting Marriott Wardman Park - Washington, DC 11:00 AM BOT 202.857.5900 Annual Holiday Luncheon Chima Restaurant - Vienna, VA 11:30 AM VIEN 703.319.8806 Brown Bag Seminar Chamber Offices - Manassas, VA 12:00 PM PW 703.368.6600 Business Mixer TBA 5:30 PM ANN 410.266.3960 After Hours Networking Chevy Chase Cars - Bethesda, MD 5:30 PM BETH mwoods@bccchamber.org M. & Mistletoe The Carlyle Club - Alexandria, VA 6:00 PM ALEX 703.549.1000 12/12/2008 Business Building Breakfast Great Gatherings - Gainesville, VA 8:00 AM PW 703.368.6600 Annual Meeting Sheraton National Hotel - Arlington, VA 11:30 AM ARL 703.525.2400 Brown Bag Luncheon Chamber Offices - Chantilly, VA 12:00 PM DUL 703.462.8095
12/16/2008 Power Networking Breakfast La Ferme Restaurant - Bethesda, MD 7:15 AM BETH mwoods@bccchamber.org Member Orientation Chamber Offices - Rockville, MD 8:30 AM MONT 301.738.0015 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 Annual Holiday Open House TML - Manassas, VA 4:00 PM PW 703.368.6600 12/17/2008 Jump Start Chamber Offices - Washington, DC 8:15 AM BOT 202.857.5900 Chamber 101 Chamber Offices - Chantilly, VA 12:00 PM DUL 571.323.5308 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 Annual Goodwill Dinner Chamber Offices - Bethesda, MD 5:00 PM BETH garnold@bccchamber.org YP Monthly Mixer Unos Chicago Grill - Gainesville, VA 5:30 PM PW 703.368.6600 12/18/2008 2008 Annual Meeting & Luncheon Madarin Oriental House - Washington, DC 11:00 AM DC 202.638.6736 NextExec Holiday Wrap Party A Wider Circle - Bethesda, MD 4:00 PM BETH garnold@bccchamber.org Mixer Crowne Plaza - Herndon, VA 5:30 PM DUL 571.323.5300 12/23/2008 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 12/24/2008 Lunch and Lead Tip Group
ALEX Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 703.549.1000 ARL Arlington Chamber of Commerce 703.525.2400 ANN Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce 410.266.3960 BETH Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce 301.652.4900 BOT Greater Washington Board of Trade 202.857.5900 DC DC Chamber of Commerce 202.347.7201 DUL Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce 703.437.5556 FALL Falls Church Chamber of Commerce 703.532.1050 FFX Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce 703.749.0400 GG Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce 301.840.1400
LC Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce 703.777.2176 MONT Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce 301.738.0015 PG Prince Georges Chamber of Commerce 301.731.5000 PW Prince William County Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce 703.368.6600 REST Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce 703.707.9045 ROCK Rockville Chamber of Commerce 301.424.9300 VIEN Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce 703.281.1333
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44
Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 12/30/2008 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 12/31/2008 Lunch and Lead Tip Group Shulas Steakhouse - Vienna, VA 12:15 PM VIEN 703.319.8806 1/13/2009 Business Networking Before Nine Sams Club - Gaithersburg, MD 7:30 AM GG 301.840.1400 1/14/2009 New Member Orientation Chamber Offices - Reston, VA 8:00 AM REST 703.707.9045 1/23/2009 Quick Connect Chamber Offices - Bethesda, MD 8:00 AM BETH lmcgarry@bccchamber.org 1/27/2009 Network Night Chamber Offices - Reston, VA 5:30 PM REST 703.707.9045 1/28/2009 Business Card Exchange Lunch Crowne Plaza - Rockville, MD 11:30 AM GG 301.840.1400 1/31/2009 Arlington Business Gala The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City - Arlington, VA - 6:30 PM ARL 703.525.2400
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60 Minutes Towards Better Business Health

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CONSULTING - SIGNS
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The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well.

