Flex Your Network, It's a CONTACT SPORT! by Patty DeDominic, Coach

www.dedominic.com

NETWORKING IS A CONTACT SPORT

How are you tending YOUR Networks?

Are You making deposits into the Favor Bank?

Do you understand Reciprocity?

Hire Smart: Know How to Identify Good Employee Imposters!

Hiring Great Sales People and Learning How to Smoke Out Impostors and Those Who Will Give You Great Excuses and Mediocre Results (Except for when they make the big sale and get you to hire them….THEY got the result THEY wanted).

Find Those Who Have a Track Record of Success in a Variety of Situations.

You can frequently plot their trajectory!  

You don’t really want to end up with just a “great interviewer. Your next great hire requires you to be a savvier buyer.”   By Patty DeDominic – Coach to Leaders

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why do some people have such trouble hiring Real Sales Producers?

Most sales candidates are great at interviewing ... but lack what it takes to handle your job with its imperfections. Some skip from sales job to job by being great interviewers, but not necessarily great performers. You don’t want to do that with your hires….You want to find those who will take your raw materials and leverage your strongest points as an employer.

Find and Hire the ones who can sustain their performance, not just “close” you!  

We want to hunt for the evidence and the track record, to find the “Blue Ribbons” in their lives and careers, the actual accomplishments. 

Let me say that again… a track record (different than simply experience, potential or representations) gives us data to find the best person for our situation. 

The right sales hire will most likely find our sales opportunity a continuation of a life of accomplishment.  This learning and growing probably started in school – having learned from life’s lessons, other people and in their previous professional experiences (jobs, business and extracurricular).  A little searching can help you find their gold, bronze and silver medals. It is not usually a deep dig to find evidence of  their experiences, setbacks, lessons learned and real numbers. Get specifics. Yes, Trust, but Verify specifics and look for answers to the potential contradictions between their perception and reality. We all have those contradictions. I’m not trying to help you hire perfection here; that does not exist, but I do want you to be able to predict performance and manage "superstar mere mortals" to catalyze sales growth for your company.     

Portrait of an Impostor

·         They’re usually good people ... and they aren’t really lying to you….. 

·         They may tell you what they know, and most people can recite common sense. They can usually answer hypothetical questions. Most people “know” the right things…. But getting to what they will actually do when faced with our job realities, our prospects, concerns, and real objections and challenges is a whole other story. Their past tells much of the story of their future. To smoke out impostors, get specific: Get numbers, not just percentages, and verify results and the roles they played.

Some sales candidates are accomplished at Getting the Job…they know they are talking to a willing buyer, and they leverage their persuasive powers to make the sale with you. Sadly, sometimes it’s the best (and the last) sale they will make this year.   

Are they lying? They don’t usually think so. They may actually believe their intelligence and work ethic alone qualify them for the job... even when they lack specific experience.

How Impostors “Sell’ Us

·         Urgency makes you feel you must find a candidate – ANY candidate! – to fill the job right now.

·         Impatience and frustration can rush you into a bad decision.

·         A candidate might seem perfect ... and you’d love that to be true. (Even a poor salesperson can sniff out a willing buyer and push them towards the easy decision).

·         You don’t want to ask tough questions and trip him or her up.

·         If you do, you’ll have to START ALL OVER AGAIN with another candidate.

Your secret weapon to smoke out impostors

·         Don’t focus too much on “inputs” like education, years of unrelated experience or past sales training (these are all features for you to note, but not true benefits).

·         Identify the OUTCOMES you want from the job and ask questions dealing with the specifics of the job to be performed. 

·         You can trust, but verify the specifics in at least two places.

·         Drill down to learn details about the candidate’s performance in past jobs, and if they truly have the skills and drive needed to succeed in your position.  Impostors will crumble and real candidates for your job will eagerly share specifics.

·         Yes, Chemistry and cultural fit are important, but it is amazing what RESULTS and Performance can do for relationships.

Start by finding the person with the past record of results and growth. History is very likely to repeat itself with a willing “student” and the right environment/employer.

Checking References is an Art and Science of Due Diligence

It is also a tool for recruiting and gathers data, which can be used in managing the winning candidate.  

