Build A Resilient Team for 2022

Despite the misleading title, I am most certainly not writing about choosing a leader, establishing clear goals, setting schedules with clear deadlines and creating open lines of communication – okay maybe I will write about the latter.

In any case, I am taking a different and maybe the most unpopular approach – many critics within the Human Resources world actually argue if there is any importance to my chosen approach and of course, I believe in the counterarguments, that there is. Just step foot into any organisation, no matter the size and you will see that TRUST is highly important in the building of strong teams. Furthermore, if you are anything remotely like me, hyper-analytical, you will start spotting the nuisances that break internal organisational trust.

In this blog, I will briefly explain what a trusting team is, one of the things that break that trust and conclude by giving a tip to help deal with the issue.

How does trust factor into ‘Team Building’?
Simon Sinek says: a trusting team is a team made up of people who feel safe around each other – safe expressing their feelings, asking for help, talking about problems and admitting to mistakes.

So we can deduce that trust has the potential to invoke some sort of synergy within teams. But how do we get to a place where team trust is broken or just does not exist? Well, I believe that the breaking of, or lack of trust within teams, is largely due to the underrated power of ‘the grapevine’ popularly known as gossip (informal communication).

More often than not, everyone in a company would jump into bold defence when they are told they partook in office gossip. Regretfully this would be far from true. If you have ever engaged in a discussion about another colleague who is not present to hear the feedback, provide their perspective and engage in joint problem solving, you have engaged in office gossip.

Venting with one or more colleagues about how difficult management workflows are, creates a feeling of connection with everyone else who is struggling with the same thing. Those similarly frustrated treat one another with in-group favouritism that creates a sub-team. When these sub-teams grow within the office, problems in the organization remain hidden within these smaller teams and cannot be addressed by management and this is due to the vine being characterized by unverified information that is impossible to track and(or) address. The danger with this type of infestation is that after some time, these unresolved issues build up and can become threats to the company’s overall productivity.

With this one example, we can vaguely see how informal communication – no matter how valid, is a type of destructive communication that often negatively impacts individuals, bleeds into the teams and eventually impacts the whole organization. By stopping it in its tracks and engaging in collaborative problem-solving; relationships and the organization can flourish, where trusting teams, working towards common goals are established with no friction allowing for synergy to take place.

There is a lot of advice I could present to combat the effects of the vine, but I want to focus on this note – we first need to learn that our professional and personal lives are not two spheres that are separate. In fact, they are integrated pieces of our lives.
The moment we separate the two, we start to think that we must hide our emotions, humanity and even identity from our colleagues.
This creates apathy, we begin to see each other as enemies rather than collaborators. When we as humans see each other as enemies, we are mentally programmed to decline to our lowest human form – ego and work in competition with each other instead of completing each other. This unfortunately harms the office environment and functioning of a business.

If we can grasp this basic concept, it becomes easier to create and adapt to feedback-rich environments workspaces. The more we normalize the integration between the professional and personal spheres of our lives, receiving and giving feedback – positive or negative becomes less daunting and offensive, it is actually welcomed.
Ideally, people would then become less likely to look for alternative and untraceable means to express their frustrations and concerns.
Deborah Riegel suggests that rather than saving feedback for annual performance reviews, discussions about what someone did well, and what he or she could do differently, should be made a normal part of the company culture.

Now that I have succinctly captured my thoughts, I have to place responsibility on someone that will undertake the tough job of tackling the vine – building strong teams and unfortunately it is a burden I place on leaders. Simon Sinek motivates my point best by saying ‘Leaders are not responsible for the results, they’re responsible for the people who are responsible for the results.’

Take care of your team and the team will take care of the company.

On that note, I hope that this blog has been insightful and has held you accountable. I hope it encourages leaders and employees to rebuild trust within the organisation. If done properly, I know without a doubt that individual commitment, enthusiasm and passion will rise. It is incredible to see how teams with passionate people inspire each other to reach great heights, just watch ‘Steve Jobs’ [2015] and you will see what I mean and why Apple Inc. is what it is today.

Good Luck for the year ahead you guys, GO TEAMS!!

Sources:
Shortform
HBR


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About Minnie Zondi

I am an insanely optimistic ambivert that does everything from the heart instead of the mind. Deeply interested in people and matters that pertain to mankind.

Your Essential Guide to Productivity

posted in: Life Lessons 3

How it’s going – 2021

We’ve already completed one month in 2021. How productive have you been so far? I’ve seen so many posts this year with people saying they simply don’t feel motivated or productive at all while using the phrase “February is the new January”. That’s basically the 2021 version of I’ll start next Monday, right?

Let’s Break it Down

Dan S. Kennedy defines productivity as follows:

Enter Your Essential Guide to Productivity: tips with optional further reading links because as we know, “Time is money”. For further motivation (to keep reading), the benefits of productivity include reduced stress, increased engagement and improved self-confidence and who doesn’t want more of all that?

Productivity Tools

Right off the bat lets start with some productivity tools that I use (do you use any of these?):

Trello – for organizing and prioritising projects
Slack – communicate, share files and connect with apps easily
Grammarly – an AI-powered writing assistant that helps with spelling, grammar and more
Google Keep – capture notes and get reminders
Google Docs Editors – Google’s office suite which includes Google Docs, Google Sheets and more
Google Workspace Suite –  collaboration tools like Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Chat, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites and more
Skype / Zoom – video communication and collaboration
AnyDesk / TeamViewer – remote desktop sharing and file transfer
Dropbox – file Storage and Sharing

Productivity Tools are great but in the end, they don’t make you productive they just assist with the process. So what does? One commonality that stands out after research is MINDSET. As we all know the mind is powerful so it’s no surprise that this is the main component for productivity.

Your Essential Guide to Productivity

With only so many hours in the day, you want to use them in the best way right? So, let’s keep it short with 10 Tips:

Start – this one is obvious, to be productive you have to start somewhere
Plan – create a detailed breakdown of how you plan to achieve goals and focus on these
Be Deliberate – be conscious and intentional with your actions
Deadline – set goals with completion dates in mind
Accountability & Tracking – take accountability and track your progress
Workspace – this goes without saying but creating and maintaining a space that assists you without distractions
Take Breaks – breaks help you to de-stress, re-charge and re-focus
Fuel – your body (and brain) needs fuel to perform optimally
Stop Multitasking – according to science multitasking divides your attention and impairs your ability to function optimally
Say No/Delegate – not everything is equally important so prioritize or delegate

In Conclusion

Keep in mind no project or initiative is perfectly planned even though it may seem that way from the outside looking in. Work hard and do your best. Your customers and/or colleagues will tell you where improvements are needed which means you’ll get the opportunity to improve things that actually matter.

In the name of #KeepingitReal and #Authenticity, I personally struggle with taking breaks, not multitasking, saying no/delegating and on top of that I am a perfectionist. If you’re the same, remember you are a work in progress so don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. Get up, dust yourself off and remember consistency is key. Find methods/techniques that work best for you and you’ll see changes.

WATCH The Science of Productivity from AsapSCIENCE on Youtube for a scientific take on Productivity.

Sources/Further Reading:
Personal Productivity eBook
EmpMonitor
Paldesk
DoIT
INC
HeySpace


To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

The Effects of Regular Exercise on Productivity

The Effects of Regular Exercise on Productivity

Here at Leads 2 Business, we strive to make sure you get the most out of your service. For many of us, exercise is one way for us to get our minds focused and our work flowing.

As someone who tries to get 1-hour exercise in a day, I know that whether it be a swift walk or a full body work out on returning to my computer, My “brain fog” is clear and I am ready for the rest of the day.

Besides the obvious benefits behind exercise (ie. Weight loss). Taking anywhere between 10-30 minutes out of your day to go for a walk outside, run or gym has its physiological benefits. Royal College of Psychiatrists published an article stating that exercise can help cope with mild depression as it lifts your mood and gives a sense of being in control and In touch with people.

For some people the Word Exercise may make them cringe at the thought of being sweaty and tired, However, you can also exercise to relax, You may be wondering how can exercise be relaxing? Alexander Pope wrote a poem called “An Essay on Man” in the year 1733-1734, saying Strength of Mind is exercise, not rest.” doing things likes Yoga can help you to realize this.

Almost any type of exercise can help your mind think freely and Creatively. Upon speaking to Darren Smit owner of IMF High Performance Centre in Ballito who studied BA spots Science at Stellenbosch and finished his BSC Honours Degree in Biokinetics at the University of Zululand, He told me that the following, “You need to value the importance of your long-term health in order to fully understand the importance of exercise, Most of the time people have a health scare before they find the time to get in the gym or outdoors and move. Regular Movement can help Keep your body at a healthy weight and your mind in a positive place, and Exercising regularly can lower the risk of disease, including type 2 diabetes and High Blood Pressure.” Darren also went on to say that exercising regularly will not only help you but help those that you interact with.

Saying that Some of our Leads 2 business ladies recently did the Spars Women’s Race (see Image above). Many of us have walking Groups that we are part of, and you will often see us walking outside for a breath of fresh air, This helps us to keep our positive attitudes when dealing with subscribers and encouraging others to subscribe as well. Being that our company is web-based and we deal with people mostly over the phone We have to make sure that we are thinking fast and clear in order to give our subscribers that best.

