Mark Deo's Latest News

No Thanks to Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Theres no doubt that our economy is recovering for many. Although unemployment is still at record highs, credit is tight and people are holding onto their money with an iron grip. What recovery we've had goes solely to the ingenuity and steadfastness of American small business owners. We salute you. No thanks to our political leaders. Their partisan in-fighting has done nothing to help the situation except garner our contempt.
Check out this article which proves I'm not alone in my opinion.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/16/smallbusiness/economic-recovery/index.htm?iid=SF_SB_River

Money as a Motivator

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:14:00 +0000

Certainly money has its place in the area of motivating employees, particularly for people in the selling role. If nothing else, it is a symbol of accomplishment and without a positive perception of compensation and incentives, employees could feel cheated or unappreciated. However paying money is not a prime motivator for employee performance. This has been proven through many studies over the years. The reality is that we will always find a way to spend/invest the money we earn regardless of our level of income (within reason). It has been discovered that the key motivators to improved performance are more typically: work satisfaction, being challenged, a feeling of importance, being appreciated or recognized, the opportunity to grow, a chance at acquiring higher level skills and work/home balance.

We all spend more time working than doing anything else so as leaders it is critical that we find ways to help our people feel highly engaged and proud of the work they’re doing. When we can help them to see that they really do make a difference in other people’s lives (clients, co-workers, management) as well as the success of the firm, we motivate them to try harder and improve work outcomes and performance. When we give them a compelling vision of the future, this clear destination brings greater meaning to what they are doing. This can change their perception from one of just performing mindless daily repetition of tasks to one where they feel they are doing something really important. In the same way when employees see that the people around them are making a difference, they want to be like them. This creates healthy competition.

The most powerful way to motivate your people is to create an environment where the positive attributes I describe above are consistently employed in a genuine and sincere way. And to get them to go viral! In order to do this we must communicate with team members on a deeper level so that we can fully understand what is important to them. In addition, we need to have our “arms around” the entire team perception as a whole and the collective values embraced.

Bug Resistant Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:13:00 +0000

You want innovation? Check this out. This company has created a bug resistant paint.
A Spanish chemist has invented a way to embed pesticides in microcapsules stirred into house paints at her Valencia company, Inesfly. The insecticides are released from the paint slowly,remaining effective for two to four years,while sprays typically need to be reapplied at least every sixmonths. “The paint acts like a vaccine for houses and buildings,” she says. What can you do to reinvent yourself. Turn your industry on end. Someone has to.
http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-17/a-house-paint-reduces-bug-borne-diseases

The Struggle Between Marketing and Selling

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:07:00 +0000

Many businesspeople use the terms “sales and marketing” as if they complement one another as agreeably as peanut butter and jelly, but that is rarely the case. In the same way many executives hold the title of “VP of Sales and Marketing,” yet we often find that they will lean strongly toward one or the other discipline. Everyone would agree that both of these functions are critical within every organization and at times must be managed on an individual basis. While many companies seem to achieve some kind of acceptable balance between sales and marketing it is often reminiscent of the way cats and dogs tolerate one another’s presence in the same household. Yet imagine how powerful these forces could be if they truly DID collaborate and attempt to complement one another.
Improving the disconnect between marketing and sales doesn’t need to be complicated. Both teams are working towards increased market advantage. While it is a fact that a minimum of 50% of sales reps currently do not fulfill their quota requirements; this statistic is being partly caused by a global marketplace with heavy competition for an already Internet-savvy consumer. The answer, then, as evidenced by the success of technology companies, may be found in the combination of old and new–by employing sound principles of viral marketing and communication supported by the benefits of new and ever an improving internal culture.

The Risk Adverse Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:11:00 +0000

I know that these days it is more difficult than ever to encourage team members to take some calculable risks. Even leaders and managers are sometimes hesitant to encourage risk-taking. At he same time,many committed employees are having difficulty balancing their professional and personal life so risk taking is on the bottom of the list. Technology seems to have placed GREATER demands on our time and face-to-face relationships are more important than ever. The current economic and social pressures seem to be pulling at one another. Add to that the generational differences and managing risk, productivity, satisfaction and engagement is a double-edged sword for many leaders. In such a risk adverse environment how can we encourage team members to take risks?

I wanted to take this moment to mention that it is our duty as managers to help our team members to make the best decisions in terms of risk tolerance. This almost always means that we need to KNOW their personal goals, circumstances and current challenges. Often managers and leaders shy away from asking too many "personal questions" or challenging team members to take risks. This is particularly true in rabid HR compliance states like CA and NJ. Let me just say the consequences of taking NO RISKS is even higher. Just as critical, consider the dis-service we are doing for our employees when we avoid this kind of discussion or back-off challenging them.

Here is an article written a while back but discusses this in greater detail. Hope you find it to be valuable. Risk Taking Culture

Sales Reluctance

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:10:00 +0000

Why are people in the selling role often fearful of selling? It almost seems like presenting our solutions is a form of prostitution. This is deeply rooted in our belief systems. In some way we have come to believe that we are not worthy of providing solutions to even QUALIFIED prospects. Let's face it we all have doubts about the veracity of our products or services but if WE don't beleive in the solutions we are providing, how might our prospects, who are already doubtful BELIEVE?

Don't underestimate the power of your beliefs. I have closed more than one sale on the sheer power of my belief that the solution I was proposing to a customer was the very best for their particular situation. In the same way I have lost sales because I had a mustard seed of doubt that was in some way transferred to the customer.

When we put our doubts to rest so will our customers!

Upcoming Dale Carnegie Training Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:04:00 +0000

Check out these classes happening soon in in the Los Angeles Area:

Dale Carnegie Class - April 11 - 8 weeks

Leadership Training for Managers Class - April 17 - 7 weeks

Sales Advantage 3 Day Class - April 23, 24, 25

High Impact Presentation 2 Day Class - May 3 and 4

Dale Carnegie 100 year anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:09:00 +0000

Checkout this nice CBS national news feature on the 100th Anniversary of Dale Carnegie Training...

http://tinyurl.com/7e99nly

Thanks to Dale Carnegie of Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:39:00 +0000

Thanks to all the talented salespeople in Honolulu for attending the recent sales success program!

Are You in a Dip?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:53:00 +0000

You have to check out Seth Godin's new book. It is pure genius. You know how it goes, often new project (or jobs, or hobbys, or companies) start out exciting and fun. Then get harder and less fun, until it hits a low point-really hard, and not much fun at all. And then you find yourself asking if the goal is even worth the hassle. Maybe you're in a Dip-a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing. But maybe it's really a Cul-de-Sac, which will never get better, no matter how hard you try. What really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt-until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. Check it out at The Dip

Let Your Customers Buy

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:07:00 +0000

Most salespeople refuse to do the hard work that makes selling easy, They do the easy stuf0f, which makes selling HARD! How do you let them buy? Ask more, talk less, be friendly, use tasteful humor, know your client’s motives, talk mostly about their desired OUTCOMES, not your company, product features or service benefits. create attraction by writing about timely relevant stuff, maintain a current Internet/social presence, Be a valuable resource to your clients and prospects. When you do this you will find you don’t have to resort to selling because you will be attracting qualified buyers. Yea, selling requires work because we are not really selling... we’re LETTING THEM BUY!

The Risk Adverse Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:32:00 +0000

I know that these days it is more difficult than ever to encourage team members to take some calculable risks. Even leaders and managers these days are hesitant to encourage risk-taking of any kind. And even the most committed employees are having difficulty balancing their professional and personal life so risk taking is on the bottom of the list. Technology seems to have placed GREATER demands on our time and face-to-face relationships are more important than ever. The current economic and social pressures seem to be pulling at one another. Add to that the generational differences and managing risk, productivity, satisfaction and engagement is a double-edged sword for many leaders. In such a risk adverse environment how can we encourage team members to take risks?

Here is an article written a while back but discusses this in greater detail. Hope you find it to be valuable. Risk Taking Culture

What's Really Effective in Sales?

noreply@blogger.com (SBA Network) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:48:00 +0000

Next Monday I'll be doing an interview with Morrrie Shechtman, author of Working Without A Net and Fifth Wave Leadership, about this very subject. We'll discuss a study of over 6000 salespersons in 100 different industries, and the conclusions it draws about different sales styles and their effectiveness. This show will be available Monday, December 5th at 4 PM Pacific Time at www.smallbusinesshour.com.

If you missed my show last week, you can also catch a great interview I did with Lloyd Chapman from the American Small Business League. He is one of the few true small business champions out there that has no political agenda, other than to see the government stop giving our tax dolars to giant corporations, and instead to do business with actual small businesses. His lawsuits have forced the federal government to release data showing that they have never met small business contracting mandates. We discussed why politicians from both major parties talk a good game about small businesses while actively working to make things harder for the little guy, and what you can do about it.

If you have any topics you'd like to hear me discuss on future shows, please let me know. Thank you, and have a terrific weekend!

