Succeed with Your Powers of Persuasion

Persuasion is a skill you need every day, whether you’re negotiating a big business deal or telling your children to eat their vegetables. Try these techniques for influencing people of any age in any situation:  Speak their language. Listen to how people express themselves, particularly when it comes to sensory words. Some people will see things (“I don’t see what you mean”), others will hear (“That doesn’t sound like fun”), and others will feel (“I don’t feel good about that.”) Use their preferred mode of expression back to them (“I see your point … I hear what you’re saying …
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Out Of This World Customer Service When Managing Stressed Customers

Smart executives who look forward to a long and happy life for their companies know two things about customer service: 100% of your customers won’t be 100% happy with you all the time.  Interactions with stressed customers are critical to the strength of a business. A company’s reputation for poor customer service spreads quickly, especially in a time when social media has such a powerful effect on shaping public opinion. Even before the days of social media, the rule of 10 applied. A bad night’s sleep and a cranky morning that results in a negative interaction with a customer spreads to the next 10
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Nuanced Tips for the Best Office Etiquette

Office etiquette is a subject that has been discussed and debated in depth for some time. The recommendations are typically the same: be punctual, avoid gossip, keep your devices silenced, and be aware of your lunch mess. However, there are some subtler aspects of practicing office etiquette that you may not be aware of. Make an effort to include excluded coworkers Cliques are the bane of any workplace.  Making an effort to include excluded coworkers in conversation inside the workplace, at workplace functions, and even at office happy hours will create a more positive environment for all employees. In order
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Keep Your Focus on What You Do Best

Practice management is one of the hardest parts of running a small business. All of the infrastructural elements that large corporations have to manage, such as data security, finance, customer service, and legal documentation, are still on your to-do list. But managing all of those elements without the large employment force that big businesses can bring to the table is a challenge that seems unending. If you started an accounting practice because you wanted to focus on certain types of accounting services, you can still do precisely that. Here’s how:  Make a list of what requires licensed expertise and what
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Managing Employees: Four Benefits of Finding the Right Fit

Finding candidates with the right temperament, skills and passion for your business isn’t easy, and compensation constraints can sometimes preclude the most talented applicants. However, you can save money over the long run by finding the right fit for your office. There are specific monetary and qualitative benefits by opting to pay more for qualified employees.  Faster Production Cycle Times Qualified candidates by definition know what they’re doing, which can increase your productive capacity without expanding your workforce. There are all kinds of monetary benefits associated with the fast and efficient cycle times qualified workers can deliver. You can reduce
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Help Employees to Be Less Stressed

There are a number of reasons why employees can become stressed, including workload, lack of control over the process of decision making, inefficient time management, uncertain performance expectations, and a failure to take holidays or set clear boundaries between work and home. Management can assist their employees to deal with stress in a number of ways. One of the most important things managers can do is simply to pay attention to staff members and see if they seem agitated, anxious or overwhelmed, and if there have been any changes in their overall behavior and demeanor. If an employee seems continually
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Ways to Wow Your Customer

People have so many options when it comes to in-person and online businesses today. Options are good for the consumer, but how do you make sure your clients choose you every time? These tips will leave a lasting impression on your clients to be sure they keep coming back to you. Go the Extra Mile Clients will remember a company or individual who went above and beyond for them. This could be something as small as helping them out the door when they leave, or it could be something time consuming like researching a specific good or service they are
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Managing Your Staff & Fostering an Environment of Support

When you first hired your employees, you essentially needed them to assist you in performing your accounting services. You’ve probably quickly learned how easy those ‘helpers’ could turn into your ‘work family.’ Now you’re finding yourself in a true leadership and management position, charged with supporting and growing your staff, as well as your business. Here are three suggestions to keep your management on par with success for your practice. Lead By Example You hear this advice often. You don’t want to ask your team to do something you, yourself don’t practice. But it’s so important in leadership and means more
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Get on the Same Page Quickly with New Employees

When meeting new employees, you should get to know them as quickly as you can. Don’t rush things, but sit down with them one by one for a conversation. Here’s what to talk about: Ask them to describe their job or role as they see it. Ask what they enjoy most about their work and what they don’t like. Ask about their personal/career goals. Ask how you can help them perform their job better. Ask what their expectations of you are, and explain your own expectations of them. You might want to exchange some personal information about each other, as
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Improve Your Self-Discipline

Success in any endeavor is a matter of self-discipline. If you can’t stay focused on your goals, you’ll never achieve them. The Ladders website shares this list of tips for improving your self-discipline: Start on Monday. Begin working on your goals on the first day on the week. Researchers say this can help you follow through. Write down the reasons behind your goals. Positive affirmations can solidify your goals in your mind and help you stay focused. Visualize the benefits. Think about what you’ll gain as you work toward your goals and eventually achieve them. They’ll become more real in
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