Here are some ways you can incorporate exercise into your day:

  • Stretch – Standing up and stretching your back and legs can increase blood flow and help your posture after you have been sitting at a desk or in a chair for a long period of time.
  • Lose the Chair – Try getting rid of your normal office chair. You may find your back may ache or your shoulders. Try sitting on a medicine ball(Stability Ball). A simple medicine ball instead of a Chair can help your core abdominal muscle and promotes better posture.
  • Take a Break – Get your blood flowing and your legs moving. Whether you stroll to the kitchen for tea or you take a walk outside and take in all the things around you. This will help you clear your mind of what stress you have and help you to refocus on things going on
Get moving today and you will be amazed as to how quickly you can feel and see a difference.

 

Sources:
imovefitness
rcpsych
An Essay on Man – Wikiquote
realsimple
livestrong
pexels

To view more articles, please visit the Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit the Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Caroline Clark

When I am not at work you will find me spending quality time with my family. You will always find a smile on my face and a snack in my bag.

L2B Blog: Innovations In Smart Home Technology

With advancement in technology, scores of cool gadgets are finding their way into more and more homes and changing the way people live. These gadgets are not just fancy, they are providing quick solutions to everyday problems, making our lives so much easier. The simple designs and improved functions reduce human effort and conserve space. I am always interested in new gadgets and gizmos that are being developed, to make our home lives easier and I regularly surf the net looking for cool gadgets.

So, what can we look forward to in 2017?

Here are 5 of the best (in my opinion) that are going to make our homes a little smarter and our lives a little easier…….

1. Best Cookware

Now this is smart – WeMo wireless smart home platform, Belkin’s Crock-Pot is the first smartphone controllable slow cooker. Via the WeMo iOS or Android smartphone app, you can adjust the crock pot’s settings from anywhere, receive reminders, change the cook time, adjust the cooking temperature, use the timer to calculate cook times and process, or even check the status of your dish so you can come home to a perfectly cooked meal. How smart is that? And who wouldn’t like one? Me.. me.. me!

2. Best Refrigerator

Samsung (who else!) Family Hub. 4-door Flex Smart French Door Refrigerator – this connected refrigerator has everything but the kitchen sink. Its large touchscreen on the front door lets you view family member’s schedules, leave notes for each other, order groceries, play music and even watch TV! In addition, the fridge has three cameras inside which take a picture and email it to you every time you close the door. No more guessing or trying to remember if you need to buy more milk! Pricey of course, but this is the most innovative fridge. Ever!

3. Best Smart Garage Door Opener

Searching or reaching for that elusive garage door remote while trying to navigate a dark street at night or around children’s discarded toys or even sometimes your children often proves awkward and dangerous, to say the least. Chamberlain’s garage door opener lets you tap your device’s screen to open or close your garage door. The company is also planning to add geofencing capabilities so it can sense when you are approaching your driveway and automatically open the garage door and then once your car is safely parked inside, to close your garage door. This gadget has been designed to be utilised on most existing garage doors.

4. Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is not new with many designs already having an app component for remote control. Believe it or not, though, a new smart lights system can actually sense when you (and your phone!) are on your way home and will react accordingly by turning the lights on or off, This type of automation is achieved by tying your lighting system into your phone’s geofencing features. Geofencing taps into the phone’s GPS system, in order to alter your lighting system when you’re in the area. If you are always carrying your phone, you may never have to enter into a dark driveway or doorway again, and all happens without programming, scheduling or actually touching any buttons. So smart!

5. Smart Faucet (tap)

This environmentally friendly faucet (tap) saves up to 57 litres per unit, per year. That’s a big smart saving! This innovative technology helps conserve water sources and also conserves energy with its intelligent design. By conserving water and energy, you leave behind a reduced carbon footprint. It can be used easily by everyone, including children, the elderly and the disabled.

There is so much new, interesting, useful and smart technology out there, that I found it hard to keep it to just 5, I just had to add this last one as this is something I would really want…

and…… (drumroll)…….. Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaners

Floor cleaning and vacuuming are now easier with a range of Deebots from Ecovacs, a pioneer in the field of engineering robotic vacuum cleaners. The D77, the latest Deebot is a 3-dimensional cleaning solution that has smart technology to detect and navigate obstacles! It even has the capability to automatically empty its own dustbin (so smart!). It has different modes for cleaning different types of flooring. And the best … even when you are not at home, you can pre-set it to clean your floors with its intelligent time scheduling feature. Smart, so very, very smart.

While most of this smart technology is already available and installed in homes overseas in the USA and UK, we, unfortunately, will have to wait a while longer for it to reach our shores. I am waiting in anticipation…….

Information sourced from the following sites:
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-smart-home-gadgets,review-2008.html

https://shisystems.com/blog?view=entry&id=45
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-smart-home-technology-gadgets-that-will-leave-you-spellbound.html

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

L2B Blog: 10 (or 11) tips for recruiting great Project Managers

10 (or 11) tips for recruiting great Project Managers

There are many steps that need to be taken when a new position at your firm has opened.

  1. Detailed job description needs to be indicated
  2. Advertising of the position
  3. Finally Interviewing the candidates….. this is what my blog is going to focus on.

Interviewing many individuals for a new position can be hectic and some may find this stressful. It’s not only the questions you have to put together for the interview, but also other aspects you would need to consider before hiring any particular person.

There are questions you would need to ask the interviewee and questions you would need to ask (and answer) yourself!

Interviewing people is not something that I do personally. I myself am an employee of Leads 2 Business, hiring or firing is not part of what I do and I can’t imagine that this is easy. This is the responsibility of our HR manager, Director and ultimately the CEO’s decision – scary I know… but they know what they are looking for in a person.

 

Possible questions you as an interviewer would need to ask (and answer) yourself could be:

  1. Do I like this person? Well that’s rather rude! First impressions do however count though and judging is something we as humans do and rightfully so.
  2. Would they “fit in” and get along with the other staff or team? Can they delegate? Work as a team? And more importantly, do they love dogs?? – how else are we meant to have conversations about things we have in common?
  3. Are they good at decision making – would they make the right choice for your company and for the success of the project?
  4. Can you trust them? (who knows? we have only just met them. Susan could be a wonderful candidate or a horrible one).

Source

 

Your answers are all based on how you perceive the person, the ‘feel’ you get from them and it’s very difficult as you can only discover so much about a person during this short interview. It’s like judging, using those short 30 minutes you have with them, this is quite daunting as the person being interviewed might know this.

There are many questions you can ask in an interview, but the “right ones” can help shed the light on the persons behaviour and beliefs and answer some of the questions above that we set out for ourselves.

There are tons of books with standard or possible interview questions and answers. People buy these, or read them online and the whole interview then feels rehearsed as they have memorised the answers.

This is quite annoying and not to mention “cheating” in a way LOL.. because they are telling you what you want to hear and acing the interview and who knows what they are really like behind those false statements that they have spent hours in front of the mirror rehearsing? Is that what Susan really believes or is she just saying what the book suggested? Maybe she hates dogs.. Gasp…shock and horror!! We will never know. But there is a glimmer of hope because below are a few questions directed at Project Manager interviews that are more personal and a bit more direct so that we can find out if this is the correct person for the job, based on their own experiences.

 

10 Questions when interviewing for a Project Manager position:

 

1. Time Management – As a project manager, what do you spend most of your time doing each day?

Acceptable answers would depend on the work environment and the position. If they see themselves spending time with clients and out on the road then this is wonderful if you are looking for someone who does that. A project manager visits clients most days of the week.

If they see themselves as stuck in front of a computer all day – great! If this is the type of PM you are looking for.

Any answer could be suitable and it’s a good idea to ask what they do with their time?

But there are several wrong answers – “Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp and LinkedIn” I believe would not be the best answer and not a good idea to mention. Nobody wants to hear that you are on social media all day uploading selfies at your new desk with an #AwesomeCupOfCoffee (which I might add that we are lucky enough to enjoy at our offices) The coffee – not the selfies:)

 

Source

 

2. Flexibility – What type of Projects do you not like?

Project managers work on a lot of projects and most of these projects are allocated to them, not chosen by them, so they could be stuck with a project that they are not really into.

A bad answer here would be if they state outright that they “do not work on Road Projects”, that’s a bold and specific statement. How about trying, “I prefer retail and residential projects and not so much the road and civil projects. But I won’t say no to these. “Well done!! – 10 points – That my friend, was a wonderful answer, you’ve shown what you like and don’t like and your flexibility. Gold Star!!

Source

 

3. Rating – Rate yourself as a project manager and your job / career from 1- 10?

Oooh now this could be interesting. This should be able to show you how the person perceives themselves and their career. How valuable they feel and if this is their career choice or if they might be using it as a stepping stone until they find “something better.” Do they enjoy being a project manager and is this their career that they have worked towards and are happy with?

Source

Once they have chosen a rating, ask them why? Why did Susan choose 2 out of 10? Go ahead.. Ask her…
“Because I’m currently studying to be an art teacher and I’ve decided that being a project manager is not what I want to do”. And then you might think to yourself (and not say out loud) with a straight face while looking at her, “Well then what are you doing here Susan? Honestly…”. Next question…

 

4. Role – What is the most important role you have as a Project Manager?

They should be able to list the duties of a project manager and tell you what they see as a priority. This will give you an indication of what they prioritise and if they will fit in with the team / staff.

Susan – “Well I’ll be like the boss, so it’s just sitting around telling the team what to do really!” Is it Susan? Really? I don’t think so. Yes, you delegate as a project manager and assist the team and work as a team, but you don’t yell at John to go get the equipment and then kick your feet up on a stool and browse Facebook while you wait. No. Next…

Source

5. Delegating – Have there been any incidences where you did not delegate? What was the result / what happened?

This gives the person a chance to be honest and tell you about an incident where things did not go according to plan. How they were able to rectify the problem or solve the issue at hand.