- John D. Rockefeller
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48
Biz Trends
Galoshes for High Heels
e have repeatedly touched on companies that identify an unmet need, see things from the end users point of view, and then develop a product to satisfy that need. Now, SWIMS, a clothing company founded by a Norwegian designer who later moved to Manhattan, developed a rubber overshoe for high heels. There are three different styles: a low cut model that just protects the shoe; a medium cut overshoe that provides ankle protection; and high coverage galoshes that cover ones calf. All three options incorporate a flexible opening for the high heel, which allows the heel to protrude through the overshoe and come in direct contact with the ground. www.swims.com
Malware is Comingto Mobil Phones

eople using PCs have taken measures against malware (viruses, worms, spyware, etc.) for years. These days, with the smart-phones full operating system, the chances of your phone being infected by malware increases every day, with security experts already identifying over 500 malware programs specifically targeting mobile phones. Right now, the most damaging malware is likely to be a rogue program that exchanges text messages with operators who charge an exorbitant per-message fee. However, experts fear that snoopware might soon be used to remotely turn on a phones microphone or camera, as a way to spy on conversations or ones surroundings. While this trend doesnt have any positive business applications, it should serve to motivate smart-phone users to keep upto-date with their phones security measures.
The Niche of Motherhood
s products and services develop, oftentimes they start to target specific segments of the population in an effort to increase relevancy and efficiency. Recently, www.handmedowns.com came online, which offers new and expectant mothers a place to buy, sell, give away, or donate gently used baby gear, toys, clothes, and childcare services in a family friendly atmosphere. They even comb other sites to pull in additional products, organized by geographic area, to create a one-stop destination for busy moms. www.handmedowns.com
ave you ever destroyed something and felt better for it? That feeling of catharsis is a major selling point for San Diego-based Sarahs Smash Shack. The idea is to provide clients with stress relief, through the destruction of objects in a safe, non-judgmental setting. Customers come into Sarahs Smash Shack, choose from a menu of available objects, don some protective gear, and then go into one of the break rooms to vent their frustration. You can even bring your own objects to destroy, assuming that prior approval is given and a nominal fee is paid. The glass and pottery shards are used in mosaics created by local artisans. Given that the barriers to entry are low, the timing of this business might be perfect, especially when one considers our collective frustration with the current credit crisis. www.smashshack.com
Breaking through Frustration
50
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November 2008 DC-MD-VA Vol. 4, No.

think business DECEMBER 2008

Altronics Communication CXO Focus

www.eaglebankcorp.com. ................................................. 41 www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hazardouswaste............ 13

Green Earth Consulting Intelligent Office iREFERpro

www.greenearth-consulting.com................................ 27 www.intelligentoffice.com........................................... 2, 23 www.ireferpro.com. ................................................................ 35

Jackson & Associates

Jessica Marcotte Photography

Joe Ragans Mortons

www.joeragans.com. ..................................................... 23, 52 www.mortons.com................................................................ 45

Mosaic Technologies NAWBO Greater DC Office Movers

www.mosaictechnologies.com...................................... 35 www.nawbodc.org................................................................. 29 www.officemovers.com...................................................... 51

Pensare Group QueCreative!

RCD & Associates

Rose Financial Services

The Columbia Bank

The Entrprenuers Group Timsco

www.venturestarter.com.................................................... 27 Washington Photocopy.............................................. 43

Whitehorse Technology Solutions

www.whitehorse-tech.com.............................................. 15 DECEMBER 2008 think business

Pete Grzybinski pgrzybinski@sbimag.com

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The Perfect Storm

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A unique look at DC area business leaders JOHN SAMPLE, President

VERONICA EYENGA, President

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Workplace Relationships: Where Did the Love Go?

Where Have All the Workers Gone?Part 1

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Maryland adopts flexible leave law

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Questions That Count

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The Perception of Leadership

Exercising Your Leadership Legs

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Adapted from Building a Leaders Image on www.ccl.org

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What Trumps Capital?

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Keeping Employees Happy is Smart Business I

Negative Employees: A Glass Half Full

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Remote Workers: Managing From a Distance

Adapted from The Occasional Telecommuter by Margaret Steen

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Keep Your Email Marketing Relevant

Protect Your Marketing Data

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The New Face of Outsourcing: In-shoring

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The Upsides of Leasing a Business Property A

Getting Creative without Credit I

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Adapted from Advantages to Leasing Your Office Space on www.allbusiness.com