Knowing how to run a computer program and keep your anti-virus software up to date are skills that are necessary for an entrepreneur to have — or to hire someone to take on for him. There are low-tech skills entrepreneurs need to master that are as vitally important master — sometimes even more so than the hard-tech skills.
Low-tech Skills Entrepreneurs Need To Master
How to entertain your clients. If you want to “close a deal” you may need to master the art of small talk and networking. Whether you entertain clients at an intimate dinner, a large holiday party or even over coffee for a first meeting.
Plan face-to-face meetings. Technology is great and it helps you connect with clients across the country, but many entrperenuers rely on tech to communicate with clients who are just across town. Nothing beats a face-to-face meeting with a client to cement the relationship or with a new client to build rapport.
Know what to do at a trade show or conference. Don’t be a wallflower and expect others will approach you to talk. You need to screw up your courage and make the first move. If you’re making the commitment to attend you need to get a return on your investment.
Pick up the phone. Gasp! We know it’s a concept that has fallen out of favor in this era of text messages and emails, but a good, old fashioned phone call is a great way to connect quickly and to also hammer out a concept that would take far too long to do via email.
A handwritten thank you note. This is truly a practice that has gone out of style. If you have a meeting with a potential client, send them a handwritten thank you note to not only recap your conversation, but to thank them for having taken the time to meet with you. Getting a physical piece of mail is rare in today’s electronic era and this might make you stand out from the competition.
What low-tech skills do you need to master or do you need to brush up on?
What kind of leader are you? Do you know? Have you ever even asked yourself that question? When I work wtih business owners in my coaching program I work with them to ascertain what type of leader they are. Are you a weak leader? Are you a strong leader? Knowing which one you are can help you motivate your team and move them forward and your business toward higher successes.
Are You A Weak Leader?
Do you make decisions? If you’re so-so when it comes to making decisions — whether you’re paralyzed by fear or whether you’re afraid you won’t get a return on your investment or whether you’re simply thinking, “We’ve never done it that way before… will it work?” If you hesitate to take action, you are showing signs of weakness, regardless of the reasons why you’re hesitating.
When you have to say “no” to a project or idea do you follow that up with, “because we just don’t have the money/time/manpower?” Don’t tie the “no” in with a complaint about a lack in resources. If you have to say no, then do so. Don’t continually complain about a lack of resources or your employee morale is certain to suffer.
When things go wrong do you look for someone or something to blame? Stop! You have to take responsibilty even if it was an underling who made the mistake. As a supervisor or business owner you need to take responsibility for both the good and the bad.
Do you abuse your position of power? Are you a “do as I say, not as I do boss?” If so. Stop! You need to set the bar by which your employees measure their own behaviors. You may have privileges in your leadership role, but don’t take advantage.
Treat others with respect. Don’t intimidate your employees. Don’t be disrespectful to higher-ups.
When I coach wtih business clients, they sometimes tell me that they know they should be blogging but they just don’t know how or where to start. I uncover that for many, there is a fear of blogging and that is what makes them procrastinate. Here are some ways to break through your fear of blogging and get on a regular schedule for your business.
Your potential clients will thank you for sharing your unique expertise with them on your blog posts.
Break Through Your Fear Of Blogging
Understand your niche. If you narrow down your niche you can focus your efforts and truly impart the knowledge your clients and your ideal customers need.
Know your blogging objectives and put metrics in place to help ascertain whether you are being a blogging “success.” Remember, it won’t happen overnight — blogging success or blogging traffic. Give yourself a deadline for trying your hand at blogging them track your metrics at the end of that time. You will need to know whether you’re looking to make sales, get comments, drive people to your social media pages for likes and comments or get them to sign up for your newsletter. If you don’t know your goal, you won’t be able to measure success.
Realize that “not everyone is looking at you.” What we mean by that is that sometimes bloggers feel self conscious — like everyone is staring. They get social anxiety when their finger is hovering above the “publish” key. If you’ve researched your topic, stayed on topic, have shared quality and relevant information you have nothing about which to be anxious. Also, remember, everyone makes mistakes and typos. If you look at your post later and discover one — change it then re-publish. Viola! Problem solved.
What’s preventing you from blogging or from blogging regularly? What roadblocks are you putting in your own path to blogging success? Let’s talk, during a coaching session and break through the blogging writers’ block you might be experiencing.
