4 Practical Problem-Solving Techniques for Today’s Business Leaders

Business leadership success is dependent on your ability to identify problems, formulate solutions and communicate effectively with your team. However, we all know this can feel ‘easier said than done.’ By learning to implement these practical problem-solving techniques, you can become a more impactful (and more trusted) business leader. Step 1. Get an Accurate Diagnosis You can’t find a solution to a problem if you don’t (first) identify that there is an issue and (second) understand the details of that … Read More

Sales Tips: 5 Questions Your Sales Team Needs to Answer

To build a high-performing sales team, many business leaders search for the latest sales tips and techniques while overlooking their team’s foundational knowledge. The most effective salespeople are proactive in learning as much as they can about their company, its products/services and its customers, but imagine the impact if your entire sales staff was armed with that knowledge. Sales Question #1 – What Are We Selling? Talk about the impact your products or services can have. Instead of simply knowing … Read More

Define Your Competitive Advantage: How Do You Line Up?

Many business leaders spend a good deal of time and resources trying to create an impactful marketing strategy and/or winning sales strategy – only to find that it doesn’t translate into increased conversions. Often times, it’s because an integral step was missed: defining the company’s competitive advantage. The truth of the matter is that customers don’t think like we do about our business. They don’t care about your products or services; they care about the solutions you provide. There’s a … Read More

How to Hire Productive Employees with the Law of Three

A well-established team of productive employees is, without a doubt, your organization’s most valuable asset. So, when you’re hiring new employees, it’s essential to choose candidates who will be able to thrive both in their individual position and as a part of the team. However, learning to identify those candidates can be incredibly challenging – especially since it’s human nature to be influenced by unconscious emotional responses. Swift and positive assessments of a candidate can be deceiving (much more so … Read More

Basic Business Analysis: 5 Questions Every CEO Should Be Asking (regularly)

We’ve all read news stories about once thriving businesses that are now in danger of closing their doors, and many of us have wondered how that happens. While it is possible that some unforeseen circumstance caused the downfall, it’s more common to find that the leadership lost touch with the business operations, shifting customer needs or emerging trends. In other words, they failed to conduct a regular business analysis. Just like your annual check-up with your doctor, your company’s health … Read More

Business Communication Techniques to Increase Your Effectiveness

Think about the leaders you admire most. What is it that makes them stand out from the crowd? Is it the way they motivate others? Their ability to get things done? Their authenticity or their vision? All too often, people attribute these characteristics to charisma – you either have it or you don’t – but that’s not actually the case. In fact, these are simply examples of the results you can achieve when you learn to leverage effective business communication … Read More

Get Motivated: Goals, Obstacles & Creative Thinking

The most effective business leaders embrace curiosity, adaptability and vision – qualities that rely on creativity. So, it’s not surprising that there’s a close correlation between business success, innovation and creative thinking. Business leaders who nurture creativity as a key leadership skill are more likely to embrace potential over problems and opportunity over opposition. In other words, creative thinking arms you with all the reasons to act, while freeing you from the self-imposed and unwarranted limitations that often take root … Read More

6 Steps for Increasing Productivity with Effective Feedback

What’s your process for providing effective feedback to your employees? As a business owner, executive and/or manager, your leadership sets the tone and the standards within your organization. The way in which you manage and communicate with your employees could stifle creativity and motivation or it could unlock each team members’ greatest potential. That’s why it’s so important to prioritize leadership development training. In this post, we’ll explore six practical steps for improving one of the most integral elements of … Read More

Strategic Planning 101: Conquer the 5 Most Common Mistakes

Strategic planning is a buzzword that’s been tossed around boardrooms and executive circles for years – leaving many business leaders feeling as though they are chasing the elusive strategic planning ROI. Just like with leadership development or sales techniques, effective strategic planning is a learned skill. At FocalPoint Canada, we help our clients navigate their business goals by working with them to develop roadmaps for success – aka strategic plans. To help you start thinking strategically about strategic planning, we’ve … Read More

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