Co-creator of ACT! to appear on the Small Business Hour

noreply@blogger.com (SBA Network) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 20:01:00 +0000

I just wanted to let you know that this coming Monday, October 24th I'll be interviewing Mike Muhney, the co-creator of ACT! We'll discuss ways to create lasting relationships that go beyond basic on-line connections. Tune in at www.smallbusinesshour.com on Monday at 4 PM to hear this show.

We also recently interviewed Steve Strauss, author of The Small Business Bible about creative ways to fund your small business. You can browse our library with highlights from our years on CBS Radio and our last two years of online exclusive shows on our website at www.smallbusinesshour.com, or find us on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-small-business-hour-as/id332118693

I hope you can tune in, and if you have any suggestions for future topics for the show, please send me an e-mail to let me know.

Factoring replacing traditional funding

noreply@blogger.com (SBA Network) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Today I was quoted in an article in Bloomberg Businessweek on factoring as a method of funding for small businesses. Unfortunately, many small businesses find themselves forced to turn to factors for funding. Here is my quote from the article:

Mark Deo, Torrance (Calif.)-based executive director of the consulting firm Small Business Advisory Network, says many entrepreneurs he consults with have turned to factoring, not only because they lack access to credit but also because they are having problems getting new business. “Factors are oftentimes the only source of funding for desperately needed cash, but it is very sad that business owners who have worked for years to build their businesses are entertaining factoring just to fund new purchases, equipment, or improvements,” he says.

You can read the full article here. Leave me your comments on factoring below, or send me an e-mail with your thoughts.

Jobs Bill No Win for Small Business

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 16:06:00 +0000

President Obama recently gave his address on jobs to congress, and it seems the solutions he's presenting are more of the same that we've seen from the Bush and Obama administrations. What the president and congress seem to not understand is that funding, regulations, and taxes are not the biggest problems for small businesses, a lack of customers is!

It's not surprising, considering the fact that the president’s council on job creation is helmed by CEOs and board members of fortune 100 companies, with a token member who runs one of the largest labor unions in the country. There is ZERO representation from small businesses.

Large businesses have essentially created zero net new jobs over the past decade- almost all new jobs in this country are being created by small businesses, so why aren't the president and congress listening to those who actually know something about job creation?

If they say that it's too hard to find small businesses that are qualified to be representatives, that's a problem that has a solution. Every year the SBA gives out awards to honor the best run small businesses in America- there are regional, state, and national winners for these awards (and in 2003 I was named Small Business Journalist of the Year for California.) Why not tap these business owners as a resource to give input on how the federal government can help small businesses?

While I don't claim to have the answers to the problems our economy faces, I do know what the problem is. Let's end the focus on tax cuts, regulations, and funding, and focus on the real issue- getting more business!

The Impending Grocery Strike Could Devastate Innocent Businesses

noreply@blogger.com (SBA Network) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:23:00 +0000

Grocery store workers in Southern California have authorized a strike as part of their labor negotiations with the management at Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons. Whether this leads to an actual strike or if it is just used as a negotiating tactic remains to be seen, but what we need to consider are the ramifications for small businesses that rely on supermarkets as anchor stores and those who service these markets.

Below is a press release I recently issued on this important topic that as of yet has been ignored by the press.

If your business relies on a supermarket for much of its business or as an achor store driving traffic to your location, please let me know by e-mail. Even if the rest of the media ignores this story, I will do my best to publicize this issue.

Innocent small business owners and employees in Southern California have a lot to lose from an impending grocery store strike, says small business expert Mark Deo.

With a strike authorized by the United Food and Commercial Workers becoming increasingly more likely, it is important that small business owners that have locations in shopping centers anchored by Supermarkets prepare now for the potential drop off in foot traffic.

The last major supermarket strike/lockout in 2003 cost the grocery stores $2 billion in business and many workers lost their life savings. What is often unreported is the drop off in business that the thousands of small businesses that rely on these stores incurred. Businesses that provide products for sale to supermarkets lost hundreds of millions in the last strike, and so did those merchants that have storefronts in areas that rely on supermarkets to drive traffic.

