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wbozzelli posted on September 09, 2011 11:49
COMMENTARY — Sen. Jeff Sessions holds many roles for our state in Washington, and he has accepted a strong role of support to the Pre-serving Rural Alabama agenda, which offers communities like ours technical assistance through the USDA for development as an ACE community. Area leaders attended the conference recently hosted by Jacksonville State University to learn more and work to bring that message back to our area.
An ACE Community (Alabama Community of Excellence) targets populations of a size between 2,000 and 18,000 for 11 specific points of developmental focus to include: Leadership development, strategic planning, comprehensive planning, commercial business development, education enhancement, infrastructure requirements, health and human services, tourism, economic development, recreation opportunities and QOL.
Presenter Nisa Miranda, director of the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, helped the group of over 100 attendees understand that to make an ACE community thrive it must have clean partnership with the mayors office, any economic development entities, the chamber of commerce, and of course schools. According to Ms. Miranda, and speaking to a diverse audience of business leaders, chamber leaders, city leaders and institutional leaders, “Who drives this in an area?” She continued, “It is not the mayor, or city council, but you.” Success of an ACE community will be driven by a depth of involved leaders within a community appropriately trained and focused.
The goal of attendance at this meeting was to bring this information to the broader north Jefferson area to capture synergistic growth opportunities for all of our communities. Several communities across the state have graduated from this three-year leadership program, but only one from our area, Graysville. This is an ongoing process with recertification requirements to an ACE community three years after initial training completion.
We seek to learn more about these leadership training opportunities, and to move forward with participation. The ultimate purpose of this program is to expand the base of evolved community leaders assisting with the management of multiple community projects in the 11 specific points of focus. Ongoing leadership development is at the core of building an ACE community. Through the ACE process, there is an effort to create a new vision of growth which forms a combined effort between city government, businesses and citizens to make the vision of growth a reality.
Participation in ACE leadership training will help our communities achieve much more as both distinct towns and community partners. Other ACE communities have accomplished industrial park developments, receipt of grant awards, completion of comprehensive planning, down town revitalization, Brownfield cleanup, disaster planning, improved waste water management and the formation of historical societies to name a few.
If you sit on a city council, serve as a mayor or hold a position on a chamber of commerce, economic or industrial development board, planning commission, or zoning board then this note is for you. ACE community development begins with the end in mind whereby leadership training can build the foundation for strong and defendable decisions built around sustainable regional collaboration.
Speaker and professor Cheryl Morgan of Auburn’s Urban Studio summed it up beautifully by stating, “A community with a plan is more competitive. She can channel resources to the best advantage of everyone and can leverage resources for the best long term benefit.”
wbozzelli posted on August 05, 2011 08:59
— The study of emotional intelligence is often dated to the early 1990s, when scientific articles suggested that there existed an unrecognized but important human mental ability to reason about emotions and to use emotions to enhance thought. The basics of Emotional Intelligence, or EI, include knowing your feelings and using them to make life decisions with which you can live. In business, emotional intelligence can work to impart a strategic advantage when times get tense or tough.
Being able to manage your emotional life without begin hijacked by it or allowing yourself to become paralyzed by depression or worry, or worse, swept away by anger, is key in today’s volatile and changing workplace.
Cultivating your EI can provide the support that you need in the face of setbacks, and a positive channeling of your impulses can be critical to keep you on target and on track as you pursue your goals.
An emotionally intelligent person has empathy, not sympathy, for the other person without them having to tell you exactly what they are feeling or going through. In today’s work place this skill is critical in light of privacy laws, and issues of work place harassment. A skillful handling of emotion and feelings in the workplace is critical for the diverse personalities and skills that allow all to move in the same goal direction in some form of harmony. Emotional Intelligence allows the unspoken pulse of a group to work to get things done, sometimes the impossible, given all of the differing ideas, skills and agendas that sometimes come together.
There are multiple and daily examples of challenges in the work place that command high emotional intelligence.
Consider the dynamics of a colleague who steals your idea and discusses it publicly as if it were his own, the challenge of dealing with a difficult customer, the impact of a poor work review, someone who tells a racist joke or a sexually explicit joke. How about observing road rage, or riding with someone who is a driving aggressively? Ever been in a shouting match or a turf battle at work? Or sometimes we need to dig deep and sharpen our emotional intelligence as we work to inspire our team, nudge an indecisive or apathetic leader, or even work to inspire our own self.
Generally speaking, emotional intelligence improves an individual's social effectiveness. The higher the emotional intelligence, the better the social relations. Emotional Intelligence is described as a combination of personal competence and social competence.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, previous Chairman of GE Jack Welch stated, “A leader’s intelligence has to have a strong emotional component. He has to have high levels of self-awareness, maturity and self-control. He or she must be able to withstand the heat, handle setbacks and when those lucky moments arise, enjoy success with equal parts of joy and humility. No doubt emotional intelligence is more rare than book smarts, but my experience says it is actually more important in the making of a leader. You just can't ignore it.”
