Independent Contractor vs. Employee: Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Choose Pathos!

Why should you and your organization work with Pathos Leadership Group on a contract basis versus hiring a full-time employee?

Here are the “Top 12” reasons why:

1.Reduced Overhead: We’ve been able to save our clients hundreds of thousands of dollars in the following types of overhead: Expenses, Payroll, Benefits, and Other overhead.

To see the rest of the "Top 12" reasons why Pathos Coaching (Business Coaching / Executive Coaching) and Leadership Development programs should be a part of your strategic plan, visit http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/.

Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP, RODP
Pathos Leadership Group

Business Coaching: The Goal of Work... You Dig?

As a business coach, periodically I have a session that's so powerful that I just have to share... I just completed a business coaching session where I provided a group of clients with building blocks (ie, Group Coaching). "Building blocks? Those are for kids..." you might be saying, and the answer is "Yes!" Here's the exercise:

Today we wanted to discover "What We Are Building" in our work and in our lives. Each participant was provided with four building blocks. Remember building blocks when you were a kid? The possibilities were endless for you to mix/match/stack. The only boundaries imposed on your creation were set by your imagination. Well in our exercise, each participant was expected to build a structure from the blocks provided and tell the group:

1. What is the theme of your structure?


2. What is the inspiration for the creation? (ie, What life moment caused you to create the structure?)


3. Lastly, what is your message based on what you built?

Often times in Executive Coaching, we discuss something that is so powerful, so impactful, so perfect that clarity is gained and major advancements can be made by the individual both professionally as well as personally. This was one of those moments...

One of the participants structures was somewhat simple, but deep on interpretation. The theme for his four blocks which were stacked one on top of the other was "The Goal of Work... You Dig?" The inspiration was that this is where he perceived himself to be at this point in his life. He'd tried several solutions in the past, some worked while others didn't. However, now, at this point he reflected that the bottom block equated to these baseline experiences. The second block represented his "striving" to achieve. The third related to his failures, or negative influences that brought him down. And his fourth block, which was yellow and perched atop his structure, represented his never-ending quest to go for the gold in his life. The group applauded with a coll round of coffee house "snaps" of their fingers!

So what structure would you create? What would your theme be? What's your inspiration? Most importantly, what would your message be?

Sam Palazzolo @ Pathos Leadership Group

Business Coaching: Does Your Business Card Suck?

Does your business card say who you are, what you do, and MOST IMPORTANTLY how you can be reached?

I got asked to present my upcoming book "Influential Sales: Achieve Selling Supremacy in the New Economy" to a business association yesterday. I really like the President who invited me, and even though I knew it would make for a long week, I agreed to present.

I had a great time, and the energy level in the room was outstanding! There was a lot of positive energy that allowed for a great networking atmosphere.

I gave my presentation, the people were really appreciative and departed with a bunch of new tools to use in their businesses.

This morning, I am writing "Thank You" emails to the group to show my appreciation, and that's when it hit me. Most people's business cards suck! One of the aspects that I love about a card is that it should show not only who you are, where you work and what you do... but the MOST IMPORTANT part is how people can get a hold of you! In this Web 2.0 world, why would you put a card together that isn't complete? And by "how people can get a hold of you" I am talking not only about phone numbers (Work/Cell), but the all important email address. Also, if I've got to search your card to find this information your prospect won't take the time! I am very curious... Your prospect won't be! Spell it out clearly/concisely for them, and for gosh sakes make it EASY!!!

So here's a tip, look at your card right now... Can you see who you are, where you work, what you do and how people can get a hold of you (Phone/Email/Skype/Twitter...)? If so, great job. If not, throw out your business cards and design new ones!

Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP, RODP
Pathos Leadership Group

Business Coaching: Which of These Business Mistakes Did You Make in the First Half of 2009?

If you’re like most of the business owners I worked with in my business coaching practice, the “New Economy” has allow you to make some mistakes during the first half of 2009. As we make the “turn” into the second half it’s important to reflect on those mistakes. This way, we won’t make them again in the second half of 2009! Here then, are the Top 12 Mistakes I’ve seen business owners make so far this year:

1. You said “Yes” When You Should Have Said “No”
There you were plugging along in your business in the first quarter, making the most of the action items you had on your agenda for the year. You’re cutting through them like a warm knife goes through butter! Then the phone rings… It’s one of your favorite clients calling to ask you a favor. It’s in the following moments where you will determine whether or not to stay the course for the year, or whether you will you will entertain reaching outside of your primary business to help. Granted, the new economy has caused us to rethink our revenue streams, and unfortunately entertain new business ventures that previously wouldn’t have been considered. In our new book “Influential Sales” we discuss how it is that you should stay within the primary boundaries of your service offerings. While it may seem to be a great idea to go outside of those boundaries in order to secure additional revenue, more times than not that strategy will backfire. So what should you do when you are offered such an opportunity? Should you really say “No”? E-mail us at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com and we’ll send you the way to say “Yes” through and “No”!

2. You’re Not Marketing on the Internet
It’s official, the Internet is here to stay! I find it hard to believe the number of businesses that believe that they do not need to have a presence on the Internet superhighway. Do they need a special invitation from Al Gore himself? What’s worse is that I continue to see people who do not utilize a website for their marketing or advertising purposes. Your 24 X7 marketing billboard should be firmly in place for the world to see, no note from Al required!

3. Social Media is Not in your Arsenal
There are so many options to connect right now online for free, from Facebook to LinkedIn to Twitter to MySpace to YouNameIt the opportunities to connect have never been greater or easier than they are right now. Each of these spaces should be utilized not only to tally your message, but to leverage your business. If you’re pre-teenage son, daughter or neighbor can do it, why aren’t you?

4. You Relied on “Old Techniques” in the “New Economy”
The new economy has caused each of us to stretch in different directions. This stretching has been most evident in old techniques versus new techniques. The new economy requires totally rethinking your techniques and how they can be applied in this new economy. We discuss this in-length in our book “Influential Sales”… If you’d like a FREE chapter, send us an email to info@pathosleadershipgroup.com.

5. You “Talked” when You should have “Listened”
Customers today behave unlike the customers of yesterday. They require better questions, ones that hit them right between the eyes and make them think about what it is that they can enjoy as a result of participating with your product or service. The customers of the new economy like to talk, and in order to do so you must ask questions that are powerful. When you do have such powerful questions and ask them, you must be in position to stay engaged in the conversation and continue to ask powerful questions. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard of successful salespeople talking themselves out of the sale, either because they lack powerful questions or they just can’t stay engaged in the conversation (They’re usually thinking ahead of the customer, trying to figure out what needs to be said next! Big mistake…) Just when the sales seem to be in reach, they blew it by asking questions and talking more than they should have. In this instance, the customer has sold them on “No”!

6. You got Nervous and Went into New Markets
When sales are down, you may have been tempted to enter into new markets and perhaps work with new customers. Granted, if the market you served disappeared, or got wiped out overnight thanks to the second half of 2008, you needed to head somewhere! However I saw far too many business leaders starting to panic way too early and head into markets that they had no expertise, nor any business being in. We had a saying in New Orleans that went something like “If you’re scared, say you’re scared!” I think the shoe fits perfectly here as well.

7. You Quit Too Soon
Again when sales are down, some leaders started to panic and they started looking for new opportunities (New market, your product, new salespeople...) However, by doing so they just quit too soon on their traditional business and service lines! How many times during the first half of 2009 did you find yourself questioning your current direction, or actually changing direction and sailing into new areas when if you had stayed the course you would have been better off?

8. You Stopped ABC’ing
The ABC’s of sales say that you should Always Be Closing. Many salespeople have moved away from this ABC philosophy. Why? I believe that they were under the impression that their “New Customers” in the “New Economy” were more intelligent and knew more about their products/services than they did. While in some instances, this was correct (What we call a “Transparent Transaction” at Pathos). However in far too many cases, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, what happened was that salespeople stopped selling! Here’s a case in point… What used to take at least seven touches for a sale to be made, the new economy required no less than 10 to 12 touches. If your sales staff didn’t believe in the product, didn’t enjoy the accounts they were servicing, felt as though the grass was greener on the other side, or let’s just say they were weak then these were the true causes for the ABC’s of sales to cease.

