Business Tips Part Two

  1. Start With A Base Retainer And Scale Up
  2. Genuinely Care About Others
  3. Learn From Mistakes
  4. Lead By Example
  5. Servant Leadership
  6. Budget Opportunity: Small Business Advisor Kamyar Shah on How Franchise Brands Should Direct Marketing Spend in 2020
  7. Servant Leadership Tool
  8. You’ve Run Successful Simulations
  9. Help Create More Leaders
  10. Am I OK letting go of ‘individualism’ in my business?
  11. Follow Up
  12. Give STEM Talent A Seat At The Table
  13. You Care More About Your Side Hustle Than Your Day Job
  14. Gently Remind Them Of The Negative Consequences
  15. Ask Your Current Employees For Diverse Referrals
  16. Create A Smooth Feedback Loop
  17. Active Listening
  18. PREPARE FOR GROWTH
  19. Respond Quickly
  20. Accept Criticism
  21. Integrate Into The Culture
  22. Provide Information And Opportunities
  23. Practice Servant Leadership
  24. Situational Awareness
  25. Get Your Team’s Inputs
  26. Take Real Action
  27. Good leaders work to serve their employees
  28. Practice Servant Leadership Tenets
  29. Operations Management
  30. Conduct A Post-Exit Interview
  31. You Want Greater Depth And Breadth Of Knowledge On A Subject
  32. Mind The Perception
  33. Plan Early And Exercise Discipline
  34. Consider The Multiplier Impact
  35. Clearly Demonstrate A Transfer Of Trust
  36. Remote COO
  37. How to Build an Email List: 75 Experts Share Their Secrets
  38. Don’t Fall Victim To The ‘Complexity’ Mindset
  39. Ask For Customer Referrals
  40. Pop Quiz, Monday with Kamyar Shah
  41. Rewarding Human Nature Is Essential
  42. Be A Servant Leader
  43. Study The Data And Experiment
  44. Lack Of Consistency In Your Brand Voice
  45. Servant Leaders Develop New Leaders, Not Followers
  46. Be A Trusted Partner
  47. Keep Coming Back To Your ‘Why’
  48. Treat The Interview Like A Sales Meeting
  49. You’re Feeling Regret
  50. Business Advisor

Start With A Base Retainer And Scale Up

Know Your Worth 15 Tips For Setting Your Rates As A New Freelancer

One of the methods I have seen work is having “skin in the game.” Such an approach would include a base retainer and a progressive scale of profit-sharing based on actual results. Of course, this can only be done if the freelancer is truly convinced of their ability to initiate and execute changes that lead to higher profitability. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Origina


Genuinely Care About Others

15 Ways To Help Your Team Be More Innovative At Work

Most of us have heard many different versions of what needs to precede a profitable business relationship. Some are valid, and others are not. From personal experiences, I know only one that has worked consistently and is independent from the latest fad: genuinely caring about the person. It is not sexy and doesn’t require some elaborate setup, but it has never let me down. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/20/want-to-build-better-business-relationships-focus-on-these-12-actions/#c4e2b4f5b15c


Learn From Mistakes

15 Ways To Help Your Team Be More Innovative At Work

Most of the time, before innovation can occur, mistakes have to be made. That, however, is not unique to top companies. Small business can take an active role in using those mistakes to improve products and services. The hard part is to be self-aware to a level that allows for the impartial collection and examination of said data. This is how innovation can happen faster in small business. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/12/15-ways-to-help-your-team-be-more-innovative-at-work/#507b97e2209e


Lead By Example

14 Coaches Share The Client Advice They Follow Themselves

Never give any advice that you wouldn’t implement for your own business. As with any form of advice, the advisor should illustrate the sincerity of the advice by example. For instance, a coach that is consistently five minutes late to meetings shouldn’t give advice about punctuality. The bottom line is rather simple: If a coach does not lead by example, their advice is not credible. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/25/14-coaches-share-the-client-advice-they-follow-themselves/#2a82fec35b60


Servant Leadership

It is rather easy to get sucked into feel-good tasks that may or may not have a long-term positive impact on the organization. A leader’s ability to gauge the impact of near or long-term impact is what will make all the difference. I have seen a lot of success from leaders who use the concept of servant leadership as their evaluation tool by asking if the task will help their team to advance. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/06/busy-schedule-try-these-14-tactics-to-prioritize-your-to-do-list/#2f434b227f79


Budget Opportunity: Small Business Advisor Kamyar Shah on How Franchise Brands Should Direct Marketing Spend in 2020

Kamyar Shah is a Tampa, Florida-based business and franchise consultant who offers COO and CMO services to young-but-growing businesses across the United States. He currently serves as a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. 1851 tapped into Shah’s small business and franchise leadership coaching and executive expertise to learn how brands should be spending their marketing budgets in 2020.

1851: What’s working marketing-wise for brands in 2019 that you recommend they continue allocating budget toward in 2020?
Shah: One of the most underutilized marketing methods that is surely going to be around for years to come is native advertising. It is rather logical to assume that as content productions increase, the opportunity to utilize native advertising similarly will increase.

1851: In what areas of the business can franchisors lighten their budgets or lessen spending next year?
Shah: There is no hard and fast rule because different franchises have different rules. That being said, I have seen lower returns on local print media in recent months. Hence, I would start by looking at lower-performing projects and marketing venues.

1851: What’s the biggest trend you’re seeing when it comes to franchise development and marketing budgets and spending?
Shah: In the last couple of years, I have witnessed an upward trend toward loyalty programs. As a whole, data-driven decision making has had a big role in steering businesses toward those underutilized methods.

1851: What’s an area in which franchisors commonly overlook or spend too little?
Shah: From personal experience, I have seen a real underutilization of social media. Though franchises have many rules that may virtually prevent social media usage in creative ways, franchisors and franchise owners could do a lot more to utilize social media marketing to their advantage. The business world has massively changed from the time that a franchise has any real impact just by its name.

Be social! Invest in social media and social causes—the returns are almost evergreen.

1851: Where do you advise franchisees and other small business owners to spend their marketing budgets on the local level?
Shah: Using social media to interact with the local community is rather simple and can have a measurable ROI. One of my clients was able to use social media to promote several local charitable events, which, in turn, had measurable ROI in terms of traffic to her physical location. The dollar amount was easily several folds of her investment; sponsoring local events is one of the easiest ways to have a prominent presence in the community. If done correctly, it has substantial ROI.

Originally published at https://1851franchise.com/budget-opportunity-small-business-advisor-kamyar-shah-on-how-franchise-brands-should-direct-marketing-spend-in-2020-2710954


Servant Leadership Tool

It is rather easy to get sucked into feel-good tasks that may or may not have a long-term positive impact on the organization. A leader’s ability to gauge the impact of near or long-term impact is what will make all the difference. I have seen a lot of success from leaders who use the concept of servant leadership as their evaluation tool by asking if the task will help their team to advance. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/06/busy-schedule-try-these-14-tactics-to-prioritize-your-to-do-list/#a53371d7f792


You’ve Run Successful Simulations

One of the reasons that some ideas never reach their potential is the fact that the idea was not fully vetted. This is where concepts such as a “decision tree” come in handy by allowing the simulations of various paths and steps. If done properly, most ideas can be fairly accurately assessed and vetted. Granted there are many other ways, but this particular approach is low-cost and high-impact. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/09/05/is-your-business-idea-viable-13-ways-to-find-out/#9301950393d5


Help Create More Leaders

Though singular recommendations such as continuous learning and seeking out mentors and sponsors are all valid, those fail to address a more fundamental strategy: creating more leaders leads to higher personal success. Servant leadership is the real fundamental strategy for climbing the proverbial career ladder, as well as personal growth. Create more leaders; their growth will be yours. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/09/ready-for-your-next-promotion-14-tips-for-managers-who-want-to-move-up/#522d542a6a3a


Am I OK letting go of ‘individualism’ in my business?