The high EI individual can better perceive emotions, use them in thought, understand their meanings, and manage emotions, than others. Solving emotional problems likely requires less cognitive effort for this individual. The person also tends to be somewhat higher in verbal, social, and other intelligences, particularly in understanding emotions. The individual tends to be more open and agreeable than others. The high EI person is drawn to occupations involving social interactions such as teaching and counseling more so than to occupations involving clerical or administrative tasks.
According to research on the topic, the high EI individual, relative to others, is less apt to engage in problem behaviors, and avoids self-destructive, negative behaviors such as smoking, excessive drinking, drug abuse, or violent episodes with others. The high EI person is more likely to have possessions of sentimental attachment around the home and to have more positive social interactions. Such individuals may also be more adept at describing motivational goals, aims, and missions.
Got EI? Psychologists Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves designed a test that assesses the four pillars of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. “Emotional Intelligence Appraisal” was published in 2003, and more than 500,000 people have taken the assessment so far… even the Chinese. Interestingly, the research showed that when data matched Chinese executives to American executives, the Chinese outscored the American on the two key EI measures of self-management and relationship management. In a nutshell, this very compelling research suggests when it comes to the pursuit of economic success these two less developed elements of EI leave American Executives lacking in some of the discipline needed to compete best in a global marketplace.
Getting back on track will require our good, old fashioned “making business personal.” The tried and true “management by walking around” technique that helped build our industry and fuel our factory floor.
Teresa works for Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals and supports the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. You can find additional readings on her blog at http://businessadvise4u.blogspot.com. Contact at her by email at visemedical@bellsouth.net.
wbozzelli posted on June 17, 2011 13:40
NORTH JEFFERSON — Is it the chicken or the egg? Is it a symptom or the problem? Governor Dr. Bentley will appreciate the value echoed in the difference between treating a symptom and missing the care of the underlying problem. Think about this for a moment in the context of the Limited Home Rule Vote and how it plays out here in Jefferson County. Is the problem that Jefferson County, according to Leadership, does not have enough money and must lay off workers if they cannot raise taxes? Or is that just a symptom of an underlying deeper problem? The money is perhaps available, but the real problem is making the hard choices of keeping employees, letting employees go, keeping projects, or letting projects go.
Back in March, The Alabama Supreme Court threw out the county's previous occupational tax, which generated $66 million in revenue last year. Losing the tax led the commission to cut more than $30 million in spending and close the county's satellite courthouses. (Now is a time to ask you if that was a huge inconvenience, a simple yes or no will do.) By state law, we must have a balanced budget. In order to balance the budget now, and without these additional funds from taxation, there are now some hard decisions to be made. Jobs will be reduced. Services will be lost. A three-part plan was developed to address the loss of revenue and it looks like this:
• Aggressively cutting the county’s budget by an additional $25-30 million
• Implementing replacement revenue of $45-50 million
• Unearmarking at least the one-cent general county sales tax.
Number one was taken care of a few months ago. Number two which would have replaced the $50 million that is needed died on the vine with the failure of the Limited Home Rule, and number three is still in play and very viable.
Our State Senator Beason said that instead of talking about raising taxes, lawmakers should have passed laws to unearmark Jefferson County revenues. This would allow the Jefferson County Commission to spend its revenues where the commissioners felt the needs were greatest. Several unearmarking bills, including one by Beason, died in the regular session.
“Unearmarking is the answer to the county's problems,” Beason said. “There are millions of dollars put in other places that could be moved to use to pay for the essential functions of county government. I think it's crazy to even talk about raising taxes when unearmarking would solve the problem” In the mean time, Beason said the county has a $90 million reserve that could be tapped by commissioners until lawmakers meet again to consider unearmarking bills. According to Beason, eliminating earmarks will give county officials the authority to use money from one cent of the county's two cents in sales taxes to meet financial needs without raising taxes. “I think we should give them some flexibility and freedom to reprioritize their spending and do what they need to do,” Beason said.
“I think the county, and the state, really, to a large extent, are hamstrung at what it can do to rearrange its budget when so much of it is earmarked,” said Beason. Jefferson County levies a two percent sales tax, with each penny tax raising about $86.4 million in 2010. One percentage point is dedicated to retiring $1 billion in bonds for school construction, while the other – the portion Beason's bill addresses – is used in several ways.
More than 65 percent of that penny sales tax is earmarked for areas other than the general fund, which is used to pay for law enforcement, family and probate courts, roads, inspections, zoning and other functions.
With the alternative choice being whether there will be a layoff of workers or a reduction of services the question remains, is the money there, or do we just need to shift it around. “There comes a time when government has to live within its means. We have the same problem on a state level, which we are addressing, and the same problem on a federal level- completely out of control spending and debt. Eventually you have to put the brakes on that,” Beason said of his reason to block the Limited Home Rule bill from a vote. The proposed reductions include up to 282 employees in the roads department; 156 in the general services department; 148 in the sheriff's office and 61 in the revenue, finance and budget management departments, according to county figures.
