If you have been running lean on employees, now is the time to hire, and this guide explains why.

By Kay McFadden | 2011, www.inc.com

The Great Recession has bequeathed one of the oddest hiring markets in U.S. history. Despite lingering high unemployment, many businesses report difficulty finding skilled workers. Fears about a double dip make it doubly hard for companies to know when and how to fill jobs.

A good place to start is by getting a mental grip on the current landscape. The layoffs, freezes and wage cuts of the past three years have greatly unsettled management-employee relations. Just look at Madison, Wisconsin, where angry union members, students and sympathetic workers have occupied the state capitol building to protest proposed legislative changes to labor benefits and collective bargaining.

With so much at stake nowadays, owners may want to speed up the staffing process so they can “get back to work.” But hiring is among the most important, high-impact aspects of that work. Here are some important steps to consider as the businesses start to crawl out of the recession.

1. Don’t assume you have the upper hand. The idea that businesses can pick workers from the cream of the crop, pay them less and they’ll be grateful is a fallacy. First, a talent shortage in fields unscathed by recession, including healthcare, entertainment, data communications and biotech, ensures rising wages. Second, the last few years have bred an internalized sense of independence among many job hunters.

Kevin Wheeler is founder and CEO of the recruitment consulting firm Global Learning Resources, Inc. in Fremont, California, and founder of the Future of Talent Institute, which analyzes global workplace trends and attitudes.

According to him, “The best employees are in control and have been for some time. Employers may have a slight and temporary ability to dictate to employees, but as soon as the economy recovers, any employer who has acted that way will lose his or her best people.”

Finally, the fraying of traditional loyalties has led to a devaluation of corporate employment. But Wheeler thinks this is where small firms enjoy an advantage. “They can offer more variety and more challenging work than can larger and more specialized employers,” he says. “They can also allow more flexible work schedules, when possible, as well as offer to cross-train and upskill employees.”

Dig Deeper: Are Your Employees Happy?

2. Be prepared to reinvent the job. It’s tempting to grab an old job description. But the recession has triggered new trends in staffing. More than ever, small firms need high-productivity, high-efficiency employees. That means evaluating beyond the position.

Mary Crisafulli is chief talent officer at Clearvision Optical Co., which won The New York Enterprise Report’s 2009 Best Practice Award for Human Resources and Leadership. The Hauppauge, N.Y., firm has 135 full-time staff and 80 outside sales consultants and actually grew during the recession – not easy when your product is high-quality eyewear.

“Whenever we have a role open, we look at the entire department first to identify the skill gaps,” says Crisafulli, who joined Clearvision in 2008 to centralize and install hiring protocols. “We ask questions like, does it make sense to shift around responsibilities? It’s not uncommon to replace somebody with an entirely different person than we first thought.”

Another recent trend for small businesses is hiring to what Crisafulli calls a higher level of competencies. “Rather than plugging someone into a closely specified position, we want someone who can work across disciplines and fill out different roles for the future.”

Dig Deeper: How to Hire for Creativity

3. Decide if this is a full-time, part-time or temporary job. Part-time and contract workers provide an employer with flexibility. They can relieve regular staff stretched to the overtime breaking point. And the pool of qualified workers in areas like technology, engineering and financial services has never been bigger.

But with all that talent available, this also may be the best time to fill permanent positions. “You have to plan for the future,” says Crisafulli. “We want someone committed and to whom we are committed – you get more from a person who’s got ownership in the end game.”

Clearvision hires temporary workers for short-term projects, drawing on professions known for freelancing, e.g., designers and technical writers. But Crisafulli advises against converting full-time jobs to temporary: “Do you want that accountant you hired in January gone at tax time?”

Dig Deeper: The Right Time to Build Your Team

4. Make sure you’re an attractive employer. Once upon a time, the 360-review was an innovative concept for democratizing the workplace. Staffers got to evaluate their supervisors the way their supervisors evaluated them.

Now, workplace criticism has joined the Internet free-for-all. Just as many an employee has learned that the boss is checking his or her Facebook page, many a boss should know that disgruntled employees (and ex-employees) could wreak havoc with a firm’s online reputation.

