What is your proposal success rate? If you are a partner in law, accounting, an engineering firm, or any practice that involves selling intellectual property, tracking your proposal success rate is critical. You can use a simple formula. The number of winning proposals divided by the total number of proposals submitted in a given period – weekly, monthly, or annually. The leading experts have more than 90% proposal success rate. Writing a proposal is an investment. It costs time, money, and imagination. You don’t want to send a proposal to every small opportunity that you here about. You don’t want…
Tool 45 of 104 is to improve your self-esteem
On 08th June 2019, I met a man, tall about 26 years. He said “I have a B. Com and about to complete CPA, but no one seems interested in my profile. I have so far sent my CV to over 30 companies without success. I got feedback once where I found so many other job seekers. We were asked to undertake an aptitude test. Which they told me that I had failed. It is now three years when I am on the street, and it is clear, they sold us the wrong education.” The fact is at 26 years…
Are you challenged to surprise yourself daily?
The best freedom is an open mind. That is why outstanding leaders create an environment of frank and free communication. In today’s business environment characterized by ever-changing technology, there is nothing like ‘what I have done is the best.’ Anyone in a leadership position must focus on supporting staff to surprise themselves in terms of the quality of work done to deliver exceptionally outstanding stuff. RELATED: HABITS OF STAR PERFORMERS You must create an environment of openness to feedback. Are you open to questions and feedback from your peers, seniors, and juniors? A good manager should be. No person wants…
Is your role a striker or defender? Here is how to grow your career
Who of your staff is a striker and who is a defender? As a business leader, focus on improving the department in your team that shows weakness. If your strikers are losing the balls in front of the goals, are unable to get the ball past the keeper, consider training them more or substituting them. If your keeper is making simple mistakes even not under pressure, consider putting them under intensive training if they show talent or getting them off the team altogether. What is the essence of great leadership? Identifying the best people with talent and skills and nurturing…
Tool 43 of 104, is to be careful when lending money
Have you ever had someone approach you for a quick loan? Whether you are successful or not, you will receive a request to lend money from a friend or family member or relative. The problem with lending friends or relatives or a family member is that they take the loan as a grant and will most likely default on the loan. It is recommended that you always treat the loan as a business transaction. That will increase the likelihood that you will be paid. You are advised to first think hard whether you can afford to lend the money. The…
Entrepreneurship vs. formal employment
It is good to start businesses. It is even better to grow businesses that have already been started. We need to get some things right. Not everyone can be an entrepreneur. The definition of entrepreneurship is not someone who ‘starts a business.’ An entrepreneur is someone who starts and runs a successful business that continues even after his or her retirement or death. The best entrepreneur is the one whose business survives the longest after the departure of the founder. One could say that when someone joins to works with an entrepreneur to grow the business is a founder as…