"If negotiations break down between workers and management, a strike could occur at any time" says small business expert and author Mark Deo. "It is important that business owners prepare now for the drop off in business they are likely to suffer"

He offers these five tips for business owners that may face difficulties:

Create an emergency fund. To help you get through unexpected drop offs due to strikes, natural disasters, or other uncontrollable issues, save some money when sales are good. By committing a small amount per week to this fund, you can survive temporary reduced sales.
Get contact information from your customers. At your storefront, obtain as many e-mail addresses as you can from your clients, which will allow you to maintain contact with them in the event of a strike. You can then use this contact information to offer specials or other reasons to get them to your location in case you see reduced foot traffic.
Communicate with picketers. Meet the strike organizers at your location, and make sure that they understand that your business also needs access to the parking lot and driveways that are shared with the supermarket.
Ensure your online presence is ready. In 2003, many small businesses weren't engaging in e-commerce or had minimal online outreach to their prospects and clients. In 2011, most small businesses have websites, and you should make sure that your website is ready to sell your products online and accept payment in case you have disruptions at your location. You can also use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to reach clients and drive additional sales.
Improve your delivery offers. If practical for your business, offer to deliver your products and services to those customers that don’t wish to show up to a location near picket lines. A modest delivery fee can help to recoup the additional cost. You may also find that this winds up being a valuable addition to your business model.

With the threat of a strike looming large, it is imperative that small business owners prepare for the worst, or they risk being a victim of a situation over which they have no control.

About Mark Deo
Mark Deo is an advocate and expert with over 20 years experience helping small business owners grow their business. He has hosted a show for CBS radio and appeared on the Fox Business channel, and has written articles for and been quoted by Business Week, Entrepreneur, Fortune, CNN/Money, the LA Times, the Hollywood Reporter, and numerous other publications. Mark was the “go to” expert for small business fallout due to the WGA strike in 2007, and has become a media favorite. In 2003 he was named "Small Business Journalist of the Year" by the Small Business Administration, recognizing his work as host of “The Small Business Hour” on CBS radio. His first book, "The Rules of Attraction" was one of Amazon.com’s top 100 business books for 2009, and his next book, "This Isn’t Your Daddy’s Business Anymore" will be published in early 2012.

Real Leaders of the Free World… Unite!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:49:00 +0000

I am sick and tired of hearing about how we need to stimulate funding for small businesses. As if that will have any impact whatsoever! The last thing a small business needs is more debt! On the contrary they are attempting to pay off the debt that they currently have.

The problem for small business is NOT lack of funding, scarcity of loans or an inability to participate in the global economy. It is lack of demand. The plain, simple fact is that these businesses just don’t have ENOUGH CUSTOMERS because their customers just don’t have the disposal income that they once had.

I am not at all surprised that politicians and economists have misconstrued this for so many years. At first I thought they were just “dim” and unaware of the real challenges facing small businesses. Then I began to realize that I was dim! Of course they are aware of this. After all they are Summa Cum Laude Harvard graduates who spend much of their time sailing, playing golf and attending dinners with bankers, corporate lobbyists and foreign financiers. They could care less about small business. In fact small business just amounts to the fruit fly in their Mouton Rothschild!

Don’t you think it’s odd that in order to “save our economy” we used taxpayer’s money to rescue the banks and mega-corporations who were the very villains that brought about the real estate/mortgage debacle that tanked our economy?

OK, so now we face the national reported unemployment rate of 9.5% percent. Right?

WRONG!

Today many experts believe that the true unemployment rate is more like 25% or more! We need to include those people who are looking for work, underemployed, or who have given up looking. We all know that the government cooks the books to make it look far rosier than it is.

There are 28 million small businesses in the U.S. employing 83% of all non-government employees. Of these approximately 600,000 business owners employ 63% of the workforce. Can you imagine what would happen if they united? Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started listening to them? Can you imagine what would happen if we created laws, tax breaks and incentives for these, the real leaders of the free world?

I could. It would mean the end of the good days for the political, financial corporate big wigs that got us into this mess and the beginning of prosperity for hard working Americans.

Last on the List

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:52:00 +0000

Here’s a great rant, worthy of it’s intent by my friend Chuck Blakeman, gutsy small business advocate. Tune in to my upcoming interview with Chuck. More proof that small business is “last on the list” of the Washington agenda regardless of of partisanship.

“Talk to any banker who used to give small business loans, and they will tell you very quietly and in complete anonymity that the reason their lending standards are beyond the reach of most healthy small businesses is because the government regulators are putting such pressure on them that they can’t adopt REASONABLE (not loose) lending standards. The pendulum has swung the other way and guess who’s coming-up short!

Seventy three percent of small businesses who need capital haven’t even bothered to apply because they know it’s useless - 43% get rejected – astonishing statistics. The 25 biggest banks control 32 percent more deposits than they did in 2006, but made 30 percent fewer small business loans.

