Jim Weber is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting Featuring David Shavzin.
David will present: What Has COVID Done to Value, Timing, Exit and Business Sales? Helping Business Owners Adjust.
David Shavzin
David Shavzin, CMC, is a Certified Management Consultant, and a passionate and experienced exit and succession planning, expert. He created The Value Track to help business owners improve profitability, build value, and maximize their business transactions. A frequent speaker on these topics, David is President and a co-founder of Exit Planning Exchange Atlanta and past president of the Institute of Management Consultants – Georgia Chapter. David has over a dozen years of experience in senior corporate roles followed by nearly 20 years of consulting to privately held businesses. His industry experience includes manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and professional services firms: law, accounting, architecture, engineering, and design.
– Identify weaknesses in your current networking approach
– Define who are the best people with whom to engage
– Choose more effective venues/organizations
– Establish productive agendas to guide interactions
– Set goals and measure results
Richard Kirby is an executive coach and small business coach with 30 years of corporate management and 16+ years of independent coaching successes. His diverse corporate experience has ranged from engineering/technical to sales/relational in company environments that ranged from a Fortune100 bureaucracy to a pre-IPO entrepreneurial start-up. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC®) and a Board–Certified Coach (BCC).
Richard has a unique combination of analytical and creative talents that allow him to successfully coach key executives and business owners, with a focus on improving individual and organizational results.
Core Competencies
Executive Coaching and Mentoring
Recruiting and hiring strategies
Small business owner mentoring
Outplacement
Background
Chair (Small Business Coach) for Vistage International
Executive Coach and Outplacement Coach for Executive Impact
Regional Sales Director for ADC Telecom
Regional Sales Director for Siemens
Various Engineering Management positions
BS in Electrical Engineering
BENG Mission
BENG provides mid- to senior-level professionals with a platform to enhance their networking activities and skills.
Members in-transition benefit from tools to accelerate their job search (including opportunities for networking), targeted employment information and emotional support.
Employed and self-employed members benefit from a platform to network and cultivate relationships with community leaders and professionals interested in expanding business.
We rely upon the generosity and cooperation of our members – whether in-transition, employed or self-employed – to accomplish the mission of “Members Helping Members.”
We at ITB Partners appreciate your loyal business and referrals. I have heard from many of you how difficult 2020 has been and wanted to offer some assistance. Since I’m not comfortable giving advice beyond my (Service type) expertise, I have contracted with an expert Business Coach to help.
Adrian Sasine is a serial entrepreneur and client I have known and worked with for nearly 10 years. He runs a Business Coaching Firm specializing in small and medium-sized businesses like yourselves. I fully trust his expertise in Sales, Marketing, and Business Fundamentals and have seen the resources at his disposal firsthand.
Adrian is offering a complimentary coaching session to focus on what you can do to drive more business in 2021. He is committed to finding you more money, selling ideas, and marketing strategies to help you!
The first 15 businesses that take advantage of this will receive a free coaching session and FREE access to a robust online Business Academy packed with tools, resources, and training. This alone retails for $997 and includes a powerful resource library containing over $100K in previously created and tested marketing collateral.
There is absolutely NO COSTto you as I have negotiated everything as a special gift to my clients.
To book your complimentary Coaching Session NOW, send an email to adrian@salesmarketingresults.com
This offer is only good through January 20th so I highly suggest you take advantage. It is a special offer that Adrian has offered specifically for (company name) clients.
Unfortunately, Adrian isn’t able to offer this to an unlimited number of companies but we’ve secured 15 spots for our clients.
We’re glad to partner with Adrian to give you more opportunities for success in 2021!
Wishing you all the best in the year to come.
Adrian Sasine
Adrian Sasine is a Business Coach and a Marketing & Sales expert! From Start-up to Sale – Adrian delivers customized, results-based coaching for every business owner! With over 20 years of hands-on experience, Adrian offers a proven ability to increase profits and drive business growth. His clients receive invaluable business knowledge and insight from his own successes, failures, and thirst for business knowledge. What began as a hobby consulting with entrepreneurs, has turned into an undeniable passion to help serious business owners generate more clients, close more sales and increase their overall revenue and profits >> quickly and inexpensively. His expertise is as diverse as his resume, which includes having owned and exited several small businesses and leading the marketing division of a Fortune 500 company.
Today I’d like to chat about the different types of support staff you need and what makes them so important.
There are essentially three key roles that need to be filled to set your business up for success:
The Technician
The Manager
The Entrepreneur
All of these roles need to be played simultaneously by different people with the right talents. It’s all about balance.
The Technician
This person represents the present and all that needs to be done for the physical aspects of the business-building process. They are the “doer”. This is usually the most visible person in the entire operation.
The Manager
This person represents the past and works to fix problems through learning from past mistakes. They are on the practical side of the business and is in charge of putting together the business and overseeing the planning.
The Entrepreneur
This person represents the future and the vision for the business. They are responsible for the creative side of the business and are always considering ways to enhance products/services, business image, branding, and more.
All three of these characters are essential in the success of any business and to build a solid foundation from the start, you need to work harder to find the right people to put in these roles. Obviously, you need to be one of these key people, but ensure you find the role that fits your skills and talents, not necessarily what you THINK you should be doing.
This may be a hard process for you as you will need to relinquish some control over the business and instill trust in people to allow them to do their jobs.
After all, change is HARD. A business coach becomes not only your mentor but your accountability partner during this process.
Michael Gerber, in his book “The E-Myth”, explores this concept deeply. For more information, or to set up a discussion with a coach devoted to helping you grow a profitable business, visit http://www.salesmarketingresults.com/
Helping businesses isn’t one thing we do. . . It’s all we do!
Adrian Sasine
Adrian Sasine is a Business Coach and a Marketing & Sales expert! From Start-up to Sale – Adrian delivers customized, results-based coaching for every business owner! With over 20 years of hands-on experience, Adrian offers a proven ability to increase profits and drive business growth. His clients receive invaluable business knowledge and insight from his own successes, failures, and thirst for business knowledge. What began as a hobby consulting with entrepreneurs, has turned into an undeniable passion to help serious business owners generate more clients, close more sales and increase their overall revenue and profits >> quickly and inexpensively. His expertise is as diverse as his resume, which includes having owned and exited several small businesses and leading the marketing division of a Fortune 500 company.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
I began 2020 with a great sense of optimism. However, within weeks of my New Year’s post, the world was in lockdown. Was I ever surprised! I did not anticipate the Covid-19 Pandemic. Honestly, we were all surprised. Sure, we knew it was a possibility. The concept had been discussed in the culture, complete with dire warnings mostly ignored.
I had just completed a COO search when the lockdown began. My placement’s start date was March 16. I was sure that my client would rescind their offer. But I was wrong. The new COO became an integral part of their organization, helping them navigate through the challenges created by the pandemic.
My first blog post of the year is meant to establish a theme for the New Year. It is somewhat different this year. It seems appropriate to put 2021 into greater context, given our experience in 2020. As we begin 2021, we are into the second flair-up of Covid-19, tracking the normal influenza cycle. The residual effects of 2020 will be with us for a while, certainly through 2021. Companies are still looking for a handle on the situation. They have learned much but need more time to adapt and thrive.
My ‘beginning of the year message’ of 2020 was a typical opener, The setup spoke to the importance of planning and goal setting. I wrote that companies are more likely to achieve their objectives, whereas individuals abandon their New Year’s Resolutions within a few short months. I observed that the difference might be due to a lack of systems. Goal attainment requires a system that incorporates learning. Creating virtuous habits is the key to success. That was my thinking at the beginning of 2020.
A chronological review of the topics for my 2020 posts is revealing. In the first quarter, I was writing about making a productive start to the new year. Pre-pandemic thinking. In the second quarter, I was writing about situation awareness. I wanted to understand the effects of the pandemic and assess the needs of our clients. By the third quarter, I was writing about developing strategies to reconnect with customers. The fourth quarter was the setup for 2021. I wrote about the need for a clear positioning statement, supported by a communications program.
My 2020 Blog Themes by Quarter
!st Quarter Planning and Strategy -Typical Start of New Year Message
2nd Quarter – Understanding/Responding to the needs of clients – Communications.
A catalog of my 2020 articles is listed at the end of this post.
The lockdown made it clear that business models need to adapt to a new paradigm. Many trends already working their way through the economy accelerated. Remote working and internet shopping are obvious examples. Other changes were not expected, especially health protocols surrounding Covid-19 mitigation. There was a noticeable impact on the supply chain due to bottlenecks at the manufacturing/production node. The service sector was hard hit as ‘high touch’ retail concepts collided with social distancing, PPE, and sanitation protocols. Our clients struggled to adapt. My goal was to help them understand, adapt, and reposition themselves for success. This is still my focus. Find a defensible niche, organize around that strategy, and market your brand (communicate) accordingly.
My take-away from 2020 is that most companies are not investing in strategic threat assessments or developing contingency plans. This leads me to believe that their planning systems are not generating information to protect their flanks. Actionable information is the foundation for planning. A robust strategic analysis discipline will validate strengths, mitigate weaknesses, identify opportunities, and surface threats. This approach to planning creates a learning culture. An effective planning system is a learning system. Good companies employ a planning system. Great companies create a learning culture that guides their planning.
Beginning a new year is still exhilarating. Maybe even more so this year. We face a fluid situation as the second phase of the Covid-19 Pandemic takes its toll. And a new Political Administration will soon be in place. We know that further change is coming, but its size and scope is unclear. The challenge is to gain clarity to ensure our continued survival. This requires more experience and solid analysis.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
How many hours are spent every year in meetings conducting strategic planning sessions only to find the plan ignored? Or, in today’s Agile approach to business, the confusion reigning with a lack of effective and timely communications of shifting priorities. The human element cost can be tremendous with employees left confused with engagement levels constantly fluctuating, impacting output.
Two very successful entrepreneurs have combined forces providing your organization with access to a fresh and effective approach to strategic planning and execution:
Dr. Stephen Dawson is a strategic internal or external consultant who provides exceptional-business building outcomes in the United States and Southeast Asia by utilizing his visionary abilities to design and deliver the next generation business productivity tools to assist regulators in accomplishing economic development. He has maximized his postdoctoral work in ways to blend his exceptional education with his outgoing personality and strong communication skills. He is also an Adjunct Professor with Regent University, serving with the Department of Business, Leadership, & Management.
Dave Daniels (BA/MA) is an accomplished senior business, human resource, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) executive. Having held leadership positions throughout the country, Dave’s business approach is intended to exceed financial objectives by inspiring exceptional capabilities on the part of all team members. He is an accomplished facilitator and leader of results-oriented cross-functional teams. Additionally, Dave is a Certified Coach of the IDI (Intercultural Development Inventory) process, the most respected Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) assessment in the world. While he brings a wide range of experience, Dave’s expertise in the D & I space provides for full integration of this critical piece in our approach.
What we do:
Troubleshoot (assess) current plans and levels of communications and results
Create “real” alignment and commitment to the best actions
Become a trusted advisor to the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
Define/refine desired outputs and impact
How are we different:
Identify and solve key pain points, immediately
Provide a strong and relevant D & I lens to every aspect of your organization
Access to the IDI process, as a value, add
Flexible and Agile customization
Contact Information: Stephen and Dave may be reached via phone or email:
Someone has been giving my prospective candidates lousy advice. For years, I have received resumes with absurd cover letters. Many are bizarre. The worst begins with “In this challenging economic environment.” Are you kidding me? If they were trying to impress me, they failed. They nullified their most crucial sentence with something trite and boring. I do not know who advocates for this style, but they have done significant damage.
Here is a typical example.
Dear Mr. Weber:
As a marketer and executive leader, I’m known for creating awareness that drives action and achieving transformational growth for startup, emerging, and mature brands. Most recently, I launched and built a challenger activist brand into a nationwide community movement that drove historic electoral wins. My experience, however, largely spans for-profit industries-art, luxury, and tech where I developed deep expertise in digital communications and brand-driven marketing strategy.
The first time I saw this letter, I did not read past the first sentence. I doubt that any recipient did. Why should we? The writer took forever to get to the point, a big waste of time. Possibly a good second paragraph, this is the wrong way to begin a cover letter.
This letter went on for seven more paragraphs, totaling 432 words. It was not until the last paragraph that the author stated what she wanted. Even then, the description of her ideal role was unclear. Her most specific point was that she wanted to work for “brands that support social causes or are committed to investing in and evolving a social impact function.” Since most corporate strategies include a ‘social cause,’ this point was unnecessary. More wasted time
While researching this topic, I did not find anyone advocating for this style of a cover letter. The advice on this subject is consistent with my thinking. So, what is the origin of this style? I wish I knew! It makes me wonder if I should send this post to every candidate who violates the rules for writing an effective cover letter.
What is a Cover Letter? Why is it necessary? These are useful questions. A cover letter is an introduction. It tells the reader who you are, why you are contacting them, and enclosed additional information, like a bio or a resume. It is handy when sending information unsolicited. Whenever you send your credentials to a prospective employer or client, use a cover letter. Today that is usually via email.
The purpose of a cover letter is to entice the reader to give your enclosure a thorough review. You should provide enough information to captivate their interest, but not so much that they decide against your interests. From a marketing perspective, a cover letter is a ‘teaser.’ Your letter must spark the reader’s curiosity, compelling them to review your credentials. The letter or email should answer three questions.
Who are you?
Why are you contacting me? What do you want?
Why should I give you serious consideration?
You must address the first two points in your first sentence. The remainder of your cover letter provides a summary of your qualifications. Three bullet points are sufficient. Let the attachments explain your skills, experience, and interests. Finally, thank the reader for their time and ask for an interview. Make it effortless for the reader to absorb your message.
Three Types of Cover Letters
Responding to a specific situation (job posting) including a resume
A cold introduction seeking a specific situation (may or may not be a job opening)
A networking introduction (a bio or a detailed intro letter)
A Caveat. An introductory letter without attachments can be powerful. In this event, the writer makes a compelling case for her candidacy on one full page. When closing, the writer offers an invitation to request more information if interested. This tactic is appropriate for cold introductions, but the letter must be flawless. It is most effective when sent via USPS. It is not suitable for most situations.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Do Mentor programs really work? How do they differ from Sponsor programs? How do you select candidates? And how does an organization introduce these programs? These critical questions need to be answered proactively and thoughtfully before embarking on this part of the Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) strategy. Like any good business decision, there needs to be a predetermined Return on Investment (ROI = measurable results).
First, let us dive into the first question posed, because if your answer is “NO,” then usually you won’t pursue it. Here is my challenge to you, the CEO. How many times in your career have you witnessed a really good idea die on the vein due to several possible reasons? If you are like me, you file these ideas away to be utilized at another time when you can directly impact the outcome of the initiative. Examples of those failures could harken back to poor leadership, inadequate planning and/or funding, conflicting communications, or lack of commitment, to name a few reasons.
Allow me to explore the difference briefly and simply between Mentor and Sponsor programs. A standard Mentor/Mentee approach effectively establishes roles with the Mentee driving the process within well-defined parameters. A Sponsorship program should be reserved for the best of the best high potential employees, as identified by the organization’s Succession Planning process. This process is designed to be far more formal and structured with key checkpoints along the way. Unwavering commitment, communications, and accountability is a must to optimize success. While the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) member is key, I strongly recommend a central point of contact that both parties can draw on when needed.
These two powerful concepts can drive real change in your organization if you commit to the following steps:
1- Have the right person leading these processes. Competency and respect are paramount.
2- Use Succession Planning to identify the right high potentials pared with the right ELT.
3- Clearly define each program and the desired outcomes.
4- CEO commitment, follow-up, and regular involvement are a must.
5- Strive for continuous improvement with both processes. Learn from the past.
Determining the correct level of transparency will be critical to success. I work closely with CEO’s to determine what’s right for their culture. You guard current proprietary info closely. I believe that the Succession Planning process should follow this template. As a key part of this process, Mentor and Sponsor programs should follow this line of thinking.
Should you decide to implement and/or enhance Succession Planning in your company, I am available to guide you through the nuances. Next up: Diversity Councils and Resource Groups.
David Daniels, Daniels Consulting
David Daniels, Daniels Consulting
Dave Daniels is an accomplished Senior Business and Human Resource executive with a proven track record of developing, implementing, and delivering upon both short and long-term results. He has held management and executive-level positions with companies large and small throughout the United States. Dave has managed his career in a way that provides him with an exceptional breadth of experience and capacity to contribute to improving brand and financial results for his employer in every capacity he has served.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Jim Weber welcomes you to attend the January 2021 Meeting of ITB Partners.
Jim is the featured speaker. His topic is “Better Writing-More Gigs.” Learn how to improve the effectiveness of your writing to generate more business!
The Quality of Your Writing Reflects on Your Brand, Your Reputation
Directly reflects your education and competency with communication
Indirectly on your intelligence
Reflects on your Brand Message – Your Unique Selling Proposition
Directly affects the ability to achieve your Goals!
Jim Weber – Managing Partner, ITB Partners
Prior to forming New Century Dynamics Executive Search in 1999, Jim Weber spent 22 years with Fortune 500 companies in the Food Retailing Industry where he developed a broad-based portfolio of “hands-on” line and staff experience in growth and turnaround situations. A proven executive with exceptional leadership skills, Jim has a strong financial background and heavy operations experience in specialty retail stores, quick-service restaurants, manufacturing, and distribution.
I cannot begin to tell you how many of my apps want me to update my profile, especially the “about me” blocks. This includes everything from LinkedIn and other social media accounts to email marketing services and meeting schedulers. I am sure that you have had the same experience. They believe a bio is important to attract followers and build one’s reputation. And they are right! Fortunately, as I am a big believer in the value of a good bio, these requests are simple ‘cut and paste’ activities.
I recommend that you have a complete and current bio. It is a useful networking tool. As you know, networking is the key to building your career. Whether you are in job search, trying to gain more customers, or building your brand, networking is how it’s done. I recommend having a bio because it is more likely to be read than a resume. Whereas resumes are scanned, at best, bios are read because they tell a story, especially if your story is interesting. Throughout history and across cultures, storytelling has been a treasured, universal concept. People like stories. We all like to read stories. A bio is perfectly suited to tell your story. It’s hard to argue with the concept. That is why I am an enthusiastic supporter. I often speak to the importance of telling your story, whether networking or in job search.
You still need a resume; however, a bio is more likely to generate interest with a prospective employer. A bio is less threatening from a networking perspective. Whereas handing someone your resume screams “I am looking for a job,” a bio is more subtle. It says, “Hey, I want you to know about me in the event you learn of an opportunity that is appropriate for me.” A bio is a better vehicle to help you build a relationship with the reader.
How to write an interesting bio:
Begin with your overview – your positioning statement
Write in the third person
Make it personal – more than just about your career
Talk about your accomplishments, training, and key learnings
Keep it interesting – use active voice, mix up sentence structure, use short paragraphs
Write it like a short story – what is the theme of your career?
Two pages or less
Include a photo.
Early in my career, I learned that the secret to an effective presentation is to tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. In other words, begin with an overview of the message, provide the message in detail, and then summarize the message. So, begin your bio with an overview of your career. My preference is a three-sentence personal positioning statement. (Review last week’s blog post). The first is about what you do, who you do it for, and how do you do it. Secondly, speak to the towering strength you bring to the table. Finally, speak to your value system, leadership style, and the way you conduct your work. This provides the reader with an inventory of attributes that formed the foundation for your career.
The body of a bio chronicles your work history starting at the beginning of your career then moving forward. Some people have bios that begin before their formal career as their experiences while maturing created a foundation for their career. This is always useful information if it is relevant.
The body of a bio provides an opportunity to talk about significant accomplishments, skills learned, and reasons for job changes. It can also explain breaks in employment for personal or developmental reasons. Be sure that every paragraph supports the first paragraph, your positioning statement. The body of your bio provides depth and explains how you acquired your skills and experience.
The final paragraph can be entirely personal. Lead with your education and awards, certifications, publications, etc. Talk a little about your family, where you live, and any hobbies or interests that may be compelling. If you are involved in community service or charitable work, include those interests as well. Remember, use a conversational tone with an active voice. Alternate between short and compound sentences. Use short paragraphs. Minimize the use of buzzwords and business jargon. Above all, make it an interesting read.
The point of any career document is to be invited for an interview. You want the reader to become interested enough to learn more about you. A bio is an excellent tool to begin a discussion. Create several versions, each emphasizing a different primary skill stack.
I hope you enjoyed our point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.
Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is very important to me so; please leave a comment.
Someone has been giving my prospective candidates lousy advice. For years, I have received resumes with absurd cover letters. Many are bizarre. The worst begins with “In this challenging economic environment.” Are you kidding me? If they were trying to impress me, they failed. They nullified their most crucial sentence with something trite and boring. I do not know who advocates for this style, but they have done significant damage.
Do Mentor programs really work? How do they differ from Sponsor programs? How do you select candidates? 
I cannot begin to tell you how many of my apps want me to update my profile, especially the “about me” blocks. This includes everything from LinkedIn and other social media accounts to email marketing services and meeting schedulers. I am sure that you have had the same experience. They believe a bio is important to attract followers and build one’s reputation. And they are right! Fortunately, as I am a big believer in the value of a good bio, these requests are simple ‘cut and paste’ activities.