The trauma of downsizing has contributed to worker mistrust. Smart prospective hires – the kind you want — will thoroughly research your business. Before you even post a job, vet your company online and take steps to address negative comments, including customer feedback. Be prepared for the subject to come up in interviews.

Dig Deeper: Secrets to Getting Good Reviews Online

5. Vary your recruiting methods. High unemployment and the proliferation of online places to post or apply for jobs have created a tough-to-navigate thicket for firms and applicants alike. But it’s hard to afford the kind of select retainer-based search firm that charge a one-third fee.

Consider thrifty options. Contract recruiters charge by the hour for candidate identification and preliminary interviewing, an especially good option if you have several jobs to fill because the recruiter will get to know your company. They’ll also unearth passive candidates – skilled workers employed elsewhere and not actively looking for new jobs.

A great source of prospective hires can be your staff. Assuming they’re happy, ask for referrals and develop an incentive bonus for each referral that gets interviewed or hired. And don’t forget posting on Facebook and Twitter – a built-in base of fans familiar with your business.

Dig Deeper: Recruiting: Tapping the Talent Pool

6. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Jay Goltz owns a group of home décor companies in Chicago and writes and lectures about small business issues. A favorite topic is the try-to-do-it-all-yourself business owner.

When it comes to hiring, Goltz writes, entrepreneurs like himself aren’t that great at it: “They tend to like people and to be optimistic, which is dangerous in the hiring process.” Also, he notes, “During interviews, they spend too much time talking about the great company they are building. And they don’t take the time to check references or they don’t know how to do it.”

Even heads of the best-run companies eventually concede an expert HR person is needed. “As business grows, things that were easier to have a point of view about become more difficult to see because the company is bigger,” says Clearvision’s Crisafulli tactfully.

At the very least, she says, an HR professional should do first-phase interviewing.

Dig Deeper: How to Hire An HR Director

7. Factoring in the recession, face-to-face. When hard times become personified in the form of a human job applicant, it’s good to recall a few final guidelines.

The person willing to take a position two or three levels below his/her last job or a $30,000 pay cut is focused less on the opportunity your firm presents than on getting a job, period. He or she will sooner become discontented and leave, especially as things pick up.

Today’s skilled workers have become more assertive and more skeptical. Don’t make vague pitches, like a great promotion that may someday occur. On the plus side, these folks are more interested in a true match of values that fosters long-term employment. So, open up.

It may be hard to believe, but the economy will get better. Your preparation for retaining talented and experienced people will be the deals you strike with them now. Consider each job at hand and decide if affordable mediocrity or expensive quality serves you best.

by Big4.com

A guest post by Kathryn Henry, a former account manager and recruiter for a Fortune 500 Company, and a writer for TeachStreet.

The Big Four are hiring! All the firms have made quite public pronouncements on their needs for large numbers of accounting, tax and advisory professionals over the next few years. Professional services, after going through a bit of slowdown over the last few years, is bouncing back again. And Accenture, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC are all looking to hire in the thousands. Demand for professional services is increasing, especially in emerging countries as also in globalization initiatives.

But this is news that is known to you and all other professionals. So if you are interviewing with one of the top four accounting firms the competition will likely be fierce.  All of the Big Four rank high in employee satisfaction, workplace situations, training and compensation packages, so securing a position with them can be a daunting experience.

So after managing to gain an interview, you want to make the most of the opportunity.  Here are some tips on making the best impression:

1) Do your research

Each of the Big Four has their own niche.  Do your research on the specific company that you are interviewing with.  Be sure to know the major details (CEO, recent mergers and acquisitions, net worth, current stock trading price), but also what might be considered minor details (company mission statement, awards given, causes the company donates to).  Work those details into answers that you give.  For example, if asked why you want to work for PWC, you want to mention several reasons and conclude with, “As a working mother, I am impressed with your 2009 designation of 100 Best Companies by Working Mother Magazine.”

For an insightful look at how the Big Four firms have performed, check out our 2010 Big Four Performance Analysis and try to impress your interviewer with these great statistics.

2) Dress the part

This of course depends on the company you are interviewing with, as corporate culture can vary widely, but if you are unclear, it is best to err on the conservative side, especially for the Big Four firms.  This means a dark suit with minimal jewelry.  It goes without saying that you should be well-groomed (hair neat, nails clean and trimmed). Save the bright red lipstick for another time and think minimally when it comes to makeup.  If it’s raining, bring an umbrella so you aren’t soaking wet when you arrive to the interview.  Carry any paperwork in a neat file or bag.

3) Paper Trail

Everyone should have a brag book that they bring with them to an interview.  The brag book is a snapshot of your academic and professional history and should include the following items:

Resume

Letters of recommendation

Copies of awards given (professional and personal)

Documented success (be careful not to share any confidential company documents)

Positive reviews and HR documents (again, take note of confidentiality)

Anything that demonstrates your ability to go above and beyond (you can be creative here and share personal achievements such as volunteer activities, community involvement, sports participation, etc.)

If possible, you should be able to leave a copy of your book with the interviewer (and a copy for each interviewer if you will be meeting with more than one person) to keep.  However, if you need your copy returned, bring a self-addressed, pre-paid envelope.   Your book should have a professional cover, be bound, and have a table of contents for easy viewing.  Bigger isn’t necessarily better with brag books.  Too much information can be overwhelming, so be selective and pick things that are truly highlights.

4) Timing Is Everything

Arrive to your interview location at least twenty minutes before the start time.  Give yourself plenty of time if this is your first time to the interview location and account for unexpected delays like traffic, and expected ones such as parking.  Once you have arrived, use the restroom and either brush your teeth or have a breath mint or piece of gum (finish it before you leave the restroom).  Take a few moments to compose yourself and then go check in.

5) STAR Treatment

You will be asked to give examples of your previous work experience and situations in which you faced challenges.  Follow the STAR format when answering questions.  Listen very carefully to the question you have been asked and then respond using the following steps:

Situation: give an example of a situation you were involved in that resulted in a positive outcome

Task: describe the tasks involved in that situation

Action: talk about the various actions involved in the situation’s task

Results: what results directly followed because of your actions

If this is a new format to you, then have a good friend ask you questions and practice your STAR response. It takes some practice, but is a very useful tool for keeping you on track and avoiding tangents in your responses.

6) End On A Good Note

In this day of instant messages, texts, and e-mail, a handwritten note is a rare commodity and one that will set you apart for the competition.  If you know there will be a quick turnaround in the decision-making process, bring stationary, write your note in the lobby of your interview location, and ask the receptionist to deliver it to your interviewer (if you were interviewed by multiple people, then write a separate thank you note for each person).  Your thank you note doesn’t have to be lengthy, but be certain to thank the interviewer for their time and reference something from the interview (“I enjoyed sharing my experiences with you at Company X and look forward to bringing my skills in account management and custom service to [insert company name here].”

If you do have time to mail the thank you note, then including a newspaper clipping, magazine article, or print-out from an online source positively referencing the company would a nice touch.  In any case, don’t get as caught up in the writing of this note as much as the sending it.  Do it as soon as possible to show that you have good, prompt follow-through. And check out these great YouTube resources on the Big Four firms hiring process. Good luck!

The bad news: although more venture money is going out, less investor money is coming in, points out Michael Greeley, founder and general partner of Flybridge Capital Partners, a Boston-based venture-capital firm. Venture-capital funds raised only $12.3 billion in 2010, down from $16.3 billion in 2009, according to the NVCA and Thomson Reuters. That was the fourth consecutive annual decline and a far cry from 2006, when VC funds raised about $31.9 billion. All told, there were 157 VC funds in 2010, says the NVCA and Thomson Reuters, compared with 237 funds in 2007.

For Flybridge, which focuses on technology start-ups in the consumer, energy, health-care, and information-technology sectors, the shrinkage is a positive, says Greeley. “There are great candidates for us to invest in — almost every sector is being impacted by innovation — and fewer firms to compete against,” he explains. “It would be the golden age if not for the lack of liquidity.”

Given the shrinking pool of venture capital, CFOs will have to sharpen their presentation skills if they hope to obtain funding from selective VC firms. Greeley says he receives between 500 and 600 business plans per year and will ultimately fund 2 or 3 of them. Flybridge currently has about 55 portfolio companies, he says.

In a recent interview with CFO, Greeley discussed how finance chiefs can best capitalize on their meetings with VC firms, and why he would rather sell a company these days instead of taking it public. An edited version of the interview follows.

What should finance executives know about pitching their companies to a VC firm?

Some CFOs do it really well, others don’t. I have several pet peeves, and I’m amazed at how often these mistakes are made. One, I get frustrated when a CFO isn’t thoughtful about the capital intensity of a business. When I invest in a company, I’m really committing to invest in each subsequent round. When a CFO can’t answer “How much do you need to get to break even?” it tells me he hasn’t been thoughtful about how the business scales, its margins, and how profitable it could become. It undermines everything he says.

Two, I like to hear about unit economics — the cost and revenue per unit of product. One CFO who did it really well knew clearly how much his product cost, including sales and distribution costs, and how much he could charge for it. I really appreciate that.

The third thing I find disappointing is when a company pitches us and we say we’re interested, but the company is not prepared for the follow-up and supplemental materials we need. I probably meet with 150 to 250 companies per year, and if a CFO is not prepared to run a diligent process, it’s very quickly out of sight, out of mind. If the CFO can’t give you what you need in 24 hours, you’ve lost momentum. I’m quite critical of CFOs who run a bad process.

What do you look for in a CFO for a portfolio company?
We certainly will put in a VP of finance within the first year of investing; someone who can keep the books. But you want someone with good business insight, and who can run the back of the house [smoothly]. So we often put in a part-time CFO. Some of them are willing to juggle several portfolio companies, and they in a sense become a [venture capitalist]. They become very aligned with our business, because they have equity stakes and their time is valuable, so they don’t want to spend a year working on a company that’s not going anywhere.

Our best CFOs have tight relationships with service providers, like landlords and accountants, and can get things done quickly. If we need new lab space, they know exactly how to get to the landlord; if we need a discount on accounting services, they know exactly who to call at PwC. Most of all they’re great business partners, and they can think about things like pricing and selling strategies, how to position a product.

How can the lack of liquidity be fixed?
The Spitzer reforms [separating research and investment banking] have made it almost impossible to take a small company public, and that’s a structural dynamic that doesn’t get fixed easily. When you separate banking from research, it doesn’t make [economic] sense for banks [to underwrite those IPOs].

The good news is, the top 15 tech companies have more than $300 billion in cash earning basically nothing, so the large public companies that need growth will likely acquire it. The problem is, the venture industry grew so quickly that we funded way too many “me-too” companies, so when IBM wants to buy a company, there’s no shortage of look-alikes. Leverage is still very much with the larger companies.

Is a sale, rather than an IPO, a satisfactory outcome for you?
If you have a hugely differentiated product, you can make a reasonable amount of money in an M&A transaction. In fact, I would far rather sell a company for the certainty of cash these days than go public, because [with the latter] you’re in at least a six-month and maybe a one-to-two-year lock-up period. And given the reforms on Wall Street, those smaller companies tend to be ignored by analysts and trade at a discount. So you may be locked up into something that looks like a falling knife.

Alix Stuart – CFO.com | US

February 10, 2011

At another airline, gate agents had both the knowledge and the authority to resolve passenger issues beyond limited directives without their superiors’ approval. Their understanding of the intent behind the policies and the authority they had been given allowed them to resolve most exceptions effectively and efficiently, with less stress for all parties involved and increased customer satisfaction.

What Does This Mean for CFOs?
Similar to airlines, corporate finance organizations sometimes face disruptions to financial schedules and routines. When such events occur, how the CFOs and their staffs handle them can have a tremendous impact on performance, profitability, and morale. Well-educated staffs that know what must be done and have the authority to act are the most effective and efficient at resolving issues. Those that must follow limited, strict procedures and directives with limited understanding and authority are frequently ineffective.

As CFOs, we often create policies we believe will handle the vast majority of issues — but mistakenly so, if we don’t articulate to staffers the purposes behind the policies and give them the authority to act as needed given the facts at play in particular scenarios. In today’s complex business environment, CFOs would better serve by encouraging staffs to take ownership of the process and embrace disruptions as normal occurrences.

CFOs have a fiduciary responsibility to make certain that resources are used as effectively as possible. Without an understanding of the reasons behind directives, empowerment to handle exceptions at their working levels, and training in both technical and soft skills, staffers won’t be able to maximize their performance.

