5 Ways to Improve Your Leadership

As business owners, we are constantly adapting and changing to improve our businesses and better meet the needs of our employees. In order to ensure that these changes are carried out, we, as business owners need to work to improve our management style first.

How can we expect changes to be made without improving our leadership? By leading well, we set the example and the pace for our employees to be leaders.

Don’t micromanage – Trust your workers to get the job done. Provide them with the task and step back. An important part of leadership is knowing when to step in and when to step back. You hired your employees for a reason, let them do their job.

Build a relationship – Make sure you develop relationships with your employees. Go beyond the surface level of, “hi, how was your weekend?” You want your employees to feel valued at work. Let them know you’re keeping up with how they are. Although this may seem time consuming, your reaching out goes a long way and provides your employees with a more meaningful connection to their job, aside from just going in and completing their work.

Continue to learn and grow – As leaders, we need to be constantly learning and growing ourselves. Keeping up with business trends, relevant industry news and ways to better your leadership skills are outward signs to employees that you don’t just expect them to better themselves, but that what you ask of them, you do as well. Leading by example is critical to developing employee and business growth.

Know who you are – As executives, we sometimes are unaware of how we appear to others. If you’re in a bad mood or seem despondent, your employees will likely reflect those attitudes, or have a negative impression of you. Be sure to enter into work with a positive attitude. If you expect that from your employees, make sure to do the same.

Practice leadership skills – Being an effective, positive and influential leader takes time and is a constant learning process. Learn what it takes to be a good leader and practice every day. The more you practice, the more you improve.

Closing a Deal—The Three Essential Requirements

This blog was written by Dan Glisky, Jr., an EO Detroit member:

Closing a deal.  Just saying the words excites me as I remember all of my preparation, hard work, the fulfillment of expectations, and the trust that is established throughout the process. Getting closure, as defined in the Oxford dictionary, is having, “A sense of resolution or conclusion at the end of an artistic work.” Reaching a sense of closure is, by many accounts, the definition of success—a true cause for celebration. The feeling of closure is in and of itself, incumpasingly euphoric.

The reason for my love of closing a deal is the ultimate feeling of closure. If you have ever recognized that you fail to experience this feeling as often as you would like, than this article is for you. I’ve written this article as a way to briefly explain to you my take on how to create a desirable outcome for both you andwhomever you are engaged in an opportunity with. By way of my multitude of experience, I have unearthed the three essential requirements to closing adeal. These fundamental conditions are as follows:

1.  Remain focused and clear on the desired outcome. The outcome is not always an order or a sale. In fact, often it can be a second meeting, asking for a referral, or collecting advanced, critical information.  Ultimately, you are building a relationship based on trust towards a future sale while gaining credibility along the way. The principal point is to always have a purpose for your interactions with individuals that you are looking to have a business relationship with. Being patient, professional, and concise will allow for you to be purposeful in your objectives and thus, you will be respectful of your and other peoples’ time.

2.  Be sure to focus on other peoples’ needs before your own. It is an old adage that holds true today stating that, “You have to give before you get.” In my own experience, I once had an individual who worked tediously to sell me for many months with the approach ofcontinuously calling me with referrals on a monthly basis. Because of his hard work, it didn’t take long before we were doing business together. If you are someone who is truly looking for a win-win outcome, you will focus on the other person’s needs before your own.

3.  Create a sense of urgency.  Most people are busy and are not looking for you to intrude into their world. It takes a great salesman to break through this barrier and show people what they’ve been missing.  By creating a feeling of desire that the other individualfailed to realize, the salesman is able to assist that individual in moving to a better future—a better place. Because most people are risk adverse, they are very comfortable sitting on the proverbial fence. It is your job to paint a future for them in which you are able to making their job easier and their life more enjoyable. When you do this they will begin to take action.

We wake up everyday wanting to accomplish great things. The question you have to ask yourself is: “Who are you trying to accomplish things for?”  If it is for others, then you are guaranteed to influence a wide range of activities, open a lot of doors, and generate a large amount of opportunities for yourself. You must appreciate the fact that people do things for their own reasons, not yours, and that they are skeptical. If you fail to satisfy another person or company’sneeds, then you have to move on. Selling, and ultimately closing, a deal is done when you have crafted a scenario where both parties are happy with the outcome.

Stay purposeful, and enjoy closing more deals.

 

National Small Business Week 2014

“America’s small businesses reflect the best of who we are as a Nation—daring and innovative, courageous and hopeful, always working hard and looking ahead for the next great idea.”- President Barack Obama

May 12-16, we celebrate and recognize America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners! Let’s get started with a brief history of this special week, the importance of small businesses and ways to support them.

Brief History:

• Beginning in 1963, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation announcing National Small Business Week. Since then, each U.S. President continues to support the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners.
• According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, “more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.”

Importance

Small businesses create jobs, spark innovation and contribute to America’s global competitiveness. Although small businesses may not generate as much revenue as larger businesses, they are main contributors to the backbone of local economies. Our entrepreneurs are the foundation for many of the United States’ largest businesses.  Lastly, small businesses have the ability to adapt rapidly to various economic shifts and often grow into larger corporations. Let’s continue to support our entrepreneurs and small business owners!

Ways you can support small businesses and entrepreneurs:

• Buy locally made goods
• Dine out at a locally-owned and operated restaurant
• Purchase your groceries from a local grocer or market
• Spread the news of your favorite local spot with family and friends
• Preach the importance of supporting local businesses to your family and friends