9. You Stopped cold calling
Nobody likes to cold call, however what do you do when you run out of customers and their referrals? You’ve got to attempt to grow your business? Unfortunately whether you want to believe it or not, cold calling is an effective way of growing sales. The new economy has caused me and my clients to look at new strategies for how it is that we can effectively cold calling. Gone are the days of going through the phone book and dialing for dollars. Today’s cold calling strategy requires your best game plan!

10. Your Service Fell Short and You Didn’t Realize It!
So sales are down, and were co-piloting the Tidy Bowl boat which is about to go right down the pipe to Omaha! We’re trying new products, we’re looking at new services, we’re entering into new markets that we hadn’t thought of before and here is the worst part, customers are still defecting! Worse yet, we don’t even realize it! We’re so focused on new conquest sales that we have forgotten about the customers who have gotten us to where we are! In other words, our insatiable appetite for more sales, any sales at that matter, has led us to not fully engage with the clients we currently should be dealing with. Pay attention to your current customer base.

11. You Forgot Why You Do What You Do
Let’s reflect for a moment… Why did you get into the business you are in? Was it because you want to make some money? Was it because you love the long hours? Was it because you’ve got nothing better to do? The moments when the water level lowers, that’s when we get to see where the rocks are out in the lake. During the good times, when water and business are a plenty, you can scoot our boat right across the top of those rocks without any damage to the boat. However with this new economy, and the new water level associated with it, running our engine wide open could be devastating without proper navigation. Now we can buy some fancy equipment, and dodge those rocks and not cause any harm to our boat. But why are we really there? What do we enjoy the most during good times? What will we enjoy the most during future good times? Why do we do what it is that we do for a living?

12. You Thought You Could Go It Alone!
The old saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” is wrong! I see far too many CEO’s and Key Leaders in organizations today who believe that they can work their way out of this new economy by putting in longer/harder work days. That’s insane! The outcomes from their efforts include less productivity, less revenue, more weight gain, receding hairlines and marriages that end up on the rocks! It doesn’t have to be this way. If the first half of 2009 has not brought you to where you need to be, the year is still salvageable. We are working with leaders and their organizations on solid, scientific business principles that are allowing them to not only sustain, but grow their businesses in this new economy! Send us an e-mail today at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com and we’ll schedule a Complementary Coaching Strategy session. Unless that is, you’re satisfied with where you’re at?

Business Coaching: Dealing with Negative People

We’ve all been there before… The day is moving along just like we hoped and then “WHAM” we run right into the negative wall, or in this case person. All the momentum we’ve been building is suddenly stopped dead in its tracks. Furthermore, the current moment has left the future direction and speed uncertain. So what do you do when you encounter negative people? The following seven tips should help you get back on track faster and move forward again.

• Negative People Tip #1 – Get Back to Basics – What were you working on and why were you working on it? Identifying what the current project at hand is as well as why it’s important will get you refocused on what you were doing. Moving forward again will re-engage you!
• Negative People Tip #2 – Forget About ‘Em – Perhaps the hardest aspect of dealing with negative people is putting their “negativity” behind you. However, you’ve got no control over them (even if they work for you), so move on. Consider your encounter with them to be just a speed-bump in the big road of life!
• Negative People Tip #3 – Update Your Radar System – You are going to encounter negative people, even if you’re at Disney World (aka, the “happiest place on Earth”). If you know that you are going to encounter them, why not plan your “escape” before you get into the situation? Doing so will allow you to enter the situation with confidence and exit with panache!
• Negative People Tip #4 – Be More Selective – You have a choice every hour of every day regarding what you will do and who you will do it with. Make better choices regarding what that is and who it is with!
• Negative People Tip #5 – Dr. Phil Them – I don’t want you to break out your best Dr. Phil impression and ask negative people to lie down on your couch and say “tell me your problems?” However people are often negative because they are currently occupying a “negative” space in their lives. Asking why they are there and how you can help them get from there to a “positive” place just may be a difference maker!
• Negative People Tip #6 – Go To Your Happy Place – Being negative is easy when it comes right down to it. It takes a lot of effort to stay positive when you encounter these types of individuals. When you do, remove yourself from the situation and go to a place where you can refocus, recharge and re-energize yourself!
• Negative People Tip #7 – Stay Positive – Negative people want you to come over to their side if you’re positive. Just because they want you to join their “Pity Parade” doesn’t mean that you should. Avoid doing so at all costs!