One of the most important things CFOs can do for their organization is to provide solid professional support to those who report to them. If finance and accounting staffs are both technically competent and empowered, there will be less stress for all parties — CFOs, their staffs, and customers.

Have questions or comments pertaining to staff empowerment? Please note them in the comment section below.

Bud Kulesza – CFO.com | US

January 11, 2011

Bud Kulesza, CMA, CFM, is a former chairman of the Institute of Management Accountants and dean emeritus of the IMA Leadership Academy. He was also CFO of ITT Automotive, a multibillion-dollar company, and chairman of ITT Industries Canada.

Their aim was to complete their now eight-year-old convergence project and emerge with a single set of global accounting standards. But the effort was ambushed by reality — the global financial crisis and subsequent global recession; heated debates over controversial rulemaking decisions; the early retirement of FASB chairman Robert Herz; and the announced departure of IASB chairman Sir David Tweedie, slated for June 2011. (On December 23, the trustees of the Financial Accounting Foundation announced that Leslie F. Seidman, acting FASB chairman since Herz’s retirement, had been named chairman of FASB, effectively immediately.)

Accordingly, the rulemakers slowed down the convergence process in the latter part of 2010, vowing to issue only four newly melded standards at any one time. Still, they hope to finish a number of convergence projects by the end of 2011. That will be a prickly task, since those projects have shaken some fundamental tenets of business. They will, for instance, eliminate the concept of operating leases, rework revenue-recognition rules, do away with last-in-first-out inventory accounting, and expand the reach of fair-value accounting.

Meanwhile, the process of adopting private-company accounting standards (“little GAAP”) in the United States began in 2010, and could eventually become the purview of a second standard-setting board. The debate concerning final decisions about little GAAP should come to a head in 2011 — just in time for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s decision on whether or not U.S. publicly traded companies should abandon U.S. generally accepted accounting principles in favor of international standards.

“Taking the ‘Ease’ Out of ‘Lease’?”
By doing away with operating leases, new accounting rules could bring billions of dollars back onto balance sheets.

“Shorter Agenda for Convergence”
FASB and the IASB have selected five priority projects to focus on – and hopefully push out by next year.

“One Step Closer to Little GAAP”
A blue-ribbon panel on private-company accounting standards recommends a separate GAAP for private companies.

“Technical Difficulties”
As the pace of accounting-rule changes intensifies, can IT systems keep up?

“A Relentless Pursuit of Global Rules”
Tom Jones, director of Pace University’s international accounting center, looks forward to a world without local GAAPs.

“Debunking IFRS Myths”
Experts expose seven misconceptions about international financial reporting standards.

“After Eight Years at FASB, Herz Looks Back”
In an exclusive interview, Robert Herz talks about his legacy as chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

“One Size Gives Fits to All”
Financial executives say that proposed changes to revenue-recognition rules ignore real-world realities.

“Revenue Rules Could Cause Software Snags”
How much will ERP systems have to be tweaked to comply with FASB’s new revenue-recognition rules?

“Without Hoopla, Fair-Value Rule Is Readied”
Among the ripple effects of the global credit crisis is the rewrite of the controversial fair-value accounting rule once known as FAS 157. The revised standard could be in place by the end of the year.

Marie Leone and David M. Katz – CFO.com | US

December 23, 2010

Finance chiefs are more optimistic than they were last quarter and plan to increase their spending in 2011, according to the latest Duke University/CFO Magazine Global Business Outlook Survey. The survey, which polled 848 finance executives worldwide and concluded December 10, finds nearly 50% of CFOs more optimistic about the U.S. economy than they were last quarter, with only 14% less optimistic. Fifty percent of finance chiefs also report improved optimism about their own companies’ prospects compared with last quarter, while 18% are less optimistic.

This improved optimism should translate into some hiring, with CFOs planning to expand their U.S. full-time workforces by 2% over the next 12 months. The number, while still modest, is the largest expected increase in full-time domestic hiring recorded by the survey since 2006. John Graham, finance professor at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and director of the survey, says the move should add some 3 million jobs to the U.S. economy and will reduce unemployment below 9% during the coming year.

Finance chiefs also continue to broaden their offshoring efforts, planning to increase offshore outsourced hiring by nearly 5%. Domestic temporary hiring will rise by just half a percentage point.

