CONSULTING

Business Consulting

I choose to engage with a select group of clients to intimately understand their current business model. After careful analysis, a consulting, and training, a coaching plan is developed and implemented throughout the organization. Together we execute an agreed upon plan that will evolve over a period of 6 months to 2 years. My consulting services focus on the following areas:

• Leadership Development
• Customer Service And Client Strategy
• Building Team Culture And Leading Change
• Developing Goals And Vision
• Defining, Refining, And Driving Strategy
• Growing Revenues, Market Share, And Profit Margins

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

A huge part of career development is learning how to interact with others in the workplace, and eventually taking on a leadership role. Not all of us are natural born leaders, but with practice, research, and character development, it is possible to grow into a leader.

A leader needs to show a willingness to take on as many projects as possible. Co-workers will always follow someone who leads by example. Reach out to your bosses or managers to see if there is any extra work or an additional project that you can take part in. This is a recommendation to go above and beyond your job description.

A great leader needs to know how to listen to others. To lead, one must first be in the role of follower. Leadership includes the ability to yield power when appropriate. If someone is more of a creative thinker for a situation that calls for creativity, then let that person have the floor. Yielding power to best use your personnel shows true leadership and maturity.

Stepping back and letting a co-worker take control relates directly to empowering teammates. View your employees as teammates at all times, empowering them when the time is right. Empowering tends to inspire others. All good leaders must be able to inspire others in the workplace.

DEVELOPING GOALS AND VISION

Business development consultants bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in several different industries to the table. These consultants will quickly analyze and pinpoint company weaknesses and areas for improvement.

A leader will paint a clear picture of their vision for the company and/or a particular project. Leaders embrace teamwork, knowing a collaborative effort will almost always outduel the efforts of an individual.  Being direct and focused is important, but leaders will take the time to create a vision that includes each member of the team. Leaders will help chart a path towards success, enabling as many people as possible along the way. Leaders think outside the box and they will challenge other team members to adopt this style of thinking, as well.

Leaders will stay disciplined and focused as they strive towards long-term goals within the company. Leaders are in charge of inspiring others and leading them into the future, growing both as a worker and individual.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

It is crucial to make sure your entire staff, from sales all the way to customer service receives proper and thorough training. No question should go unasked or unanswered during the training process. Thorough training means understanding every aspect of one’s job. The customer service staff, especially, has to know exactly how to interact with and assist a customer’s every need. Customers need to trust the representatives to fully trust the product. You are the face and voice of the product/service, so be sure to leave the customers satisfied.

Anyone working in customer service has to have exceptional listening and communication skills. Without these skills, all other strengths will be overshadowed. All face-to-face interactions need to start off on the right foot. Greet customers with a smile and enthusiastic body language. Some situations can be hectic and overwhelming, but staying calm makes everything run smoother.

While ending calls or emails with feedback requests may be par for the course, this bit of information can be vital to the overall process. Don’t just ask for feedback; receive and use it! It may really surprise you how much can be learned from customer/client feedback. Constructive criticism is one of the best ways for companies to grow.

BUILDING TEAM CULTURE

Managers or bosses simply in their current roles to move on and up in a short period of time will do little to inspire the confidence of their employees. Great leaders stick around for the long term, through good times and bad. Commitment never goes unnoticed by fellow employees or workers. Good managers are committed to making their current role as meaningful as possible.

A good leader will leave no doubt that your team understands the objectives set in place. Walk your team through a project step-by-step, fielding any questions along the way. Passion is a building block towards success, and passion can definitely become contagious when the right culture is developed.

All of these tips and skills are rendered moot if the manager is not a good communicator. Good communication skills are possibly the first attribute a good leader must acquire. Knowing how to speak with employees of all different levels and needs is crucial for success. Goals and objectives are the easy parts. Effectively guiding your employees to the goals is where the real work begins.