09 Jul
 July 09, 2021 08:00 am  Employee Engagement    
PJ Weiland Employee Engagement

How to Help Your Employees Love Change

How to Help Your Employees Love Change

“Few things are more important during a change event than communication from leaders who can paint a clear and confidence-inspiring vision of the future.”– Sarah Jensen Clayton, communications consultant
Implementing changes – big or small – in an organization can be tough, and if your employees aren’t on board, the process will be even more challenging.
Here’s some advice on how to help employees accept changes in their workplace.
Share the vision
Findings from a study conducted by a public relations firm found that 55% of respondents who had gone through a change event at work said they wished their employer offered more digital and social engagement, while 42% said they wanted more face-to-face communication.
Tell your employees why the change is important to the business. People tend to fear the unknown. If your employees don’t know the reason why things are changing, they may feel insecure in their jobs and become stressed about their future. By explaining why the changes are taking place, you have an opportunity to rally your troops around a common cause.
Make sure they know what’s in it for them
Explain how the change will impact and/or benefit them. Even if the changes don’t impact or benefit your employees, you are showing your respect for them by informing them. If the changes will negatively impact employees, they will appreciate your transparency.
Keep information and feedback flowing
Clearly communicate changes in advance to employees, and continue to provide updates throughout the transition. Offer various opportunities for feedback. Be sure you are the primary source for information and not the rumor mill.
Be receptive and demonstrate empathy
Acknowledge employees’ comments and show you understand their perspectives.
Be open to your employees’ ideas – they may suggest something that will make the change smoother.
Get employees involved in change
From planning to support, having employees participate in the process will provide create a sense of ownership and mutual respect. Employees who see their peers are part of the change process will be more open to change.
Provide training and support
Allow employees time to adapt to the change and provide access to help when they need it. Everyone learns at a different pace and has a different learning style. Be sure you communicate changes both visually and verbally.
Set goals and reward success
As part of your change process, considering celebrating milestones achieved.
Getting your employees on board as early as possible will help ensure a successful transition. Contact me for more advice on change management in your business.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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02 Jul
 July 02, 2021 09:00 am  Management    
PJ Weiland Management

Finding the Best Talent

Finding the Best Talent

“Acquiring the right talent is the most important key to growth. Hiring was – and still is – the most important thing we do.” 

– Marc Benioff, Founder, Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce

Today’s job market is competitive. Many businesses are experiencing challenges in finding good candidates to fill open positions. Two factors affecting the job market are trends that preceded the pandemic and shifts in the way people are thinking about work as a result of the pandemic.

 Demographic Changes – a rising number of baby boomers and Gen X workers are retiring, a trend that may have been accelerated by the pandemic.

Job Hopping Is Acceptable – There is no longer a negative stigma associated with changing jobs every couple years, so employees don’t feel they must stay with a job for the long term.

Absence of Career Ladders – There are fewer opportunities for development and advancement in some companies, making those positions less desirable and setting the stage for increased job hopping.

Appeal of Working from Home – Many job seekers want remote-friendly positions and are looking for companies that are willing to be flexible on this issue.

How to Attract the Best Talent

To attract and retain stellar employees in this job market, you need to make a positive impression on job seekers. By the time they talk with you, they may have already looked up your website and checked out your social media accounts to learn about your company and what it might be like to work for you.

Here are some steps you can take to send the right signals to potential job candidates:

  • Highlight key advantages of working for your organization in your job ads and other communications
  • Clearly define the benefits of the roles you are trying to fill
  • Ensure your core values are reflected in all touchpoints, from your hiring ad to your website and at every stage of the hiring
  • Streamline your hiring process. If you delay interviews and screening, you may lose a good candidate to another opportunity
  • Demonstrate that you invest in employees through training and education

From the writing of a job ad to the interview and screening stages to onboarding practices, I can guide you through processes that ensure you will attract and retain the best candidates.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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25 Jun
 June 25, 2021 08:55 am  Marketing    
PJ Weiland Marketing

Top Reasons to Consider Blogging for Your Business

Top Reasons to Consider Blogging for Your Business

“The daily blog … it’s one of the top 5 career decisions I’ve ever made.” – Tim Ferris, blogger, author