Was this a once off occurrence or did happen again? Did they learn from their mistake and learn how to prevent this from happening in future projects? Delegation is a key duty as I mentioned in my last “Did You Know – Project manager duties” that was published a few days ago and yes, I agree, it does seem like I write a lot 😉

You want to hire a project manager that can handle work overload and knows how to delegate!

“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. This is why I do everything myself and never delegate” – This would be another incorrect answer and clearly not someone we are looking for.

 

6. Job Criteria – What is this person looking for in a job? (is it the money, work experience or lifetime career, travelling abroad which is much needed time away from the kids??) – kidding.

We ask this to see what a person is looking for in a job, their reasoning for applying for particular jobs. Are they applying for this position to further their project management career? Is it the big brand or name of the company that attracted them? Is it the money?

Hopefully, the person would say that they have always wanted to work for the company (with stars in their eyes) and that they could learn a lot from the company as well as teach or give a lot back

If they say “I’m in it for the money”– this could be seen as bad and maybe even good. Some people are money hungry and that may not be bad because they may be willing to work harder for more money – but this isn’t always true. They might also jump from job to job depending what the salary is.

I just think it would be better to have someone that is absolutely super keen to work for your company and knows a lot about it.

Source

 

7. Problem solving techniques – do they have any? What are they?

Here they get a chance to brag about their awesome skills as a project manager or lack thereof.. Or maybe they carry on and on about how awesome they are, and how big their ego is and how they can do anything by themselves because they are Superman and say “Don’t worry I got this” – a lot.That’s awesome but we are not looking for the son of Krypton Susan!!

Source

 

8. Authority and Respect – How do you work with others more senior than you such as managers?

“I don’t bother them because I know what I’m doing and don’t need advice.”Wrong again Susan. You need to keep them up to date with the project and how its progressing. If the time line is being met and everything is running smoothly and still on track to be a successful project.

You need to be able to work well with managers and people more senior than you. You need to be able to have build and maintain relationships – it’s one of the job requirements.

Source

 

9. Ethics – Have you ever had to make an ethical decision on one of your projects?

Are they aware of the legalities, codes and ethics as a project manager?

“I awarded a contract to my mate once and we split the profit” is not something you want to hear and definitely NOT legal. And NO… You cannot now become buddies with Susan hoping that you can award projects and split the money 3 ways. Just don’t.

Source

 

10. Impact / improvement – have you improved the project management processes at your current job and if so – how? Ask them to elaborate on their answer.

This will show you if the person has had the guts to approach management with their innovative ideas and if they’ve come up with suggestions for improvements. Someone with ideas and who isn’t afraid to put them forward.

Source

 

and the BONUS question is…. wait for it…

11. Doughnuts – will you be providing these??

 

HIRED!!

Source

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Michelle Crosby

I started my journey at Leads 2 Business in the Directory Department in 2012. I was then promoted to the Private Projects Department in 2014 and was recently promoted to Projects HOD this year.

L2B Blog: Great ways to build your customer base

Great ways to build your customer base…whether you have a small business or an empire, the principals of building your customer base will still apply. Gaining new customers is one of the most difficult aspects of running a business, so it is important to retain and look after the ones you already have. Customers are the lifeblood of any business, so it is vital you keep generating leads and retaining your existing customers, while on the ‘hunt’ for new customers.

 

Here are 10 Powerful Tips To Grow Your Customer Base

  1. Focus on the right customers. Just because you might have a small business don’t just think you can only sell to other small businesses.
  2. Stay connected with your customers. Engage with them. Build a solid relationship with them. The internet and social media marketing makes this extremely easy to do.
  3. Offer extra value. Always try to over-deliver so your customers will stay loyal to you and keep coming back for more.
  4. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals and testimonials.
  5. Understand and address your customer’s key frustrations.
  6. Keep communicating with your customers. Don’t let them forget about you. You can do this via online newsletters, social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook etc. Provide offers and information which may be of value to them.
  7. Make it your aim to get to know your customers. Find out as much as you can about them. Get to know their interests, their partner’s names, how many children they have, what pets they have, what car they drive etc.
  8. Improve your customer service skills. This includes how you communicate with them, how you answer the phone and how you present yourself and your business. Whatever contact your customers have with you, it should always be a positive experience.
  9. Ask customers how you can do things better. No company is perfect, but if you allow your customers to give you feedback, you will keep them on your side and loyal to your business.
  10. Create forums or Facebook groups where customers can share information and ideas. Create a community for them to be a part of. It all helps with the engagement and keeping them loyal to you.

When it comes to increasing the size of your customer base the first people you should look at are your most loyal customers. They are your best salespeople because they are more likely to recommend your business to others. A wise man once told me that knowledge is power but word of mouth conquers all.