Following these seven Negative People Tips will make you more productive and positive. One of my coaching clients told me “Life’s short, play positively and you’ll succeed!” I like that…

Take a moment to complete the “Dealing with Negative People Poll” and tell me how you deal with those negative people in your world. If I can further assist, reach out to me at sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com.

How Good is Your Sales Follow-up?

I got a postcard in the mail today... Not that big of a deal, right? If you're like me, you get (and probably send) hundreds of postcards each month. But this one was different... It was for my daughter and it said "Happy Birthday from your orthodontist". Now I know what you're thinking, she's a kid that has braces, right? Wrong! This is from an orthodontist that we visited for an initial visit last year, but never "got around" to getting them on (Moment of Truth - My daughter realized there would be pain involved in wearing them, so no braces for her for the time being!).

So she gets a postcard for her birthday from someone that we don't even do business with. It made me wonder... Do you send out "Happy Birthday" postcards to your clients on their birthday? Do you stay in touch with the clients that currently do business with you, as well as those that have in the past? More importantly, do you send anything to prospective clients that decided for some reason or another (pain versus pleasure/devil I know versus the one I don't...) NOT to do business with you?

I am guessing that you don't. Make that, I am pretty confident that you don't! If you'd like information on how you can follow-up/follow-through like an "Influential Salesperson" then send me an email to info@pathosleadershipgroup.com and I'll be in touch!

Sam Palazzolo

Pathos Leadership Group

http://www.pathosleadershipgroup.com/

PS - The orthodontist was Terry Moore, DDS in Colleyville, TX. For less than $1 he might earn our business after all!

Are You Losing Sales Because Of Your First Impressions?

Well, it happened again… I got a voicemail this morning from a prospective customer that wanted to discuss executive coaching with me. The gentleman spoke clearly, and was even so kind as to do the three actions I request in my voicemail (What… you don’t make a similar request for three items in your voicemail? Let me guess, you’re still saying “You’ve reached (Your Name), sorry I’m not in to speak with you, but please leave me your name, number and a brief message and I’ll return your call as soon as I can. Have a nice day!” You’re missing sales is you do…Send me an email and I’ll send you an article titled “Sales Saving Voicemail Scripts”).

I took good notes from the message he left and reached for the phone to return his call. That’s when it happened… Let’s just say that her name was Lola (Sing along with me, “Oh my Lola, la la la la Lola!”) Lola was not having a good day, it was apparent over the phone in the first three seconds of our conversation. That’s all it took for me to get the wrong mental picture of her, this prospect and his business! So I wonder, are you losing sales because of your first impression? In other words, are the people that are on your front line representative of you and your operation, or are they totally misleading in the wrong way? The following then is a list of 5 techniques you can “review” with your “first impression” staff so that the right impression is left every time!

Technique #1 – Smile – You can hear how someone feels through the phone! So if you are answering the phone with a frown on your face… smile. You might not be on candid camera (i.e., Punked!), but your customers will certainly feel the warmth.

Technique #2 – Serve – Why are you there? You are there to serve others, otherwise you should be in a backroom office with no phone in sight and far from the customers. If you are in the front of the customer experience line, you’ve got to have a serve mentality.

Technique #3 – Refresh – We all get in a bad mood… we’re human! However, when the phone rings or a customer walks in the front door, it is “Showtime” for those frontline employees. So adopt a “Showtime” mentality, but see if you can’t carry that mentality over when no customers are present!

Technique #4 – Clear – Clear the thoughts of workers that you can identify as struggling. It’s natural to want to help, so lend a hand and help them out. I think this is called teamwork or something…

Technique #5 – Get Real! – If you have associates that are not interested in putting your best foot forward, you’ve got to part company with them. There is only so much training and development that you can offer someone. If you notice that nothing is sticking from these sessions, part company with dignity!

I hope that these five techniques will allow you to stop losing sales because of those bad first impressions! If you’ve got other ideas, send me an email at info@pathosleadershipgroup.com .

Sam Palazzolo
Pathos Leadership Group – Home of the Influential Edge!
www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Who the Hell is James Strock and Can He Save Leadership? 12 Tips on Becoming a More Effective Leader

I had the opportunity to spend time with James Strock, author, speaker, and executive educator on 21st Century Leadership. If the saying “If you don’t know your history, you’re bound to repeat it!” is true, then you must get to know James and his work. He has the unique ability in possessing dual vision, with one eye on the past and the other towards the future.

His next book, “Serve to Lead: 21st Century Leadership System” discusses how leadership today is different. Here are twelve of his thoughts regarding just how different things are for leaders and the serious issues to be challenged with:

1. Technology – Is the vision of Hanna-Barbera and George Jetson very far off?
2. Ethics – We operate in a “transparent” society… Kiss privacy good-bye!
3. Service – Everyone can lead because it’s so easy to serve at the current time.
4. Empowering – Becoming “empowered” is easier today than it ever has been.
5. Consensual – There exists a consensual relationship between the leader/non-leader.
6. Love – The Beatles sang “all you need is love” and so does James!
7. Relationship Transition – There is today a transition from transaction to relationships.
8. Dynamic – Kick “static” relationships to the curb.
9. Custom – There is no universal or “one size fits all” leadership methodology.
10. Convergence – Leadership styles are converging (Think Mr. Cosmo Spacely meets John Maxwell)
11. Imagine – Another Beetle sighting… Think “strawberry fields forever!”
12. Public – There is no leadership in private?

If you don’t know James work, get to! He was motivational, inspirational and at times controversial. When was the last time you met someone that told you that Tom Peters and Jim Collins are wrong?

You can find out more about James at his website… http://www.jamesstrock.com/

If you’d like to see where you “rank” versus the 3,000+ business leaders that we surveyed for our book, “The Influential Leader” please visit http://www.gotinfluence.com/ and take the 2 minute survey. You’ll receive a report that shows where you compare versus them on the 10 critical skills that made them successful!

Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP, RODP
Pathos Leadership Group
www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Is the Magic Back?

Ahhhh... March Madness! Does anything quench the Influential Leader's sole like college basketball? I spent last week traveling, so what better way to take some "down" time to watch wall-to-wall basketball. Being a Big 10 Varsity Athlete, I was especially pleased to see Michigan State University and Tom Izzo breeze through their first two games. Hard to believe that it's been 30 years since Magic Johnson lead MSU to the title in 1979. Even more hard to believe that they won the 2000 championship!

So what's the secret to their success? Anyone that knows anything about Tom Izzo knows that it all boils down to one thing. Every team in the NCAA - Division 1 athletics has got star athletes. Every college hosts their teams in what could only be called modern day coliseums. Every team has great athletic training programs. So from athletes to facilities, everything is pretty even. What's the secret then?

The Influential Leader has the secret! It's hard work. So simple, yet few actually accomplish success because there is an extreme lack of hard work. Magic used to tell tales of running up and down the court in practice until he puked. So what are you working so hard at that you actually "puke" afterwards?

If you'd like to get the "Influential Edge" and start working hard, send me an email at sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com and let's start today! You'll join the thousands who've participated in our programs that are tasting success today, even in this economy! You'll also get in on the ground-floor of our exciting 2nd Quarter of 2009 programs. What are you waiting for? Oh you already work hard don't you? There's a big difference between working hard and hard work... Drop me a line and we'll spend 10 minutes together to see where we can go together!

Sam Palazzolo, CPLP
Pathos Leadership Group
www.pathosleadershipgroup.com

Types of Business Coaching

Kris Koonar writes an excellent post on the types of Business Coaching available today! View it here... http://stepstosuccessmadesimple.com/blog/types-of-business-coaching.php

In our Executive Coaching practice here at Pathos Leadership Group, we touch all of the items mentioned. There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding what a coach will and won't do... Our answer is simple: "If you wan't to get the 'Influential Edge!' we've got to first and foremost determine what you want. From there, it's all hard work and effort!" In other words, there is no shortcut/magic pill which you can take to get to where "success" lives.

To schedule a Complimentary Coaching session send me an email (sp@pathosleadershipgroup.com) today... It will be the best 20 minutes you spend!

Sam Palazzolo, MBA, CPLP
Pathos Leadership Group