CFOs expect to increase spending in other categories as well, with plans to spend nearly 9% more on capital expenditures than they did last year and nearly 5% more on technology. Both numbers represent a jump from third-quarter expectations. CFOs also say they will boost research and development spending by 4% and advertising spending by 2%.

Finance chiefs have been aggressively accumulating cash, with nonfinancial firms in the United States currently holding $1.9 trillion on their balance sheets. Half say they will begin to spend some of it in 2011. Of those who do plan to deploy cash, 65% say they will use it for capital projects and 34% plan to make acquisitions, while a third will pay down debt and a fifth will pay dividends or make share repurchases.

Of those CFOs who say they will continue to hoard their cash, half say they do not have any excess cash to spend. Another 37% say they continue to need a liquidity buffer, while 32% say they will hold on to their cash due to lingering economic uncertainty. A fifth say they see no attractive investment opportunities.

Abroad, finance chiefs in Asia and China are more optimistic than their U.S. peers, with 72% of Asian CFOs more optimistic than they were last quarter and 40% of Chinese CFOs more optimistic. Finance executives in both regions plan to step up their hiring, with Asian and Chinese CFOs looking to increase full-time domestic staff by 5% and 10%, respectively.

European finance execs, however, lag behind their counterparts around the world as many eurozone economies continue to struggle. Just 38% of European finance executives are more optimistic about their local economies than they were last quarter, while 27% are more pessimistic.

Kate O’Sullivan – CFO.com | US

Employers commonly trim their ranks when the economy turns sour, and low-rated workers are typically the first to go, say career experts. What’s more, poor performers often receive low merit increases or none at all. To enhance your job security and boost your odds of financial success, start preparing now for your end-of-year review, advises Jill Smart, chief human resources officer at Accenture Ltd., a global professional-services firm. “By the time you walk into that meeting, there should be no surprises,” she says.

Know what’s expected. A month or two before the meeting, review the goals that were set for you in your last performance evaluation. Or, if you’re new to your job, ask your supervisor what you’ll be measured on, including any unspoken ways of contributing, suggests David B. Peterson, senior vice president at Personnel Decisions International Corp., a leadership-development consulting firm. “Your particular boss might value things like timeliness and [neatness], which can shade the color of the evaluation,” he says.

Do a self-assessment. Take an objective look at your performance to determine whether you’re on track to meet your goals, Ms. Smart says. Get feedback from your colleagues and direct reports as to how you’re doing. Should you detect a problem, talk to your boss now about how you might resolve it or if perhaps your goals need to be adjusted because your job has evolved during the year.

Document your successes. Craft a summary of your accomplishments from throughout the year to help refresh your boss’s memory. Be sure to include dates and figures that highlight how you helped improve your employer’s bottom line. Highlight any work you did on top of your normal responsibilities — if you stayed late to resolve a crisis or spearheaded a corporate volunteer program, point that out.

Find out how to excel. You should be vigilant all year about asking your boss how you can go above and beyond what’s expected. You’ll likely need to exceed those expectations to receive the highest possible pay increase and potentially set yourself up for promotion, says Tom McMullen, U.S. rewards practice leader at Hay Group Inc., a human-resources consulting firm. Set up a casual meeting and ask your boss how you can be of greater value to your employer. If your company has had layoffs or cutbacks, ask what you can do to fill the gaps.

Prepare a career wish list. “Many people think of the performance review just as a backward reflection,” says Dr. Peterson. “But it’s an ideal opportunity to look forward as well.” Think about what you’d like to achieve in advance so you can share this with your boss and get his or her input on how you can be successful. Also, evaluate your job satisfaction, adds Ms. Smart. Would you prefer to do different tasks? Crave greater work-life balance? By considering what might make you happier ahead of time, you can arm yourself with suggestions for the boss to help you meet those goals.

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

article from The Wall Street Journal

What are you known for? What do people say about you when you leave the room? (They are talking about you, aren’t they?) How can you burnish your reputation to win that promotion or land that new client? You’ve diligently focused on your personal brand for years — but what if you now want to reinvent yourself?