Businesses are downsizing and many “older” employees are finding their positions cut to make way for younger (usually with lower paychecks) staff members. There is a boom movement in Baby Boomers becoming entrepreneurs — and why not! Sixty is the new fifty and if you want to know how to join the Baby Boomer Entrepreneur crowd, read on for tips to do just that.
Grab your pen and paper and make notes of the unique areas of expertise you bring to the table and how you might be able to parlay those talents or other talents you may have never had time to pursue into a new career as a business owner.
How To Join The Baby Boomer Entrepreneur Crowd
Delve into your passions. If you had a job that you loved, find a way to continue pursuing that as an entrepreneur. If you have a passion you never had time to follow because you were working, find a way to make that generate income. What do you love? What will people pay for? How can you marry the two? Search your soul for those things at which you excel; write them all down and see if any of those items are something you could see as a business endeavor.
Put together a business plan. Whether unemployment is looming or if you are already retired. Put your plan in writing. Have a business goal, or more than one. Know what you need to spend for start up costs. Know what you need to make in order to consider the business a success. If you put your thoughts in writing you are more likely to follow through.
What skills do you need to brush up on? If you aren’t as technical as you should be, take a class. Look at your potential business ideas and know what skills you need to hone. If you are starting a business you will also want to build a team of at least an attorney (to have on call for contracts and other legal advice and to assure you’re setting the business up correctly) and a financial person — bookkeeper, accountant, etc. — to assure you’re setting up your accounts correctly and are staying in good standing with the IRS. You need to know what skills you need to hire for and what skills you want to learn.
If you’ve never been self-employed, this could be a worrisome time, but I urge you to embrace this new challenge and let it bring you joy! Do you wonder whether you have an idea that could warrant a business? If you’re unsure of where to even begin, drop us a comment and let’s set up a time to talk!
Are extroverts better entrepreneurs? The word “better” may be misleading because introverts are GREAT entrepeneurs, but their business style is different than the business style of an extrovert. The world goes around with extroverts and introverts and you may find your business thriving if you bring in others who balance your innate tendency.
Are Extroverts Better Entrepreneurs?
Extroverts may be able to cast a wider net for networking opportunities and for potential clients. Simply because extroverts like to be out and about and talk with strangers, they may have access to more clients than an introvert.
They may find it easier to strike up a conversation with strangers which could lead to business conversations.
They interact with their team, probably more regularly.
They just may be more charismatic than their introverted counterparts. You can read this as “life of the party.”
What benefits to introverts bring to the table?
They are focused. They rarely get off track when pursuing a goal.
The relationships they build are constructed over the long term.
They may be more niched and this could enhance their expertise.
When building a team, fill it with both extroverts and introverts and you will have a well-rounded workforce that will benefit your business as well as your clients.
Note that it’s rare to find an entrepreneur who is 100% introvert or 100% extrovert. Most every person is a mixture of both while most people also lean more toward one or the other. Ambiverts are those individuals who can thrive in a crowded networking event for a time, then will head back to the office to recharge their mental batteries.
Which are you? Extrovert? Introvert? A little of both — an ambivert? Do you know yourself well enough to know which spectrum you fall into and what do you do to enhance your natural tendencies and make your business a success? We’d love to know.
As an entrepreneur you need to get out of the office and continue building business connections. Toward this end though you need to make the most of business meetings. If you attend an event or a business luncheon and walk away, hours later, with a sense of “that was a waste of time” you need to sharpen your skills to see if you can determine beforehand just who might be wasting your time before you schedule time out of the office.
Make The Most Of Business Meetings
It’s all about them. This is a red flag you should notice up front. If you meet someone at a networking event and they launch into their elevator pitch without even a “getting to know you” question or two. You can rest assured that if you meet up again, the conversation on your end will not be furthered, but their agenda will be continued. As a side note, make sure when you meet people that you aren’t the one who is monopolizing the conversation.
Future planning. If they say, “well, at some point in the future” or “we aren’t at the point of bringing on vendors” or “we don’t have any plans currently” you will know that it might be a good getting-to-know you time, but you won’t walk away being any closer to a new business deal than you originally were. This is not to say that “future” promises should be discounted, but know that you’re not getting a contract signed any time soon.
I’d love to pick your brain. When someone says this, they KNOW you have a product or service that they would benefit from BUT they are not willing to open their checkbook and invest. Sharing insight and information isn’t a bad thing, but you don’t want to continually accept invitations to, “brain picking” sessions. You deserve to be paid for your expertise. Bottom line.
What raises red flags for you when you’re scheduling a business meeting with a potential client?