When it comes to deciding how to allocate your marketing budget, you have a lot of options to consider. Blogging has been around for a long time but it’s still an effective and economical tool.
Blogs enable small businesses to connect with potential customers, nurture new relationships and increase brand awareness. While your blog may not convert every new visitor, the blog platform analytics will give you valuable insight into your audience and help you better understand what products and services appeal to your readers.
Top Reasons to Start Blogging About Your Business
  • Publishing a blog on your website is inexpensive compared to paid marketing channels.
  • Since your blog is on your website, you own the space and determine how you tell the story and the formatting — unlike social media platform
  • You can describe the full range of your expertise and include images
  • You can inform your audiences about recent success stories.
  • Website content stays the same over time, but a blog provides fresh and up-to-date content on a regular basis – creating a sense of a high level of business activity
  • You build trust and credibility
  • You keep your business top of mind
How to Start Blogging
If you are unfamiliar with blogging, you may want to spend some time researching blogs. When you discover blogs you like, think about what are the qualities that appeal to you. Your research can also include reading blogs in your same line of business to provide comparisons for what you might want to do.
Next, give it a whirl! Write several blogposts to see whether blogging is something you might want to commit to doing on a regular basis. Keep in mind it gets easier with practice.
If you’re ready to move forward, the next step is to add a blog to your business website. You may have the skills to do this yourself, or you can have a professional web developer or digital marketer create a blog for you. Remember to stay consistent with your branding – your blog is an extension of your business.
Blog with a Purpose
While some bloggers have become very successful with random entries, your business blog should be focused on the products and services you offer. That doesn’t mean every post promotes your business, but your topics should be relevant to your customers.
Planning Ahead Makes Blogging Less Work
Setting up an editorial calendar allows you to schedule topics in advance by date and goes a long way towards reducing the time you spend thinking about what to write and help you stay on topics relevant to your business.
If you schedule topics for one quarter at a time, you can designate posts by holidays, sales, and other events that can attract attention. For example, if back to school or spring cleaning are relevant buying drivers for your business, schedule posts on those topics at the appropriate time of year.
Deciding how often to blog is entirely up to you. Some people blog once a week, others once a month. It will help if you have a consistent schedule, so your audience knows what to expect. Your blog frequency will depend on how much time you want to invest in this communication channel.
Support for Blogging
When I suggest you should consider blogging, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write the blogposts. You may have an employee who wants to get more involved in marketing and would enjoy taking on this task. Or you can outsource to someone who specializes in digital marketing.
Contact me to learn more about how I can help you tailor a marketing plan that includes blogging and fits your business objectives, culture and budget.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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18 Jun
 June 18, 2021 08:00 am  Teamwork    
PJ Weiland Teamwork

6 Keys to Building a Foundation for Effective Teamwork

6 Keys to Building a Foundation for Effective Teamwork

“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage,
both because it is so powerful and so rare.” – Patrick Lencioni

As a business owner, one of the best investments of your time is building a foundation for teamwork. A strong team allows you to focus on growth and the future of your business, while a weak or inexperienced team can keep you mired in day-to-day operations.

6 Keys to Effective Team Building
Teams don’t just happen. Not every employee you hire will know how to collaborate and communicate. Some staff members may have worked alone in previous positions.
Your role as a leader is to inspire your team to adopt your vision of success and then provide them with the tools, training and work environment that will enable them to work together to achieve your vision. Here’s how to build that foundation.
Strong Leadership
  • Practice open communication
  • Be transparent
  • Model desired behaviors
  • Provide clarity
  • Offer timely feedback
  • Lift up team members
Common Goals
  • Clarify what’s important
  • Convey how team members fit into the organization
  • Align values, vision and mission with business objectives to send a clear, consistent message to employees
Rules of the Game
  • Provide comprehensive, clear standard operating procedures, rules and guidelines
  • Define roles and responsibilities
  • Clearly articulate and detail expectations
Action Plans
  • Develop detailed roadmaps
  • Follow the plans you develop
Support Risk Taking
  • Ignite innovation
  • Motivate team members to contribute new ideas
  • Create learning opportunities when mistakes occur
100% Involvement and Inclusion
  • Invite participation
  • Give everyone a voice

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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11 Jun
 June 11, 2021 08:00 am  Productivity    
PJ Weiland Productivity

7 Productivity Hacks That Can Change Everything

7 Productivity Hacks That Can Change Everything

“If you want an easy job to seem mighty hard, just keep putting if off.” – Richard Miller

If you’ve been overworking and still feel like you aren’t getting where you want to be, it’s time to rethink how you are working. Putting in extra hours and burning the midnight oil isn’t efficient or sustainable. In fact, 80% of the businesses that start this year will be out of business in five years, and the number one reason is burnout.