It happens all the time. A financial services executive moves into retail. A techie wants to try marketing. A VC wants to jump ship and become a life coach. Your path may make perfect sense to you, but how can you convince others to embrace your new brand — and take you seriously? Here are five steps to reinventing yourself for the business marketplace.

1. What’s Your Destination? First, you need to develop a detailed understanding of where you want to go, and the knowledge and skills necessary to get there. If you’ve been a techie for the past decade, you may understand every new marketing toy out there, from Facebook to Foursquare. But can you effectively convey that knowledge to a non-technical audience? Learning the skills you need will help you gain the confidence necessary to start identifying (and publicizing) yourself in your new identity.
2. Leverage Your Points of Difference. In marketing, we call it a USP — a “Unique Selling Proposition.” What makes you different from anyone else? That’s what people will remember, and you can use it to your advantage. Conservative pundit Ann Coulter, as the New York Times recently reported, has reinvented herself after losing popularity to newer, even more right-wing talking heads. Leveraging her unique blend of blonde vixen and conservative firebrand, Coulter is now courting gay Republicans who enjoy diva-style smack talk. You probably won’t find Sarah Palin hitting that circuit anytime soon, so it looks like Coulter owns it.
3. Develop a Narrative. You used to write award-winning business columns — and now you want to review restaurants? It’s human nature to have many interests, to seek new experiences, and to want to develop new skills over the course of your life. Unfortunately, there’s a popular word to describe that profound quest: dilettante. It’s unfair, but to protect your brand you need to develop a coherent narrative arc that explains to people — in a nice, simple way so they can’t miss it — exactly how your past fits into the present. “I used to write about the business side of many industries, including food and wine,” you could say. “I realized my big-picture knowledge about agricultural trends and business finance made me uniquely positioned to cover restaurants with a different perspective.” It’s like a job interview — you’re turning what could be perceived as a weakness (he doesn’t know anything about food, because he’s been a business reporter for 20 years) into a compelling strength that people can remember (he’s got a different take on the food industry because he has knowledge most other people don’t).
4. Reintroduce Yourself. The vast majority of people, regrettably, aren’t paying much attention to you. That means their perceptions are probably a few years out of date — and it’s not their fault. With hundreds (or thousands) of Facebook friends and vague social connections, we can’t expect everyone to remember all the details of our lives. So we have to strategically re-educate our friends and acquaintances — because, especially if we’re launching a new business venture, they’re going to be our buyers and recommenders. That means a concerted effort to phone or email everyone on your list — individually — to let them know about your new direction and, where appropriate, ask for their help, advice, or business. (Blast emails are a start, but too often go unread.)
5. Prove Your Worth. There’s a difference between my knowing that you’ve launched a new graphic design business and trusting that you’ll do a good job for clients. I may like you a lot, but unless I see proof of your skills, I may hesitate to put my own reputation on the line by sending you referrals. That’s where blogs, podcasts, videocasts, and other forms of social media come in. It’s critical to let potential customers see what you’re about and test drive your approach before they make a large commitment. Checking out your image gallery and seeing a roster of attractive corporate logos you’ve designed may allay my fears enough to send you that major new account.

What are your best strategies for reinventing your personal brand?

by Dorie Clark

Harvard Business Review

In business, it is often said that success is determined not by what you know but by who you know. Additionally, the level of your success is determined greatly by the quality of your relationships with others.

While for some, networking is something that comes naturally and effortlessly, for others it is an area where significant improvements are needed. Small, consistent improvements over time will open up far more opportunities and resources to you.

Whether you are a seasoned connector or someone who needs to jumpstart their relationship building, here are 25 essential tips to ensure your networking success.