 

Sources:

http://www.chadfullerton.com/10-steps-to-grow-your-customer-base/

About Nadine Vermeulen

I started working at Leads 2 Business in October 2014 in the Leads 2 Quotes Department. I managed all the Daily Tender Bill Requests and followed up on BoQ's for our Daily Tender Subscribers. In 2017, I was promoted to L2Q Assistant and now work with Bill of Quantities for Contractors. 🙂

L2B Blog: Mastering the art of cold calling, tips for successful B2B Sales

Mastering the art of cold calling, tips for successful B2B Sales

Mastering the art of cold calling, tips for successful B2B sales

Cold calling provides selling opportunities to your external sales team, it’s the ability to interact with potential subscribers and entice them into wanting to know more about your company and what you can offer. It can be a very challenging career to have as you do come across some individuals that don’t particularly like interacting with telesales staff. That being said, we have the privilege of interacting with some of the nicest people within our industry.

Telesales staff must be highly motivated individuals who have a sales spirit and enjoy interacting with people, they need to be confident and ensure they take nothing personally. Curiosity is vital to ensure success in cold calling.

When calling a potential client the fundamentals are:

  • Doing your homework – It is important to ensure you gather as much information about the client before you call, potential clients appreciate an agent who has done their homework.
  • Contact with the correct person – this will increase your level of success; the decision maker will see potential in an idea that will grow their business.
  • Listening skills – understanding what the potential client requires in order for them to get things done in an easy no fuss manner, business owners want results.
  • Asking the correct questions – in order to ascertain how we can best assist them in satisfying their business’s needs. Ensure your timing is correct; if they sound busy rather suggest calling them back.
  • Knowledge – You cannot sell what you don’t understand so knowledge is definitely important, if you know your product or service you are able to answer questions efficiently.
  • Attitude – towards your potential client is equally important, if you believe in your product or service the potential client will be more inclined to have a look at what you offer.
  • Confidence – When you sound confident in your ability to lead them to the right product or service they will be open to listening to your sales call.
  • Tone on the phone – We speak to a variety of potential clients from all walks of life and it is very important to establish a rapport over the phone, ensuring you don’t use jargon that is not always understood.

 

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try one more time.” – Thomas A Edison

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.

About Karen Garner-Savory

I started working at Leads 2 Business in May 2009, and have served as Head of Department of Telesales and Administration from 2010 until the present. I oversee both the Telesales department as well as the Administration of our Johannesburg Office.

Tender Timing – Site Inspections

Site Inspections

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Tender Timing – Site Inspections

 

When I do training with any new L2B staff member, it involves the talk through of how we publish tender notices on the L2B website. What goes where, why this format is used etc. The spiel for Site Inspections is as follows “The site inspection date is the most important date on a tender notice. If a subscriber misses the site inspection they can’t tender and we’ve right royally screwed up”.Okay, maybe that last part doesn’t get said aloud. A lot. But it’s the truth. The ability to tender hinges on attendance to a compulsory site insection or site meeting, briefing session or clarification session or information meeting. It goes by many names, but it means the same thing when “compulsory” is used. Hell, even when a tender advert mentions “non-compulsory”; the level of importance doesn’t diminish. These meetings are scheduled for a reason. They are there to offer clarity, and give opportunities for questions to be asked, extensions to be requested, to scope out who else is at the meeting (alot of side eye going on) and to let potential tenderers experience and witness any challenges there might be involved in the contract. These meetings can be quite simple and straightforward with just a few companies, and other times you can have meetings with hundreds of companies being represented. We see some of these site attendance registers, and wonder how these meetings are handled due to sheer number of participants.

 

Technically, there’s supposed be to a certain amount of time between the first publication of the tender advert and the site meeting, and then again between the site meeting and the closing date. Technically. This doesn’t always happen. There could be a variety of reasons. Very few of them can stand the light of day. But it is a reality that needs to be taken into consideration. Time is of the essence, as they say. Go through your Advisory emails each day, so there’s no surprises concerning missed site meetings. Set reminders for yourself, and Monitor the tender notice to be updated should any of the information change.

 

Be aware when the tender documents are available, in relation to the site meeting. Sometimes there isn’t a problem, and the tender documents are available right up until the closing date. Other times, this is a huge consideration. If there’s a cut-off date for documents, know that this date will be adhered to and inevitably means that ‘no-chancers’ will be entertained.

 

Always question any discrepancies in the site inspection. Always question any discrepancy in the tender notice. Period. Whether it’s a contradiction between the advert and the documents, or two different adverts for the same tender, anything. The earlier we can establish what the correct information is, the better off everyone is. Sometimes the problem is glaringly obvious and we get on the phone and sort it out as soon as possible and don’t need to be prompted by our subscribers. Other times, it isn’t obvious.

 

Should you be attending the meeting and need help with directions, if you need our assistance, please try and ask before the day of the meeting. The stress levels go way up when I’m trying to track down a Municipality staff member who’s half way to the middle of nowhere to get directions to said middle of nowhere site meeting venue. The panic is real, folks. We know the importance of these meetings and how attendance and non-attendance affects our subscribers.

