StartupNation

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• Harnessing Your Emotional Intelligence as a Female Entrepreneur
• How to Create a Culture of Integrity with a Remote Team
• Goldfish Swim School CEO Shares 5 Must-Haves in Post-Pandemic Playbook

Harnessing Your Emotional Intelligence as a Female Entrepreneur Posted: 31 Oct 2021 09:00 PM PDT Women in the workforce hear it all the time: "You're so emotional." It's a criticism levied at women (usually from men who are afraid to express their own feelings). The subtext is: "You're too emotional to lead, to make levelheaded decisions, to be a grown-up." It's infantilizing, damaging and, worst of all, aims at our core strength. Because our ability to feel, sense and manage our emotions is actually our superpower.  Women have a stronger drive than men to connect emotionally with other people, and that has both biological and social roots. We've evolved for and been trained all our lives to connect emotionally—and that ability is an asset with real economic value. It's what our realtor used to win our trust when my husband and I bought our house, for example, and it can be what you use to attract customers who are thrilled to work with you and pay you well for the value you add to their lives. To do that, you need to leverage your emotional intelligence in a cornerstone of entrepreneurial life: sales. Specifically, within the new model of sales for which women are primed for success. In this article, I'll share some tips on how to amplify your empathy and apply your innate emotional intelligence to sell more and forge lasting customer connections. Emotional intelligence and the old and new art of sales We're all living in a messy, in-between moment when the old way and the new way of doing sales coexist. In comparing the two, the one thing that sets them apart—emotional intelligence—becomes impossible to ignore. When it's missing, salespeople tend to do whatever it takes, such as reaching out blindly to prospects using mass cold calls and other aggressive, impersonal tactics. They ignore or push past objections, sticking to a script, and try to talk the other person into saying yes. The new way, in contrast, puts emotional intelligence at the center of everything that happens in the sales process. As a seller, your primary aim is to understand the customer's needs or problems, and you do that by listening—not just to respond, but to understand. You get out of your own head and into the customer's by paying attention not only to what they're saying, but also how they're saying it. Your focus, instead of being on expressing yourself, is on serving the other person, which is what women are socialized to do. This emotionally informed sales process works better and feels better for everyone. Empathy is essential Empathy, which is the ability to feel what someone else is feeling, is a crucial piece of emotional intelligence. It involves not only reading someone else's emotions but also sharing them. To build and maintain your customers' trust, it's essential that your customers see that you genuinely care about them. Let's look at my fitness coaching business as an example. My ideal customer was a woman who wanted to take control of her health and her body image but couldn't do it alone. Before she found me on Instagram, she was feeling pretty crappy about her body. She probably experienced anxiety about her health, confusion about what to eat and how to exercise, and shame for not living up to her aspirations in these areas. That is not the headspace of someone who's ready to shell out serious money for high-end fitness coaching and dive into the program with unstoppable enthusiasm. To be ready to buy, she needed to feel convinced that her problem was solvable, excited that I had the right solution for her, and confident that with my help, she would be capable of producing the results she wanted. My job was to lead her down that path from anxiety and self-doubt to trust and self-empowerment—to show her that I empathized, and genuinely care.  The best news: As a woman, you already have an advantage. Because research shows that women generally tend to demonstrate greater empathy than men.  How to strengthen your empathy  OK, you're thinking, I'm a woman, but sales still freak me out. What if my feeling-with-others tools are a little rusty? Intentional practice can strengthen your empathy and keep it top of mind. Incorporate these into your everyday life to amplify your empathy: Talk to new people. Invite a casual acquaintance out to lunch to get to know them better or strike up a conversation with that neighbor you always wave to but have never actually met.  Practice curiosity. In every conversation, make curiosity your highest priority. Go beyond the usual small talk with deeper questions that provoke more intimate, genuine dialogue. Follow that up with great listening.  Try out a different life. Get out of your comfort zone and try on a new outlook by doing things outside your normal routine, which can open your mind to the ways other people's lives and views are different from yours. Start by traveling to a new place. Do something you've never done before, like playing a new sport. Read books about people who are unlike you. If you do a few of these things every day, you'll quickly notice your instinct for empathy becoming stronger.  Managing your emotions during the sales process Empathy is just one piece of emotional intelligence you'll need to master sales. Another is managing emotions. That's the skill that will allow you to disconnect your ego from the result of the sale, and meet your customer where they are.  If you're emotionally hung up on whether you'll get a yes or a no, there's no way you'll be able to listen with empathy and adapt your response according to the customer's needs. You'll end up interpreting every objection, question or refusal as a personal attack, and that can leave you feeling nervous, angry or dejected. With those emotions in the room, you'd be amazed at how quickly the sales process can unravel. There's an easy perspective shift that solves this problem immediately: The sale isn't about you at all—it's about the customer. If you're thinking too much about yourself, you'll get stuck in your head when you really need to be in their head. They need you to help them solve a problem, so the more you focus on listening to them and showing them how your solution will improve their problem, the easier it will be to take your ego out of the equation. For my students who have trouble managing their emotions during sales conversations, I recommend using practices like affirmations, mantras and meditation to get in the right mindset. During the conversation, check in with yourself occasionally and ask who you're paying attention to, yourself or the other person. If you apply these simple practices regularly, pretty soon you'll approach every sales conversation with excitement and a sense of possibility. Mirroring your customer Once your ego is in check, you need to meet your customer where they are emotionally. Mismatched vibes are uncomfortable. Just imagine, if you were a woman on a mission ready to get the job done and the salesperson was the definition of zen. Would you think she was the right person to help you? You want your customer to feel you're on the same wavelength. So, mirror their emotional state and energy level at the start of the sales conversation. This will make them more open to following as you guide them toward the emotional state you want them to be in.  That's not to say if someone comes to you frustrated, you mirror that and spend the entire conversation feeding each other's annoyance. Instead, show that you get their frustration, then lead them toward relief by explaining how you can solve their irritating problem. Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter! Paying attention, every day I hope you've realized that if you pay close attention to this crucial skill set, you can strengthen it just by going about your daily life. No need to set aside time to practice, meditate or reflect. Just keep doing what you do—working, studying, shopping, playing, socializing, caring for others—but with a more conscious awareness of the emotions in and around you. Who's feeling what? How can you tell? How can you make them feel better and strengthen their connection with you? Cultivating your emotional intelligence is good for all your relationships, but pay special attention to how it affects business interactions. As a customer, when have you felt thrilled about a purchase? Underwhelmed? Now, whenever you buy something, notice those feelings and try to identify where they come from.  This deliberate practice and heightened awareness will strengthen your emotional intelligence, and soon you'll feel like you can almost read your customers' minds. You'll empathize, mirror them and create lasting connections that will serve you, your brand and, most importantly, your customers, for the life of your business. Adapted from Karrie Brady’s book, “Don't Settle for a Seat.” StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here The post Harnessing Your Emotional Intelligence as a Female Entrepreneur appeared first on StartupNation.

How to Create a Culture of Integrity with a Remote Team Posted: 31 Oct 2021 09:00 PM PDT Today, nearly 50 percent of the American workforce does their job from outside the office. It's a trend that's mostly positive: those who work remotely report higher job satisfaction, less stress and better work-life balance. According to numerous studies, they're also more productive. However, there's one element of business that remote work makes more difficult, and that's the creation and maintenance of healthy, cohesive workplace culture. After all, it can be pretty difficult to feel connected with those you interact face-to-face with only sporadically. But wait, does culture even apply if your entire team is remote? It's a valid question, but the answer is most definitely "yes." Work culture isn't just the sum of what people see, do and communicate just within the physical space in which they work — it's what they see, do and communicate when interacting with one another. In other words, culture isn't something you choose to have or not have in an organization; it exists all on its own, and your job as a leader is to mold it into something beneficial. While there can be plenty of variance in what makes for good workplace culture, there's at least one facet of it that no new business can afford not to prioritize, and that's integrity. Establishing a culture that emphasizes integrity means that each team member shares in a sense of mutual trust and accountability. The question is, how do you build up that mutual trust when your team members are separated by miles, countries, or even time zones? StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here Define your organization's values Each of us has our own set of core personal values, regardless of whether we've ever precisely articulated them. But in order for a company to operate efficiently, it has to have its own set of values that are shared by its team members. And as the leader of your organization, it's up to you to set the standard for what your company's values are. These values are crucial because, in the context of your business, integrity refers to being honest and principled, but it also connotes unification and solidity. Teams with integrity stand together, and values serve as the common ground they stand on. Weigh your culture check with new hires E-commerce store, Zappo's, is notorious for basing up to half of its hiring decisions just on a candidate's "cultural fit." In many cases, great skills can't make up for a personality that clashes with existing team members, and that applies just as much to remote workers as it does to onsite employees. Bringing a poor cultural fit onto your team can have a substantially greater impact than having multiple super-star employees, according to Harvard research. Translation: it's not worth the risk and could have an overall negative effect on your team's integrity. To use an analogy, including a plastic link on an aluminum chain will significantly weaken the overall integrity of the chain, regardless of whether or not the link is the perfect size and shape. Related: 5 Smart Tools All Remote Entrepreneurs Need in Order to Succeed Make sure your team knows one another When there's little-to-no face time among team members, it's extremely easy for your team to become siloed, which does the opposite of create trust. Thanks to modern technology, being separated by distance and time doesn't preclude introductions, meetings and conversations that create a sense of team bonding and unity. This will also lead to more efficiency within the (virtual) workplace, which is good for your bottom line. Emphasize transparency Researchers have isolated numerous benefits of transparency in the workplace, and that list of positives is likely to grow. But where technology has made remote work both possible and profitable, it also tends to make transparency harder to come by… or does it? Even if you can't "see" others in the same way you can in a shared office space, there are plenty of software services that allow you to monitor and track employee activity and production — and you can choose to make as much data as you want available across your organization. Remote work is only more productive if it's actually getting done — and implementing SaaS solutions are a great way to ensure that's the case. When productivity, communication and transparency are all points of emphasis in your work culture, integrity takes care of itself. Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter! The last word There is no simple formula for creating a healthy workplace culture, and certainly no shortcut to running your own business founded on integrity. Entrepreneurs should be extra cautious that their leadership, hiring, and management practices all reflect the kind of organization they want to be known for. Originally published March 15, 2020. The post How to Create a Culture of Integrity with a Remote Team appeared first on StartupNation.