Instead of working harder and longer, focus on working smarter. Get started today by improving your productivity with these simple, quick fixes.

Time blocking

If you consistently fail to complete your to-do list, this timetable approach may put you back on track. Time blocking allows you to schedule specific times to focus on specific tasks. If you stick to your schedule, you’ll complete your tasks – it’s that simple. People who use this approach often schedule a specific block of time each morning to respond to emails and calls, and another block of time for “heads down” work that requires focused attention.

Personal whiteboards

Remembering things actually takes work, and your memory isn’t failproof. Writing things down frees your mind to focus your attention fully on the task at hand, but sometimes it feels like it will take up too much time to open up an app or the right document to record information.

  • Keep a small whiteboard at your desk
  • Jot down notes when you’re on a call
  • Save notes when working through a document
  • Transfer notes to calendar, contacts, etc., apps after the call or task is completed

Color-coding

Color-coding identifies and prioritizes categories of items in many contexts, from tasks on your to-do list and events on your calendar to refining your organization containers or shelves.

  • Don’t overcomplicate things with too many colors in your system

Inspirational reminders

The right words have the power to motivate you to power through challenges and reinforce your purpose and your goals.

  • Find an inspirational quote that reflects who or where you want to be
  • Write or print the statement on paper and tape it on a wall in your personal workspace where you can see it every day

Remove distractions

Some tasks are better accomplished when you are fully focused. If you can’t close the door to ambient sounds, try noise-reduction headphones for those times when you want to block out sounds. Another hack is to turn off sound on your phone – you can set a bypass for calls you can’t miss.

Templatize your messages

If you are sending the same email message frequently or writing your own social media posts, you can save time by copying and pasting from a template. Examples might include responses to inquiries about your services, holiday closures, client welcome/onboarding message and navigation instructions to your password-protected website.

  • Identify opportunities for creating messages that can be repeated
  • Write the message and name the file as a template
  • Copy and past contents of template into your email

Schedule breaks

You might feel you are too busy to take a break, but the science shows you will actually be more productive with a scheduled break to recharge and refresh. Whether it’s going out for a snack or meal, taking a walk, or fitting in a workout, you’ll come back more focused on your work.

I work with growth-minded entrepreneurs who want to scale up their business without losing their minds or losing control.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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04 Jun
 June 04, 2021 08:00 am  Marketing    
PJ Weiland Marketing

The Value of Gifting

The Value of Gifting

“Your brand is a story unfolding across all touchpoints.” 
– Jonah Sachs, viral marketing pioneer
Over the past year, sales of branded promotional items fell by over 40 percent. There were no events where we could hand out totes or caps or pens, and many business cut back on unnecessary expenses like employee swag.
With the reopening of nearly all activities, it’s time to take a fresh look at using this proven business strategy.
Why You Should Swag
Swag delivers positive experiences that people remember and associate with your business. It’s not just the branded item or gift itself that makes an impact; the act of giving itself visibly demonstrates you value the relationship and creates a social/emotional connection.
Branded promotional items also carry messages about your business. You can inspire through a motivational quotation, instill a sense of pride and belonging, and many other positive outcomes.
How to Swag
There are various factors influencing your choice of branded promotional items. You probably have more than one audience and associated objective, so you may find one item alone won’t fit everyone. Whatever you choose to giveaway and gift, here are some basic guidelines.
Choose Quality
To get the most from your investment, select the best quality you can afford for your budget. A quality items conveys gratitude, thoughtfulness and kindness.
Think Outside the Box
A unique item delivers more impact than the usual suspects.
Packaging Matters
How you present the item is part of the experience.
Align With Your Values
Your item represents who you are.
Accommodate Everyone
One size doesn’t always fit all.
Think Long-Term
You want your promotional item to stick around, so that customers and employees can keep your business top of mind. A one-time-use item is only good for as long as it lasts.
I can help you tailor a marketing strategy that includes promotional items that fit your business objectives, culture and budget.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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28 May
 May 28, 2021 08:00 am  Strategies    
PJ Weiland Strategies

