Appitive.com - My Stories - Business

Reputation is a business’s most important intangible asset. Values are a key piece of business because employees need to handle important decisions in the heat of the moment. All it takes is one harsh word or poor decision and a small action can become a public relations nightmare. What many cannot see is that trust [...]

Successful leaders need a framework that explains what they are trying to achieve, the values and beliefs of the organization, and what success looks like. A clearly stated mission is focused and easy to understand. Corporate values define what the company stands for and the actions of its employees. Understanding this gives people common ground [...]

Businesses must keep a balance between old heavy-handed, cold-calling sales approaches and the new age social media to determine what actually stimulates today’s consumers. The Principles of Selling focuses on motivating customers and clients, maintaining customer loyalty, and becoming trusted suppliers and advisers. Selling is based on five principles: Principle 1: Selling is about motivation, [...]

Learning how to improve public speaking skills does little good if leaders do not believe in what they are saying. Passion inspires audiences and will be replicated by employees. Nothing can get done in an organization without inspired and motivated followers. This is why leaders need to appear accessible, truthful, and focused on bettering the [...]

Leaders have a responsibility to develop future leaders. Strategic leaders devoted to developing leadership in others need to recognize that leadership qualities and aptitude must be cultivated in leaders beyond those in positions of strategic leadership. Strategic leaders should coach operational and team leaders and encourage them to continue their own leadership training. Even further, [...]

The heart of strategic thinking, whether for an organization or for a person, requires concentrating on the important rather than the urgent, the long-term rather than the short-term, and on all the pertinent factors involved. Moreover, strategic thinking is not a once and done assignment; strategic leaders must be continually revising their strategic thought to [...]

I would like to cautions leaders who take on problems by themselves; they can end up appearing withdrawn, disconnected, and powerless to the situation at hand. Rumors start, gossip spreads, and the problems may appear worse than they actually are. A major reason professionals turn inward instead of seeking assistance is fear of failure and [...]

In an age where technology has a tight grip on well … everything, it is important to stay on top of current business tactics and trends. It’s the 21st century, the Age of the Internet — solely advertising your business in the local newspaper and phone book are not going to cut it anymore. Today, [...]

It’s Christmas and while you’re busy shopping online, chances are you’ll see lots of user reviews on various products. While the majority of those reviews do come from real users like yourself, who are passionate enough to share their opinions on a product, many of them could be fake, left by the vendors themselves to [...]

The elevator door opens. And there stands your ideal investor. It’s the chance of a lifetime. But that chance only lasts as long as the elevator ride – you have less than a minute to make an impression. Hopefully, you’ve got a well-crafted elevator pitch ready to give. The elevator pitch is not the hurried [...]

Successful salespeople have a selling toolbox that allows them to execute their sales tactics perfectly every time. The salesperson who is master of the sales tools and owns the process owns the deal. Proactive Selling is made up of a host of tools that can be used beginning with the initial sales call to maintain [...]

Leaders must share their passions in order to attract followers. In the old world, leaders did not have to disclose details about their personal lives or other information unrelated to their businesses. In today’s world, employees, executives, and colleagues are likely to uncover the passions of their leaders anyway, so it makes sense for leaders [...]

“The relationship is 100 percent defined by the customer.” So while salespeople will bend over backward to get a customer to like them and be comfortable with them, the reaction–and perception–is all up to the customer. Salespeople need to realize this distinction in order to make potential customers feel comfortable. They need to think about [...]

Although attitude defines high and low performance, the “right” attitude is unique to each organization. Organizations must discover a method that tests candidates for the organization’s unique attitude. To determine a test for attitude, an organization must first decide which set of attitudes are unique and special to the company. By examining the key attitudes [...]

The best organizations are those that place an emphasis on employing the right people in the right roles. To attract the best applicants, organizations must relate to and engage with their target audiences. Engagement begins the moment a potential hire becomes aware of a company. Companies must meet specific needs to attract the best employees. [...]

Leaders must often make decisions with insufficient information. In order to avoid disaster, both leaders and employees must be open to sharing information with others and willing to admit when they do not know something or when they make a mistake. This twofold plan will enable the entire organization to be open to learning, and [...]

No one is free from challenges. Work and life events sometimes leave even the strongest individuals feeling powerless. There are some people, however, who seem to be at their best during the toughest times. No matter what happens, no matter the stress or challenge, they quickly recover and are positive, energized, and take productive action. [...]

A successful career path must have a clear and defined direction, which requires inward analysis and an accurate and honest assessment of one’s skills. Self-analysis should be applied to skills, work values, and personal characteristics, such as communications, influencing, problem solving, creativity, and computer literacy. Work values include factors such as an individual’s drive to [...]

The ability to deal with tough stuff is directly related to a manager’s ability to cope with pressure. Effective managers know their tipping points. Dealing with the tough stuff is easier when they are in good health, physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Preventing too much stress, knowing how much pressure is the right amount to keep [...]

We live in denial of our inherent negativity for the most part, and often wonder why the world around is so mean and reckless. At work, we never fail telling our juniors how meeting deadlines can be a tough proposition, and not to think too ‘out of the box’ to impress the boss. In short, [...]

People are often defined by how they communicate. There are three main communication styles: 1. Aggressive. This type of communication discourages collaboration and conversations, and focuses on placing blame if mistakes are made and taking credit for other’s successes. 2. Passive. This type of communication is reluctant to offer feedback, hates confrontation, and is unable [...]

Have you ever had a boss you thought deserved a padded cell? You’re not alone. Nearly one third of employees think their bosses should see a psychologist. And as it turns out, your so-called jaded assumptions might not be that far off. Bosses are four times more likely to exhibit psychopathic behavior than your average [...]

Dave McClure certainly has a way with words, and his presentations can’t be missed. His signature presentation “How to pitch a VC” is a crowd favorite with entrepreneurs, and if you haven’t seen it yet, now is the time. For those who don’t know who Dave McClure is. Here’s a small brief … Dave McClure [...]

Five mental hindrances that impede success, that cause suffering, and get in the way of a leader’s ability to experience his or her full potential and personal fulfillment. Everyone experiences them in some form during their lifetime. They become problematic only if one allows them to manifest in a dysfunctional way in his or her [...]

Book Review | Best Practices Are Stupid | 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition | Buy from Amazon.com “So many books, so little time. I think we all know this when it comes to reading – and reviewing – books. This was also my case when I got, Best Practices Are Stupid – 40 Ways [...]