This is your small business advocacy in Washington. In case you wondered if anyone is looking out for you, the small business owner, on either side of the aisle or in any of the halls of the giant bureaucracies there, you might think again.

I’ve said this in dozens of places on the internet for three years – access to capital is the #1 issue for small business and has been since October 2008. #2 is predictability from our govt., and #3 is regulations that hurt small business and help the big ones. The SBA says the #1 job growth sector is businesses with 1-9 employees and the #2 job growth sector is 10-19 employees. Then they, the rest of the government, and the giant corporations who all got us into this mess, continue to use this crisis to help each other just get bigger. Expect large donations from giant corporations to both sides next year.

Small business doesn’t want a bailout. And I personally don’t have time for recessions – I have somewhere I need to be with my business. None of the above make it impossible to succeed, but it does make it harder. And when government proactively kills jobs and small businesses like the State Dept. did on July 15, that is interventionism in commerce that is unacceptable and needs to be addressed, even if the SBA doesn’t have the spine to do it (in case you wondered, the SBA isn’t focused on small businesses under 19 employees).

Caveat emptor – for too long we have bought that someone in Washington is looking out for us. Think again. You won’t get help and you don’t need it. You can succeed without their help; just know that they are not in Washington to make it easier for you, but to make it easier for themselves and their giant corporation donors. It’s time to expose the game for what it is, one “big” scratching the back of another “big”, all at the expense of 28 million small businesses and the American economy.

This isn’t a lack of courage to act. This is simple self-preservation at work – both bigs (giant government and giant business) will protect their “bigness” at any cost, even the worst recession in history. And certainly without blinking an eye at the demise of small businesses.”

Thank you Chuck. Let’s face it we’re last on the list.

Mark Deo

Cbeyond Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (SBA Network) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Thank you to all who attended my Cbeyond presentation. Here are the slides from my presentation, and please let me know if you have any questions, comments, or other feedback. Click the image below to launch the presentation.

Uping the Ante on Web Presence in San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:21:00 +0000

Join me in San Francisco on August 4th as I visit with my friends at Cbeyond and speak on how to maximize our investment of time, dollars and resources aimed at improving our web presence, social media or on-line marketing. With assets being scarce we must carefully prioritize where we should invest our time and attention. Surely for those who sell their products on the Internet this is an easier question to answer. But there are some basic tenants to increasing the chances that our investment produces an appropriate return. This presentation does NOT focus on the technical “how to” but rather on the “why should we” and the strategic elements of re-engineering your web presence. We will discuss why improving your on-line strategy and making it consistent with your off-line efforts will build brand continuity. We will also look at how “directive navigation” and the aggregation of relevant, timely content will produce greater attraction and participation from your target audience. Go to cbeyond.com for more information.

Facebook has 750 million users.

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 03:43:00 +0000

While most Facebook profiles sit dormant for months it is amazing that so many people are willing to at least give it a try. This tells me that many jump onboard with social media without first thinking about their goals. Our advice is to plan some reasonable outcomes before investing all the time and effort.

Why Business Don’t Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:58:00 +0000

In my opinion small businesses resist strategic planning not so much because they are immersed in the day-to-day tactical issues (which is true) but rather because of their lack of discipline. They have not seen a direct correlation between their planning efforts and elevated results. It is our responsibility as professional consultants to help your client see the tangible value of the time and effort they spent doing planning. This requires taking them back to look at specific decisions of the past and recognizing how valuable it was (or could have been) for them to gather information, analyze the facts and work with their people to plan the key steps of their approach and implement according to the plan.

Faster isn’t Better

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:04:00 +0000

What can we learn from NASCAR racing? Well I’m not a NASCAR fan, in fact I can’t name even one driver. But what I do know is that faster cars don’t necessarily win NASCAR races. Faster pit-stops do! I think we can apply these methods to running our business. Most of us, including myself can often be found running to and fro attempting to get as much of that proactive time as we can. Often we find that we barely have time to REACT to all the stimulus hitting us on a daily basis. But if we could just knock down the speed for an hour or so we may find that we actually discover a way to get more done faster without actually DOING it. Sometimes we have to LET things evolve before we jump in and hurry to fix what’s wrong!

Sully’s plane on the street where I grew-up

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Deo) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 21:21:00 +0000

When I saw this photo I nearly fell out of my chair. This is the street where I grew-up in downtown Newark, NJ. Not something to brag about. It was good to see Captain Sully’s plane rolling down that street. If anyone is the picture of great leadership it is Sully himself!