Beason says lay-offs and cuts don't have to happen because of 90 million dollars in the county's reserves.
If government efficiencies were like those in private industry, there should be a shift in personnel over time as roles change, the skill needs adapt and change, and progress moves us forward. Do you have the same number of employees doing the exact same thing that they did 10 to 15 years ago? Have they learned new skills that have made them better, faster or smarter and therefore better contributors? Have you let any employees go? Most likely the answers to each of these questions is yes, and government entities, if they are progressing and creating value, are and should be no different.
wbozzelli posted on June 15, 2011 13:42
COMMENTARY — You do not have to look far here in the north Jefferson area to find plenty of post tornado recovery work. Now would be a good time to assess where the recovery falls with respect to the formal comprehensive development plans that exist. A bit troubling may be the realization that those plans are several years, and in many cases decades old, and have never been revisited or revamped. Now is a perfect time to take an assessment of those comprehensive development plans and view them in light of the community mission and vision. Indeed, if you don’t know what you are aiming for, then you may hit just about anything. All of this plays into the ideas of your brand, your image and ultimately how you are perceived by your customers. Or in the case of a city, or the entire north Jefferson area, how the growth, recovery and stability are viewed by local citizens and outside supporters. Is our leadership trusted? Do we have a credible and believable reputation?
Not long ago, trust and reputation was the domain of the public relations department. Marketing concerned itself with spending huge sums to maintain “share of voice” which is marketing speak for outspending rivals to drive brand awareness and endlessly reminding consumers of the “unique selling proposition.”
Now, marketers are waking up to an awareness that in the world of branding, trust is the most perishable of assets.
Polling in recent months shows that increasing numbers of consumers distrust not just the obvious suspects (the banks, politicians, insurance) but business and corporations as a whole. The shift in sentiment is forcing companies from Ford Motor to American Express to tweak marketing and focus on rebuilding credibility.
Trust is what drives profit margin and share price and it is what consumers are looking for and what they share with one another. In the arena of local government, reaching out to the community to inform them about not only meetings, but meeting content, results and plans is key as well.
The recovery plan, just as is the comprehensive development plan, is pulled from a systematic planning process. It should be based on sound technical studies, it should facilitate community involvement, it should be open to continuous monitoring, and it should be periodically updated.
It is key that recovery look at not only zoning, but future land use. Please keep in mind that an expert in real estate or real estate law may not be the best expert in land use law, as the two are different skills and area of expertise.
Think about what this means for your city and community. Perhaps you find that old approaches don’t work as well as they used to for you. Don’t just blame it on the recession, job insecurity and hammered home values as to why business and political dynamics are changing.
Techniques and share of voice strategy are easily copied by your competition, but they can’t copy your reputation or recreate the trust that you own with your customers or constituents. Mercifully, you control that. It is yours to grow or loose.
As you move into your week, take a minute to think about what your community and customers expect from you or your product. If you miss the mark on expectations, no matter how well you do, you fail. This sets a poor outcome for trust, and really makes your job of creating a loyal customer more difficult. The old saying about under promising and over delivering really rings true here.
wbozzelli posted on October 22, 2010 13:35
COMMENTARY — We had a packed house at the Fairfield Inn here in Fultondale this week as our North Jefferson community welcomed a visit from our senator, Jeff Sessions.
Sen. Sessions and his team helped to “Bring Washington Home” as we titled our event by not only updating us on his work in Washington, but also by being very open in this forum to one-on-one questions from the audience. It is my opinion, and one that was echoed by audience members, that it takes a certain measure of bravery and backbone to meet your constituents at such a personal level.
And why shouldn’t an elected official be comfortable talking to constituents in this manner? After all, we did elect them. It is what we in business affectionately call “management by walking around.”
You can not get the feel of the factory or really any business by hanging out in the corner big office. You have to get out where the real work is done, talk to your employees, or in this case the voters, and take their pulse. Spending time in the field will allow business leaders as well as governmental leaders an enhanced ability to deliver on the hard questions when asked, and take the knowledge of their deep consumer or voter needs to heart.
Washington will indeed be a bit better when some homegrown Alabama gets taken back to keep it on track and on target.
We are fortunate to have this type of leadership and representation in Washington for our state. Did you know that as a budget committee member, the senator is dubbed a “budget hawk” and strives to limit government spending and champion tax cuts for American families?
As a member of the senate judiciary committee, he works to ensure that judges are confirmed who do not legislate from the bench, but judge from the bench.
As a member of the senate armed forces committee, he leads by example in support of our troops. As a member of the energy committee, he has the opportunity to develop policies that will support independent and reliable sources of energy.
In 2008, Sessions was elected to his third six-year term with more votes cast for him than any Republican in Alabama history.
