Tom Fuszard – Page 12 – Tom Fuszard's Business Builder

Customer service calls should be answered promptly

December 11, 2015May 28, 2014 by Tom Fuszard

As the country digs its way out of the Great Recession, you’d think that businesses would be making great strides in their customer service endeavors. Most do, I’m sure. But on occasion we encounter a firm that could use a refresher in how to provide quality customer service.

I recently needed to call my bank to inquire about changing the signatures on a checking account. Normally, I’d meet at a branch with the other person to sign the signature card. Our schedules don’t mesh, however, so I needed to know what my options were. That’s when the “fun” began.

I called their customer service number two times in as many days. In each case I was on hold for at least 10 minutes. It would’ve been longer, but I hung up. Couldn’t take it any longer. (In fairness to the bank, I was told–by an automated voice–that “due to high call volume, you’re expected wait time is 15 minutes.”) Why the high call volume? This institution, like others in the financial world, routes calls to a central office. That may be good in theory, but it can have serious consequences. As in my recent instance.

Develop unconventional leadership skills for better results

December 11, 2015May 14, 2014 by Tom Fuszard

This month’s meeting of The Business Building Academy offered two outstanding presentations on developing and offering strong leadership. The presenters were Susan L. Farrell, MBA and Lt. Cmdr Chip Lutz USN (ret.). I discussed Susan’s presentation in another column.

Chip, president and founder of Unconventional Leader, LLC, offered several very useful pieces of advice, including suggestions for leading in an unconventional way.

Some of the takeaways include:

– Appreciate those who are your friend; those who stick up for you. “If I’m loyal to my people,” Chip says, “they’ll be loyal to me.”

– Humility is important. Don’t take life too seriously, and be able to laugh at your mistakes. “It’s OK to fail,” Chip says. Employees feel more comfortable when managers step out of their comfort zones.

Effective leadership rooted in respect and assertive behavior

December 11, 2015May 11, 2014 by Tom Fuszard

This month’s Business Builder Academy meeting featured two outstanding seminars on effective leadership. The presenters were Susan L. Farrell, MBA and Lt. Cmdr. Chip Lutz USN (ret.).

This column recaps Susan’s presentation. I will discuss Chip’s seminar in my next column. Susan taps into her 25+ years of management and training experience to help women in management roles develop leadership, managerial, and interpersonal skills.

Author of “Don’t Act Like Prey!: A Guide To Personal Leadership for Women,” Susan stressed that if we’re going to lead, we must be assertive.

To set the stage, she offered the 3 R’s needed to manage a business properly.

Relationships: She reviewed personal and professional relationships and how they affect how we lead.

Rights: In addition to the common ones found in the US Constitution, Susan reminds us that we managers/business owners have the right to be treated with respect and dignity.

Presentation skills – 5 tips to help you survive a disaster

December 11, 2015April 30, 2014 by Tom Fuszard

Have you faced a disaster during a presentation? If not, you will soon. It happens to every public speaker at some point. What I experienced during a recent presentation can help you prepare for the inevitable.

Like most presenters, my presentation was on PowerPoint slides. I set up early, and had the projector running prior to my presentation. Unfortunately, the projector died soon after I began, which caused me to react. There are several lessons to be learned from this incident. Note that the first item is more of a preventive measure. I include it in the list because projector problems are common.

1. Monitor the projector. Unlike most presenters, I don’t typically glance at the projection screen. Preferring to maintain my concentration on the audience, I will just glace at the laptop monitor, and look up at the audience. In this case, the projector was placed next to the laptop. Had I turned my attention slightly to the left, I would’ve seen that there was no light coming from the projector lens.

Enhance your business with Mike Dillard’s mentoring program

January 9, 2017April 16, 2014 by Tom Fuszard

An important aspect in any successful business is mentoring. Having access to a successful person in your field is so valuable. In the world of internet marketing, few names stand out like Mike Dillard’s. Right from the start–with Magnetic Sponsoring–Mike established himself as a talented and successful entrepreneur.

Over the years he has launched at least two companies that each posted 8-figure sales totals. To say that Mike Dillard is successful is an understatement.

In early 2014, Mike decided to introduce a mentoring program. Called Live Free and Prosper, this program allows members to gain advice directly from Mike. During each weekly webinar, Mike addresses nearly a dozen questions on a broad array of challenges to internet marketers. The types of questions he gets includes: