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48 A37A33 t J JP 'T A O SF1 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER CO).' C lw to a O /'tln T Friday October 13,2000 BUSINESS Real problem stemmed from lack of preparation ( C o n t i n u e d from p a g e 4 7 ) in question but her image and lack of confidence when communicat ing with the top brass was. One meeting with her identified the sit uation- I asked her to grade her professional presence on a scale from one to ten; ten being excel lent, one poor. She placed herself at seven. From experience and initial evaluation, she sits around a four. Further investigation revealed a lack of knowledge in other areasnot knowing how to dress for her i position, what hair style was becoming and fashionable, how to converse with V P's, C EO 's and clients in an appropriate manner and tone. Her weak handshake could have been perceived as inse curity and lack o f self esteem. Perception is the problem and it's hers. She had never studied presen tation skills, vocabulary, manners or attended any personal develop ment courses. She was also defen sive and negative about the great opportunity her boss was handing her. "She's got great potential," says this hopeful CEO, "but she needs professional polish and presenta tion skills. I'd like to help her be more successful and represent the company and m yself in a better light." After several telephone con versations and one more meeting with her, it was clear she just was n't interested and our contracts came to an end. In this case, the old saying, " you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink," held true. She had great potential, the opportunity for advancement and an education not available in schools today. This CEO attempts to help came to nought. He became frustrated with her negative attitude and increasing poor performance and let her go. No wonder our programs are in such demand. These young people need help because they are simply poorly prepared for the business (and adult social world) in which they find themselves. Know when to take business online Laura's small publishing company was doing all right but she thought business might pick up considerably if she started promoting it on the Internet. After all, every day, she saw more companies advertising their web sites on TV, newspapers, magazines and billboards. Surely, they wouldn't be selling their wares in cyberspace, unless they were making money at it. "How much money they're making is debatable," says John van Ruth, CA, a member of KPMG's Strategic and Technology Services Practice. But there's no arguing that electronic commerce "is bringing about dynamic changes in the way Canadian organizations conduct business, helping them do so faster and more effective ly." How? "When linked to the overall business strategy, electronic commerce offers a major opportunity to reach new markets in Canada and around the world, improve customer relations, link more closely with suppliers, and reduce the overall cost of doing business." Stephen McAfee, a principal with chartered account ing firm Price Waterhouse Coopers in Toronto, adds: "The market for e-commerce is growing and significant sales will occur through this channel. One reason is that more customers want to buy using the Internet because it allows them to comparison shop easily. Therefore, not being on the Internet means that you are not even con sidered by these shoppers." Brian Ford, CA, a principal with Ernst & Young's entrepreneurial services practice, points out that the num ber of Internet users doubles roughly every 100 days. "So, you can start to see the growing importance of the Internet as a means to engage the customer, distribute products and services and also to acquire products and information yourself." "For example," Ford explains, "by delivering their products over the Internet, software companies can reduce distribution costs and increase profits consider ably. For manufacturers, the Internet provides improved HERE ARE SOME TIPS THAT not, perception is reality - and it's usually someone else's that might MIGHT HELP: 1. PUT YOUR BESTjust matter - perhaps your next boss FOOT FORWARD - "your" per or that special someone you would like to date. ception o f "you" may not be 2. PAY ATTENTION - Be a that cool. Whether you like it or good listener, AND listening is active, not passive. 3. BE POLITE - "please" access to inventory and spare parts for customers. and "thank you" does go a long Retailers are starting to allow customers to subscribe to way. REALLY! 4. SHOW SINCERE catalogues and other sales information." What's great about the Internet is that it levels the INTEREST IN OTHERS. The uni competitive playing field. "All kinds of businesses can verse doesn't revolve around profit, and there are no size restrictions," notes van Ruth. YOU! Forget about yourself. Before leaping into cyberspace, though, Laura and 5. SMILE. Take one with others considering e-commerce should first talk to their you wherever you go. It makes you chartered accountants. Most CAs have the resources to very, very approachable help clients assess their potential success in this area; and can get you into many doors. develop and implement an appropriate strategy; provide 6. PRACTICE YOUR advice on Internet tax issues; and integrate the new sys HANDSHAKE. Make sure it is tem with existing business processes and systems. firm and confident. A key challenge," advises McAfee, "is to develop 7. DRESS APPROPRIATE both a compelling website and product offer that will LY for the business arena you work bring customers to your site - and generate sales. Remember, that the available search engines allow cus in. Most businesses frown on men tomers to quickly and easily visit dozens of sites offering wearing ear rings, nose rings, studs tattoos. Women who wear the same items. How you differentiate your products and and develop compelling reasons to buy are the keys to suc anything see through, clinging, too short or too tight are sending the cess." Among the products currently doing well on the wrong messages. Internet, he adds, are PC products and services, including REMEMBER: If you're just as software and games, book sales, and entertainment prod good as someone else, who needs ucts, such as CDs and travel services. YOU! As with all business activity, though, there are prob S h a n n o n S m it h is P r e sid e n t of lems and risks involved in launching yourself on the P r e m ie re Im a g e In te rn a tio n a l, Internet. A big factor is the technology itself. "Getting on the `Net' is easy," says van Ruth. C a n a d a 's le a d in g im a g e in stitu te o ffe rin g p e r s o n a l/ b u s in e s s tra in in g "Mapping out a sound long-term strategy on how to best in im a g e m astery, p re se n ta tio n sk ills, use this new medium is a lot more difficult and time-con m a n n e r s, etiquette. S a il w ith M s. suming, but it will pay off if you do it right. A CA can Sm ith , M a r c h 18, 2001 w h e n s h e will help you maximize your e-commerce opportunities h o s t a n d p re se n t the P r o fe s s io n a l S t y le S y m p o s i u m o n b o a r d the while minimizing the risks." T he a b o v e article w a s pro vid ed b y T h e Institute of C hartered A c c o u n ta n ts of Ontario. N o r w e g ia n Sk y. . F o r further infor m ation , p le a s e call 416-324-8955 or v is it w w w .p re m ie re m a ge in tl.co m S a fe g u a rd in g y o u r m o n e y Canada's banks take it very seriously Find out in Safeguarding your M oney - an informative guide full of useful information and bps on protecting your money and your security. Safeguarding your M oney tells you what to watch for, how to protect yourself and what we do to keep you - and your money - safe. Learn more about: · C anada D e posit Insurance · A B M /D e b it a n d C redit C ard Security · Fighting Financial C rim e · S hopping O nline · Fighting Phone Fraud « and other areas of interest to you - and to us. Visit www.cba.ca or call 1 -8 0 0 -2 6 3 -0 2 3 1 t C a n a d ia n B a n k e r s A s s o c ia t io n B u ild in g a B e tte r U n d e r s ta n d in g