Communication – Your Relationship with Others

As a business woman, I am required to build different types of relationships with diverse groups of people. Not only does this help amplify my business efforts, it helps my industry grow as a whole. So, I am expected to develop and nurture professional relationships. This is why I wanted to dedicate today’s blog post to the art of communicating / relating with others.

If you want to develop and nurture a professional relationship or communicate something – stay away from social media. Sure, it is easier but there is a lack of personal response that is lost with the medium. It isn’t hard or time consuming to take a person out for coffee… just make sure you stay off your phone when speaking with him or her. A simple communication break over a latte can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your business.

My key point to communication and building relationships is actually knowing the person outside his or her LinkedIn profile. You need to sit, meet and speak with them, not just IM or @ them via social media. Plus, social media is responsible for a lot of misinterpreted tones and failed chances for business deals.

Take the time this week to get to know one new business contact over coffee. I promise you, you will be glad you did!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Saying ‘No’ to Clients

There is a time and a place to put customer service on the back burner and say ‘no’ to a client. For many business owners, this is a hard thing to do. It means turning down money, which we never want to do. However, sometimes you have to look the other way and ignore the cash.

If a client is taking advantage of your good nature, and asking for extra services / products- it is time to lay down the law. ‘No’ can be an empowering word and you don’t have to be mean when you say it. There are polite ways to decline a request, such as stating “I am going to have to politely decline this time.”

The reason I bring this up is because most business owners are people pleasers. We tend to take on a lot and figure out a way to work out the overload at a later date… or worse- put ourselves at the point of financial harm.

My advice for you this Friday is to know when to say ‘no’ and then to be strong when saying it. If a client cuts off your services because you aren’t willing to 1) work for free 2) be overloaded or 3) can’t break an ethical position – that client isn’t worth having.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

7 Billion for Border Security

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2015 spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Overall, the bill recommends spending $39.2 billion on DHS next year. Don't believe me? Here's the link to the actual press release stating this: http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=384154

According to the release, "The bill provides $39.2 billion in discretionary funding for DHS. This is a decrease of $50 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, but an increase of $887.8 million above the President’s request for these programs. The bill also includes a total of $7 billion, the same as the President’s request, in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster funding to help states and communities respond and recover from unexpected disasters."
WOW!

The reason I am sharing this with you on today’s Homeland Security blog is the same as why I have been harping on border security in just about every Homeland Security blog post ….money. There is no amount of money that will circumvent this problem. As long as people understand that we spend more money blocking people from coming versus allocating resources to handle these situations on a case-by-case basis once they are on, we will continue to have issues!

Many people who cross into this country are arrested for violent crimes. This isn’t a blanket statement as much as it is statistically proven. There are real security threats associated with this problem. Then you have children crossing in search of a better life or those who have been brought over to use as sex slaves in the human trafficking arena. We need to use more common sense than actual cents to alleviate the challenges that come with maintaining border security.

he committee report includes $7.5 million for 22 mobile video surveillance systems, $10 million to make infrastructure improvements for upgraded remote video surveillance systems and $10 million for unattended ground sensors and imaging sensors, a cross border tunnel threat analysis of alternatives and a communications study. Where is the money for the resources once someone gets by the border? And they will get by the border- even with the increases!

We need to ask how we can help those seeking a better life and how we can punish those who cross illegally and then commit crimes. Our standards as to how we help or handle situations needs to be addressed. Anyone can throw money at a disaster, it doesn’t mean the dollars squash the rain.

Twyla N. Garrett

A Private Life- How Your Business Is Different From You!

If you own a business you know there is hardly any time for a personal life. If you are the figurehead for this business, life becomes even more hard as people put you under a microscope 24/7. So, how do you move forward with a personal life that is private and away from your business brand?

First, make sure your personal social media accounts are not connected to your business accounts. If you do connect these two things, understand you are “on call” for your business 24/7 regardless of what the issue may be. It is possible an angry client will send you a personal message (or worse, post a public wall) at two in the morning. I suggest you keep these account separate for obvious reasons.

Second, make sure you never take a photo with a drink in your hand. I know this sounds odd, but trust me on this one. It is a business decision that will take you a lot further then it will backwards. Photos of professionals out drinking can equal disaster when it comes to your reputation vs. client confidence. So, pause the picture to allow time for you to put the drink down.

Finally, keep office hours as office hours. If you spend too much time answering phones and emails after business hours then no one will respect your off hours as just this!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Email is Ruining Business, Here’s Why!

Many people believe answering emails immediately is a good thing. After all, doing this displays how responsive and customer service orientated you are, right? Wrong. The truth is, study after study has been done on the immediate emailed response and if it is actually a good business practice. It turns out, it isn’t.

Constant mobile or desktop emails takes away from actual productivity and creativity. Many studies recommend you only option to check email three times a day and you shouldn’t ever host it on your smartphone device. If someone needs to talk, then can call or text you to setup a time.

Emailing can also create project distractions and overcomplicate tasks. Nothing beats being productive more than taking short breaks for an inspiring walk or actually doing the work. So, this week try to keep emails in check by only checking them three times a day.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Gaining the RIGHT Investor

Someone wrote into the blog asking how they should develop an investment sheet. When I asked what this person meant by “investment sheet”, he replied stating it was a static sheet that had all his facts and figures on it but where he could change the name of the investor being pitched. First, this is a horrible idea. We all know when someone is handing us a stock letter with a customized name on it. I obtain mail and SPAM like this daily. Don’t ever template out your investment pitches.

All this said, I want to offer my readers a few tips on how to obtain the right investor- not just any investor. Relationships are key in business, especially when the involve money. You want your investor to understand investment options and percentages as much as they understand the concept of your company.

Always present multiple investment options upfront. This way, you don’t have the option of receiving an across the board no. This also helps invite the right investor to counteract with different options for you to consider and it opens up a dialogue, thus building a relationship. Once a relationship is built, it is harder for the investor to say ‘no’ and not select one of the options on the table.

There is nothing template about asking for money. Sure, facts and figures need to be included in a presentation, but they shouldn’t be the main force behind the presentation.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

Internal Customer Service

People often ask me about providing customer service. My company, IME, does an amazing job at providing stellar customer service. The trick to providing great external customer services is to provide even better internal customer service. Yes, employees providing customer service to one another is the secret to success when it comes to customer service.

I tell my clients to mimic and then change the tone of a situation that may escalate with either a customer or a co-worker and it works. If someone starts to elevate his or her voice, you do it as well- but briefly. Raise your voice to regain their attention and then calmly lower your voice, changing the tone to positively express your message. If someone crosses their arms in anger then you should do the same, just make sure you transition to unfolding your arms and speaking with a welcome body image to showcase a willingness to listen, change action and welcome feedback.

All of this may sound hokey but it does work. The next time you are in a debate with someone – anyone- remember to mimic and then to change the mimic into a positive stance or tone. I can promise you external and internal customer relations will change for the better. Your profit margins will thank you!

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett