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Part Two – The Conversational Wizard…

Happy Thursday everyone…ONLY ONE DAY LEFT!!!  Last week we started off our three part series about communication and we discussed how important communication was to your business.  We also discussed how important it is to understand the person or people you are talking to and asking basic clarifying questions.  We are going to expand a little more on those today as well as the nuts and bolts of your conversation and turning you into the conversational wizard that you want to be.   

To become that conversational wizard you first have to be able to assess your communication style and understand your strengths and weaknesses.  Be honest with yourself!  First, how do you communicate?  Are you bold and outgoing?  Are you okay speaking to anyone at anytime and are very self assured.  Or, are you soft in your communication and a little intraverted?  Are you reserved about speaking to people one-on-one or infront of groups? 

Both of these communication styles have their sweaknesses.  If you are the bold and self-assured you can often be perceived as being pushy, straight to the point, not caring about other peoples emotions as much as getting the job done.  You can also be perceived as putting people down and coming on too hard.  If you are soft in your communication you may be perceived as uneasy, that you do not have confidence in the information, that you are holdng up progress or that you are not taking the task at hand seriously.  This may sound harsh but remember, you need to be honest with yourself.  The biggest point that I want to make in this blog is that PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING.  I can not stress that point enough.

Understanding what your particular weaknesses are will help you break down the communication barriers that currently hampers your communication.  You also need to understand the weaknesses of the person you are communicating with so that you can take over the communication wheel at that point in time to keep the communication going.  When you are communicating ensure that you listen to how you are communicating, listen to the tone of your voice, look at the reactions of the people you are communicating with and remember, be honest with yourself.

Next week we will discuss the strengths of each communication type.  You have some more homework this week…I know you are excited!  I would like you to figure out which type of communicator you are…and remember…be HONEST with yourself.  Neither communication type is better or worse than the other…just different.  However, for you to be successful you need to know which type you are.   

Remember that you have a great asset with Patrice Say.  She is a trained mediator and our very own Conversational Wizard.  She can help in any communication situations that are needed.  As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send us an email at info@aspirepartner.com. 

Thanks – Team AP

Part One – “They” always say………

That communication is the key.  Well, we are here to tell you that “they” are correct.  We will get into a little more detail below but in a nutshell…communication is everything in your workplace and it is what will make or break your business as well as personal relationships.  We are going to do a short three part series on this very important topic that is vital to your success. Now that you have had forewarning that I have on my psychologist pants today, we will proceed.

You can obviously tell that our resident financial and tax expert is not the one writing this today or he would tell you that MONEY is the key to your business!  And you may very well be sitting there thinking, MONEY, CASH FLOW and YOUR BOTTOM LINE are key (and they are so don’t take this the wrong way) but I have one simple question for you; how do you make your money?  If you are not able to communicate that with your people, your customers or potential investors, how are you going to make any of this…what was it again…oh yes, MONEY?!

So lets start with basic communication 101.  The definition of Communication, according to Merriam-Webster is; a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behaviors.  Sounds simple right?  The SBA says that small business have a 50/50 chance at staying alive after five years and Business Know-How suggests that the top seven reasons businesses fail are; 1 – starting a business for the wrong reason, 2- poor management, 3 – insufficient capital, 4 – location, 5 – lack of planning, 6 – over expansion and 7 – no website.  I think that all of you reading this would agree with me that in everyone of these categories, communication is involved in making decisions.

So how do you go about properly communicating?  There are different people out there that will tell you many different things, break it down psychologically, give you a class, teach you how to talk and I could go on for days.  I, however, think it is simple. The one thing to always understand is who you are talking to.  It does not matter how good you can sell, talk or BS, if you do not understand how the person or people across from you communicate then there will be no communication.  So before you start talking, LISTEN.  Get to know the other person as a communicator, do they like to do the talking or are they uncomfortable and need a little bit of a helping hand to get things going.  Look for little signs such as these and cater to the other persons weakness.  Also, basic clarifying during communication can be a large part of your success.  Ask the other person: “What do you think?” “How do you feel about what just happened?” “Does that make sense to you?” “Do you have any other ideas?” Too often people start heading down the path of problem solving before they understand what the other person wants to achieve. Understanding the other person is the key to your communication being a success or a failure.

I know you got a lot of information for your first session so we will cut it off there.  Your homework assignment this week is to get to know one person before engaging in a conversation with them and watch how much farther is gets you.  Remember to listen and engage them in the conversation and play off them.

ASPIRE has some great resources under our Human Resources and People segment that is headed by Patrice Say.  Patrice has many years of experience with issues of this nature and would love to help you and your team out.  She is a trained mediator and as mediator and a natural facilitator, she helps with those emotionally charged and sensitive communication issues that can disrupt the positive value of business communication.  Contact us when you need a partner for  straight forward communication and better results.

Have a great week and if you have any questions in the mean time, please feel free to contact via email at info@aspirepartner.com.  You can also check out the corresponding video blog that will be up on 02/22.

Thanks,

Team AP

Small business optimism is at a three year high!!!

Happy Sunday all!  We wanted to give you a good note to start your week off.

According to the National Federation of Independent Business, small business optimism hit a three year high since the beginning of the recession.  Slowly but surely people have a better outlook that their business is improving.

Even though hiring is not growing as rapidly as some would like, sales forecasts are looking much better this year than they have the past few.  With business owners feeling better about sales the hiring will start to come back as well.  Another part of the hiring piece is that a lot of businesses realized they were a little “fat” when it came to staffing.  There is a fine line to walk between being properly staffed and inefficient.  When the recession hit, many businesses had to lay off staff.  In some ways this allowed businesses to streamline operations by using less people to get the tasks completed.  There is also the lurking question of another dip in the economy.  Business owners will be less likely to hire until they actually see the business come on board. Because of this feeling, ASPIRE is able to help in a number of ways including be staff for interm hire until your are positive that you need the extra person.  We also provide recruiting services to help you find the right person to fill the position.

With all of this being said, it is great to see a positive outlook for 2011 in the small business segment.  We have gone through some very tough times over the last three years and we have all learned a lot from the recession.  We all know that it can be hard to see the positive some days but as leaders, we need to constantly be focused on the future.  The challenges that we face are stepping stones to a long and prosperous future if we handle them correctly.

We will have a corresponding video blog at www.youtube.com/ASPIREpartners tomorrow afternoon.

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email us at info@aspirepartner.com or leave a comment on the video.

Thanks and have a great week!

Team AP

Making SMART decisions with SMART phones.

Happy Tuesday all!  I hope you all enjoyed a great weekend with your family and loved ones.

Our topic today is an issue that has been on the rise for a little while now; smart phones.

BlackBerry’s, iPhone, Droids, Windows Mobile, they all have one thing in common; making it easier to work away from the office and with the technology improving daily, making it easier to do a lot more away from the office.

First of all, with this being said, it is extremely important to set policies and procedures that clearly outline what the devices are to be used for and when they will be used, especially when it comes to hourly or non-exempt employees.

For instance, there is a lawsuit right now against the Chicago Police Department because an officer who was issued a BlackBerry was requesting to be paid overtime because he was answering emails after work hours.

You could make the argument that the laws are not up with the current times but at the end of the day, they are laws that we as business owners need to abide by.

If you are going to issue your employees smart phones, ensure to implement policies and procedures that clearly outline what they are used for and when they are to be used.

For more information on this subject, check out our corresponding vlog at www.youtube.com/aspirepartners later today.  You can also reach us at info@aspirepartner.com if you have any questions.

Team AP

A New and Improved Us!!!

Happy Monday all!  We have some great news here at ASPIRE for the New Year…and yes…we know we are a little late.  

We have so many things to update you on than I am not sure where to start!

First off, I would like to say thank you for making 2010 a great year for ASPIRE!  We saw so many people learn, grow and make great strides last year and we can’t wait to be a part of even more this year!

Secondly, we have added some new services for 2011 that can save you a lot of time and money.  From our new Energy Auditing Service to our upgraded CFO and Financial Services and even our new and improved website.  We have made it easier to keep up with what is going on at ASPIRE partners.

You can follow us on FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or even right here on our blog.  No matter where or how you connect, ASPIRE will be there for you when you need us.

Please make sure that you check out our new and improved website at www.aspirepartner.com.  If you have any questions at all please email us at info@aspirepartner.com or call us at 888-689-7772.

We wish you all a happy belated New Year and make sure you check back weekly for new updates!

AP

Commercial Warehousing

Good day to all.  It has been a while since I have talked to you all about Logistics and where we are in today’s economic times.  Although we are in a rebounding economy, we as leaders need to understand and learn from the recent experiences that we have had.

What did we learn from all of this?  It is hard to lay off people, down size, lose customers due to having to raise prices because of high overhead.  One of the biggest issues we saw from this was manufactures going out of business or having to lay off their people because of the high cost of a big building that they no longer needed but could not sell due to the poor economic times.

As we bounce back do we want to make the same mistakes?  No!  We need to learn from them.  Below are a couple suggestions that could help save you money up front or turn that empty space into money.

If you are a company that has outgrown your current warehouse but you cannot justify purchasing new building, why not use a commercial warehouse?  You can manufacture you products in your current warehouse, build pallets, etc. then move that product to a commercial warehouse for storage until you are ready to ship.  You can usually ship directly from the warehouse and they will build pallets or fill orders for you.  This saves you from having to add space that you do not need on a full time basis and will save you in labor.

If you are the company that has empty space available due to falling sales, why not turn that space into a commercial warehouse?  By charging other companies to store their products you can easily fill that open space into revenue that you need.  This can also be a good networking tool for your business.

No matter the situation that you are in, there is always something that can be done.  One thing that this recession taught us all is that we are fighters and we can overcome any obstacle that is placed in our way…we just have to think outside of our comfort zone.  By stepping out of our comfort zone it is only going to make us better leaders.

ASPIRE logistics can help you set up a commercial warehouse or find you the space and service you need from a commercial warehouse.  Feel free to contact us at logistics@aspirepartner.com or 888-689-7772.

Proper Packaging – Step Three

Now that we have discussed how to properly protect your shipment from a damage standpoint, lets talk about the ways to help protect your shipment from being lost.  The best way to combat your shipment being lost is proper labeling.  The labels on the package need to clearly state the following: Shipper, Consignee and the addresses of both parties.  It is also helpful if the label has your phone number on it incase your shipment is lost it will be easier to get the shipment back on track. 

You also need to ensure that there is more than one label on the outer packaging.  If your shipment does happen to get lost or misrouted in the transportation company’s system it will be much faster to get it back on track if the company knows where it is from and who it is going to. 

This is a short lesson but one that is vital to the success of your shipment reaching your customer one time.  If you have any question or would like help in any area please contact us via email at logistics@aspirepartner.com or by phone at 888-689-7772.

Proper Packaging – Step Two

Here is the second packaging step in our five part series and also one of the most important.  Now that you have the correct cardboard and outer packaging for your shipments it is time to look inside the box.  What do you see?  Is your product protected by something other than the outer cardboard?  What would happen to your product if it was dropped or some picked up the box and started shaking it.

Now, I am not saying that this is what happens to your freight once it leaves your center but you also need your packaging to be durable enough to withstand having some damage to the outer packaging.  The type of inner packaging that is needed will be determined by what you are shipping.  Let’s take for instance you are shipping a car hood.  If you just place the car hood in a carton and ship it, will it make it to your customer without damage?  More than likely it will not because there is room inside the carton for the hood to bounce around.  Now, if you did something as simple as putting Styrofoam blocks on all four corners of the hood, it will increase the durability of your packaging it two ways.  First, it will keep the hood from bouncing around inside the cardboard but it will also reinforce the outer packaging by keeping the corners from collapsing if the shipment is dropped.

As discussed in another ASPIRE partners blog, don’t follow the HWADI of the past.  Look towards the future and for ways to better serve your customers.  Something as simple as placing four blocks of foam on your shipments will cost you little in expense but can gain you multiple customers in the long run, thus, adding to your company’s bottom line.

If you have any questions, comments or just want to chat, please feel free to email us at logistics@aspirepartner.com or give us a call at 888-689-7772 ext. 3.  You can also email your suggestions for one of our weekly blog topics.

Proper Packaging – Step One

We are proud to announce active blogging on ASPIRE partners new site, www.aspirepartnersblog.com!   ASPIRE logistics will be blogging weekly with a new post every Monday.  In the ASPIRE logistics weekly blog we will cover current events in the transportation/logistics industry that pertain to you as a customer of this industry.  This will include everything from current rates to packaging tips and anything that will help add to your company’s bottom line.  If there are any specific topics that you would like to see covered one week you can email your suggestions to logistics@aspirepartner.com.  You can also email us if you need help or support in any area of your business.

In case you have not come up with one yet, let’s start our New Year’s resolution: Properly Packaging our shipments.  This is one area that may cost a little more money up front but will save you time, money and customers in the long run, thus, adding to your bottom line.  This is the first in a five step series to ensure that your packaging will outlast your competitors and the rigorous ride until it reaches your customer.

As an owner or manager of a manufacturing company you may not fully understand the extent of the movement of your shipment once it leaves your dock.  Depending on the carrier, the type of carrier and the type of freight, your shipment could be handled multiple times once in enters the company’s network.  Every time your shipment is handled the odds that the freight will get damaged increase and as the shipper, it is our responsibility to our customers to ensure the product is packaged as best as possible before it leaves our building.

One of the biggest areas of opportunity that I have seen with LTL freight and small package freight is using the correct cardboard cartons.  A lot of companies have gone to using recycled cardboard for two reasons: The first being the “green” movement and the second being cost.  Some of your customers make purchasing decisions based on the company’s efforts to making the environment better and if they are working on “green” projects such as using recycled cardboard, solar power, etc.  The other area that is looked at by you, the manufacturer, is the cost of the cartons.  Using recycled cardboard can greatly reduce the cost as opposed to buying new which is always a good thing until you start losing customers due to all of their shipments arriving damaged no matter what carrier it is on.  The best way to combat both of these issues is to use a mix of recycled cardboard.  Speak with your sales representative that your purchase from and ask them what your options are.  You may currently be using 95% recycled and you may have the option to move to a 75% or 80% recycled that will be more durable.  You may also look at not using any recycled cardboard for your more expensive commodities or for specific customers to ensure that those customers or products are better protected.