Shorr Success

Polished People = A Trusted Brand

Leadership

Delegate, Don’t Abdicate

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Follow these 10 steps to better manage your service delivery and ensure business continuity and corporate growth

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ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, one of our senior engineers decided to leave our company for “greener pastures.” This engineer had been with us for over five years and handled the maintenance of a few key accounts. During the last week of our employee’s tenure with us, we sat down with that person to review the status of accounts, documentation, and any other details we needed to know. A few notes were shared, and passwords confirmed in our database. We thought we had what we needed. However, when we went on-site to transition the accounts under that engineer’s purview, we were blindsided by what we uncovered: incomplete projects, server rooms in substandard condition, and minimal documentation (the information apparently left with the employee instead of transferred to our database).

Does this story ring a bell for you? In the past couple of months, I’ve heard at least a handful of stories from business owners in a lurch because “trusted” employees not only left the organization but left the owner with a mess to clean up, just like we experienced several years ago.

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Maintain a Growth NOT Fixed Mindset

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Seven life and business lessons from a university president who overcame severe obstacles, via an MSP and channel pro image consultant.

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When I was just 2 years old, my Papa Al passed away due to a sudden heart attack. He was only 55. My grandmother was now a widow with six children, the youngest age 5. Life had thrown Grandma Belle a severe curveball.

Resilience should have been Grandma Belle’s middle name, however. At the time, she and my grandfather were building a business together selling skincare products. My grandfather was the natural lead generator. While selling men’s suits for the now-defunct Filene’s department store, he would talk to his customers’ wives (prospects) about the youthful benefits of proper skincare. [Read more…] about Maintain a Growth NOT Fixed Mindset

Four Lessons to Becoming a Respected Leadership STAR!

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Learn the four keys to being a leader who inspires.

“If you get the culture right, everything becomes easier. If you don’t get it right, all is hard.” – Jack Daly, author of Hyper Sales Growth

Click here to see this article and more IT tips on ChannelPro’s website!

Microsoft Inspire is a remarkable trade show. Thousands of IT geeks like myself fly in from all over the globe to connect with colleagues and vendors and get “inspired”by Microsoft’s new innovations. Since taking the leadership helm in 2014, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been driving two main initiatives: launching innovative cloud solutions like Office 365 and Azure and, just as importantly, radically turning the company’s “old” corporate culture of individual kingdoms into a more collaborative environment.

Corporate or departmental culture starts at the top. Nadella is making a concerted effort to encourage his department heads and managers to collaborate versus finding issues with each other’s ideas. While his efforts have certainly been met with trepidation, Microsoft is seeing change in their cultural mindset.

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Personal Branding 101: Leadership Strategies for the Busy MSP

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A bit of polish and preparation can help an MSP and other channel professionals build a trusted brand that commands respect and attention.

Click here to read this article online at ChannelProNetwork.com

HAVE YOU EVER been in a bidding war with two or three other MSPs and won? Think back to that glorious moment and remember what set you apart from your competition. Was it your technology solution or the size of your corporation? Chances are, it wasn’t price.

A colleague of mine recently won a deal over multiple competitors. His quote was the highest of the three submitted, but his sales professional was polished and prepared. He also presented the prospect with a list of testimonials from familiar businesses to help differentiate his company and build credibility—and he spoke confidently. That tone created a feeling of trust that undoubtedly helped seal the deal.

Perception is a real factor when building a brand. It’s human nature to make assumptions or value judgments based on our own experiences. You can often approximate a person’s age, education level, and wealth without even saying “hello.” Prospective clients expect that, as an IT firm, your team will have strong technical skills. However, you still need to earn their trust and build credibility. [Read more…] about Personal Branding 101: Leadership Strategies for the Busy MSP