Franchises usually leave little room for individualism. Before deciding to go the franchise route, the most important question is, “Do I want to do it their way or my way?” At its face, it may be a shallow question; however, entrepreneurship requires personal touches that are difficult in a franchise setting. If individualism is part of the calculus, the franchise route may not be viable. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/12/should-you-franchise-your-business-13-questions-to-ask-yourself/#4b8d427c3026


Follow Up

Knowledge acquisition and retention are usually a matter of personalized preferences; however, even those personalizations can generally benefit from follow-up. In this particular instance, it could be as simple as an email follow-up that includes a summary of the discussion combined with asking for feedback. The method is not as important as the gist of reaffirmation of such knowledge. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/07/make-the-most-of-your-networking-events-with-these-13-tips/#3f392bc1230e


Give STEM Talent A Seat At The Table

One of the chief complaints in many large brands or organizations is the ability of employees to contribute to the direction of the company. This particular shortcoming—i.e. allowing for “bottom-up decision-making”—is also one of the greatest advantages of small business. It is rather easy to see how having a seat at the proverbial table can be an immense incentive to entertain SMB employment. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/06/13-ways-small-businesses-can-compete-with-large-corporations-and-attract-top-stem-talent/#fa109bc1ac6d


You Care More About Your Side Hustle Than Your Day Job

Interestingly enough many individuals use financial aspects to determine the viability of switching to full-time entrepreneurship. Though valid, it is a short-sighted strategy. The determining factor should be passion: Do you care more for the side hustle than your day job? When passion is used, the income will come. Passionate entrepreneurs tend to reach their financial goals faster and easier. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally posted at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/05/14-clear-signs-youre-ready-to-take-your-side-hustle-full-time/#10634e645d90


Gently Remind Them Of The Negative Consequences

Though considered valuable, motivation is not necessarily a requirement in increasing employee performance. Another equally if not more important factor is the natural instinct of survival: the need to “survive,” i.e. remain employed or be employable, can have the same effect. Though it is controversial and should not be the first go-to solution, it should be considered an available option. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/02/15-ways-to-get-a-level-skills-and-work-ethic-from-your-whole-team/#4c804df25f10


Ask Your Current Employees For Diverse Referrals

One of the rather overlooked and underutilized methods to achieve long-term diversity and inclusion is enabling referrals from within the existing workforce. This approach has one particular and important advantage: Internal employees are likely to be more acutely aware of the lack of diversity. Combine that with their knowledge of the company and you have a better formula for personnel referrals. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/08/01/10-ways-to-find-and-attract-more-diverse-job-applicants/#662cf2a46a4b


Create A Smooth Feedback Loop

Virtually most tasks or functions of a business can be improved by ensuring a smooth feedback loop from all stakeholders. Customer service is no different. Creating a funnel that allows customers, employees, as well as others, to effectively and timely communicate their concerns and suggestions is the most effective way to collect comprehensive feedback, which can then be translated into actionable SOPs. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/18/15-techniques-businesses-can-use-to-ensure-balanced-employee-customer-happiness/#6e9677441ebb


Active Listening

Unlike large companies, small businesses can differentiate themselves by providing a feedback loop that enables two-way communication. That two-way communication can publicly influence future product design and the scope of services. In addition to the obvious benefit of public interactions, this particular method paves the way for consumers to become stakeholders and advocates. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/22/11-advantages-small-businesses-have-over-large-corporations-and-how-to-use-them/#26a5e6922037


PREPARE FOR GROWTH

Business consultant Kamyar Shah suggests that companies develop and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stay in good shape as they grow. While entrepreneurs can’t predict every possible scenario, they can foresee and properly plan for the most likely business situations, he noted.

Originally published at https://newsroom.cnb.com/en/business/finances/managing-cash-flow-growth.html


Respond Quickly

Take responsibility and act on it. This is the safest way to recover from most PR disasters. Of course, there are some preparations that would go into being ready for an active measure, such as designating a spokesperson, SOPs that include updating the stakeholders, documenting progress as well as publicly and sincerely integrating feedback. Timing is extremely vital in such recovery efforts. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/02/business-get-some-bad-press-try-these-12-tips-to-bounce-back/#7b9b66bdf5f7


Accept Criticism

One of the fastest ways to be recognized as a leader is the ability to accept constructive criticism and implement solutions. Similarly, one of the fastest ways to be considered immature and unprepared for leadership is to be combative and dismissive when constructive criticism is given. Though it may sound pedestrian in nature, this is one of the rather common errors for young entrepreneurs. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/07/01/12-ways-to-show-up-and-prove-yourself-as-a-young-entrepreneur/#779076dc41a8


Integrate Into The Culture

A company, in its basic form, is just a collective of people. In order to be welcomed, one has to be compatible with the cross section of that said group. The easiest way to accomplish that is to put effort into being integrated into the organizational culture. It is worth noting that such integration could have additional benefits, including being assisted by those colleagues. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/28/to-succeed-at-a-new-job-focus-on-these-13-actions-during-your-first-week/#5960383c6d57


Provide Information And Opportunities

From personal experience, I have seen the most success when the employer “walks the walk.” It goes something along these lines: The employer has public conversations about physical and mental health, the impact on personal and business lives and makes an effort to enable the employees by providing tools such as gym memberships. To take it up a notch, there can be group activities with the team. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/20/looking-to-implement-daily-self-care-for-your-employees-follow-these-11-tips/#2a0193547ab6


Practice Servant Leadership

Communication breakdown is usually a symptom, not the cause. The underlying cause usually leads back to poor leadership; hence, the said leadership must revisit the fundamentals. It should include hands-on assistance, helping resolve bottlenecks, resolving disputes, as well as active participation in the team project. Such implementation will also inherently assist in long-term team coherence. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/17/15-ways-to-fight-communication-breakdowns-when-your-team-is-on-a-tight-deadline/#401050dd75f8


Situational Awareness

Regardless of the objectives in negotiations, the single most important factor to ensure the greatest possibility of success is a total awareness of the opponent’s situation. Essentially, knowing the “why, how and where” combined with assessing the motivations of the counterpart allows for both tactical and strategic moves that render the opponent’s leverage less impactful. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/14/the-14-skills-every-successful-negotiator-possesses/#683caedd416c


Get Your Team’s Inputs

When it comes to organizational culture, it pays to be mindful of team feedback. Unlike most of the executive decisions that can be formulated by owners, organizational culture inherently dictates a buy-in from those that are subject to it. Hence, the respective input from the team members should be the basis of formulating a sustainable and desirable plan that will withstand the test of time. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/06/10/12-tips-for-building-a-positive-corporate-culture-from-the-ground-up/#569665a29036


Take Real Action

Customer feedback and its impact can only truly be measured by change. Without collection, examination and implementation, customer feedback is simply pointless. Barring any exceptional situation, it is safe to say that unless customer feedback is properly incorporated into actionable solutions that are consistently integrated into operational SOP, the feedback itself is not of much value. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/04/30/11-ways-to-transform-your-customer-service-into-a-five-star-experience/#68d8b66e217a


Good leaders work to serve their employees

“I believe that the single most important leadership trait when it comes to promoting someone is their ability to serve others. The importance of such a leadership trait can influence the organizational well-being on many levels including the creation of more leaders, a more knowledgeable and able workforce, increased job satisfaction, and much more tangible as well as intangible benefits.

“It is worth noting that servant leadership should NOT come at the cost of expertise and/or technical knowledge necessary to accomplish the tasks at hand.”