1. Start before your need it
   The best time to start building your network is yesterday. The second best time is today. Relationships are cultivated over time. Begin by making networking a priority now. It is a simple habit that you can start now that will pay great dividends in the future.
2. Learn about people’s goals
   The best way to have an impact is to add value directly where it is most important to the other person. Find out what the people in your network are looking for and look for ways that you can help achieve them. Everyone wants to be friends with someone they know is on their side.
3. Connect people you do know
   Use your networking not only to benefit yourself but also to benefit others. Connect people in your network that could provide value to one another. For example, if one of your associates is in need of a web designer and you happen to know one, connect the two people together. Your two associates benefit from the business arrangement and you benefit from the good will developed.
4. Give more than you expect to receive
   If you want to build trust in your relationships, always seek to add more value to the people in your networks. When people are consistently benefiting from a relationship, it moves their desire to connect with you more. Focus on the giving and you will surely get what you want.
5. Be genuinely interested
   Be sincere in your dealings with others and focus more on being interested than interesting. People love to talk about themselves and the more you understand about someone, the more you will be able to speak to them in a way that is appealing.
6. Always follow up
   When making new contacts, make sure to always follow up. A quick email or phone call within 24 hours of meeting someone can lay the foundation for a fruitful relationship. It doesn’t take much effort but it can make a world of difference.
7. Know people in different worlds
   Don’t focus solely on your own niche or industry. Instead, diversify and reach out to as many people as possible. Having people from a wide variety of fields in your network helps you become the master connector (#3) and provide more value.
8. Learn to listen
   The skill of listening seems simple enough but in experience, it is a rare skill to find. The secret is getting out of your head. Put your complete focus on the speaker instead of thinking about what you are going to say when they are done talking. Try to really understand where they are coming from.
9. Be authentic
   People crave authenticity in business. Many people are starved of it because the amount of manipulation and politics that can go in an interaction. Hold yourself to a higher standard and you will stand out from the crowd.
10. Take the initiative
    Play a very active role in networking. Be the person who starts the conversation. Be quick to introduce yourself. Also, be the first person to offer help when it is required. Developing the habit of initiative will make your networking efforts easier and more fruitful.
11. Always stay in touch
    The major determinant in whether or not a business relationship develops of fizzles is staying in contact. Remember to regularly check in with your associates with a quick email or phone call. Regular contact will allow the relationship to develop slowly over time.
12. Be personal
    Take the extra time to add a personal touch. A handwritten card says a lot more than an email. Although this may require extra time and effort on your part, it will stand out in the eyes of others.
13. Be humble
    Nothing turns people off quicker than an arrogant attitude. Humility, on the other hand, is very commendable. Being humble will keep you grounded even when your network starts to grow. When you reach the top, it will ensure that keep doing the things that got you there.
14. Always say thanks
    Thank you notes are a quick and easy way to connect with someone. Plus, the actual card serves as a reminder of you every time the other person sees it.
15. Do your homework
    When contacting people, make sure you are well informed about their situation. You should know, for example, if they recently released a new product or moved to a new office.
16. Express your enthusiasm
    Remember that passion is magnetic. When you are excited about what you are talking about, other people will become excited as well. Your enthusiasm will give you a charismatic presence that will make your memorable.
17. Promote your purpose more than your self
    When promoting to others, put the majority of your focus on the mission and purpose of your business. Although it can be fun to toot your own horn, set your ego aside and focus on the real purpose: your company’s ability to deliver value to people.
18. Join associations
    Professional associations are a great way to network with people. Use the internet to research associations in your area and make sure to attend the next meeting. The people you will meet there will also be eager network.
19. Attend conferences
    Conferences are a great way to meet like-minded people. The speakers can be good, but the real value is in the people. Do some internet research and find a conference you can attend in the near future.
20. Leverage the networks of others
    Use the networks of others to expand your own network. Go out of your way to introduce yourself to people you have only heard of through an associate. Make this a regular habit and your network will start growing faster than you can keep up with.
21. Act with integrity
    Stay true to your principles and hold them above all else. While this may lead to some short term setbacks, over the long term, it will build a lot of trust in your character.
22. Build close relationships
    The closer your relationship is with someone, the more they will be willing to help you out when you need it. Unfortunately, there are no quick fix techniques for this. Close relationships take time and effort.
23. Ask for what you want
    Don’t be timid or shy. Be direct and ask for what you want. There is no other way to get it. Remember: the answer to every request that you don’t make is no.
24. Create a personal board of advisors
    Focus on building a team of experts that you contact quickly for advice in each of the major areas of your business. They will prove to be priceless when you have difficult business decisions to make.
25. Write things down
    As your network grows, it can be difficult to keep track of all the information about your associates. Make sure your write things down and can readily access information about any one of your business contacts.

I found this article online today and thought it would be helpful for our network.  If you need any suggestions on what networking organizations are best for you, feel free to e-mail me at jmr@torreygray.com.