Remember that all con men can give you at least two “good references” so you will need to find other evidence of the accomplishments and the facts that you have been given. 

After you get specifics from the candidate, not just hypotheticals….. Verify the data/ facts.

Verify accomplishments, dates and roles from several sources. Sniff out contradictions and use care not to overlook them just because you really love the chemistry with the candidate.

Treat every Key Representation like a fact that needs to be verified (Think loan underwriter – why do you think they need several sources and verify so much?).  Spot checking certain key facts generally will save you from verifying every item on a resume.   

Social media and Linked In really helps background checkers. Google and internet searches can help confirm if that candidate really did get great results for their company since there will be news reports of company growth, individual awards, certificates and other proof.  

I hope you find these tips useful.  I learned them the hard way hiring over 250,000 people as we grew PDQCareers and CT Engineering, the company I started in 1979 that grew to be one of California’s top employers. After selling my companies in 2006, the new firm grew and added more acquisitions and I got to watch as they added Sales and Service superstars, integrated acquisitions, and leveraged their momentum to over one billion dollars in sales.

We can help you build your company - we have deep resources to draw from!

Our firm, DeDominic & Associates, is committed to coaching leaders from large and small organizations whose business it is to execute worthy missions!  www.dedominic.com  

Are You the Do It Yourself Type? An Entrepreneur who is Self Made and Ready for the Next Challenge? How to Grow - by Business Coach Patty DeDominic

Would you like to build a Business, 
not just a Job? 

Are you an entrepreneur on a bit of a treadmill?

• Would you love to get off the treadmill?

• Are you ready to do the things to catapult your business?

• Ready to move to the multi-million  dollar level?
• Attract investors?  Increase your bank line or just add some key employees? 
• Where do the most successful business owners go for help?

Find out how you can do that here! 

"There are Keys to Profitable Business Growth, and doing MORE isn't one of them."  

                                             - Patty DeDominic

Strategic Actions will bring you a higher R.O.I. than working harder.    

"Doing smarter things, not just doing them smarter."                                         

                                    - David Finkel

You might benefit from Strategic Profit Finding Coaching, and I'd love to tell you more.  

Curious? Interested in a no obligation consult?

Try us....call Patty directly at  805-453-7490 or write to coach@dedominic.com  for a FREE, no obligation session.

Are you sitting at the edge of business growth?

If you are feeling a bit overloaded or are overwhelmed by too many opportunities, you can benefit from FOCUS.

I can help.     

or

if you are more of a do-it-yourself, home study type:

The Maui On Line Bronze level program may be the

 right solution for you in 2013. Try this one here: 

The Maui Bronze Level Program for Self Directed Leaders

                             Get access to Maui Mastermind’s limited Online Coaching Program

                             and receive immediate access to high impact training, including:

                              Phase 1 – Establishing a Base  (Quick start video training)

                                     Phase 2 – Creating An Action Plan (Workbook)

                                  Phase 3 – Access to Maui’s Video Training Library

                                                      Plus 5 amazing Bonuses!

Sign Up Here for the ONLINE 

Maui Coaching Program

                     
                          Consulting Services for Successful  Business Leaders

                                                   www.dedominic.com     

Blow Someone's Mind Today with Something Special by Patty DeDominic

Have YOU made someone really happy this week yet?

If not, you can make a difference today. 

I bet you can think of 3 people you can call right now.
Go Ahead, I can wait. Help them out. 

Or cheer them up.....  or refer business to them.

Your proactive "Pay It Forward" can blow someone's mind and it will come back to you many fold. You investing in your network can make a big difference and you, as a thoughtful executive can begin reaping  higher returns immediately with very little effort.

Just upgrade your game.... and make someone REALLY happy.

Thank YOU!    

And THANK YOU to Samsung for making my day with this awesome video.  Thank you too to the New York Life Company for sponsoring a number of my charitable activities and thank you to all the volunteers who support people around the world with your humanitarian work.  