The opportunity to have a visit by his type of Washington leadership is indeed significant, but in my mind, the really big opportunity lies in bringing together the North Jefferson businesses and governmental leadership for the common purpose of driving growth in our area. Those on the outside looking in know that we have a rare opportunity to learn from the trial and error of other growth areas in our state, so let’s work together to get it right.
In speaking with the senator, we discussed the global marketplace and the need to stay competitive as a state, which is certainly true. As the saying goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
We will only be as strong as our weakest neighboring community, so it is incumbent on us to support and partner strategically with each other. This event was a rare privilege to have such strong leaders from all of our communities in the audience with representation from not only Fultondale, but Gardendale, Brookside, Birmingham, Morris and several others.
A united vision of what we will look like in five, 25 or 50 years remains to be seen, but it will only begin when our community leaders get together in the same room for a common purpose. Seek out opportunities to engage and be involved in our growth and development, and participation in your local chamber of commerce may be the best place to start.
It is not only intelligent to do so from a civic perspective, but consumers think it is intelligent as well. In fact, according to Market Street Research, 59 percent of consumers feel participation by a business in their chamber of commerce is a smart business strategy.
More importantly, again according to Market Street Research, when a company participates in its local chamber, it creates embedded value as perceived by the consumer and they are 63 percent more likely to purchase goods or services from that company in the future.
I look forward to seeing you at the next chamber event. Stay in touch and stay involved.
And remember, take care of your customers, or someone else will.
You can find additional readings on my blog at http://businessadvise4u.blogspot.com. Teresa works for Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals and supports the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. The next meeting of the Fultondale Chamber will be held in November. Please join us by calling (205) 337-1629 or email to visemedical@bellsouth.net.
host posted on June 09, 2010 06:00
 Jennifer Wilburn
I am the daughter of Tracy and Deborah Wilburn. I have two younger brothers and lots of cats. I have resided in Hayden, Al. my entire life. I love swimming, biking, scrapbooking, goofing off with baton and dance, and enjoying anything outdoors. I love being busy and staying active within my community.
I attended Hayden Schools and graduated with an advanced diploma. My senior year I was dually enrolled at Hayden High School and Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Al. I was also Majorette Captain for the Pride of Hayden Marching Band, and was a part of the Beta Club and Leo Club. I have taken baton, dance, and piano lessons and competed in numerous competitions throughout Alabama. I also volunteered for City Stages for 3 years, performed at Jr. Showsteeler’s Night, and Band Day at UAB.
In between high school and college I took one year off to save money and purchase a car and laptop. I had to venture out on my own two feet and have been supporting myself since the age of 18. After purchasing my car and computer I began my college career at UAB.
I have been attending UAB for the past three years seeking a Double Major in Accounting and Marketing. I am a member of the American Marketing Association and the Financial Management Association. I was a UAB majorette in 2008. I am expected to graduate within the next two and a half years. Afterwards, I plan on obtaining my CPA and Master’s degree in Accounting while working.
host posted on April 29, 2010 06:00
The Fultondale Chamber attended the Birmingham Business Journal's breakfast and panel discussion on health care reform sponsored by Burr & Forman.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively referred to as the "Health Reform Bill") has been referred to as "the most significant health care expansion in more than four decades" and is expected to provide public or private health insurance coverage for more than 30 million uninsured Americans. The provisions of the Health Reform Bill will be phased in between now and 2019, with several provisions taking effect in 2010.
Howard Bogard mentioned this morning, Burr and Forman has composed a brief summary of what they believe to be the most important provisions of the Health Reform Bill with the greatest impact to their clients and friends, including employers, providers, group health plans, insurers, and taxpayers. Attached is an electronic version of their Health Reform Alert for those of you who were unable to attend the summary this morning or who would like an electronic version to forward to others. We hope you find the information helpful and informative.
host posted on February 19, 2010 06:00
The Birmingham region has a competitive business climate but needs to improve its education and infrastructure to become more attractive to potential business recruits, according to initial data released by the Birmingham Business Alliance.
View full article on Birmingham Business Journal
host posted on December 11, 2009 11:25
Fultondale News by Sue McKay
The North Jefferson News
We would like to thank the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring the Christmas tree lighting Monday night. We would also like to thank Santa for appearing, the children of Fultondale Elementary for making the ornaments and the Fultondale street department for getting the area ready. Everyone had a great time and we had a good turnout.
• The Fultondale City Council will meet on Monday at 6 p.m. The next Fultondale Chamber meeting will be an after-hours meeting on Dec. 23 at Stix Restaurant from 5 to 7 p.m.
• We would like to thank the local businesses that participated in the storefront decorating contest. The winners were: What-a-Burger, best all-around; Jernigan Healthcare, best Christian theme; Fultondale Florist, most creative; and Terry Hogeland of Walker Drive won best home decoration. Thanks to everyone who participated.