– Kamyar Shah, founder at Kamyar Shah

Originally published at https://learn.g2crowd.com/leadership-skills


Practice Servant Leadership Tenets

One of the time-tested methods in gaining traction as a thought leader and or influencer is by using the basic tenets of servant leadership, in particular “selfless help.” This kind of mentorship has a twofold benefit: it illustrates a deep desire to be part of the community as well as allowing the success of the mentee to speak to the mentor’s ability to guide a professional toward success. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/05/02/14-steps-entrepreneurs-can-take-to-become-thought-leaders-in-their-industry/#3a5f70c054b1


Operations Management

The biggest knowledge gap I have observed is in the field of operations management. Most entrepreneurs I have worked with are simply not aware of the delicate nature of operations management and tend to be dismissive of its intrigues. The most effective way to address the significance of it is to allow for small failure and follow up with a “postmortem” examination with the entrepreneur. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/04/05/14-common-knowledge-and-skill-gaps-coaches-see-in-new-entrepreneurs/#12948b15310b


Conduct A Post-Exit Interview

Much like any other problem, high employee turnover is unlikely to be effectively dealt with without the feedback from participants, stakeholders and, in this case, the employees themselves. Interestingly enough, traditional exit interviews are rather outdated because of their timing and inherent emotional impact. A better approach is to delay and conduct the interview at a later date. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/04/04/have-a-turnover-problem-15-ways-to-find-out-why-employees-are-really-leaving/#669129bc5f48


You Want Greater Depth And Breadth Of Knowledge On A Subject

In my experience, the one factor that should generally be academic in nature is the depth and breadth of a given topic. Though most skills and information are widely available online, when it comes to deep dives to learn facts, digest and discuss and to being exposed to alternative thought processes both in theory and practice, an academic setting has proven itself to be more intense and beneficial. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/04/04/11-good-reasons-to-go-back-to-school-for-a-career-change/#673a96341170


Mind The Perception

The one thing I wish I knew when I started was the difference between perception and reality. Logical and deductive reasoning abilities are great and reliable; however, not everyone perceives them the same way. In essence, many people interpret those in their own framework that is based on their personal experiences. Hence, it is vital to be aware of how individuals perceive and implement an organizational vision and mission. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally Published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/03/29/15-things-successful-entrepreneurs-wish-theyd-known-before-starting-out/#31a799e42dc9


Plan Early And Exercise Discipline

Much like everything else in business, planning helps eliminate a lot of uncertainty, including the angst in financials and budgeting. Combine early preparation with appropriate expert advice and virtually all doubts will be removed. From there on it is a simple matter of discipline to stick with the prepared budget and overcome the temptation to make decisions that would interfere with the budget. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/03/11/stuck-in-startup-11-ways-to-overcome-budgetary-analysis-paralysis/#1c2e217b2d2f


Consider The Multiplier Impact

The multiplier impact is one of the most neglected aspects of networking. Essentially, when a new connection and/or contact has been made, there are potentially many more opportunities if one is able to access the network of the new contact. This multiplier, if managed properly, makes networking substantially easier because of the nature of the relationship. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/03/08/14-professional-networking-opportunities-that-are-often-overlooked/#26b5c24e17f2


Clearly Demonstrate A Transfer Of Trust

New managers tend to encounter authority issues that may hinder their effectiveness for a variety of reasons, including a lack of trust. To counter that, the business leader needs to verbalize, as well as demonstrate, confidence in the new manager. If done properly, this can result in the transfer of trust from the leadership down to the new manager. It is important to note that timing is essential. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally posted at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/03/06/promoting-someone-whos-new-to-management-heres-how-to-make-their-transition-easier/#51d13f6b516c


Remote COO

Without defining “hard work”, it is difficult to answer the question of its impact. Is the quantity of hours and an indicator of hard work? Does ROI reflect hard work?

Here are two ways to look at it:

  1. It depends on which stage of your career you are in. The basic dynamics of current organizational structures that are used by modern businesses tend to reduce the necessity of hard work with each stage of advancement. Without discussing the merit and/or viability of that particular approach, it is a fair statement to say: the higher the position, the lower the expectations of hard work.
  2. The above can also be seen from another perspective: the definition of hard work will constantly change based on how high the position goes; it can range from ROI to the output of the team that was being managed.