Your referrals to me and the professional colleagues at
DeDominic & Associates, business coaches, led by Patty DeDominic with Christopher Dennis, Dr. Adele Schele and Brendon Huffman are deeply appreciated.

www.dedominic.com     

Al Walsh Has Hiring Wisdom to Share with You!

We encourage leaders to share their expertise. Over the years, Al Walsh has offered critical and valuable wisdom to his readers and we love his advice.

          

Take note, and your future hires will become even more effective faster. Enjoy....and act!

-Patty De

The 15 Keys to Successful Organizational Development

Take a moment and click here to view the fantastic and informative video I recently received from Murad Salman Mirza, my friend and senior vice president of Epic Software. His video, titled "The 15 Keys to Successful Organizational Development," outlines a method that "embodies the systematic approach to managing risk in reaching desired goals and objectives."

Without comprehensive systems to follow like the one Murad has developed, I believe that it is noticeably harder for businesses to reach their full potential and thrive. Watch the video and let me know what YOU think--which of Murad's key points resonate the most with you? Which tips can make your business better than it already is?

-Patty De

Your Career as an Entrepreneur by Patty DeDominic and David Finkel

Are You an Entrepreneur at Heart?

Coaches to Super Stars Patty DeDominic & David Finkel want you to be even more successful!


My friend and client, David Finkel, is a brilliant business strategist, a coach, an investor in businesses, people and real estate. His bestselling books have helped over one million entrepreneurs grow their companies.

Recently, David sent a letter to his clients and new business prospects with some valuable advice. I have reprinted his advice here. -Patty DeDominic

Five Tips to Grow Your Company 

By David Finkel, CEO Maui Mastermind 

 1. Formalized referral systems. If you find that a lot of your business comes by "word of mouth" then FORMALIZE several referral systems so that you can consistently control and spark inbound referral leads. • One services firm we work with uses a "check in" form with 3 blanks for referrals ("we'll send them a complimentary...") • Another medical practice we work with hosts quarterly "Friends and Family Health Days". • One online retailer we work with offers a coupon code to give a friend of theirs $20 off their purchase.

 2. Create an "Expert System" to increase your production capacity, lower your real costs, increase your value offering, and control for consistency. An "Expert System" is a system that captures the "know how" for how you run a core process in your business into a standardized method. This allows you to staff down to less expensive staff, to automate steps, have checklists or controls in place, and to at the very least template the process. It also pushes you to rethink how you do what you do to increase the value at the same time. • One CPA firm we work with increased their margins by taking 30% of what they used to have to do their expensive "Tax Seniors" do, and turned that over to admin help who used a clear template. • One manufacturer we work with reduced their risk by getting the "know how" of their senior engineer into a concrete system just in case he ever got hurt.

 3. Tune up your collections system (A/R) to improve your cash flow and increase your operating profit. Generally most owner reliant businesses are lax with either the pace or consistency with which they collect on their receivables. Yet just about every business owner I ever talked with tells me this isn't a problem for them. Still our business coaching team consistently finds that the average new client we accept into the Business Coaching Client has a past track record of losing between 5-15% of their A/R to poor collection practices. This is wasted pure operating profit since they are already paying the all the expenses of the business. No wonder that they smile--we help them find the fees to work with us and then some, often within the first 120 days of beginning to work together! • One occupational therapy clinic we work with found $66,000 of missed billings after two focused coaching sessions on this part of their business! • An I.T. company we worked with found and collected on $48,000 of receivables that they had never even billed for!

 4. Implement a regular "Reactivation System". Most businesses never formally and systematically go back to their past customers to regularly ask them to come back and buy from them again. What a waste! It cost you so much to initially acquire them as a client, but unless you have a system to automatically prompt you to effectively work to reactivate former customers, you're missing out. • Implementing a Reactivation System helped one manufacturer we work with generate $80,000 of new orders in 60 days. • One dentist we work with got a 25% conversion with her Reactivation System (and grew her clinic by over 30% in the process.)

 5. Improve your Financial Pillar so that your financials are set up correctly to show you your true financial picture. One of the biggest point failures for most business owners is their lack of financial sophistication about fundamental financial concepts that are critical to running a successful business. How do you stack up on the "Big Three" warning signs that your Financial Pillar needs work? • Can you clearly see your "gross profit"?

 Your gross profit is the money you make after you subtract the direct costs of producing or acquiring your product or service. It is THE MOST IMPORTANT number for a business owner to track and review weekly (ideally) or monthly (at minimum).   

 Yet over 90% of small business owners can't give me their true numbers off the top of their heads! (OUCH!) • Can you easily look at your financials by product, or by sales channel--at the push of one button in your financial software? (If you can't, you simply haven't set up your Financial Pillar the right way!) • Can you clearly understand your cash flow situation over the next 90 days on a rolling basis within 5-10 minutes of pulling up the correct report? (Again, when you set up your Financial Pillar correctly, your accounting software can immediately process this into a simple report or dash board for you!)

David and I wish you greater success in 2013!  We are hoping that you will write or call us if you need help in growing your enterprise.   Or, better yet, you can  to get a complimentary copy of our latest 176-page bestseller, 

Build a Business, Not a Job

  Just go to www.MauiMastermind.com/custom/freebook to get

 your free copy today!

Auditing is an increasingly important role and an entre to other trusted corporate functions. Patty DeDominic Coach to High Achievers in Finance and Business

Introduction to Auditing Introduction Is this really a gateway or just a bird's eye view? I say it depends on what you choose to do with the experience. You have a trusted role for the policy and governing body. This is important career fuel! Patty DeDominic, top banking coach and consultant to entrepreneurs and corporate governance executives and board members.

You are what you make of your opportunities! Accountants and auditors both play a significant role in the general preparation and examination of a corporation’s, business’, and/or individual’s financial records. These professions work to ensure the accuracy of financial records and taxes. In addition, accountants and auditors assess financial operations and offer consultation and advice on the ways in which financial transactions may run at a higher level of efficiency. The services and responsibilities of accountants and auditors are often intertwined, yet both fields are unique and distinct from one another. Specifically defined, accounting is the process of identifying, measuring, and communicating economic information for a variety of audiences. Accountants provide a company with reliable and comprehensive information about the company’s economic activities and the status of its assets and liabilities. This information is typically compiled in the forms of balance sheets, income statements, and equity statements. The services of accountants enable clients to understand key concepts such as financial stability and economic profitability. Auditing refers to an independent appraisal performed by an auditing expert. There are several types of audits; however, the most common type is the audit of financial statements. Audit of financial statements requires the examination of the financial statements and other relevant records of the company in order to ascertain whether or not the statements are fairly presented. The duties of auditors include the analysis and comparison of accounting reports as well as the verification of a company’s compliance with standards and regulations. Auditors Not all Auditors are Created Equal! External An external audit program requires an independent auditor to perform a comprehensive financial statement audit which offers information on internal controls over financial reporting. External auditors review accounting, payroll, and purchasing records. Common areas of concern for external auditors involve the classification and pay of a company’s employees. In some instances, external auditors are called in to perform a thorough investigation of a company whose shareholders doubt the accuracy or legitimacy of a company’s financial claims. Internal Internal Auditors check for any mismanagement of an organization’s funds. The primary role of Internal Auditors is to objectively review and evaluate financial activities in order to maintain or improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a company’s risk management, internal controls, and corporate governance. Internal Auditors evaluate the effectiveness of accounting operations, determine whether a company complies with laws and regulations, and investigates whether or not a company is taking the proper steps to address control deficiencies and audit report recommendations. Quality The Quality Auditor is a professional who understands the standards and principles of auditing. This type of auditor is knowledgeable about the auditing techniques of examining, investigating, evaluating and reporting in order to determine a company’s quality system adequacy and deficiencies. Quality audits are performed at fixed time intervals for the purpose of ensuring that the institution has clearly outlined internal system monitoring procedures. These types of audits determine the extent to which the organization complies with its defined quality system processes. Quality Auditors compiled reports, findings, and recommendations in order to provide the company with specific ways to improve. Opportunity is what YOU make of it. Not just a "bean counter."

