Chris Masters...my 2.0 cents!

Do you know how far a “thank you” or a simple gesture of appreciation can go? Have you tried? I have watched and worked with a number of executives, owners and managers in my career and it always amazes me that so many simply miss the boat on employee appreciation. 

• They get paid to do the work…why do they need a thank you as well!
• I am too busy to stop and thank everyone for doing a good job!
• They don’t care if I say “thank you” to them.
• (internal voice) I don’t want them to get credit for a good job when I can get credit instead…believe it, it happens.

And I could go on! Employee appreciation is a critical component to the success of your company’s or your own well-being. You wouldn’t want to have a disgruntled driver behind the wheel of your car service or an unhappy chef preparing your meal would you? Both of those are paid services as well so don’t assume that paying an employee is all that matters. At times, it is a fine line between success and failure in relationships, both professional and personal, and I challenge us all to start tomorrow off with a simple “thank you” to a spouse, child, boss, employee or a complete stranger. You may actually be shocked at the response you will receive from that individual!

Until next time!

I tend to find to find too many people that WANT to achieve a goal but struggle to obtain it. Is it that they have fear of failure, no real game-plan, or do they not even not know what they are trying to achieve??? Maybe all of the above???!!!

Whether we say it out loud or just internally, we all have questions that we feel the need to answer during our time on Earth. Some questions may seem to carry more weight which causes us to analyze a little deeper or think a little longer however I believe they all should be approached in a similar fashion. “Just do it!”(Thank you Nike)

I have been guilty of this myself at times thinking this is my life but what I have found consistently is that successful(defined individually) people just go for it. They don’t punch a time clock, they don’t over-think decisions, they are not afraid to be creative. They simply make the best decision based on the information gathered/their own personal experiences and live with the results. Ohhh and they do it at full speed! It can’t be that easy…can it?

Start with small goals or surround yourself with successful people who can help organize your thoughts into goals. Each life is built on its own unique path so no one person can give you the answers to all of your questions. All I am trying to say is if you see something that you want, healthy lifestyle, more business/money, cure for a disease, or just an evening alone with your loved one…just go after it. Each day can be fulfilling if you just put your best effort out there on the field.

Achieving personal success feels really good so make the decision to just go for it!

“There’s no secret to balance…you just have to feel the waves” - Frank Herbert

I have encountered a number of people in my personal and professional life who say they are trying to find balance. I keep asking them where they are looking for it and how they go about that and then there is usually an explanation (sometimes a long one) that follows. My two cents on balance is summed up in the quote by Frank Herbert and that is to stop focusing on it and just feel it.

A surfer is never physically in true symmetrical balance rather in balance with the waves. The best surfers in the world tend to identify solid waves, ride them until they fade and go back out no matter how good or bad the wave was the last time. Most will tell you that they gain these skills and have the best rides through experience, practice, instinct and feeling.

You may never see a wave like the one you are riding again so feel the wave and make the most of your ride!!!!

Social media costs your business zero to sign-up, zero to host and zero to post however not maintaining your social media could cost you customers and ultimately your business reputation.

The numbers in social media are what I would term business attractive, “61% of small business owners now use social media to help identify and attract new customers, 75% have a company page on a social networking site, and 45% expect their social media activities to be profitable within the next 12 months. 58% say that social media has met their expectations to date, and only 9% expect to lose money on social media efforts for the next year”, as reported by Social Media Today. The only number that really counts is how many non-virtual customers are actually buying your product or service.

Social media, or conversational marketing as it can be referred to, is one of the most effective communication platforms being used in both small and large businesses worldwide today. The challenge with this marketing medium is the amount of commitment it takes to maintain a high level of service that a customer expects when spending their hard-earned dollars. Imagine for a moment, walking into a restaurant that you “like” and asking for service or the specials of the day and all you get is…crickets or tumbleweeds or oh yeah…SILENCE! That would be very frustrating, right? Just imagine if you went back several times and the result was the same. It might actually cause you to think a number of things including not returning to that restaurant.

Social media is very similar to the restaurant scenario above in the fact that you can build a social media presence online (even if it is due to the fact that 75% of your competitors have also). You invite your closest friends and neighbors to join you as a show of their support and then what? More than likely you go back to grinding away on your daily business tasks and forget you have opened the door or you simply check monthly to see if you have any new customers. Save yourself the 20 seconds to log-on, the answer is your social media presence looks the same as you left it.

Social media is about engaging an audience that publicly enjoys your offering or wants to know more about it. It is a priceless opportunity to sell, get referrals and even get ideas about what it is they want to see. Back to the restaurant for a brief moment, imagine opening your doors and all your plates have been pre-ordered by reservations which means of course you know how many employees you need to have on that shift to service the plates, you know how much food to prepare and what time to prepare it and even how long you have to keep your doors open…WOW! Ok, back to reality, social media cannot make your business perfect but it can provide you invaluable feedback on how you are doing and a clearer direction to the question we are all asking, how do we generate more business? Just ask your customers!

Simply, treat social media in the same fashion you would a customer walking into your establishment. Let them know you are at their service and treat them like you would a physical customer. Just remember that if you are lucky, your service will be on display for hundreds to see and as we all know, trusted words spread!

Keys to social media:

1. Maintain a clean, accurate and informative space for your business. 
2. Set goals and objectives for your social media efforts. Good news is you can measure it much easier than traditional methods.
3. Monitor the platform, if a customer leaves a comment or asks a question…answer it!
4. Post consistently, on average 2-3 times per day. You can copy from reliable sources if you need additional material to post but remember to always give credit to the source.
5. Use social media to find out what your customers like or dislike and if there are any recommendations for the future. Customers love being part of the solutions or creations.
6. Use it to sell special events, give incentives for slow nights or simply to thank them for their patronage.
7. Don’t be afraid to integrate it with other marketing mediums and websites…marketing of one’s business is always most successful when it has been packaged to reach the target audience in different ways. We all consume media differently, some watch TV, some read papers and some consume it online.
8. You are the best social media expert for your business no matter what industry you are in. If you do not have time, find a third party social media agency that will work with you to identify your different business goals and produce a strategy that generates sales. 

This is short and sweet but in a nutshell: I have been inspired by my family, friends and professional relationships to put my thoughts down on virtual paper. So I am back and looking for suggestions on topics and feedback on the ones I choose. I will work to make it relevant and worthy of your pushing me to blog again!

I raise a toast(you choose the drink) to you all and remember that having each of you in my life is what inspires me. 

C

 Over the past 15 months, I have spent a healthy portion of my time educating potential clients and hiring managers on our contingency recruiting services and the benefits of using them.  Mind you I am speaking of contingency searches and not retained searches. If you are not familiar with the differences then call my office @ 212 268 9789 and I will sign you up for one or the other:).

Imagine walking into a casino and your lovely hostess/handsome host hands you $20,000 to bet with and the only catch is IF YOU WIN, you have to pay back the original loan of $20,000 but you keep the winnings…sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Oh, did I mention there is even a guarantee on your winnings for 60 days after you win. Esssentially that is the deal that our firm offers to our clients however we still get the occasional ”thank, but no thanks”. 

Fair enough, maybe they are just fundamentally against using recruiters due to the nature of the business or a bad experience, maybe their ego is so big that they do not need help due to their “rolodex”, maybe they do not want to pay the fee due to the tight leash they are now on for their P&L (that was not the case 15 months ago). Whatever excuse a hiring manager has as their reason for not using a contingency recruiter is their reason however there is no excuse for not securing talent in a timely fashion that ultimately will bring value to your organization and assist in driving revenue.

For those who are against using recruiters have their reasons and poor personal experiences top the list. I believe it is like anything that you try, if at first you don’t succeed, learn from your mistakes and try again.  For those who have the stellar rolodex, TRUST ME, nobody in that rolodex cares more about your business than you do so don’t count on them spending large amounts of time referring you candidates and why would they give you top talent and not hire them for their own companies???? Ohhh and the P&L “thing”, which do you believe will be more glaring of a line item…$20,000 fee for a $1MM, $2MM or $3MM+ producer or missing your goal (which most of you are bonused on) at the quarter because you are still searching on your own.

Hiring managers are not recruiters, they are solutions/product sales executives, operations specialists or technologists. Do your research and due diligence and keep a few contingency recruiters in your back pocket…they may just be your ACE of SPADES at the table!

 chris.masters@aclion.com : 212 268 9789 : chrismasters1(twitter)

Regional Sales Manager ((New York)

Email me at chris.masters@aclion.com

 Growing start-up in the mobile space with offices in Mountain View, CA and New York, NY is currently expanding with a new position in New York .

The senior sales manager will be responsible for selling targeted advertising in streamlined video content across the platform.  He/She will demonstrate to clients an advertising opportunity at the forefront of new technology. 

Experience/Qualifications:

• Has sold advertising at a senior level in interactive/video/mobile medium in the Northeast territory.  Must have a proven track record of success.
• Can demonstrate a personal interactive agency/client rolodex of significant accounts where he/she can immediately start selling the advertising inventory.
• Experience developing strong relationships at all corporate levels from agency decision maker to client CMO
• Has been in a startup or fast growing business before
• Professional sales training at a major player
• Business development skills to evolve the pitch, look for new opportunities and try new ideas
• Experience selling to brand advertisers
• Four Year degree

Personal Attributes:

• Strong believer in the growth and opportunity offered by mobile and interactive 
• High energy, able and willing to work long hours, is ready for the demands of a high energy start up
• Is oriented towards building a high value company patiently - not looking for a quick flip
• Adds positive energy to the company’s environment through their personality
• Good chemistry with team
• Strong selling skills – prospecting, closing, account follow up, and relationship building etc.

PACKAGE
Compensation is competitive, commensurate with experience and includes basic salary, commission and stock options.

Email me at chris.masters@aclion.com

http://moconews.net/article/419-sprint-will-cut-350-million-in-costs-including-up-to-2500-jobs/