• Fultondale First Baptist Church will be having a Christmas Windows live program Dec. 18-20 at 6 p.m.The tour, a walk-through of Christ from birth to crucifixion, lasts approximately 20 minutes. Please make plans to come out and see this live program.
• I would like to send congratulations to our fire chief, Larry Holcomb, who received his bachelor's degree in Fire Science on Dec. 8.
• I would like to send a happy belated birthday wish to Scottie Fassina who turned the “big 5-0” on Nov. 19. I hope he had a wonderful birthday.
• Congratulations to Traci (Newcomb) Jones and George A Jones and big sister Lexie of Fultondale in the birth of their newest addition to the family, Lathan Alan. Lathan was born Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m. He weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20.5-inches long. The overjoyed grandparents are Susie Newcomb, Frank and Peggy Siragusa and great-grandmother Lexie Jones. We hope this new bundle of joy brings them a lifetime of happiness.
• As we all know Christmas is just two weeks away. Because of the hustle and bustle of this time of year, this will probably be my last article until January 2010. I want to wish each and every one of you a very, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Remember the reason for the season — Christ was born on Christmas Day and he came to save us from our sins. Also remember it is better to give than to receive.
Sue McKay is The North Jefferson News correspondent for Fultondale. She can be reached at 841-6559.
host posted on December 10, 2009 06:36
Business AdVISE By Teresa Vise
The North Jefferson News
Our articles so far have centered on customer service, branding of your company and yourself, and we have also spent time discussing creativity and risk.
In the next few articles, I would like to offer a little perspective on trends around us. Specifically, I want to delve into Microtrends or small trends that can lead to big change and big business opportunities. According to Mark Penn, author of “Microtrends,” only one percent of the public, or three million people, are enough to launch a business or social movement. As we close out 2009, and prepare for the next year, what small trends are out there that we need to be on the look out for, and how could it affect our business?
I found the following insight from “Microtrends” particularly timely in the Chapter entitled “Shy Millionaires.” For me, it is a somber reminder to keep a handle on spending during the holidays. At the risk of drawing the ire of the retailers, I want to remind you to not blow your budget just because it is Christmas and the holidays. With that idea in mind, let’s let the “Shy Millionaire” give us some microtrend advice.
Current surveys show that only about 4 percent of households have a net worth of more than $1 million. That is about nine million people. What does this person look like?
First, let me tell you what they are not. It is not someone who inherited it or came upon it by privileged circumstance. According to the book, “The Millionaire Next Door,” the average millionaire went to public school, drives an older American made car and received zero inheritance. There are actually six different types of millionaires: the Deal Master at 11 percent; the Altruistic Achiever at 17 percent; the Secret Succeeder at 17 percent; the Status Chaser at 18 percent; the Disengaged Inheritors at 13 percent; and the biggest group at 24 percent are called Satisfied Savers. Let’s see what the Satisfied Saver and Secret Succeeder can teach us. Together these two groups make up 41 percent of millionaires.
The Satisfied Saver group has worked hard, saved much, and lives below their means. They identify with Ford over Mercedes; they aspire not to material gain, but to long, healthy life; they splurge on very little.
These people are not heirs to some vast fortune, but contractors, pharmacists, and pest controllers. They became rich by investing and being frugal, and they live that way now.
The Secret Succeeder group did not expect wealth and fear that they will lose it. They also are concerned that someone will find out that they have wealth. These are certainly interesting people, but what does this mean to a business owner, and also to the interested politician or pollster?
First, class warfare just will not work for this group. This type of rhetoric falls on deaf ears to a group for whom equal opportunity and the American dream are cherished values. Recent verbiage about “spending our way out of a recession” may leave this group mistrusting, disinterested and keeping a tight hold on to their own “change.” Also, this group is not a good target for opulent jewelry, designer clothing or luxury cars. But they are a great target for investing and financial services.
Second, these people invest in private school. Again, according to the above referenced books, only 17 percent of millionaires attended private school, but more than 50 percent send their children to one.
Third, the shy millionaire gives to charity. Just because the class warfare rhetoric does not work on this group does not mean that they are disinterested in helping others out.
This is a fascinating trend in demographics with a potential impact on business and the shy millionaire next door could be looking for YOU. He or she is looking for financial services, schools, and non-profits who share her regard for hard work, discipline and the value of the dollar. If you know someone like this, seek them out for wisdom and insight. I bet they can tell you where all the real holiday deals are for Christmas gift giving.
Enjoy brushing off your more frugal side this holiday season. And remember, take care of your customers, or someone else will.
Teresa Vise is the marketing, growth, events and special projects co-director for the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA from Samford University and is a speciality sales professional with Sanofi Aventis. She can be reached at teresa.vise@sanofi-aventis.com.
host posted on November 13, 2009 05:43
Some 22,000 businesses in Alabama who are customers of Alabama Power Company could see a reduction in their electricity bills because of a change in the rates for LPS power recently mandated by the Alabama Public Service Commission.
