If you’re in Kansas City, and you’ve eaten at Gates, you’ve heard that phrase. It’s part of their brand. You walk in the door and hear the refrain “Hi – May I Help You” over and over. It’s not “Hello, may I be of service” or “Hi, what can I get you”.  Its ALWAYS say [...]
Jun
8
2010
8
2010
May
13
2010
13
2010
Hitting a Moving Target
When I was a kid our family made the annual pilgrimage to the Iowa State Fair. My favorite part of the fair was always the midway. We’d grab funnel cakes, buy our tickets and ride the Octupus and Tilt-a-Whirl. But the best part of the midway was the opportunity to win prizes. I’m sure my [...]
Feb
11
2010
11
2010
Your 30 seconds
I’d like to publicly thank Jerry Smith again for giving his time and expertise to our Crossroads Career Network group at Woods Chapel Church last night. If you have a small business and are struggling to get your message out to the people you want to reach you need to talk to Jerry.  Find out [...]
Feb
1
2010
1
2010
What’s in a Name?
What’s the secret to real estate? Location, location, location. What’s the secret to a successful job search? Networking, networking, networking. Even if you’re not looking for a job you should ALWAYS be networking. You never know when someone is going to need your expertise.
Do you look at networking as a group activity? You attend Chamber [...]
Dec
1
2009
1
2009
Its not what you say, its how you say it.
I have to admit that I’ve put my foot in my mouth plenty of times. Sometimes in my haste to get something said I say something stupid. Sometimes I’m so wrapped up in what I’m thinking that I don’t assess a situation correctly before I speak. Lets face it, how we chose our words has [...]
Nov
7
2009
7
2009
Networking Opportunity
Yesterday’s Kansas City Business Journal had the 2009 “Kansas City Giving Guide” which was a feature on KC businesses and non-profits workinging together to make a better community. As I was reading through the section I noticed that there is a concert today being sponsored by an agency one of my friends is targeting for [...]
Oct
15
2009
15
2009
Step Three-A in your New Job Search – On the Ground Marketing
Tuesday I wrote about market research. The purpose of that research ultimately is to find your specific job targets and develop a plan to reach those targets. Marketing.
The most used (and perhaps over-used) weapons in a job seekers marketing arsenal are the resume and cover letter. These documents MUST be targeted to a specific audience. Don’t [...]
Oct
5
2009
5
2009
Futility
What’s the definition of futility? Â Doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Â Notice there is no graphic on this post? Â I’ve been trying to upload an image of my recent article from Friday’s Business Journal for the last 30 minutes. Â I’ve changed it from PDF to TIFF to JPEG to GIF format. [...]
Sep
17
2009
17
2009
Communication Breakdown
Yes, I am an audiophile. And yes, Communication Breakdown is a reference to early Led Zeppelin. But specifically, it’s about what I see, hear, and feel each and every day. Communication Breakdown, it’s always the same. I’m having a nervous breakdown . . . drive me insane!
Â
I think that in order for communication to work [...]
Sep
15
2009
15
2009
Guess What?
Before you read this post, take 7 seconds and click on the video.
What does this SNL skit have to do with searching for a job? Nothing. NADA. Zip. Zero. Christopher Walken isn’t giving you any secret messages – he just wants more cowbell. Saturday Night Live has had some memorable skits over the years – [...]