Doing Well by Doing Good

Doing Well by Doing Good

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

For small companies as well as global enterprises, philanthropy is good for business. But as a small business owner, you have an advantage over big companies because you can create bigger and more targeted impact with less investment.
When your business gives back through the support of community organizations, your efforts and your business become more visible among your customers and target audiences. Supporting local causes can make a big difference in the lives and well-being of families in your business area, and can inspire gratitude and loyalty towards your business.
Another benefit of contributing to charitable causes is you have the opportunity to reinforce your company values and create more meaningful experiences that result in team bonding among your employees.
8 Ways Your Business Can Give Back
Paid Volunteer Time
Align your team around a common cause to make a big impact. Choose a community organization you want to support and enable your team to schedule volunteer time with them by making it a paid opportunity. Giving your team a chance to meet as a group and talk what they experienced can strengthen your company culture and reinforce their sense of identity with the community.
Food or Clothing Charity Drives
Collaborate with a local food pantry or organization that distributes gently used clothing or food items to schedule an event your company can lead within the community. You’ll drive awareness of your business through promotion of the drive.
Event Sponsorship
Golf tournaments, fun runs/walks, and other traditional community participation events offer a range of opportunities to contribute. Encouraging employees to be involved in the community by sponsoring their participation at the team or individual level.
Donation Matching
Select a cause that’s meaningful to you or aligns with your business and offer to match your employees’ donations up to your designated set limit.
Pro Bono Services
Schedule a day for you and your employees to provide discounted or free services to those in need. Depending on the nature of your business, you may be able to create a theme around your campaign like Back to School, Spring Cleanup, Mother’s Day, etc.
Youth Sports Team Sponsorship
Putting your business name on team jerseys is a great way to introduce or reinforce your brand awareness in the community. Typically teams also will provide a link to your website on their own team website, and send messages to members to support sponsors. You can leverage this special affiliation by offering team families special discounts or deals.
Contribute to a Charitable Auction
Consider contributing your product or service to an organization’s fund-raising auction. These events are typically well promoted, so they can deliver extensive free promotion for your business.
Donate a Percentage of Sales
Designate a day where you will donate a set percentage of your sales to a specific cause.
I can help you leverage philanthropy to build awareness of your business and create growth opportunities.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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21 May
 May 21, 2021 09:00 am  Entrepreneurial    
PJ Weiland Entrepreneurial

Think Like an Entrepreneur

Think Like an Entrepreneur

“If we tried to think of a good idea, we wouldn’t have been able to think of a good idea. You just have to
find the solution for a problem in your own life.”  – Brian Chesky, Co-founder of Airbnb
Simply stated, an entrepreneur is someone who is always looking for better ways to do things and then figures out the steps necessary to get there. While innate talent and luck play a significant role, an entrepreneurial mindset is a key factor in determining whether an entrepreneur will be successful.
Here are 8 key ways successful entrepreneurs approach their lives and work:
Know Your Strengths
A realistic assessment of your specific talents allows you to accurately determine what you can do yourself and what you do need others to do for you.
Recognize Opportunity
Make a habit of gathering news and information about everything in your community and the world at large from various sources regularly. Be curious about how things work as you move through your day, so you can spot opportunities others may miss.
Know Your Limits
Identify how much risk you’re willing to assume to support an idea early in the process, and define what it might take in terms of resources for an idea to be successful.
Come to Terms with Failure
Serial entrepreneurs often have as many failures as successes. They’re willing to be wrong because they may eventually be right.
Take the Long View
Imagine how your ideas might play out in 5 – 10 years. Recognize the difference between ideas that have a short lifecycle versus ideas that have the potential to become a platform for growth and expansion.
Hone Your Communication Skills
To convince others of the potential of your idea, you’ll need to be able to clearly articulate the vision of the future you see and make it inspiring and exciting.
Use Time Wisely
As an entrepreneur, your time is your most valuable asset. Develop and refine productivity systems to ensure you can focus on the big picture and don’t get lost in the weeds.
Cultivate Connections
Building a vast network made up of friends, partners, potential investors, media contacts, advisors, suppliers and others will provide a solid foundation for every entrepreneurial project you launch.
Don’t wait until opportunity strikes to embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. Adopting this approach now increases the odds for success in your favor later.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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14 May
 May 14, 2021 09:00 am  Planning    
PJ Weiland Planning

