Archive for March, 2010

That is the question…and I get it all the time.  I was watching Nancy Pelosi last night on the PBS News Hour and she was talking about the passage of the historic health care bill that was signed into law earlier this week. Putting politics of the issues aside, I was struck by Pelosi’s ability to stay on message regardless of the many times Jim Lehrer, the interviewer, wanted her to bash her Republican colleagues.

If I were coaching Ms. Pelosi, I would give her kudo’s for bridging back to her main points and being very disciplined and not rising to the bait by revealing any harsh feelings she may have about the grueling process she had just witnessed.  However, there’s one behavior that distracts from Ms. Pelosi’s message and that’s the constant smile that she wears in all of her media interviews.  Sometimes it looks like her face has been cast in plaster and the smile sits there without regard to any human emotion.

For people who are regularly in the media spotlight and talking about controversial issues, instead of a constant smile, I suggest they create a warm and friendly demeanor.  Smiling all the time is not natural.  But if you can think “warmth and friendliness” it looks more authentic to the viewing and listening audience.  Smile if it comes naturally and the rest of the time, be yourself and think “warm and friendly!”

“Your little book was a big hit in my course” says Kathy Berggren, who teaches communications at Cornell University. Using my framework for getting to the “meat of the matter” Kathy’s students were able to experiment with creating effective statements about themselves which they can use in a variety of ways including looking for  work.  They also suggested that I include more details about using the elevator speech for personal branding, job searching, and career transitions.  Great feedback and I am working on the second edition of the book right now and was planning a chapter on how to craft an elevator speech for job hunting!  Thanks to Kathy and her students!  And they will continue to use my little book at Cornell University! Yowser! That’s way cool!

Selling a house and moving is metaphor for business!

My husband and I decided to downsize, adjusting to the new realities of our lifestyle and our life stage!  Conventional wisdom indicated this might not be the best time to put a house on the market. However we were intent on reducing our footprint and our overhead.

In the process, I found it’s very similar to what most of us have been experiencing in business.  The world has changed, our clients and customers have changed, and it’s critical for us to adjust to the new realities of the marketplace.

The first challenge was to get the house ready. We spent a month clearing out the clutter, finishing small improvement projects, painting, and working with a professional stager to get the house ready for prime time!  What a job!!!  We’ve done this before, but last time we were 15 years younger and in a much smaller home!

We recycled, donated, Craig’s Listed, and dumped as much as we could and fourteen truck loads later, we had a place fit for an HGTV “Designed to Sell” episode!

So what needs to be cleared out, refreshed, and revamped in your business? What are you doing to meet and exceed the new needs of your clients and prospects? And if you’re not sure what to do, it’s time to get some help.

Ask your current clients, take them to lunch of coffee and find out how you can add value to their current situation. Consult with experts who can help you define the issues and provide strategic advice on your options.  There’s a lot of heavy lifting involved, but it is worth the effort.

All our hard work paid off. We sold the house quickly and we’re getting ready to move…another opportunity to pare down, streamline, and get rid of the clutter!

Doing the same in business can really get things moving again!