Thank you for following and checking in on this blog.  It has been dormant for some time now and for that I apologize.   A diversified plan was in place for the past few years:  Diversified by topic as well in social media presence.  Moving forward, this blog is being transferred, consolidated, and absorbed at the following location:  http://dwstraub.tumblr.com/

Additionally, the marketing brand and image are being managed by the Straub Organization under the moniker of The CRM Network.  The CRM Network’s social media profile consists of a Facebook page, Twitter account, Google Plus page, and a YouTube channel.  The links to some of these can be found at http://StraubOrg.com/The_CRM_Network

While the writings will be more broadly based, you will still find the essence of this outlet in many of the future pieces. I have often stated to clients that when a business model is no longer successful then there must be a change.  That has been true for others in the past and it is true now.  As Spring has sprung and the life renewed, so too the time for this to be born anew. 

With Warmest Regards.

The Yahoo! Effect

In light of the recent headlines created by Yahoo!, I thought it would be best to take a step back and review certain aspects of how one views their daily work.  Working from home is nothing new.  The nomadic sales person has been doing it for centuries.  Add to that the daily contractor that is on job sites by day and crunching numbers by night or the home-based business person selling everything from cosmetics to jewelry, the home office is nothing new.

What is new, are the personalities and tools that have found their way into the home office/telecommuting environment.  One must have a sense of his/her own personal discipline and work in an environment conducive to their needs.  Sales people of all personalities have found ways to prosper.  However, now we have a rise in a relatively new animal known as the consultant.  Consultants are found in every field and most are not accustomed to being their own boss or the freedom, for better or worse,  that comes with working from home.

For many, this has been modified to give them the best of both worlds; the tether to a corporate office or employer with the freedom of working from home.  That being said, if the personality of the telecommuter is not conducive to an at home work environment, then the work and the company suffers.  What Yahoo! did could be in reaction to the wrong personalities working outside the office environment.  So the approach is to bring everyone back to the company office, evaluate personalities, possibly create training initiatives to help all personalities work better off site, then open the company back up to telecommuting.

It only makes sense that with so many tools at ones disposal that overcoming any personality or complementing personalities should be possible.  But without understanding how to make maximum use of the tools, they go underutilized.  I could load up my truck with all kinds of tools from Home Depot but without the knowledge of how to use them, I can’t make, build, or fix anything. 

In conclusion, the issue boils down to the need for evaluation and training.  Perhaps other firms need to do the same thing as Yahoo! and maybe some firms have already found solutions to create a “best practices” training approach to the issue.  Either way, it is easy to poke fun at an internet based firm doing away with telecommuting.  But there is always more to the story than just the headline or late night joke.

ROI on Face to Face Personalization, Part I

The other day I came across an article on CMO.com written by Nick Corcodilos entitled “Is Face Time the New Personalization?” that summarized the findings by Geoffrey James.  It is somewhat profound however if one thinks about the main points it is also not very surprising.  Having said that, it doesn't mean that companies and individuals have changed their behaviors or modified their approaches to adapt.

Without going into much detail on any one point, I will try to make a quick summary to move onto the logical, natural progression and implication of these points.

First, cold calling is out.  That is putting it mildly.  Cold calling is dead.  To be honest, who didn't know this?  Years ago you had to go through a switch board, then a receptionist, then an administrative assistant or “gate keeper”, then came voice mail, automated systems, and caller ID.

Second, technology is more portable.  With smart phones, tablets and abundant WIFI, sales personnel along with other job functions are no longer tied to an office.  So even if cold calling wasn't dead, the chances of the person you are trying to contact actually being there are slim.

 

Third, data driven management opens the doors to a more diverse personality in sales.  No longer is sales relegated to the “Herb Tarlicks” of the world.  With data, a typical underperformer can be turned into a good sales person.  This broadens the personality spectrum and, with good training and good data, creates opportunities for more candidates.

All this leads to, as the article states, a “known person to known person” interaction. 

I said all that, to branch off into two lines of thinking:

1:            Making the most of Social Media

2:            What is the ROI?

Whether in sales or job searching, this flattening of information and need for personalization relies more on whom you know rather than what you know.  A recent stat from the Wall Street Journal shows that over half of all jobs are never posted before they are filled.  In this environment you need to find ways to network and expand your personal network.  One way is through Social Media.  Facebook is great to connect with old friends, but LinkedIn is where you can connect with not only other professionals, but with companies.  Most of the services are free, but you can opt for a membership of about $50 per month or $600 per year.

 

This brings me to my next inquiry about ROI.  If you are seeking a new job, how much are you willing to invest in finding that job?  If all this leads to personalization then it tells me you will be spending a lot of time at Starbucks, a chain restaurant, or even a local bar or pub to meet people.  And if the meeting is at your request, which most likely it is, you are probably going to be on the hook for the tab.  It is safe to say that each interaction is going to average $15; from two cups of coffee to two adult beverages and maybe the occasional lunch.

Moreover, these interactions are not a one and done deal.  The first meeting is an introductory one, the second is follow up, and the third is one of appreciation for efforts.  So each new found relationship is a minimum $45 investment.  How many of these do you want to have?  How many of these do you think you will need?  And again, what is the ROI?

Let’s say a person “exited”, for lack of another term, a job that paid, on a monthly basis, $5000 per month before taxes; basically $60k per year.  Now they want to find something similar.  They net $45k per year or $3750 per month.  Now how many of these $45 relationships per month are they willing to go through?

Now let’s say you are a sales person with 15 meeting slots a week, half of which are in a formal office setting.  This leaves about 8 meetings a week in the setting from above.  Will your employer expense your $120 per week coffee and drinking habit?  Or are you self-employed?   That is a $6k per year or $500 per month expense.  How much is that commission again?

Game Time Decision

Recently, after a round of golf, I was sitting around a table in the club talking and one of the guys starting to speak about his son and the soccer team he was on.  This gentlemen told us about a discussion he had with his son regarding his enjoyment, or lack thereof, with the team.

 

Apparently this kid is only playing about 6 to 8 minutes a game.  Because of this, the boy isn’t happy, doesn’t look forward to practice or the games.  His Father, in an understanding yet unsympathetic way told him, “You went out for the team, you made the team, you are unhappy with the time you play.  What you have to do is show the coach something special during practice to convince him to give you more game time.  You could quit, but you could also find that spark that made you go out for the team to begin with and make an effort to make it worthwhile.”

After hearing this, I started to think about how this applies to the business world as well.  We apply for a job, we get the job, but then we become bored, malcontent, and distracted.  Why?  Either we were given an assignment or task and fell short of expectations or we just “punch in” and “punch out” acting like we don’t care.  In both cases, the boss, manager, or coach hasn’t really seen you perform nor has reason to expect anything special out of you.

 

If you feel more distracted, distant, and on the verge of quitting, then find the spark that made you apply for the position and ask for opportunities to improve.  Perhaps there is a research project you could do, maybe you could tag along on a meeting or listen in on a conference call.  Just standing up and showing interest will make him/her consider you for the next opportunity.

In the end, this kid got some great advice from his father.  Hopefully, regardless of how he chooses to deal with the soccer team, he will have a great compass to guide him in his future endeavors.  This father could have been very compassionate, told him to quit, take him out for ice cream and all will be ok.  Instead, he picked up his son, dusted him off, and said try it again.

 

Whether you are a consultant, in sales, part of a team, there was a reason that you applied your skills in such a manner.  Make it worth your while as well as make your boss feel good about the decision he or she made in hiring you and get back in the game.

The Search

Recently I had the pleasure of returning to my Alma Mater on Homecoming weekend.  It is something I do just about every year.  However, with the economy and the job market being what it is, I couldn’t help but reflect back on how I chose to be an alumnus of this particular institution and compare it to how one goes about finding their next “project”?

By using the word project, I mean next job, next client, next endeavor?  Is it word of mouth, networking, social media, etc?  If so, think back to when you started your college search.  You were in high school, going to class, preparing and taking the SAT or some other test.  At any point were any of the methods described above employed in your search for a college?  I am going to say they were not used.  Not because the technology was not available to employ them or even because your teenage mind was not exposed to the concept of them, but rather it wasn’t the way to go about it.  Unless you were an amazing athlete, colleges were not seeking you out.  You had to search for them on your own.  And here you were not searching for a major or a program, but you were searching for an institution.  Searching for your next “endeavor” or project is no different.  You shouldn’t be searching for a position or a job, but rather a company.

Think about it.  When you started your college search how did you go about it?  You started by knowing there were about 3000 colleges.  How did you narrow it down?  There are large public and large private colleges (in the business world you might want to consider this equivalent to the Fortune 100).  There are mid sized public and private colleges and there are small, private schools as well.  While geography and finances may have played a part in your selection, it probably came down to what the right fit was for you and your personality.  Did you choose a large school for the challenge of becoming a big fish in a big pond, or for the anonymity you preferred in the large setting?  Did you choose the small school to be a big fish in a small pond or for the intimacy you found in smaller groups?  Whatever made you select the school of your choosing, remember that you selected them before they selected you.  So shouldn’t the same apply here?

Based on your personality, do you thrive in the city or in the country?  Do you like the benefits and cutting edge technology employed by larger firms or would you prefer to make an impact at a smaller firm?  Do you like being a part of a big machine or the family atmosphere of a boutique firm?  There is no right or wrong, but the similarities in how one searches for a college and a firm are undeniable.

Instead of finding a position and trying to fit into something that isn’t exactly you, why not start with the type of company you prefer and work your way into an opportunity.  To that end, would you want to be at the “main campus” or a “satellite campus”?  Do you want to attend Penn State at Happy Valley or Penn State Altoona?  Publically traded firms can be found on any number of lists.  Want the large, multi-national, equivalent of the Ivy League, then look at the Dow 30 Components.  Want a large business, look at the Fortune 500.  Want a small business, look at the Russell 2000.  Want private firms, seek out Dunn & Bradstreet lists or members of your greater city chamber of commerce.  You can make a list out of any qualifier; market cap, revenue, geography, industry, etc.  That being said, you can seek out a job or position by creating a list of few hundred, actively seek 10% of them at a time, and choose the one that is right for you.  If you have a product or service to offer, then create a list of a couple thousand, pursue a small percentage at a time, and you should wind up with a client list of 3,5 or even 10%.

Bottom line is that you sought them out before they selected you.  You didn’t just answer an ad, you created a need for them to want you.  

Can you get off the tee?

Can you get off the tee?  I have often thought that sports analogies work well for business.  That being said, sports have seasons and business is on-going. The time for training and practice is very limited as one seems to always be in the game. 

Golf, however, is a bit different.  While you can practice at the driving range, you cannot recreate the shots you actually face on the course.  You must adjust and combine practice shots within your actual round. As one that took up golf in his early 30’s, a young professional’s rite of passage, I find golf to be relevant to many aspects of business; especially in relationship building.

Golf is measured against par, the number of shots it should take you to complete the hole.  Typically there are par 3, par 4, and par 5 holes on a golf course with the majority (10 of 18) holes being par 4.  A par 4 hole is usually around 360 yards in length. Your tee shot should get you somewhere around 150 yards out from the center of the green.  Your second shot should put you on the green, and the next two strokes should be putts.  That being said, you probably do this in 3 strokes with a good finish; a one-putt.  If you don’t get on the green in 2 strokes or it takes you 3 putts to finish you will finish the hole in 5.

You might be wondering where all this leading.  The other day I was on the course and I could not get off the tee.  My tee shot never left me in a good place to finish a hole in par or better.  If you can’t get off the tee, you will almost never finish well.  Same can be said in networking, relationship building, sales, or client relations.  If your tee shot fades into the woods, you will most likely have to take a stroke to get back on the fairway and then proceed to the green.

To consistently get off the tee you must practice, concentrate, and execute.  And to build a successful relationship or generate a positive result in your endeavor requires that you also know how to not only drive the ball off the tee, but also hit off the fairway, out of the woods, out of the sand, pitching and chipping, and putting.  Furthermore, you will probably have to learn to “shape” your shots as well.  In light of all these shots you need to have in your “bag”, you need to have a good tee shot, good short game, good putting, and hit out of the bunkers.

Whether for individual purposes or for the betterment of your firm, a professional development program will improve your business success and get you off the tee. 

Reputation

An interesting topic came up last week during a conversation I was having with a colleague of mine. Given our profession as consultants we have clients. The question raised was “to what degree is our reputation based on our clients own reputation?”

The question wasn’t raised out of a political or ideological reputation, but out of a moral one. A defense attorney doesn’t really worry about the reputation of his client due to the adversarial nature of our judicial system. However, in a business environment do other potential clients consider the reputation of our existing client base or past client relations?

We often seek recommendations and referrals from our clients which create, bolsters, and foster our own reputations. But can it work in reverse as well? Are we damaged by the actions taken by our clients? Obviously if a potential client has a questionable reputation at the onset, then you should really deliberate and consider bringing them on as a client. But the question was posed to consider if an existing client starts to conduct himself in a less than scrupulous manner after you have taken him on.

I think the answer is found in the quality of our work. A good defense attorney will live to defend another day based on the quality of his litigation. I feel the same is true in the manner with which we provide our service. A disgruntled client has the potential to adversely impact the reputation of the firm. However I do not believe that a client, who has said nothing good nor bad, but about whom has developed a questionable reputation himself, can have any impact whatsoever.

Moreover, do your job. Do your job well. Let the chips fall where they may with regard to success or failure. Control that which is in your scope to control. The disgruntled client mentioned above could be that way based on three situations. The first situation is due to an error on your part. The second situation is due to an error in execution on his part. The third is due based on external outcomes which are determined neither by preparation nor execution.

In the end all you can do is say, I did the job I was hired to do. If you can honestly say that, then your reputation will be just fine.

2011 is here and DWS can help with your marketing and development endeavors. From Branding and Imaging to Sales Training and Management, DWS works with you to enhance your Client Relations and bring you on board with Social Media and Content Management solutions.

Welcome to the DWS family of Social Media venues. DWS can be found on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn as well as various blogs. Below please find links and descriptions.

Professional Profile:

www.linkedin.com/in/drewstraub

Facebook Presence:

www.facebook.com/dwsgroup

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/ucdws

DWS oversees various discussions in the form of blog postings. Depending on your need or interest, each site can offer just the insight you are seeking: everything from an academic perspective to everyday examples of professional development and client relations management.

The Enlightened Consultant:

www.enlightenedconsultant.blogspot.com

This blog is for those that are in sales or sales management, follow a consultative sales approach, or provide consulting services. The purpose of this blog is to foster a sense of shared learning; hearing about what works, what doesn't work, and how events or activities in your daily life are integrated into your profession.

This blog is more academic in nature and will often mention books or generate a series of discussions based on a book or collection of works.

The Duck Pond Wall:

www.duck-pond-wall.blogspot.com

While on campus during my college years there was a duck pond. It intersected the dorms to the lecture halls and the library to the student union. If you sat on the wall at the duck pond you would see everyone on campus throughout the day. Topics of all kind were discussed. I took this setting to create a venue for sharing concepts and ideas. Hope you find the posts worthwhile.

Everyday CRM:

www.everydaycrm.blogspot.com

This blog is created to share those everyday moments when client relations issues rise to the level of being noticed. For better or worse, this blog will provide real life examples and what lessons can be learned. Hope you find this blog to be a regular destination on a weekly basis through out 2011.

The goal for all the blogs in 2011 is to post twice per week. That being said, there should be fresh content everyday. Furthermore, by following on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn you will be notified immediately of the latest posts.

Golf, Missions, and Increments

The word of the day is incrementally. If you have ever played golf, then you know you cannot fix every aspect of your game at the same time. You work on driving, short game, putting, etc in increments. You do not shoot 20 strokes better in one outing, rather you improve over time. While I knew this to be true and believe strongly in bringing about change to an organization incrementally, I never thought about how it pertained to one niche in particular: Missions work.

This past week I had the pleasure of listening to a husband and wife that are in the process of raising funds to go abroad for two years. I always thought that if you had a calling to do such good works that you would just do it. However, and thankfully, that is not the case. First, the husband of this couple went on a short mission as a worker. Then, he and his wife went back again as workers. Then, he organized and led a short missions trip. Now he is in the process of taking a year to raise funds so that he and his wife can go away for two years on a mission. He and his wife, incrementally prepared themselves for such a task.

Whatever your profession might be, the key to solid, positive change will be to do it incrementally. This assumes, just like in golf, that you have trained and understand the fundamentals and now you can work on improving the various aspects in an orderly fashion.

Now is a good time to get back to the fundamentals. Take the summer to get back to basics. Then, in the fall, work on incrementally improving your metrics. Getting back to basics has never been easier. Now that summer is here you can follow this blog once or twice a week with the Summer of Fundamentals Series. Follow on twitter or linkedin for updates. www.twitter.com/ucdws www.linkedin.com/in/drewstraub

Branding Colors and the "Uniformed" Look

The other day I went into my local bank branch. One of the accent colors they use is a lime green. The color is in their logo, on their brochures, on the pens they give away, etc. As I was standing in line I noticed all the tellers had some shade of this color on some article of clothing. One man had a lime green shirt under a sweater vest, another man had lime green in his tie, a woman had a lime green shirt under her blouse. It started me thinking about the uniformed look and which would make more sense from a marketing and branding perspective.

Should a company that identifies itself so much by its branding colors offer their employees a few different uniforms to wear? In this case, because it wasn’t so much a uniform look as it was a splash of color, would the company be better served to dictate a uniform? My other thought was here is a person with a rather low paying job having to go out and buy clothing specifically for his job. It is not as though the colored items don’t serve a dual purpose and can be worn for regular clothing, but the color choice is a trend color not a classic color like navy blue or cardinal red. What happens when clothiers move onto other colors, where do these employees get their work clothes?

In addition, not everyone knows what shirt size they are or how it should look. So you might have a young, thin person with a collar that is obviously too big or perhaps sleeves that are too long. While trying to create a color-schemed wardrobe you become distracted by his clean yet disheveled appearance. Another cost comes in the form of dry cleaning. While some of these employees are still grasping the concept of ironing, some clothing is best left to the dry cleaner. If not ironed or dry cleaned, this branded color becomes more distracting and negatively reflects on the brand as employees walk around in wrinkled clothing.

So I ask again, would it not be in the best interest of the company whose colors so closely identify their branding to institute a uniform? And should the company, in lieu of a uniform, reimburse the hourly wage employee for clothing and cleaning where color is mandatory and a part of his employment?

It has been several months since my last post. I apologize for not keeping up with the blogs. The past few months have been spent studying market opportunities and social media management. That being said, lets examine the economy as it stands today.

There is about 27% unemployment among blue collar workers. This means that existing inventories are being spent down with no real increase in future demand. Not a good sign. We are also confronted with 17% unemployment/underemployment. People have found employment but below or outside their experience and skill set. Finally, and most recently we were told the unemployment rate is officially 9.9%. Squeaking in at just under 10% makes this a positive in the eyes of the administration and mainstream media. However, there are several untold thousands of people that have simply fallen off the rolls as their benefits have expired.

Now we are into May and the college graduates will be entering the job market and next month, those not going onto college, will be graduating from High School and entering the job market as well. This is cyclical; it happens every year but is particularly sensitive given the overall job market and economy. That being said, there are more entrepreneurial opportunities to be crafted. Everyone has a skill set, but what is needed is the ability to convey the message and get contracts signed. This is where a specialist like myself can be of benefit to start ups as well as to small, existing firms looking to polish up their efforts.

So I hope that explains my absence from the blog and I have recommitted myself to providing educational and thought provoking postings. Look for a few per week. For daily updates you can also follow me on facebook, twitter, and LinkedIn

Unemployment creates opportunity. Strange to say, but it is true. Amidst the turmoil that follows the loss of a job is the quiet confidence of real, positive change. The numbers are staggering; 20% unemployment among all males in the U.S. (conversely 80% employment- the lowest since the stat was kept in the mid 1940's), 17.5% combined unemployment/underemployment, almost 11% overall unemployment (at least twice and almost 3 times the level of virtual full employment seen just 24 months ago). Yet, in spite of these numbers, there is opportunity.

These posts are written for a broadly targeted audience consisting of the unemployed, the underemployed, the self-employed, and the autonomously employed. While the first three are easily understood, the fourth refers to those unique individuals that are relatively secure in their position, have little or no meaningful oversight, but do have to produce results.

So with this backdrop and for this audience we embark on our journey toward Sales, Marketing and Client Relations excellence. We will start with a list of books under the topic heading of "The Basics". If you are seeking change or change has found you, there is no better way to deal with it than to review the writings of Spencer Johnson, M.D and his work entitled "WHO MOVED MY CHEESE".

Mentally preparing yourself for how you react to change is important. Also important is your financial well being. As a former financial advisor I could provide you a laundry list of statistics, ratio's and issues all topped with a certain sense of prudence. However this is not the place or the time for all those accounting details. You need to focus on the larger picture; raising your kids, college, your own time frame for retirement, and the lifestyle that suits you. While you are set to embrace change you still have to put effort into maintaining or realizing certain financial obligations. Just as Spencer Johnson helps with change, Lee Eisenberg helps you keep track of your financial goals in his book "THE NUMBER".

Both of these books are offered on CD and can probably be found in an MP3 or iPod format as well. Either way, you can get through them in less than 10 hours. Mental preparedness is the most important hurdle at this time. As you go through this series of postings we will come back to behavior and outlook discussions for reinforcement. As The Carpenters said "we have only just begun".

We will continue the list of books under the topic of "The Basics" next time.

We are still in the first half of the first month of the new year. Those new year resolutions are being tested. Whether it be a diet or exercise program, most changes are best done in moderation. Same applies to your professional life. Whether it be a new marketing approach or sales goals or client retentions and loyalty, it is best to make small, incremental, modest changes over time.