http://accountingdegreeonline.net/ Types of Employment for Auditors Accountants and auditors held about 1.3 million jobs in 2008. Most accountants and auditors work in urban areas, where public accounting firms and central or regional offices of businesses are concentrated. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a majority of accountants and auditors work in the offices of major corporations, although some are able to complete work from home. Nearly 24 percent of auditors work in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services. Another 8 percent work for financial and insurance companies. Additional Resources http://accountingdegreeonline.net/ The Institute of Internal Auditors is the internal audit profession’s representation, leader, and advocate. Members of this organization work in the areas of internal auditing, risk management, governance, internal control, information technology audit, education, and security. Internal Audit Benchmarking Association is a free association of corporations with internal auditing departments. This Association conducts a variety of benchmarking studies in order to identify methods of obtaining improved operations within an organization. Association of Government Accountants is an organization dedicated to supporting the careers and professional development of government finance professionals working in federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector and academia. National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers is an organization for state officials who work within the financial management of state government. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and provider of anti-fraud training, professional development and education. The Path to IT Audit provides comprehensive information on the education, training, and experience needed to become an IT Auditor. Thank you Kacey Harris for this content in today's post.http://accountingdegreeonline.net/ Kacey Harris

Auditor.... Friend or Foe? A Great entre for trusted corporate advisers by Patty DeDominic, Coach to High Achievers in Finance and Business

Introduction to Auditing Thank you to the good folks at Accounting Degree on line for this informative article. http://accountingdegreeonline.net/ Introduction Accountants and auditors both play a significant role in the general preparation and examination of a corporation’s, business’, and/or individual’s financial records. These professions work to ensure the accuracy of financial records and taxes. In addition, accountants and auditors assess financial operations and offer consultation and advice on the ways in which financial transactions may run at a higher level of efficiency. The services and responsibilities of accountants and auditors are often intertwined, yet both fields are unique and distinct from one another. Specifically defined, accounting is the process of identifying, measuring, and communicating economic information for a variety of audiences. Accountants provide a company with reliable and comprehensive information about the company’s economic activities and the status of its assets and liabilities. This information is typically compiled in the forms of balance sheets, income statements, and equity statements. The services of accountants enable clients to understand key concepts such as financial stability and economic profitability. Auditing refers to an independent appraisal performed by an auditing expert. There are several types of audits; however, the most common type is the audit of financial statements. Audit of financial statements requires the examination of the financial statements and other relevant records of the company in order to ascertain whether or not the statements are fairly presented. The duties of auditors include the analysis and comparison of accounting reports as well as the verification of a company’s compliance with standards and regulations. Auditors External An external audit program requires an independent auditor to perform a comprehensive financial statement audit which offers information on internal controls over financial reporting. External auditors review accounting, payroll, and purchasing records. Common areas of concern for external auditors involve the classification and pay of a company’s employees. In some instances, external auditors are called in to perform a thorough investigation of a company whose shareholders doubt the accuracy or legitimacy of a company’s financial claims. Internal Internal Auditors check for any mismanagement of an organization’s funds. The primary role of Internal Auditors is to objectively review and evaluate financial activities in order to maintain or improve the efficiency and effectiveness of a company’s risk management, internal controls, and corporate governance. Internal Auditors evaluate the effectiveness of accounting operations, determine whether a company complies with laws and regulations, and investigates whether or not a company is taking the proper steps to address control deficiencies and audit report recommendations. Quality The Quality Auditor is a professional who understands the standards and principles of auditing. This type of auditor is knowledgeable about the auditing techniques of examining, investigating, evaluating and reporting in order to determine a company’s quality system adequacy and deficiencies. Quality audits are performed at fixed time intervals for the purpose of ensuring that the institution has clearly outlined internal system monitoring procedures. These types of audits determine the extent to which the organization complies with its defined quality system processes. Quality Auditors compiled reports, findings, and recommendations in order to provide the company with specific ways to improve. Types of Employment for Auditors Accountants and auditors held about 1.3 million jobs in 2008. Most accountants and auditors work in urban areas, where public accounting firms and central or regional offices of businesses are concentrated. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a majority of accountants and auditors work in the offices of major corporations, although some are able to complete work from home. Nearly 24 percent of auditors work in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services. Another 8 percent work for financial and insurance companies. Additional Resources http://accountingdegreeonline.net/ The Institute of Internal Auditors is the internal audit profession’s representation, leader, and advocate. Members of this organization work in the areas of internal auditing, risk management, governance, internal control, information technology audit, education, and security. Internal Audit Benchmarking Association is a free association of corporations with internal auditing departments. This Association conducts a variety of benchmarking studies in order to identify methods of obtaining improved operations within an organization. Association of Government Accountants is an organization dedicated to supporting the careers and professional development of government finance professionals working in federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector and academia. National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers is an organization for state officials who work within the financial management of state government. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is the world’s largest anti-fraud organization and provider of anti-fraud training, professional development and education. http://accountingdegreeonline.net/ The Path to IT Audit provides comprehensive information on the education, training, and experience needed to become an IT Auditor.

Using Social Media for Your HUNT! Business Coach Patty DeDominic

Get Outside YOUR Comfort Zone

to make a difference for yourself

 and others in 2013 

 by Patty DeDominic, Business Coach

Playing it Safe?
The time to play it safe is past....

We have survived the new birth for 2012 and we are on to
 co-creating an amazing 2013 and beyond.





Today I want to acknowledge three people who are going way out of their comfort zones all the time and who made a big difference for me and others this year. 

 One is a client, Logan Frye  (listen to his audio interview on this blog) Logan's Job Hunt Story - short audio        The other two are great public figures:

Well known Santa Barbarian, author and inspiration to millions   Jack Canfield and the other is career advisor Mildred Culp.     
   
Your community might be on line or blended as with most of us. Now is the time to get out of your comfort zone and give back in ways greater and more effectively than ever before.     YOU will be the big time winner here.

You will grow your skills and your network.

Better Skills + Stronger Network =   Greater Networth

Logan Frye used a combination of Social Media  (Linked In, Facebook, Monster, Indeed.com) and plenty of other on line resources to find his dream job in his dream city of Manhattan, New York.    He took a leap of faith and moved from Michigan where the new college grad blended his elbow grease with shoe leather and knocked on plenty of doors.    I nominate Logan as one of my favorite heros on 2012!


You too can find your dream job by first deciding what the qualities of the job or the people you will work with are.     Once you decide what's more important to you, you can begin to follow up leads and tell friends and interviewers what you prefer.   Most of the people who agree to see you for informational interviews want to help people who are eager to help themselves and who pay it forward.

Like Jack Canfield says repeatedly in his good books,  Key to Living,  Life Lessons or the Chicken Soup Series... He is credited with some of my favortie quotes:
  "Don't worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try."

 "Most everything you want it out there waiting for you to ask.  Everything you want it just outside your comfort zone."

“There are essentially two things that will make you wise -- the books you read and the people you meet.” 

@JackCanfield

@MildredCulp  has a great career blog called @workwise.   She has been the Dear Abby for jobs for decades.    http://www.workwise.net/

Enjoy the RIDE!

Great people..... great ways to make a big difference in your life.
the best to you in 2013

Patty DeDominic
www.dedominic.com   
Coach to high achievers in business and philanthropy

Patty DeDominic 2012 Career Advice Books

Please find my books on Amazon. Career Guidance and Job Hunting Tips for every stage of the career. new e-book versions now available on line for less than $5.00 too!

Why Strategy Matters in Your Business or Your Job Hunt

Answer These Questions, and Decide as you Move Forward

by Patty DeDominic, Coach to High Achievers in Finance, Business and Philanthropy.

 I just finished up a Master Mind call with the Maui team lead by David Finkel.  His firm is one of my favorite clients as  I love to watch David teach and am honored to be a colleague.    My role with the Maui team is to Coach entrepreneurs with growing companies.    We work on personal use of time, strategic priorities, human resource issues and other important business strategies and opportunities which inevitably arise in growing enterprises.   

It's really fun to work with business owners who seek to build scale-able companies.  Because I admire people who are willing to risk their money and their pride to become more successful, serve clients with passion and  build job creating enterprises it rarely seems like work.      As a coach to business owners and senior people, it's as if we are the Coach's Coach!