Ultimately, it is a rather subjective matter.

Originally published at https://upjourney.com/does-hard-work-pay-off-in-the-end


How to Build an Email List: 75 Experts Share Their Secrets

Kamyar Shah

Small business advisor helping you increase profitability and productivity, offering CMO and COO services

Home

Giveaways – “This one is THE most effective way of building a large and responsive email list. It is rather simple: determine what your target audience likes and hold a regular give away. I have seen lists grow 10x within 6 months. The secret is to entice the community members to share it with others. This will give you even more vertical penetration.”

Collaborate with Your Peers – “This one is one of the rather underutilized methods. Don’t fear others in your space; not everyone is your competitor. Reach out and work out deals to expose each other to your audiences. You would be surprised how quickly a fair share of their email subscribers opt for your list as well.”

Provide Free Valuable Information Regularly – “Be it some industry news you happen to get the scoop on or a comprehensive curation of industry news. Never underestimate how little time people have and how much they appreciate a round up to keep up to date.”

Originally published at https://whatsaytheexperts.com/how-to-build-an-email-list/


Don’t Fall Victim To The ‘Complexity’ Mindset

The notion that each generation requires its own “model” in order to be effective, efficient and productive is simply a myth. It is a sign of “unnecessary built-in complexity” that is typical of midsize organizations. Every employee has to be integrated and listened to in proportion. Add mentorship and opportunities to advance and you have a winning formula for human capital management. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/06/11-tips-for-welcoming-generation-z-to-the-workforce/#1063b0a0721e


Ask For Customer Referrals

In my experience, the most successful methodology in high-ticket management consulting is a combination of word-of-mouth and LinkedIn. I have experimented with many methodologies extensively. However, this particular approach has the highest conversion and return on investment. In essence, it is asking your satisfied customers to introduce you on LinkedIn to their peers. You will be surprised by the results. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/04/10-ways-modern-companies-are-tracking-down-sales-leads/#3261a54f612e


Pop Quiz, Monday with Kamyar Shah

Can you please tell everyone your name?
Kamyar Shah

What is your job role?
Remote COO & Remote CMO

Tell us about your company?
World Consulting Group is a premier management consulting firm.

What do you love most about your job?
The ability to assist clients to achieve their goals quicker.

What motivates you to get up every day and go to work?
My goal to help entrepreneurs be better at what they do is a primal motivator for me.

How do your co-workers inspire you?
My team members problem-solving skills are extremely inspirational.

How do you have fun at work (team building, pranks, etc..)?
Gamification of problem-solving allows my team and I to solve problems while having fun.

What are some of the challenges of your job?
The biggest challenge I encounter is convincing entrepreneurs to delegate tasks instead of doing it themselves.

What are some lessons learned from a past project that you can share with us?
Mind the reality of perception: good intentions are pointless if it interferes with the reality of others.

What advice would you give to someone who is starting in your industry?
The most important advice is to learn quickly where and how to acquire knowledge and maintain cutting edge know-how.

Thank you for taking our pop quiz today. You get an A+ for effort. You can learn more about our interviewee and their business by visiting them on the web:

Site:

Originally published at https://thestartupgrowth.com/2019/02/03/pop-quiz-monday-with-kamyar-shah/

Rewarding Human Nature Is Essential

Most rational actors have a positive reaction to incentives. Choosing to address a natural need for recognition via any method of reward or incentive is inherently in line with what comes naturally. Granted that it is debatable what kind of reward or incentive should be selected, there is no doubt that since it is one of the natural desires, it has the greatest chance of success. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/02/01/are-incentives-a-good-employee-motivator-15-coaching-experts-weigh-in/#571e9e536dcf


Be A Servant Leader

The assumption that the nature of the relationships among coworkers inherently changes after a promotion is an outdated notion. The personal and professional relationships both tend to stay the same if the promotion is treated as an additional venue to help others succeed. Servant leadership will inherently result in the elimination of the promotion noise and its impact on team dynamics. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/31/12-tips-for-managing-coworker-relationships-after-youve-been-promoted/#46ca7fb2445d


Study The Data And Experiment

Much like most decisions in business, the physical layout of an office should not be subjective. It should be based on historical industry data and available case studies combined with experimentation and data analysis. The end goal of creating a more physically inviting space for collaboration and productivity purposes should be the result of a scientific examination and repeatable results. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/30/how-to-decide-if-an-open-floor-plan-is-right-for-your-business/#688a321e72e5


Lack Of Consistency In Your Brand Voice

One of the main pillars of branding is consistency, both in tone and subject matter. It is also one of the rather common issues that hinder or damage a brand. Insistence on diverting from a steady voice is inherently contrary to consistency, which in turn can create confusion as well as illustrate a lack of planning. Hence, consistency should be part of long-term planning for any entity. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/25/12-mistakes-that-can-destroy-your-personal-brand/#62f76fea6ab9


Servant Leaders Develop New Leaders, Not Followers

Kamyar Shah, Remote COO, thinks that the primary benefit derived from servant leadership is its ability to nurture fledgling leaders on the team.

“Servant leadership’s main advantage to other styles of leadership lays within its basic tenor that allows for personal growth of individual team members: creating more leaders instead of followers. This, in turn, benefits both the team members as well as the business entity. ”

Originally published at https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/manage-servant-leadership


Be A Trusted Partner

In spite of the many changes in technology and business culture, the main ingredient for a successful salesperson hasn’t changed; only the tools have changed. Sales have always been a matter of trust, and no matter what other factors change, the fact that operating as a trusted partner inherently results in easier transactions will remain the same. Be a trusted partner, not a salesperson. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group


Keep Coming Back To Your ‘Why’

Being an entrepreneur is not easy and can be very stressful. To keep those burdensome factors from influencing progress, one has to remember the “why.” Why did I start this? Though it sounds rudimentary, revisiting the answer to that particular question regularly will essentially provide the mental and emotional energy needed to continue until the stated goals are achieved. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/23/13-tips-for-overcoming-your-entrepreneurial-anxiety/#4b566da85def


Treat The Interview Like A Sales Meeting

A job interview in its most basic form is a sales meeting. Your job as an applicant is to convince the buyer (that is, the employer) that you are the right fit. To achieve that you have to do two things masterfully: avoid “negative” responses while highlighting your strengths, and show that you can expand on your learning abilities. The right employer will notice both. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/15/lacking-experience-for-your-dream-job-address-skill-gaps-in-the-interview/#17139021547f


You’re Feeling Regret

It is understood that entrepreneurship is inherently risky, and as the old adage goes, “A good business person knows when to fold.” That being said, from experience, feelings of regret are a sure sign that the emotional drive of the said entrepreneur has reached a point of no return. Since that emotional drive is necessary for success, it should be seen as the end point of that particular project. – Kamyar Shah, World Consulting Group

Originally published at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/18/13-signs-that-you-should-walk-away-from-your-startup-business/#5dc6e1aa6f80


Business Advisor

@kshahwork

Kamyar Shah is a small business advisor helping companies increase profitability and productivity, offering CMO and COO services.

There are simply too many different ways to name them all; however, the most successful social engineering attacks have a couple of things in common…

The origin is usually an authoritative venue such as a bank or government, and the creation of a sense of urgency either via potential benefits or potential harm/penalties.

Though there are several sophisticated tools that can aid in minimizing the impact of such attacks, the two most effective ones include education and backup. Continuous education and training of end users will aid in the reduction of overall successful attacks and the back up will serve as insurance in case an attack is successful.

Originally published at https://digitalguardian.com/blog/social-engineering-attacks-common-techniques-how-prevent-attack#Shah