Goldfish Swim School CEO Shares 5 Must-Haves in Post-Pandemic Playbook Posted: 31 Oct 2021 09:00 PM PDT Over the course of the last year, it's been remarkable to watch successful adjustments to remote work, new innovation projects and everything in between, as small businesses across the nation quickly adapted to changes brought on by the pandemic. As we've surpassed the one-year mark of COVID-19 and inch closer to a return to normalcy, it's likely many of these notable changes to business operations are here to stay. But what does that mean? How do we prepare? Is there a clear blueprint for post-pandemic success? While 2020 posed significant challenges, business leaders have been strategically preparing to prevail post-pandemic. StartupNation exclusive discounts and savings on Dell products and accessories: Learn more here After a successful Q1 2021 performance with franchise growth, new openings and rising enrollment, I can confidently say the below best practices are must-haves for a strong post-pandemic playbook: Remain a visionary Even during times of uncertainty, it is your responsibility as a leader to articulate a clear and focused vision that is consistently communicated throughout the entire organization. This will continue to be the foundational element that serves as a guiding light as your team comes together to collaborate, innovate and adjust. Brand vision brings clarity to the "why" behind the work and provides shared direction to all team members to move fast and focused on what matters most. As a result, you're building a team that is more invested in its work, understands the value of its roles, has higher morale and feels empowered and confident about the future, no matter what setbacks were previously faced. Invest in technology The roller coaster that was 2020 has validated the importance of clear and frequent communication to ensure business functionality and stability. For post-pandemic success, this means investing in technology platforms for streamlined communication. As business travel will likely be a slow return, you must have tech tools in place to allow for seamless organizational connection, communication and collaboration. Doing so will foster a culture of teamwork within your organization.  Related: From Basement to Booming Multi-Million-Dollar Business: The Value of a Startup Mentality Grow forward-thinking teams empowered to act The pandemic brought to light the importance of having a healthy organization filled with employees who operate according to your core values: those team members who "get it," "want it" and have the capacity to "do it." There is no time to waste for getting your business on track for post-pandemic success, and all of your team members must be aligned and empowered to achieve results. It's critical for leaders to delegate and trust team members to do their jobs and take on additional responsibilities in stride. The pandemic likely forced your team members to take on new tasks and embrace the unknown — which is a good thing! Lean into this, and build a team of entrepreneurs who are forward thinking, as this type of culture will allow for continuous innovation, constant learning, new ways of thinking and overall business progression. Strong leaders empower their people, and that — in turn — fosters accountability that propels your company forward.  Prioritize customer service While tech and innovation reign supreme for pandemic pivots, we must not lose sight of human connection, emotion and empathy as it relates to the customer experience. The business environment has changed, and the way you service your customers must be elevated. The status quo no longer exists. It is critical to go above and beyond with every detail to take care of your clients and customers. In some cases, this might require the development of new initiatives or retraining of team members. For example, we know it's our "GOLDEN Experience" that drives our members to continuously choose Goldfish Swim School, so we will continue to prioritize and invest in customer service. What drives your business? Sign Up: Receive the StartupNation newsletter! Be data-driven Data must become a priority in informing your post-pandemic strategy to bring back and re-engage your customer base. We can all make assumptions and draw conclusions based on our personal experience and anecdotal evidence. However, none have quantitative support or statistical significance. Data, metrics, statistics and, most importantly, insights cannot be overlooked.  By listening to your customers and gaining a deeper sense of how they're feeling, you equip yourself with a better understanding of how your brand can make positive adjustments that directly impact your company's bottom line. For example, amid the pandemic, we conducted a reopening survey across our different markets to get a pulse on our members' needs and comfort levels as we prepared to reopen our schools. In an effort to continue to place our members' experience and safety at the top of our priority list, we also conducted ongoing comfort surveys across our membership base to better understand how we can continue to meet their changing needs during this time. These insights continue to inform new innovations and updates, directly impacting our business' bottom line. Post-pandemic playbook key takeaways If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that things change rapidly without warning, and consumer sentiment and behavior evolve in response. Startups that conduct formal research, pay attention to the data and act in accordance with a people-centric mentality will be the be ones to prevail post-pandemic. Originally published May 25, 2021. The post Goldfish Swim School CEO Shares 5 Must-Haves in Post-Pandemic Playbook appeared first on StartupNation.

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