Archive for August, 2008
29 August 08 Co-Founder & CEO of WebVisible, Inc., Kirsten Mangers
On the show this week is entrepreneur and philanthropist, Kirsten Mangers, who was born and raised just miles from where the corporate headquarters of her Orange County, CA.-based software company, WebVisible, Inc., now stands. A self-proclaimed small business advocate, Kirsten was an early innovator behind the localization of online advertising for small-to-medium sized businesses, in what will become a $13 billion industry by 2010.
Kirsten co-founded WebVisible in 2001 with partner Terry DiNatale. Today, WebVisible is the leading international name in local online advertising, utilizing patent-pending technology and world-class services to help local businesses acquire new customers.
WebVisible’s proprietary software platform has changed the way local businesses buy advertising on the Web. Intelligently matching local businesses and local consumers searching and interacting online from Google and Yahoo! to blogs and wireless devices, WebVisible automates the manual process of buying online advertising for its customers on a scalable basis. The company’s global partners in the yellow pages, newspaper, and online marketing industries sell WebVisible-enabled local online advertising products to their small business customers.
In 2007, Kirsten expanded the company with diverse international partnerships across 9 countries, serving small business advertisers in 4 languages. WebVisible’s domestic and international reseller partnerships now include AT&T, British Telecom, American Express, Groupe , European Directories, Microsoft Office Live, The New York Times Company, and more than 45 major U.S. newspapers, among others.
Kirsten has been instrumental in making “local” a part of online advertising’s global vernacular.
Additionally, Kirsten is on the board of directors for the Alzheimer’s Association of Orange County and Vice Chair of the Southern California Technology Political Action Committee. She is an internationally renowned industry speaker and is frequently recognized by the media as among a prestigious list of “women innovating technology.”
Previous to WebVisible, Kirsten has accumulated 20 years of experience in the local interactive, wireless, and directory industries as Vice President of Sales for SBC. Additionally, Kirsten held positions in sales, strategic planning, marketing, and business development for GTE, Pacific Bell, Go2 Systems and Engage Technologies (a CMGi Company).
Are you ready to reach your customers online? If so, email the AdvancedLocal at sales@advancedlocal.com or via telephone at 877-870-4974.
Following, pushing, or inspiring?
Robert Cush said, “If I advance, follow me. If I stop, push me. If I fail, inspire me.” The question we should all ask ourselves; who are we following, pushing or inspiring?
No matter your role or responsibility, to get to the next level a mentor can help you reach your goals. If you’ve reach your goals, serving as a mentor may help someone else reach their destination. No matter what stage you’re at in business, there are others who can learn from you. Reach back, helping and encouraging others to never stop striving; letting them know they too can make it.
22 Aug 2008 Guest Robin Byrne, creator of Measureable Management
Robin Byrne is from England and is the author of Measurable ManagementTM, a program that has had success around the world translating business strategies into measurable outcomes. He received a teaching degree from the University of Manchester and worked in theatre in education for 7 years before joining Xerox UK in 1981. By 1986 Robin was in charge of Xerox operations in the North of England turning a low performing division into the top performer. Because of his teaching background, training and development were always a high priority. When Xerox UK became the first ever recipients of Europe’s highest quality award Robin signed a publishing contract with the Financial Times Newspaper to develop a structured approach to organizational alignment and the translation of strategies into measurable outcomes. The result was the Measurable ManagementTM Program. Robin has since traveled the world training Measurable ManagementTM facilitators and personally delivering the program. His diverse client base ranges from the English Soccer Premier League to the Iowa City Fire Dept. He is in high demand as a keynote speaker around the world from South Africa to Hawaii. Robin owns a home here in the USA and is currently based here while he establishes a USA network of firms licensed to market and deliver Measurable ManagementTM.
Want to learn more, Robin will be the featured speaker on Tuesday, August 26th at Texas Station’s Dallas Conference Centers, Large Vision Business Network Mixer. Register now at http://www.williamsmm.com/las_vegas_registration.php or learn more by visiting http://www.williamsmm.com/.
Change…
King Whitney Jr., a business executive while speaking at a sales meeting stated, “Change has considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better. Obviously, then, one’s character and frame of mind determine how readily he brings about change and how he reacts to change that is imposed on him.”
Which one are you? The fearful, hopeful or confident. Be careful, as the image we keep in our minds eye, is what we are working towards. Most people have days, where focusing on the positive is more challenging; however, during those times you must fill your mind with positive words and thoughts. In today’s economic environment this can be difficult; so I encourage you to examine what you listen to and/or watch.