Why am I telling you this? Because over the next year I am proposing a makeover to the way you market and garner your business and to the way you retain clients and grow your business. I have assembled a library of over 50 books and broken them down into 9 general topics. These topics are:

The Basics
The Outlook
Analysis and Market Place
Personal Marketing
Sales
Client Relations Management
Organizational Management
Leadership
Business Management

I understand that not all of these topics will be of interest to you, however you may just find a little something to take away from each posting. However I must caution you that the approach I take in presenting this information is geared toward an individual making changes and improving their own goals. If you are a business owner or manager over a group of sales reps or customer service reps, then you may want to reach out to me for a professional, in-house training consult.

Enjoy the rest of the week and I will be back on the flip side of the weekend.

Happy New Year! It has been several months since my last posting. As a new year resolution I have committed to a series of postings for 2010. The series will start with the basics but with it being a new year I thought it would be a great opportunity to discuss laying out a model year and a model week.

I am sure all of us do this to some extent now and with the help of smart phones and connectivity devices it is easier than ever to set up. I remember starting to lay out model weeks in high school over 20 years ago; writing down homework, test dates, papers, etc. I would sit down on a Sunday evening and look at the week ahead. In college it became a bit more involved having to include laundry, dry cleaning, budgets and reminders to call home for more money along with Fraternity's, clubs, group research and study times.

So setting up the model week wasn't a difficult thing when you had due dates, but what happens when you get out of an academic environment and into the real world? Upon graduating from college I took a position as a sales rep. Not only did I not have assignments with actual due dates, I had no real structure. For the first time in my life summer wasn't a long rest and September held no more importance than any other month. I found myself lost with no structure and it was like I was just drifting in the ocean. I could see the beach but no matter how hard I swam I wasn't making any head-way.

I had to essentially hit the reset button and take a larger view of time. I had to look at the year as a whole. Where were the down times? When did I have to work hard? When would I take a break? I evaluated this to suit my target industry which was Academia. So the fall was a hard working time. The spring was a hard working time. The Christmas holiday season was a down time. Summer was somewhere in between hard working and down. However that being said I found out that August was just about dead. So I now had structure. I knew that from after Labor day to just before Thanksgiving was the busiest time in my profession. The springtime was spent ensuring that the work I put in in the fall would be rewarded as well as a time for making new contacts to approach in the upcoming fall. Early summer was spent finalizing the orders and getting paid. Just the nature of my particular industry at the time. Each industry is different and you have to learn what works for you. However setting up some structure will help you focus and keep you on track.

Next is the adult version of the model week. For this I find it best if you start with your family. What do the kids have and when and how do they get there. Family logistics can be very challenging. After that what clubs, associations, or networking in general do you have? Do you have a weekly tee time? How about Rotary or Masons? Do you have any civic responsibilities? What about church related commitments or other charities? Once you lay out these events then you know the time constraints to reach your goals.

It is amazing that once you stop floundering about and set a course, how manageable it all becomes. You may not realize your goals but you are never out of sight of them. Good luck in 2010. Look for more postings to help you become the best in your field this year.

I trust everyone had a great Fourth of July with their friends and family. Did any business take place? Yes? No? Maybe so? Perhaps ever so subtly. Were you asked how business was? Could this have been someone testing the waters of your service? Were you asked to go golfing or take part in some other activity? Maybe this is someone's way of speaking to you privately. Did you ask these questions of others to test the waters of the market?

While I didn't intend to write about picnics and fireworks as a networking opportunity, it did just come to me. Perhaps that would be a great topic for another time, however I wanted to pick up where I left on my last post that can be found on www.berlinbusinessassociation.blogspot.com.

First, I wanted to make a correction. The book I mentioned about diplomacy is actually titled "On the Manner of Negotiating with Princes".

Second, I wanted to round out "The Basics" book list by adding a couple of titles. I mentioned that Trump suggested some reading of Jung. What I left out was that he also recommended The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale.

Another great read is by Malcolm Gladwell. He has written three very fascinating books and each will be addressed in its proper context in future posts. However, for this post, the book I want to bring to your attention is Outliers. In it are revelations about curious, coincidental circumstances out of your control that have an impact on what you do for a living and your particular level of success at that profession. Everything from the month of birth, the generation one was born into, the chosen profession of grandparents, etc, accounts for the uniqueness of success found in his subjects. I feel that since the premise of summer postings is about start-ups, transitional opportunities, or improvements to existing operations, this book might make you think about your career.

So in addition to polishing yourself up and getting motivated, you may want to take a step back and see if "the launch sequence" has begun on the correct "rocket" of your career.

As we move forward the topics will proceed in the following order:

Basics (this post and last)
Outlook
Analysis & Market Place
Personal Marketing
Sales
CRM (Client/Customer Relations Management)
Organizational Management
Leadership
Management

Have a great week. Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/UCDWS. Connect with me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/drewstraub.

I just finished a post at www.Berlinbusinessassociation.blogspot.com. I contribute a couple times a week there and am trying to keep tandem content whenever possible. While I ramped up on that blog a handful of good summer reads, I thought I would review and recommend a book a week on this blog.

Taking the lead from the blog posted above, you should take a step back and at least review if not read or listen to the material presented there first. In addition to them you should also read Who Moved My Cheese. This will round out the "foundations" portion of the Enlightened Consultants reading recommendations. Later in the week, and through out the summer for that matter, look for additional titles on topics of "Professional Mind-set, Leadership, Sales & Marketing, and Management".

With over 50 book recommendations to come, by the time this is over you will have a great library and should have a better outlook on your business and better number on your bottom line.

I have been working on adding a new lecture or series to my topic list of offerings. As a result, I came across an interesting quiz. See how you do.

Business Etiquette Quiz
Test Your E.I. (Etiquette Intelligence)
Are You a Gracious Go-Getter or the Office Oaf?

A colleague begins to tell you a story he heard about a coworkers private life, so you:

A. Diplomatically tell him you’re not interested in hearing about it.
B. Listen carefully—the more you know about your coworkers, the better equipped you’ll be to navigate office politics.
C. Listen intently and then rush off to tell someone else in the office all the juicy details.

A client has been waiting for about five minutes to meet with you but you’re running a little behind schedule, and you need a few more minutes to finish up, so you:

A. Take a minute to walk out and apologize in person and offer him a cup of coffee and a magazine.
B. Have your assistant tell him you are running behind schedule and you will be a few more minutes.
C. Finish what you’re working on—you’ll get it done faster that way and they’ll only have to wait a few more minutes.

One of your coworkers has clearly "had a few" at the office party, so you:

A. Pull him aside and try to get him to switch to juice or coffee—you don’t want him making a fool out of himself in front of the boss.
B. Ignore it.
C. Decide he’s got the right idea and join him in overindulging—after all it is a party.

You enter a coworker’s office or cubicle to chat and she’s on the phone, so you:

A. Leave a note saying you need to speak with her and try to get her at another time.
B. Stand in the doorway and wait for her to get off—it’ll save you the time of having to come back later when she’ll probably just be on another call.
C. Insist that she speak with you immediately—it’s important and you don’t have time to wait around.

You witness one of your coworkers tell the new intern that she "looks really sexy in the short skirts she always wears," so you:

A. Privately point out that his comments were sexist and offensive.
B. Publicly criticize his character—he needs to be deterred from making similar comments in the future.
C. Laugh heartily and voice your agreement—it’s just harmless fun.

You work in a casual-dress office and you have a meeting at your company’s bank, so you:

A. Dust off your best suit—you want to leave nothing to chance.
B. Dress up a little more than usual, maybe add a jacket to your ensemble.
C. Dress as casually as usual—what counts is the substance of the meeting, not your appearance.

As the marketing manager in your company you vastly underestimate the time required for your division to complete a project and you come out way over budget, so you:

A. Accept responsibility for the error and admit to your staff that you made a mistake and set about to correct it.
B. Say nothing, but take action to correct your mistake.
C. Attempt to deflect your responsibility for the error by spreading blame around—after all, you can’t be perceived as a screw up by your staff.

Your boss calls you into her office to go over your latest report, and she criticizes a significant portion of your work, so you:

A. Listen carefully and take time to think about everything she said before offering a response.
B. Respond to each criticism as it comes up to insure you don’t miss the opportunity to downplay each one.
C. Get angry at her and quickly point out many of her shortcomings—she needs to know she’s not perfect either and next time maybe she’ll think twice before criticizing your work.

You notice that a male colleague’s fly is undone and because you’re a female you’re a little embarrassed about saying anything to him, so you:

A. Have one of the other men in the office tell him.
B. Simply ignore it.
C. Make an office joke of it – every office needs some comic relief to liven it up.

You want a raise and in order to justify it you tell your boss:

A. What new responsibilities you can assume and what you can achieve with the added responsibilities.
B. That your salary is below average for your position in your region.
C. About how expensive your grandfather’s nursing home bills are.

SCORING
Add up the number of corresponding points for each letter. A’s are 2 points, B’s are 1 point and C’s are 0 points.

20 – 15 Your business etiquette is rock solid. You’re able to handle a wide variety of everyday situations with grace and sensitivity.

14 – 10 You usually practice sound business etiquette. Focus on approaching every situation with thought and consideration for others and your company.

9 – 0 Your business etiquette is bankrupt. You need to spend considerable time learning and practicing how to handle a variety of common business social challenges properly.

Remember, your business or professional image is more important than you think.

If you believe the following premise: 1: Teachers have an influence in the life of the student.
2: How you present yourself says a great deal about you.

Then the following observation from last weeks 8th grade awards ceremony should be of some interest to you.

Before I proceed, I must tell you that I have not verified anything from the school, but I did speak with a teacher at another district about dress codes for teachers. Assuming the codes are similar, then these teachers I saw on Friday were out of line. Perhaps it was casual Friday, but enough with the apologist.

The principal was appropriately dressed in a suit. The gym teachers were appropriately dressed in gym attire. If it was casual Friday, then the male teachers were appropriately dressed in jeans and casual slacks with a collared shirt. But there were at least two female teachers and one male teacher that were not at all appropriate in their choice of clothing or footwear. Please tell me when flip-flops or Birkenstocks became acceptable, professional footwear. Open-toed shoes of any kind is usually against the dress code in a professional setting. Teachers, especially in NJ, have a strong union and insist on being treated as professionals, but at an awards assembly they choose to be completely inappropriate.

Now I know it is June, it is the end of a school year, but you have to know that at some point during the day you will be in front of parents and business people. Is a sixties hippie look really the image you want to present to the community? As someone that would rather risk being over dressed for an occasion than under dressed, this bothers me. As someone that relies on the value of first impressions and lectures on the subject matter, I find this very disturbing.

I don't know if there could ever be an adequate explanation but I would welcome an opportunity to discuss this matter with the principal or other authoritative figure from this institution.

It has been about 6 weeks or so since I set out to create my "web presence". I have been on LinkedIn for years but never utilized it. To be honest, I still have some tweaking to do on it. I am on facebook and I find that experience to be very intuitive. But I digress. I apologize for my inactivity as I have been in negotiations with a potential large client. This client is very tech-savvy and invited me to attend a forum on how the internet is being used by old, traditional media. Basically, if you don't have a facebook or twitter or blog, you are as old and useless as a newspaper.

So feel free to follow me on twitter under the username "UCDWS". Friend me on facebook with my name, Drew Straub, or connect with me on LinkedIn with the name Drew W. Straub, MSFS. Or search me under my business name, The Straub Organization. Or even under The D. Wells Straub Group.

I will now be updating on a regular basis and seeking input and advice as I ramp up my efforts with my new, large client.

As the first post for this blog I thought I would set the tone for what I hope will be a constructive environment for consultants and those seeking consulting services. It is my desire that by showing how everyday activities can be an opportunity to make us better at what we do we make ourselves more approachable by those in need of our services but haven't found the inclination to reach out.

The other night I had the pleasure of speaking with a woman, in her mid 30's, about relationships and finding that special person. She was in a relationship for about 6 years and never fully committed to it because of an issue that she felt was very important to her. The issue was debt. Apparently her significant other had consumer debt in the high 5 figures. While I have been involved in client cases where higher amounts have been seen, she just did not feel comfortable going any further in that relationship.

The issue to me isn't the debt, but how the debt was acquired and how is it being managed. To her it was simply that it existed. First, the nominal amount of debt is not important. How it relates as a percentage to overall income and how the structure of the repayment affects his life is more significant. Whether it is managable or not, is one thing; what is the nature of the debt is another.

We all have interests. And when those interests become something more then they become vices or obsessions. Gambling, Sex, Clothes, Technology, etc, can be the more serious issue that is only presently manifested in the form of debt. For this woman, curbing the debt is only treating the symptom.

However debt on his part was only half the issue. The other issue was how she was raised. She was raised with a frugal father, who retired at the age of 48. Now I don't think he retired in the true sense of the word. I think he left his chosen profession or vocation, but I think he found a more relaxed lifestyle while working at some less demanding position. But I digress. He was so thrifty that it affected the way his daughter perceives money, finances, and debt.

Such a terrible situation. A man with debt that may or not be an issue with repayment and that may or not be an issue with regard to the nature of it is not able to keep or extend a relationship with a woman because of her fathers frugality creating an intolerance for debt or debt management.