Visitor, your JULY 2017 FocalPoint Newsletter is here

Quality content is at the heart of good marketing. Here are seven creative content marketing strategies that you can implement into your marketing strategy ASAP.

1. Create ultra-shareable content. When you create content that is easy to share, engagement is more likely to happen.
2. Make sure there's value. When people feel satisfied by what your content provides, you've established your value – and potential supporters will turn into customers.
3. Always use the top social media platforms. The content you generate will be shared via social media. It's important to identify what your main targeted networks will be.
4. Invest in online advertising. Online ads are a great way to promote your company. This is especially true if your advertisement is attractive and can grab the attention of viewers.
5. Keep an eye on popular content marketing websites. Inspiration is key when it comes to creative marketing. Get inspired by the best of the best.
6. Create some seriously high-quality media. Use images, infographics, videos, and other forms of creative media.
7. Stay organized. Follow a calendar. Keep your team in touch with each other. Make brainstorming easy to do and outlining simple.

Train Tracks

There are several movies where a group of boys are walking along the train tracks on their way to an adventure. One of the boys stops and puts his ear to the tracks to listen for an oncoming train. In typical movie drama, the boys realize too late that not only is the train coming, it’s just around the corner and bearing down fast.

Business is not that different. There is always a train coming in the form of a younger, faster, smarter person with a new approach.

In 2000, Blockbuster was the dominant movie rental business in the country. However, Reed Hastings had a different idea – pay a flat monthly fee for as many movies as you can watch and he would mail you each movie. Netflix put Blockbuster out of business in less than 10 years.

Are you concerned about staying ahead of your competition? Looking for ideas and a catalyst to help you strategize and spot opportunities you and your people are missing?

We’re experts at helping companies reinvent themselves and get on a fast track to growth. Never an obligation. Let’s start a conversation!

-         by Greg DeSimone - Beacon Equity Advisors, Inc.

Difficult employees are costly employees. Morale drops. Recruitment costs rise. Customers bail. Productivity suffers. Here are nine traps that your managers can fall into when dealing with difficult employees.

1. Believing It Will Get Better Without Intervention. Don't delay. It won’t get better.
2. Initiating a Blame Game. Don’t try to “win” the “argument.”
3. Making Assumptions. Don’t assume you know what someone is thinking or feeling.
4. Getting Too Personal. This is not about the person's character. Instead, it's about professional decisions this person is making or perhaps lack of a certain skill needed to do things differently.
5. Not Clearly Communicating What You Expect. Not knowing what a manager expects can be a very genuine cause of frustration.
6. Responding Without Observing. Don't let your own bias or those of others cause you to react without assessing the situation.
7. Confusing Reasons for Excuses. It’s a thin line between reasons and excuses. Actively listen and assess.
8. Not Scheduling a Follow-Up. The employee should know walking out of the meeting when you'll be discussing this again.
9. Not Having an Endgame. If the employee doesn't correct the behavior, you should both know what happens next.

Workplace drug abuse can threaten your bottom line. Higher absenteeism. Lower productivity. The problem has become more difficult with the escalation of opioid addiction and the local legalization of marijuana.

Smaller businesses are particularly at risk for workplace drug abuse. Many drug users apply for jobs at smaller organizations, which may skimp on drug testing.

Drug testing can help you protect your business from the costly effects of impaired workers. It can be done on a pre-employment basis, randomly, and via a “reasonable cause” trigger. Whatever the reason you test, you must conform to federal, state, and local laws.

What do you when with a positive test? You have two options: an action such as termination or the opportunity to get assistance. A “second chance” often benefits both the employee and employer.

But drug testing is not free. However, there are nonprofits and small local businesses can coordinate to get more favorable rates.

Also, drug test results will not reveal legally prescribed drugs, such as opioids. Testing labs will confirm doctors’ prescriptions and not include those results in their reports.

Finally, testing alone will not solve the problem. Drug-free workforce policies need to be part of a bigger drug policy.

The Law of Clarity says: The clearer you are about your goals and objectives, the more efficient and effective you will be in achieving them.

Clarity accounts for probably 80 percent of success and happiness. Lack of clarity is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor. The clearer you are about what you want, the more likely you are to do more and more of the things that are consistent with achieving them.

Here are seven steps:

1. Decide exactly what you want in each area of your life;
2. Write them down, clearly and in detail;
3. Set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order;
4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal;
5. Organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority;
6. Take action immediately on the most important item. This is very important!
7. Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals.

from "THE 100 ABSOLUTELY UNBREAKABLE LAWS OF BUSINESS SUCCESS" – Brian Tracy

Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) became law on July 1, 2017 and the transition period is over. It has big implications for Canadian emailers. In brief, here’s what the law says:

Any “commercial electronic message” (CEM) sent to a recipient in Canada with whom you do not have an established relationship can be considered spam, unless you can prove you have either implied or express consent to send it, which does not include verbal agreement to receive messages. This includes communications sent by employees of your company using your domain address, even if you are unaware of the message. The recipient of a CEM that fits the criteria of spam can report and/or sue you.

Here are some points to consider:

Reducing spam should be good for legitimate businesses.

The law is costly for Canadian companies to implement and may result in expensive lawsuits.

Most spam comes for companies outside of Canada and the law won’t affect them.

To cope with the law, review your lead generation strategies. Are you too reliant on email offers? If so, consider other strategies, including direct mail. Also, segment out your non-Canadian email recipients; they are not impacted by the law.

For more information check out the government’s CASL website and this MailChimp article.

What is Your Number 1 Question About Business? If you own a business you’re continually running into new situations, thinking about how to best manage an issue, increase your margins, deal with employees and  meet other challenges.

You may also have questions about how to market or sell more effectively or close more business. Whatever.

Now you have some to ask… Ask the Coach

Use the “Ask the Coach…” Link at the top of the online version of the newsletter and  ask your questions anonymously, we’ll pick the best to answer in the next edition.