Have you ever noticed that the best mood can be altered by listening to anothers drama, or the evening news. To counter this, switch to calming music and inspirational tapes. Personally, I enjoy Dale Carnegie and Anthony Robbins. However, there are plenty other choices (John Maxwell, Brian Tracy, etc.) In addition, seek someone who inspires you, model them and find your way to positive change in your personal life as well as your business.
Courage…
The fame Philosopher, Aristotle said,
“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.”
Each week, on my radio show (www.970knuu.com), I begin my show with a quote. This week’s quote on courage is appropriate as we discuss moving your business forward. It takes courage to step outside the box, doing something that may seem uncomfortable. However, the discomfort you feel is actually a sign of growth.
If you own a business and are looking for ways to reduce expenses there are phenomenal change management processes available. Happily, the service sector is finally embracing programs that have been highly successful in the manufacturing sector for decades. The granddaddy process transformed Japan’s economy 50+ years ago. To expand your company, before cutting jobs, employee hours or the like, I encourage you to examine in just one area, your mistakes, customer complaints and determine how many days, hours, weeks or months it takes you to fix just one. Multiply that number by the hourly cost and you will quickly understand why programs that advocate reducing waste benefit your bottomline. Don’t know where to start? Let me suggest accounting or inventory.
Remember there are only two ways to generate cashflow; one, increase the sales of your product or service; the other, to reduce expenses. One cost money, the other saves. Do you have the courage to reduce expenses? To learn more attend our upcoming FREE Seminar on August 26th inside the LVBNM at Texas Station’s Dallas Conference Center. Pre-register at http://www.williamsmm.com/las_vegas_registration.php. The first 25 registrants and attendees will recive a copy of Miles Kierson’s book. See August 15th’s Guest.
15 August 08’s Guest, Author and Leadership Consultant Miles Kierson’s
Listen In! This Weeks Guest is …
Miles Kierson has twenty-five years of professional consulting experience. He is the creator of the ExecuTAPTM world-class executive team alignment process; The Discipline of Execution which creates a culture of sustainable performance improvement; and The Leadership Journey, an unparalleled leadership development program that promises to deliver quantitative benefits beyond ten times the cost of the program. These programs have produced dramatic, sustainable impact on client organizations. President of KiersonConsulting LLC, Miles has trained consultants and coaches all over the world in working effectively with executive teams. His book, The Transformational Power of Executive Team Alignment, has been a readable introduction to the unique process of aligning teams.
As a consultant, Miles specializes in executive team alignment and the requirements for fulfillment that flow from that process, especially leadership development associated with strategic implementation and mobilizing the organization. He is a former vice president of CSC Strategic Consulting Services, the organizational re-engineering and leadership development firm.
Visit http://www.kiersonconsulting.com/ to learn more. Better yet, meet Miles at our upcoming seminar on August 26th inside the LVBNM at Texas Stations Dallas Conference Center. Register for this FREE Seminar by visiting : http://www.williamsmm.com/las_vegas_registration.php. The first 25 registratants and attendees will receive a copy of his book.
8 August 2008 This Weeks Guest, Tim Quillin of Q ad | pr
STF welcomes Tim Quillin, President and CEO of Q ad | pr to the show this week. Tim has worked over 25 years in virtually every position inside the advertising and public relations business. Boy has he learned some pearls of wisdom that he will share with us.
We will discuss changes in the industry and how technology has impacted these changes. Tune in and hear his recommendations for business owners to get and stay noticed in our current economic climate. We will also learn which project he’s been apart of is his most gratifying. Tim has a go to person, listen to discover who it is?
Visit Q ad| pr at http://www.qapr.com/ to learn more about the company and their most impressive list of clients.
Quality Customer Service…
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” Bill Gates
If Bill Gates, the riches and most successful man in the world appreciates unhappy customers, this must be an area that we too must focus on. Viewing customer complaints as a positive is the discussion for August 1, 2008. If you missed the details see who was on the show that day.
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1 August ‘08 Janelle Barlow, Author of A Complaint Is A Gift
Join us this week as we discuss the recently revised and updated edition, A Complaint Is A Gift, which outlines the most effective tactics for handling customer complaints. This book demonstrates precisely how to handle complaints in a way that brings benefit to an organization and satisfaction to the customer - even when the answer has to be no.
Is your customer resolution process re-active or pro-active? Hear why business owners should focus on customer complaints. Through our discussion, learn how the internet has changed how customers complain and how to use technology to stay abreast of consumer concerns. We’ll discuss why customers don’t complain and how your company may discourage their complaints.
Please visit http://www.tmius.com/ to learn how TMI USA, a human resource development company can benefit your organization. They can be reached at 702-939-1800.