Are You Managing Or Leading Your Business?

Are You Managing Or Leading Your Business?

“Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things.”

– Peter Drucker, management consultant

There are important differences between the roles of manager and leader. As a small business owner, you can wear both hats – as long as you don’t allow your day-to-day responsibilities make you lose sight of your vision.
An awareness of the differences and similarities between the roles will help you combine them more effectively and inform your decisions on planning your working hours.
5 Key Differences Between Managing and Leading
  • Managers pay attention to details; leaders look at the big picture
  • Managers direct people; leaders inspire people
  • Managers focus on the present; leaders focus on the future
  • Managers develop policies; leaders develop strategies
  • Managers support the business culture; leaders define the business culture
5 Shared Characteristics Between Managers and Leaders
  • Strong communications skills
  • Positive mindset
  • Confidence
  • Empathy
  • Commitment
Decide When to Lead and When to Manage
It’s important to recognize you can’t perform both roles well simultaneously: You have to consciously set aside times for planning and other times for doing. It naturally follows that you don’t want to invest time in doing if you haven’t first figured out why those activities are worth doing. Build your vision, then execute to achieve it.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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07 May
 May 07, 2021 09:00 am  Marketing    
PJ Weiland Marketing

How to Social Proof Your Business

How to Social Proof Your Business

“You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford

Social proof is the idea that people will do things they see other people doing and want things other people have. By nature, humans tend towards conformity.
Researchers say this behavior is driven by two factors: people want to fit in and people believe a large group is better informed than an individual. In other words, they trust the group to guide them in decisions.
Let’s explore how you can leverage the power of social proof in your marketing efforts to influence customers’ decision-making both in-person and online.
Generating Social Proof for Your Business
While social proof is what other people say about your business, not what you say about your business, there are a number of ways you can prompt your customers to provide social proof. Depending on your business, you may want to display examples of social proof in a retail location or add it to your website. Either way, social proof will inspire new customers to buy and help to overcome any hesitations they may have.
There are different types of social proof, and you’ll want to choose what will be most powerful and compelling at convincing your audience to buy from your business and also is a good fit for the way you do business. Here are 4 different ways you can incorporate social proof.
Reviews
Many people are motivated to buy after they read a positive review. They trust a reviewer because the endorsement feels authentic — it’s not a sales pitch.
If you sell products from your website, add a user review feature. Depending on your business, you can also monitor review sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor where the business owners are able to respond to positive and negative reviews. A good response to a negative review can sometimes turn a situation around and give you another chance with that customer.
Testimonials
A testimonial tells a customer experience story. It describes how the user’s problem was solved with a product or service, and allows others to imagine themselves in the same situation and believing the same solution will work for them. One study showed 92 percent of consumers are more likely to trust non-paid recommendations than any other type of advertising.
Video testimonials can have a bigger impact than text versions, but for some products or services, a testimonial can take the form of a written case study.
Numbers
Incorporating numbers in your marketing – number of customers, number of products sold, number of services performed, years in business – is an effective way to inform the public your business has social proof.
One of the most well-known examples is McDonald’s statement of the number of hamburgers sold on their signs, but many other businesses have boasted about their numbers in very creative and attention-getting ways.
Customer Photos
The practice of posting customer photos on a wall has long been practiced in physical locations, but can be adapted to a website or social media. Photos work for a wide range of businesses from restaurants to veterinarians’ offices to manufacturing plants. When people see photos on your wall or on your website, they are drawn on an emotional, instinctive level to engage in business with you – they too want to be one of those smiling faces on your wall.

If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:

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