The PSC voted to broaden the definition of the LPS rate, which stands for “light and power, small.” Effective January 1, 2010, thousands more small businesses will qualify for the LPS rate.
Small business managers are advised to call Alabama Power’s customer center at 1-888-430-5787 to ask whether they will qualify for the LPS rate.
Rate changes normally happen automatically, but PSC officials said this type of rate change requires customers to make sure they are on the correct rate. Moving to the LPS could save businesses at least $25 a month, the PSC said.
More information is also available from the PSC by calling (334) 242-5191.
L. Ralph Stacy, CAE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama
2 North Jackson Street
Montgomery AL 36104
334-264-2112, fax 334-264-2113
cell 334-406-9901
toll free 888-546-8974
host posted on October 30, 2009 09:50
Business AdVISE By Teresa Vise
Special to The North Jefferson News
Bruce Lee, $1 million.
James Dean, $5 million.
Elvis Presley, $52 million.
According to the Wall Street Journal, these are just a few examples of the brand value of a name.
Our last articles have concentrated on the concept of branding and how it affects company image, positions marketing message and potentially drives sales. Have you stopped to think about your own personal brand image? I don’t mean the brand image of your company, but I mean YOUR brand image.
What works for products, goes for people too. Just as you can develop a brand image for your company, you can also build a strong brand identity for yourself. To brand yourself, you need to take an honest and heartfelt look at what is important to you. What are your core values and beliefs?
A “Brand You” is a distillation of who you really are and how you want to appear to your customers, employees and management. This kind of clear bottom line definition will help to insure that you show and tell, not just tell, your story.
Examples that quickly come to mind are Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, and Mr. Sam Walton of Walmart legend. When we think of their products, we tend to think of an image of not just ownership in the company, but participation with the customer.
Try to discern what makes you unique and hard to replicate. This type of thinking is exactly what we discussed earlier in developing a brand strategy for your company, so now let’s bring it down to the bottom line YOU.
A company is only going to be as solid as the person out in the front. If you are the business owner calling the shots, it is important to keep the shots in line with the core values of the organization and you.
Think about it. You cannot lead, where you cannot go. Think about the tag line, “In the long run, it’s Long-Lewis.” This slogan has told Birminghamians for years that they could rely on the name and the purchase.
Perhaps this is a new way of thinking for you, but it may help to start to realize that you are already a brand. Your brand is comprised of your experience, skills, behaviors and even your name. When you get your arms around these facts, you will be better prepared to develop a strategy that has roots in your personal purpose and principles.
Whether you have created your own business, bought a franchise or work for someone else, work to create the mind set of the entrepreneur into your branding strategy. Entrepreneurial thinkers are true problem solvers, and critical to the health of an organization.
Workers, be they employees or employers, that think this way create value because they ARE value. This type of mindset has been discussed to be a key resource in previous articles written here on customer service.
Companies like Chick-fil-A empower front line employees to solve a problem immediately by empowering them with the power to say “Yes” to a customer request. Taking ownership of a task is the key to their success and repeat business.
Take the time this week to jot down some key ideas about yourself as you work toward your own personal brand. Some questions to ask are:
• What product or service can I uniquely offer?
• What is the quality of that I offer as a standard?
• What are my core values?
• What is my personal mission?
• What do I specialize in?
• What do these answers say about the personality and character that you portray? Is it innovative? Creative? Energetic? Sophisticated?
Good luck this week with developing a higher level of brand strategy for you. I know it will help you keep on target with the broader corporate message of your company.
Remember, take care of your customers, or someone else will.
Teresa Vise is the marketing, growth, events and special projects co-director for the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA from Samford University and is a speciality sales professional with Sanofi Aventis. She can be reached at teresa.vise@sanofi-aventis.com.
host posted on October 12, 2009 13:19
Commentary By Teresa Vise
The North Jefferson News
As individuals, we often like to say that our strongest asset is our reputation. The same is true of organizations.
A product, and the company behind it, forms the brand. A brand that is recognized can go a long way toward making or breaking a company’s reputation.
A strong brand identity backed by superior quality offers important strategic advantages for a firm. First, it increases the likelihood that consumers will recognize the firm’s product or product line when they make purchase decisions. Second, a strong brand identity can contribute to buyers’ perceptions of product quality.
Branding can also reinforce customer loyalty and repeat purchases. A consumer who tries a brand and likes it will likely look for that brand on future store visits. All of these benefits contribute to a valuable form of competitive advantage called brand equity.
Brand equity refers to the added value that a certain brand name gives to a product. Brands with high brand equity confer financial advantages on a firm because they often command high market shares, and consumers pay less attention to product price. Got high equity? You probably also have higher profits and better stock returns.
Who were the top Global brands for 2009? According to Interbrand Corporation published in this week’s Business Week you will find Coca-cola, IBM, Microsoft, GE and Nokia as number one through five respectively. Coca-cola remains the most valued and highly recognized brand in the world.
In spite of the recession presenting marketers with the toughest challenges in several years, these companies retained their position from 2008. But, how do they pick the winner? It is way more than just name recognition.
A firm builds brand equity on four measurable dimensions of its brand personality. These four dimensions are Differentiation, Relevance, Esteem and Knowledge.
• Differentiation refers to a brands ability to stand apart from the competition. Brands like Porsche and Victoria’s Secret stand out in consumers’ minds as unique products.
• Relevance refers to a brands ability to be meaningful to a market segment. Brands like AT&T and Hallmark have high relevance.
• Esteem is a combination of perceived quality and consumer perceptions about popularity. Starbucks is a high esteem product.
• Knowledge refers to a customer’s awareness of the brand and understanding of what it stands for. Knowledge implies an intimate relationship with the brand such as Jell-O or Band-Aid.
Understanding how your product measures up against your competition in the areas of differentiation, relevance, esteem and knowledge will help you to understand how to meet your customer at a very high level. As we discussed last week, insuring that your product fits into the experience desired by your customer will help you to understand how to motivate that customer to act on a purchase.
Take some time this week to evaluate how your product measures up against similar offerings in your marketplace with respect to brand equity. While our businesses in the area may not be as large as Coca-cola or GE, they still bring serious brand equity to the competitive table.
How many of us steer out of the way to insure that we get the perfect doughnut from Fultondale Bakery? For the North Jefferson market segment, this business offers a product that is highly relevant to our community and offers a unique, high quality product.
I may not feel esteem after one of their pastries, but I sure feel good.
Remember to take care of your customers or someone else will.
Teresa Vise is the marketing, growth, events and special projects co-director for the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA from Samford University and is a speciality sales professional with Sanofi Aventis. She can be reached at teresa.vise@sanofi-aventis.com.
host posted on October 12, 2009 13:18
Fultondale News By Sue McKay
The North Jefferson News
We would like to thank everyone that attended the chamber of com-merce meeting this past Wednes-day to hear Lt. Governor Folsom speak. We had a great crowd and everyone seemed to enjoy the speech and the fellowship with each other.
• City hall and the gas department will be closed Monday in observance of Columbus Day.
• The Fultondale Chamber of Commerce will host an after-hours event Oct. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sips and Strokes in Walker Chapel Plaza.
• The ribbon cutting for Norwood Clinic Imaging Center in Fultondale will be Oct. 19 at 9 a.m.
• Happy Birthday to my friend and co-worker, building inspector Darryl Aldrich, on Oct. 14.
• Happy belated birthday to my long-time friend and co-worker, Kathy (Smith) Taylor on Oct. 5. • Also, a happy belated birthday wish to my good friend and former resident of Fultondale, Mrs. Nema Thrasher on Oct. 8. • I would like to welcome Dannelle Ellison to Fultondale. She is the new owner of Radiance Hair Salon. Try to make her welcome in Fultondale.
Sue McKay is The North Jefferson News correspondent for Fultondale. She can be reached at 841-6559.
host posted on September 11, 2009 03:49
The North Jefferson News
How much do you really know about your customers?
Some businesses really do have this down to a science. They could tell you the average age, income, demographics and preferred common purchases and many more facts that would surprise and amaze you when it comes to their target customer market.
To put this into context, it is important to remember Pareto’s Principle, also called Pareto’s Law. This idea was pinned in 1906 by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who created a mathematical formula to describe the unequal distribution of wealth in his country. He observed that 80 percent of the wealth was owned by 20 percent of the people.
In the 1930s quality management thinker, Dr. Joseph Juran, recognized the principle which he called the “vital few and trivial many,” which was attributed to Pareto.
As a result, Dr. Juran’s observation of the “vital few and trivial many”, the principle that 20 percent of something always are responsible for 80 percent of the results, became known as Pareto’s Principle or the 80/20 rule.
The bottom line is this: Relatively few heavy users of a product can account for much of its consumption. You can apply this science to almost anything from management to the physical world.
Think about your own business and how you run it. Does 20 percent of your stock take up 80 percent of your warehouse space? Does 80 percent of your stock come from 20 percent of your suppliers?
How about your sales? Do 80 percent of your sales come from 20 percent of your sales staff? Does 20 percent of your staff cause 80 percent of your problems, while another 20 percent of your staff provides 80 percent of your production?
This is the real challenge in problem solving for leadership and management. You need to tease through the activities and noise to drill down to the elements that will be worth paying attention too. Once found, those elements will need to be changed or enhanced depending on your finds.
Once you find a nugget that merits your attention, remember that altering the way we approach our customers begins with our attitudes and mindset. We all understand that a changing business environment requires a new and more sophisticated mix of expertise and innovation.
