Perspective from “the New Guy”

Being a recent graduate of Centerville High School has been an accomplishment and success. I decided that I wanted to pursue a degree in marketing at The University of Cincinnati. I felt that the co-op program at Cincinnati offered me the best chance for success in the “real world.” Having completed my freshman year at The University of Cincinnati, I feel as if I learned a good amount of information about not only marketing, but business in general.

I have just recently started working at RSVP this summer. Working at RSVP will be a great opportunity to contribute to this business, develop practical real-world experience, further myself in my long-term job search and enhance my resume this summer. It has been my first real job in the career path that I have chosen. As I started working at RSVP, I felt as if I needed to prove myself to my fellow employees and demonstrate that just because I am the boss’ son, I can “bust it” and earn their respect in the office. I have started working part-time, with my first of several assignments being converting hundreds of businesses paper files to our new paperless database.

While I am converting files, I feel that being the new intern with a fresh set of eyes in the business, I can offer new ideas to the company, and more efficient ways to do daily tasks. Even though I lack experience in the workplace, I feel that I can make up for it in creative and new ideas, and energy and passion for life.

Being “the new guy” allows me to be in a position where I can challenge and inspire myself and others to excel, while simultaneously generating new ideas and process improvements for the RSVP business. That is a perspective that I have now, and hope to maintain throughout my career.

Contributed by:
Anthony J. Sucato
University of Cincinnati
Carl H. Lindner College of Business

Being Responsible When It’s Not Your Responsibility

Recently a client shared a story with me. They had ran an ad with another company and the other company accidentally inverted some digits in their phone number. The client signed off on the proof without realizing it. They didn’t think it was something they needed to worry about because they had ran the ad before. When the mistake was discovered later the company told my client they weren’t liable because the client approved the ad.

While that is technically right, it is also so wrong.

Clients should feel that their vendors are looking out for them, proactively working to not make mistakes and fixing any if they do. They need to feel their vendors have their backs.

Before we run an ad for a client we check every single phone number and website, every single time we run the ad for them, even if it is the same ad we have always run for them. Some might ask “why would you waste your time doing that when your clients have already approved their ads?” We don’t view it as a waste of time. We are in business to help our clients grow. We help do that by looking out for them, even though we don’t technically need to. We’re responsible when we don’t need to be because it’s the best thing to do for our client and because it’s right thing to do.

Contributed by Jodie Hook.

Police Rides, Blindfolds and Art: How Each Helps Inspire Leadership

leadership

I had the good fortune recently of taking a leadership class at a local university. Alright, if we’re being honest with each other I wasn’t happy about driving the hour down to this night class after working all day. That is, until I sat down for that first class. I knew this was going to be no ordinary class the minute it started.

I learned two major life lessons under the watch of my exuberant and charismatic professor.

The first life lesson I learned in this class was that we need leadership – and all kinds, very badly. I’m not just talking about in positions like politics. One of our assignments was to do a police ride along – and when he announced that this was one of our projects, I saw more than a few heads shake, obviously unsure about having to do it. But those very people were probably the ones who learned the most from it. It gives you a whole new perspective about leadership. It shows us that we need leaders in each aspect of our lives. Whether you run a business, a department, or a family, your leadership will touch those around you, and if you do it right, the energy you exude will wind around those you lead and lift them to whole new levels of motivation, cooperation and productivity.

Second lesson? The phrase ‘that’s just how it is’ no longer applies to my life. Everyone knows school is a pain, and if you ask nearly anyone they’ll tell you they ‘don’t miss those days.’ Well, if they’d taken my leadership class, they certainly wouldn’t feel that way. From timed team art projects to being led around campus by my peers while we were all blindfolded (near some light traffic, I might add), we learned through experiences, and not a book, what leadership meant. He challenged us in a way that no professor had ever done for me, and he made school fun again.

If every professor had his passion and energy, I guarantee grades, attendance, and undoubtedly, tuition would go up. The point is, he could have made a PowerPoint, and he could have simply lectured like every other class, because that’s just how school is. It certainly would have been easier, and still earned him a paycheck. But he went above and beyond, and he challenged what a ‘normal’ class should be. He showed me that things don’t have to be ordinary. They truly can be extraordinary.

For anyone who might say, well you’re just out of college, so wait until you’ve been in the real world a while, I’d say to you that I already am. I have been fortunate to find a boss who is open-minded to new ideas and routinely asks how we can make things more effective, cost efficient and creative. If you don’t have leadership like this, don’t give up. Do your part, and inspire those around you to do the same. It will all come full circle; you just have to believe in the extraordinary.

For an hilariously inspiring example of leadership, and the future of it, I encourage you to watch the following video:

Contributed by Ashley Hudson.

Why Administrative Professionals are Your Best Friend in the Business World.

Thank you to Virtual Officenters for this accurate depiction of Administrative Professionals!

You rock…and we know it.

How many times have you heard that dreaded sound coming from the copy machine? You know, the sound of paper crunching and the copier making that weird noise that means only one thing? PAPER JAM! As a wave of panic begins to wash over you, you quickly scan the office for the one person who can solve this disastrous problem….your friendly, helpful Administrative Professional!