Today David did a deep dive on some key strategies in the building blocks of business.  Systems for success as I love to call them.       

  Overview of the 5 Strategic Marketing Decisions

1.      Choice of target market.

2.      Choice of product or service to focus on selling.

3.      Choice of business model.

4.      Choice of pricing.

5.      Choice of positioning and branding.

Job Hunter or CEO.... look at the similarities

Each of these decisions has an impact on your time, energy and how you will need to position yourself and your company.     Think about it, the above decisions are useful for job hunter too.      

It you haven't thought of yourself as an enterprise, consider doing so.    Consider who is your ideal target market (insert employer or industry?     If you are a job candidate, it is local or national business?  Large or small employer?    In a growing industry, filled with lots of demand for your continued growth or is it in a declining industry which will call on your resourcefulness and implementing tried and true strategies of the past?  

Choice of Pricing is important too for job hunters, are you the low price model or the guy with deep expertise and premium price?    Your communications and methods of connecting with potential employers will depend on your answers to the above.  

Branding is also important for job hunters and when you are clearer on items 1-4 above you will be able to get a better picture of the brand called YOU, Inc. 

Would you like to get a complimentary copy of our latest 176-page bestseller,       

Build a Business, Not a Job? 

 Just go to www.MauiMastermind.com/custom/freebook

to get your free copy today!

Good luck as you are preparing your business or your career for growth.   As always, you are free to take advantage of our expertise for a free 25 minute consultation at any time.   Feel free to click the link above for your free (no obligation) copy of the book or call me 805 453-7490  

Patty DeDominic      

Mimi Donaldson Offers Holiday Stress Busting Tips

Hello Friends, Here it comes again--the season of giving AND receiving. You know how you'll be "receiving" some family and friend obligations you never receive except during the two months ahead? Once you CHOOSE to receive, you now get to choose your attitude and behavior. In my book, Bless Your Stress: It Means You're Still Alive! I define "bless": to redirect the force of your energy so that you affirm your existence and embrace the whole of your life. This establishes the foundations of your own happiness. Yeah...but NOW, in THIS economy? And with THAT family coming over? Well here are 4 tips to improve your ability to focus on what matters: 1. Check your mental baggage. We all have memories from past holidays. A lot of us haul around a hefty load of stress connected to the holidays of the past. According to Mental Health America, "memories" account for close to 50% of all the sources of holiday stress. The problem is we don't realize it. Remember after that one run-in with your mother-in-law, you vowed to never cook a green bean casserole dish again for the family dinner, yet here you are en route...with yet another covered dish and a sour mood. And some of our New Year's Eve memories aren't as magical and joyous as the '40s movies portray. Imagine having a mandatory Stress Security Check Points Mental Detector (I don't mean "metal"). Imagine being scanned with an Attitude Wand (like the ones they use in airports), only these wands would check for what's weighing down your mind. Then, you can't take it with you! 2. Tap into your Personal Control Panel. Your "Personal Control Panel" controls what happens in your mind. Remember to push "Play" but skip the "Fast Forward" because, as Gandhi famously said, "There is more to life than increasing its speed." Also, "Fast Forward" can lead to self-fulfilling prophecy scenarios in your head, "Oh I know what's going to happen: I'll buy too much food; I'll buy too little food; the store will run out of food." Make full use of the "Pause Button," meaning to take a deep breath and take stock before letting a stress trigger make you go nuts. 3. Practice the fine art of patience. Another key element of blessing your stress is to practice "wait lifting," or the ability to wait and have patience in today's 24/7, frenetic "now" culture. Patience is how you handle the wait of the world. By starting with the light waits--the computer doesn't boot up fast enough or the traffic light takes too long to change--you can work up to medium and heavy waits. 4. Make full use of your "Internal Whistle." This means what it means in football. To stop the action, the whistle blows. We need to take a deep breath and take stock before letting a stress trigger or a whiney nephew make you go nuts and say something you'll regret. At the end of the day, and holiday, it comes down to cultivating the rare quality of perspective. Bring a "light take" on stress, so at least the stress doesn't last long. During the holidays, besides decking the halls, be sure to play the deck you're dealt and find your trump card. It may be that you are still alive to celebrate. Remember: there are at least 10 ways your holiday table with those people is better than a hospital bed. Trust me, I know. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. So have a merry month ahead, and get into the New Year's spirit. *For the full-length version of this article, check out my blog post. Want more Bless Your Stress? Purchase the book on my website!

Thanks,   Mimi Donaldson MimiSpeaks! (310) 577-0229 www.mimidonaldson.com mimi@mimidonaldson.com My Blog site! www.MimiSpeaks.com   "Talk is cheap. . .real communication--priceless."

Recruiting Top Talent Ideas from Patty DeDominic

Tips on Recruiting Professionals  from Patty DeDominic

Business Coach to High Achieving Financial, Educational Institutions and entrepreneurial companies and non profits.     

 DeDominic is the former CEO and Founder of PDQCAREERS.com and owner of CT Engineering  (professional  recruiting firms)

Finding the Right Talent in 2013 becomes a Critical Business Function.

Corporations with business opportunities will need to refine their recruiting skills, and put

out their welcome mats for top talent.  If you are a hiring manager, review this checklist and give us your comments below.

First Steps to Hiring Great Employees, Attracting Top Talent

·          Write up a good job description, defining critical skills and job requirements.  Identify Must-Haves, and nice- to- haves. Document for your internal communication systems for this job going forward. Called a UBS - universal business system.

·         Identify what the company will and will not do in relocation benefits to employees.   UBS that for the recruiter.

•      Review your Company website to make sure it is inviting to the best future employees aka  "Trophy Job Candidates" 
•      Ask yourself, would YOU want to work at the company you see on your website?  Top candidates want to know: Can they afford me?  Will I enjoy the people?   Will this company still be in business in a year or two?   Does the company provide career growth for me and security for my family?  Will I find the work stimulating or boring?
•  Your Website should give new eyes positive messages and in some ways answer all these questions to your top candidates.   if it is tired, discerning candidates will see that.
•         Write up your Job Posting  (help wanted ad)  and Cast a wide net. 
•        Let your current employees know what you need.     Consider offering referral fees for hired employees.   Everybody wins with referral fees paid to existing employees.
•    Consider placing your ad in the traditional places PLUS  your trade association, alumni offices, career centers at all educational institutions, chamber of commerce
•        Get creative too:  Your mayor's office, congressman's or governor's office all like to help constituents build and grow jobs.   Ask for their referrals.
•        Use  Linked In, Craig's list, other sites local to your geography and to your industry.    List five places to place this "ad" then think of a5-10 more places to put this out there.   
•       Unless this is a confidential opening, this is good PR for your company.  It says we are growing and we are a great place to work.    It will help with general Image Enhancement and building community and industry good will.      
•         Consider professional recruiting firms, or a by the hour contract recruiter if you have more than 3 important people to bring on board in any quarter.   Your time is worth more than the   $50-90 per hour you will pay a skilled recruiter.
•      Screen based on your Must-Have lists.  Consider one or two email exchanges to see how candidates present themselves, learn if they follow instructions and act interested (or desperate?)
•      Use Skype for preliminary one on ones not just out of town candidates. Its free to you and saves time for everyone)
•         Clearly explain your priorities, organizational culture and mission not just the job to the candidates.
•          Consider having team mates also interview the candidates or sit in on Skype meetings.
•      Listen to your gut as well as follow your critical skills UBS list.
•       After you have an accepted offer, agree on start day, pay, time for review of performance.
•       Review employees performance several times in the first 30 days to ensure they and you are tracking as expected.  

REMEMBER

·         Trust but verify, as you Inspect what you EXPECT from new employees.    They can't read your mind and you want to learn what's on theirs.    

·         Know that the more you hire  the better you will get.    The more people who see what you do for your community and for employees, the more referrals you will get.

·         Nothing is as expensive as "cheap" help.  Hire for the company you visualize in the best future.  Call us for a free no obligation consultation should you wish to discuss your situation.  

Patty De   805 453 7490