Do you spend time training, assessing and cultivating how you want your employees to interact with your customers? Here are a few ideas on developing your own goals to enhance the strategy by which you train your employees in customer service. It is called SMART and is a common sense tool for goal setting.
• S: Specific direction is needed. It should be clear, easy to describe and remain in line with your objectives
• M: Measure your specific outcome against your objective
• A: Align the employees goal with that of management and broader strategies
• R: Results are the ultimate goal of this or any change
• T: Timeline for an end date that lets your work backward in planning to keep you on track. (Sanofi-Aventis Training, 2009)
As you work through this process, think about how you will allow your employees to infuse their own level of creativity in the process. This will give them the courage to produce valuable marketplace solutions for you.
Lastly, think about stretch goals in this process because it is within the stretch goal that real change takes place. Ask yourself or your employees: If I achieve this goal will I ...
• Develop a new skill?
• Step out of my comfort zone?
• Challenge the status quo?
• Partner with another key stakeholder to achieve this objective?
• Contribute greatly to my/our business success?
I will leave you with this last thought and case study example. If you have ever had a visit to Gardendale Chiropractic Clinic, you have certainly met their friendly staff. You have also been introduced to their complete facility, watched a video on the holistic approach to Chiropractic Care, and had a one-on-one discussion with Dr. Jim Fox, prior to any treatment decisions being made.
This clinic takes and receives feedback very seriously, and to that end they meet weekly as group for an hour or more to discuss how things are going for the clinic. These meetings include, but are not limited to the usual policy and procedure items.
According to Dr. Fox, these meetings are key to keeping them on track as a health care contributor to the North Jefferson community. Discussions at their meetings include patient cases (their external customer) which are going well, and those that are more difficult. This also provides a time to address employee (internal customer) opportunities and concerns.
The pay off, according to Dr. Fox, has been big. Focus on the external customer, the patient, allows them to “see the rose open” in terms of a patients potential return to physical, emotional and spiritual well being. By creating an opportunity to focus on the internal customer, the employee, they keep turn over to a bare minimum.
Good luck this week with your business endeavors. Remember, if you don’t take care of your customers, someone else surely will.
Teresa Vise is the marketing, growth, events and special projects co-director for the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA from Samford University and is a speciality sales professional with Sanofi Aventis. She can be reached at teresa.vise@sanofi-aventis.com.
host posted on September 10, 2009 08:20
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host posted on September 01, 2009 09:49
By Teresa Vise
Special to The North Jefferson News
On the theme of taking charge of things in your business that you can control, let’s dig a little deeper into the realm of customer service.
In a recent review article titled “What Service Customers Really Want” by Dougherty and Murthy in the Harvard Business Review (Sept. 2009), we find a discussion of the extent to which the consumer landscape has shifted.
Dougherty and Murthy discuss that while superior customer service is essential as companies emerge from the recession, it is important to understand how the consumer has changed. They point out that brands have weakened, customers have easy access to vendor information, and the barriers to switching among competing products have eroded.
When a customer contacts a company for service, they care most about two things: Is the frontline employee knowledgeable? Can the problem be resolved on the first call?
As the owner, manager or leader, ask yourself this question: Do I measure my service by speed or hold time? If so, you may be rushing your front line person too much and succeeding in your eyes, but failing in the eyes of your customer. Customers want to know that their service will be efficient and thorough, and that time will be taken to handle their issue.
This article continues to suggest a few ways to assess and understand what your customers are experiencing. A manager can draw on a variety of information to include customer service surveys and even recording customer-agent conversations for training purposes.
As you create your own vision of customer service, think about the following. I call it my “Top Ten Ways to Improve Customer Service.”
10) Enjoy your work. Specify what your drivers are in business. For example, my drivers are leadership, learning and fun.
9) Work in such a manner that even your competition will speak highly of you
8) Be honest and clear about what you can (and can not) deliver
7) Be faithful to your work and give your best
6) Get and take customer feedback seriously. Don’t put the “cuss” in customer service
5) Take care of the person in charge, and remember to thank the person, big or little, who ensures that things get done
4) Take time to study and prepare
3) Speak well of others or not at all; stay away from office politics
2) Have a mentor and bug them to death
1) Support something bigger than yourself and share a common goal with your customers
I will leave you with this last thought and case study example: Think about the last time you went to Chick-Fil-A in Gardendale or Fultondale.
This company trains their employees on customer service as rigorously as they train their employees in product preparation. It is no rare event to have someone say “It’s my pleasure!” as they give you your change, or deliver your meal.
According to manager Mike Holmes, empowering the employee to handle a customer issue immediately is part of their success and training them how is part of their strategy.
I hope these ideas will be of assistance to you this week. Sharing a few ideas on improving customer service has been my pleasure!
Teresa Vise is the marketing, growth, events and special projects co-director for the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce. She received her MBA from Samford University and is a speciality sales professional with Sanofi Aventis. She can be reached at teresa.vise@sanofi-aventis.com.
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