 

Any and all dates on a tender notice carry weight, and must be taken seriously. If there’s any doubt or confusion, feel free to contact us so that we might assist. Get yourself to those meetings, as they are an excellent way to network, experience the competition and represent your company to Municipalities, Government Departments and Consultants.

 

“Eight percent of success is showing up” – Woody Allen

“The world is run by those that show up ” Robert Johnson

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To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
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About Claire Donaldson

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.

Our Online history…. and so much more #whatacompany

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This blog has got me so nervous and excited all at once, which in my experience is usually the start to something magical…. so lets see if I can pull this off!

 

To be perfectly honest, there is no way I can truly bring to life exactly how Leads 2 Business came about, but I will tell you this, this story has the makings of a great movie!  A little bit of rags 2 riches, some deviant play, hard work and reward and even a little romance in the form of a persistent wife who was adamant to buy her dream house, which in turn, turned out to be the step that took a “two man band” company to a company with over 80 happy employees:) …… woman really do always know best, you see:)

So what started as a dream back in 1998/1999 for two friends wanting to give “online” access to a Directory (“Find a Business” astutely named) for all and for free, relying only on advertising in a time when the INTERNET was still something most people had only heard about, soon turned in to a realisation that this was gonna take a lot of time and dime with very little reward…..

Now don’t get me wrong, this is NOT a story of failed attempts and umpteen restarts….on the contrary, this is a story of evolution!!!

Being previously in the Construction Industry, it wasn’t a far stretch for Mr Victor Terblanche – Founder & Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, and by that I’m referring to the fact that he was doing all his own programming, developing, sales and marketing at the time, well anyway, they decided to reach out to the construction industry – converting BoQ’s….. yes, that’s where it all really started –

1 2 3 Contracting, services including selling of Internet services and Fax Services lol!

As long as you are solving a problem you will never go hungry And that’s what they did, they solved problems!

They went on to identify the need for easily accessible tender notices – and Daily Tenders was born, with Private Projects and Price Assist Life (PAL) which is now our L2Q service right behind!

 

But lets just picture this for a minute, you now have an “online” business you need to convince your clients to subscribe to, but first you need to convince them to get “The Internet” first.

At this stage most businesses didn’t even have an email address, meaning the only way to get brochures to anyone was to do it the old fashioned –

Lick-Stick-Snail-Mail-Way …… this is what I call pure determination right there!

 

The Companies First Ever Brochure.

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With some cunning maneuvers, crafty investigation, pure wit and I’m sure some brawn to endure the late nights and many trips to Johannesburg, Victor and his small team convinced the construction industry and some key players into believing in this site, some of whom are still subscribed to us today!

4 people strong at that time (if my scribbles from the “interview” I had with Victor serve me correctly)…. all working in a sloped floored garage, weathering the rain with towels and strategically high placed computer boxes and cables, the struggle was real!

And what most people don’t know, while this was all happening, someone else was discovering a dream….. Victor’s wife… she had a dream for a bigger better home!  and without going into all the details, let me just say that because of one woman’s persuasive ways, this little garage company was enabled the cash injection it needed to get to where it is today!…. Leads 2 Business incorporating,
Daily Tenders, Private Projects and a Pricing Platform like no other, L2Q!

 

So now that you have a little back ground let me show you just how this site and company has evolved visually and technically.

First to go was the 1 2 3 Constructing website.

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And so the evolution of Leads 2 Business started to take place!

 

This is one of the company’s very first Daily Advisories way back in 2003.

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This was the very first brochure slash application slash user manual and application forms from 2007

 

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2008 we saw a logo change:

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2009 was somewhat of a new look once again.

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And the 2009 brochure was our first offer to our clients: the ability to choose their own Daily Advisory filters.

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2010, this was a good year in particular for me, it was when I got to join this ever progressive Company:) Screen Shot 2016-06-21 at 9.05.24 AM

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It was only two short years later on 23 March 2012 to be exact…. when we ditched our comfortable “Yellow Site”  and were thrown head first, with very little warning, (some kicking and screaming I might add) but ultimately SAFELY into what is now the current site we have all come to know, and love…..

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But…. if I can give you any advice, never get too comfortable with Leads 2 Business, it is ever evolving & change is always inevitable, and this year is no exception as we stand on the brink of another HUGE & exciting upgrade to our website.

Now believe me, when I heard this, the mere thought sent cold shivers down my spine, made my blood run cold and ……..I even glimpsed at the door, purely out of fear of course ;)….. but then I remembered,

That without change, there is no growth…. and that’s what I am here for, and I’m sure you are here for that too, and when you stick with L2b you are guaranteed to be taken with on their revolutionary train of discovery in the Online industry!