In my humble opinion, Administrative Professionals are the crux of any work environment. From answering the phones to creating spreadsheets and proofing power point presentations, we can do a plethora of tasks assigned to us at a moment’s notice.

We support individuals, departments and entire offices. We love helping people, making their lives easier and making sure offices run in efficient manner….we are, your best friend!

Make sure you keep that in mind, because Administrative Professional’s day is coming up soon – April 23^rd, and you’ll want to make sure you thank those you work with for all they do. Some great ideas are a workspace makeover, buy them lunch, let them work a half day, or a spa gift certificate! Whatever you do, even if it’s just a card, make sure you let them know how much you sincerely appreciate them.

Contributed by Marcella Gillespie

Got bad customers? What to do?

Customers are revenue. The more the merrier. Right?

If you don’t care if your business is just another competitor in a crowded field, then sure, more customers should be your ultimate goal.

The other side of that equation is fewer customers but better customers. Better customers make your business better in the long run. There are a variety of reasons why better customers trump more customers.

Better customers understand your value and are willing to work with you. A good customer doesn’t look at you as an adversary that they need to hold at arms-length and with an attitude of always having the upper hand over you. Because better customers look at you the vendor, as an equal, your relationship together is much more friendly and consultative in nature. Interactions are rarely strained or combative and by extension allow you to get to know your customer outside of the business transactions you conduct.

We would all like to have “better customers” all the time if given the opportunity. Many times it doesn’t work out that way even if we felt like it would going into the initial relationship. So, what can you do about it?

If you feel like the relationship you have with a customer is not what you envisioned going in, then there should come a point at which you must address those concerns. Do that with an honest but non-combative conversation. Suggest to your customer that maybe you are not the right fit for his or her business. This way you won’t be putting your customer on the defensive. It’s likely that your customer wouldn’t have seen this conversation coming and thus will also allow them to realize that perhaps some of the issue is due to their actions. They may take responsibility for those actions and work to make the relationship what it should have been from the start.

Something to consider in this situation is that you may be underestimating the value of what you or your company bring to the table and that the customer may think that losing that value is too much of a risk for them to take. Even if you don’t learn that specifically, within that conversation you are likely to learn from your customer how to handle them or their business in a way that makes the relationship stronger after all.

In the end, if things don’t come to a satisfactory conclusion for you, you can always tell your customer that “It’s only a good deal when it’s fair to both sides”, and end your agreement. It sounds harsh and counter-intuitive in a sales capacity to intentionally lose a customer, but you and your company will be better off in the long run as you can put more productive time and effort into your existing “good” customers and leave behind the angst and dread of dealing with bad customers.

I have actually had competitors call me to tell me about situations they’re having now, with my former client, that were the same situations I had had with that former client. That’s when I knew that any indecision about letting that former client go was now vindicated knowing that it wasn’t anything that I had done wrong, but that it was a bad customer all along.

It may hurt in the short-run to lose that revenue but this one business situation may fit into the money-can’t-buy-happiness category.

Do you have a bad customer story to share? Tell us about it below.

Reap the benefits of hosting your clients at a sporting or off-site event

This past Sunday, it was RSVP Cleveland/Akron day at the Akron Aeros baseball game. Families from RSVP and clients from the local area were in attendance and it turned out to be an exciting day for everyone.

Bill, owner of Closet Factory talking with Tony Succatto, owner of RSVP

Bob Pietrick, owner of Closet Factory talking with Tony Sucato, owner of RSVP

Thanks go out to the Akron Aeros management for providing such a wonderful facility and food for all of our guests. We highly recommend it for any business looking to host a fun day for their families and guests.

Renting a suite at a sporting event is well worth the effort. Having access to such a comfortable facility and the ability to entertain prospects, clients, and families really helps to make those important connections with people outside of normal business hours. Unlike networking events, attending a game is relaxed and fun. Everyone is there with the purpose of having a good time without the worry of having to be business-like or the pressure of industry talk. You’ll find that you will learn more about your prospects and clients in casual talk at the game within the suite environment which will lead to better relationships and communication going into the future.

For instance, we learned things about our clients such as where they come from, how their careers have evolved, and personal things that in many instances are entertaining. It’s funny how in a relaxed setting clients will open up and share things about themselves and families that you wouldn’t have found out under a more formal business setting.

Jim Inama, RSVP Cleveland talking with ***, owner of ****

Jim Inama, RSVP Cleveland talking with Lisa Matthews of Audio Video Interiors

The Aeros played well but couldn’t overcome Curve outfielder Alex Dickerson who nearly hit for the cycle, eventually losing 9-4. In the end everyone still had a good time.

Hosting an event isn’t limited to just a baseball venue, obviously, other sporting venues would be appropriate. Don’t forget about the “minors” also. It doesn’t have to be the big leauges in order to have a fun and productive event. In addition, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for customization of your event from the facility you would be renting from. Many of them would be happy to help add special touches or little extras to make your event memorable and stand out from others that your clients may have attended in the past.

Here’s how to get in touch with each of the professional baseball teams within the RSVP Kentucky Ohio Indiana footprint to schedule your company’s day to the game and personal suite: