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CAPITAL IDEAS UPCOMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER 8: MARKETING SUMMER SCHOOL: GET R E S U LT S ! M A N A G I N G AND MEASURING THE MARKETING BEAST Marketing specialist Cidnee Stephen takes you through a series of four, hands-on workshops to help educate and inspire you. ■ Where: The Commons Calgary (1900 11st S.E.) ■ When: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. ■ Admission: $69. More info at awebusiness.com/event
FINANCIAL POST
CA LG A RY H E R A L D
COMMUNITY QUESTION
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LEAVE A LASTING IMPRESSION? Entrepreneurs discuss how they make a quality connection
SEPTEMBER 17: TECH SHOWCASE 2015 Meet tech startups at this annual celebration of Calgary technology ■ Where: Alastair Ross Technology Centre (3553 31 Street N.W.) ■ When: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. ■ Admission: Free. More info at innovatecalgary.com For more great events, visit capitalideascalgary.com/ calgaryevents.
Lisa Gareau, president of Candy Consulting (CandyConsulting.ca), believes that it is important to spend quality time when meeting new people. “To make a lasting impression slow down, listen and engage fully with each person you have the privilege to meet, online or off. In the hurried world of business, listening has become all but a lost art. Be curious, ask questions, learn more and celebrate the process of getting to know another, not just the final transaction or sale. You’ll leave the interaction with a better appreciation of the passions, needs, goals and motivations of others and may even find common ground you didn’t know existed.” PHOTO SUPPLIED BY: LISA GAREAU
C A P I TA L QUESTION
What are some things you have done to set your company up for a successful merger or acquisition?
“We create an environment of openness, visibility and most importantly; being customer centric that enhances rapport and trust. It also means remaining attentive and catching on to the unsaid customer needs. We provide each customer with a personal touch through the project manager’s friendly smile, our transparency and dependability. Every interaction with our staff is happy, creating a memorable experience.” Shannon Lenstra, president, Kon-strux Developments Inc., kon-strux.com
“Be authentic! We’ve all met the ‘chronic networker’ and generally we don’t remember them. Be real, share your goals and try to help someone else.” Angelika Goncalves DaSilva, business advisor at Stawowski McGill & Partners, stawowskimcgill.ca
“Consult the customer to find out more about their business and personal life and try connect on a common theme.” David Birkby, president of Vector Energy, vectorenergy.ca
“We make a point of treating our customers like family. They’re coming to our truck to have a great meal and be welcomed warmly. We always refer to our customers by their first name, both when they place their order and when we hand it out. We also encourage our team to make eye contact and interact with our customers. It’s important that they remember us with a smile on their faces.”
“As much as technology and social media has improved our personal and business lives in many ways it has also in some ways taken away that personal touch when it comes to our client relationships. Pick up the phone and for ‘no reason’ make a quick call to your customer just to touch base and ensure all is good with them. Even if you end up leaving voicemail, which often happens, that time that you take specifically for them really shows how important your business relationship is.” Linda MacPherson, partner at Mac 2 Consulting, mac2consulting.ca
“What I do to leave a lasting impression starts from the minute I meet the person. I greet them with a warm smile and nice handshake. Then I like to have a casual conversation to find some common ground. It makes it easier to transition the conversation from getting to know the person as a person to talking about business. When I leave I like to think they enjoyed our conversation and they remember what we talked about in the casual conversation and then business.” Laura Pierce, president of LP Human Resources Inc., lphumanresources.com
“Doing good work is not enough. Connect on a personal level — make people feel good about you, the work, and their decisions. Anticipate something they need help with in addition to what they want or asked for.”
Len Nanjad, partner at COREinternational.com, coreinternational.com
Deb Lawton, co-owner of Perogy Boyz, perogyboyz.com
These answers are in response to a question posed by Monica Kretschmer, founder and CEO of Canadian Business Chicks When the economy slows down, it is often a time when companies seek efficiencies which can include thoughts to expand through mergers or acquisitions, which is why Wellington Holbrook, executive vice-president of ATB Business, is curious to hear from you: What are some things you have done to set your company up for a successful merger or acquisition? You can answer the question in two ways: Open today’s Capital Ideas email if you’re a member or visit capitalideascalgary.com. We’ll publish the best answers, along with your business name and website address, on Sept. 3.
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(canadianbusinesschicks.com). Here’s her take: “Networking and building relationships are critical to growing your business. It sounds too simple to be true however making a lasting impression starts with a first impression and a solid follow up strategy! I’m always stocked with an emergency supply of business cards and schedule time immediately following big events to commit to following up on all those great connections. Networking is essential to business and so is making that lasting impression!” R O U N D U P : R E C E N T P O S T S F R O M C A P I TA L I D E A S M E M B E R S Find the full posts on these members’ LinkedIn profiles. We’ll curate a selection every Friday in our LinkedIn group, Capital Ideas Alberta. To bring yours to our attention, email it to hello@capitalideascalgary.com or post to LinkedIn with the hashtag #capitalideas.
From “Should your business have a responsive website or an app?” by Ryan Hnetka, founder of App Guys (appguys.ca):
From “Measuring Workplace Bullying” by Michelle Phaneuf, conflict manager of Workplace Fairness Alberta (workplacefairness.ca):
“With mobile usage at an all-time high (and growing), and Google’s update favouring mobile-friendly websites, making the switch to mobile isn’t an option for businesses anymore.”
“I’ve come across a tool that you may find valuable in your workplace. It is referred to as the Negative Acts Questionnaire – Revised (NAQ-R) and is a research inventory developed for measuring perceived exposure to bullying and victimization at work.”
From “Start With a Strong Foundation: Knowing Your Audience & Branding” by Amanda Schewaga, owner of The Marketing Girl (themarketinggirl.com):
“In marketing, as in any pursuit, it is absolutely key to start with a strong foundation because without it, all of your future efforts are on shaky ground.”
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