Competitors have come and gone, brochures have changed as well as our site but one thing is certain, Victor Terblanche’s early vision to “solve your problem” has never changed and now runs through us all at Leads 2 Business 🙂

And so in closing I would like to express the privilege it is not only to work for this company, but to work for this man:)

Vic

Victor Terblanche – Chief Executive Officer

and Our Directors

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This Blog has really been a pleasure to write and I got to find out what I’m really a part of,  and I was right…. it is pretty magical:).

 

About Sherina Shawe

"You have to do everything you can, you have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining." from: Silver Linings Playbook.

Giving it Horns: Social Responsibility to Rhino’s

Giving it Horns: Social Responsibility to Rhino’s

Leads 2 Business : Social responsibility - giving it horns

To start off our 2016 Blog Journey we’re ‘Giving it Horns’ in the form of Social Responsibility to Rhino’s.

 

I’m sure most of us are aware of issues surrounding Rhino poaching and the fact that these beautiful animals are on the brink of extinction but what are you as an individual or company doing in response to these threats? Are you Socially Responsible to Rhino’s?

 

Did you know?

World Rhino day is on 22 September

The full name for Rhino is actually Rhinoceros

There are 2 species of African Rhino (White & Black)

[tweetthis]Rhino’s can gallop up to 48 km’s per hour[/tweetthis]

The Black Rhino population has decreased by 97.6% since 1960

[tweetthis]The Rhino’s current conservation status is Critically Endangered[/tweetthis]

Rhino’s have poor eyesight

Rhino’s have a Life Span of 35 to 40 Years

Rhino’s are considered ‘Mega-Herbivores’

A Rhino’s Gestation is 16 Months

1kg of Rhino horn can fetch up to 1 million rand or more

[tweetthis]Adult Rhino’s have no natural predators, except for man[/tweetthis]

 

What does it mean to be Socially Responsible?

Social Responsibility means that people and companies behave with ethical sensitivity toward social, cultural, economic and environmental issues. The benefits of being socially responsible are a positive impact on development, business and society ultimately leading to a better future.

 

Leads 2 Business : Photo Cred : Carmen Barends

 

Why become Socially Responsible to Rhino’s?

  • Conservation – When Rhino’s are protected, many other species (birds, reptiles, fish, insects and vegetation) that interact with Rhino’s are also protected.
  • Tourism – In the wild, Rhino’s attract tourists as they are one of the “Big Five”. Eco-tourism relies on tourists wanting to see the Big 5 which would be 4 without the Rhino.
  • Educate & Spread Awareness – The more people learn and spread their knowledge about Rhino’s, the better it will support the cause.
  • Eco-system Balance – Everything revolves around balance and all species are intricately connected. Rhino’s being ‘mega-herbivores’ fulfill many important roles in the ecosystem. Rhino’s eat an average of 23.6 kg a day and their dung piles can be 5 meters wide and 1 meter deep. That’s a large amount of trimming and fertilizing!

 

How to become Socially Responsible to Rhino’s?

  • Get Social about your concern for the Rhino’s. The more people who highlight the cause the more it will lead to initiatives to protect, save, prevent and secure the survival of our Rhino’s. It’s as easy as: read, share and comment.
  • Interact with Government and local Wildlife Conservation Organizations and put pressure on them to advocate Rhino Conservation and Laws that can contribute to the cause. When traveling share your concerns with local travel agencies and encourage them to do the same with Government and Tourism Organisations.
  • Volunteer for Rhino Conservation Organisations. Web Links can direct you to volunteer opportunities.
  • Donate to your Rhino Conservation Organisation. Pick Organisations where 100% of your donation goes to save Rhino and is not diluted by admin fees and other sundries.
  • Get involved with local Fund Raising activities that donate proceeds to Rhino Conservation.
  • Support Companies who support Rhino’s like Leads 2 Business. As a socially responsible individual you can demand that companies become more socially responsible by supporting companies who are already socially responsible.

 

However you show your Social Responsibility to Rhino’s, make sure you Give it Horns!

 

Help Leads 2 Business raise awareness: Check out our Heart of a Ranger video here. Like, comment, share, re-tweet.

 

Leads 2 Business : Social responsibility - giving it horns

 

Further Reading:

 

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/Rhino

http://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/Rhino-facts-and-species

http://www.stopRhinopoaching.com/statistics.aspx

http://www.news24.com/Africa/Zimbabwe/surge-in-poaching-sees-50-zimbabwe-Rhino’s-killed-20160110

http://www.earthtouchnews.com/environmental-crime/illegal-trade/top-10-shocking-figures-of-the-illegal-Rhino-horn-trade

http://www.expressoshow.com/articles/10-Realistic-Ways-To-Save-The-Rhino?articleID=4090

7 Ways You Can Help Save the Rhino Even If You Don’t Live in South Africa

To view more articles, please visit our blog.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

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