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Marilynn Deane Mendell
President
Win
Spin CIC, Inc.
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Recently Published Article
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Please click on the above link to read the recent article in
Metal Architecture
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Review the above list and keep it handy. So often spelling errors can wreck a proposal or presentation.
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Tackle the Boring This Year
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For a myriad reasons, exciting tasks always get priority in any office. Boring tasks get assigned to the lower echelon personnel and rarely do those various mundane systems ever get scrutinized --carefully -- by owners/principals.
Just like scope creep, boring tasks--the lesser family of details--spread. For instance, when a database reaches 5000 no one wants to take the time to review each contact line by line, much less think about the global repercussions of an out of date, or worse, irrelevant database. While many organizations have an integrated platform, many employees still keep their own individual Outlook contacts. This mind boggling occurrence happens so often that it's hard to understand. The ongoing rationale seems to be that the effort of combining and up-keeping the current system frustrates even the most hardened professional. So better to turn a blind eye and ignore.
This family of unattended boring tasks can slow down business development and marketing on so many fronts. That's why it's so important to peruse lists that hold upcoming opportunities for award submissions or speaking engagements. Sadly, inaccurate or out of date tracking devices can often result in the important loss of missed opportunities.
In addition, there might be a need to revamp the brand standards book where detailed accounts of how much gets ordered, from whom to order, and exactly the correct logo, the right fonts, paper types, and correct corporate colors reside. There should be a notebook with hard copies of every item ordered including marketing brochures and holiday cards. The electronic versions (with retired editions relegated to the archive folder) also needs to be cleaned out. That might mean double checking office hoarders; those who insist on using some easy access version on their personal hard drive.
Why should principals take on the magnifying glass to review these various tasks? Wouldn't their time be more wisely spent finding new business? Isn't this in the category of micro managing? Don't I pay intelligent people to take care of these? No!
Systems fall apart if not regularly maintained and reviewed. The further they deteriorate the more monumental the they feel and are in reality more difficult to fix.
Principals/owners have a level of caring that surpasses entry level personnel. Although, when owning a business we often pass things off to others whom we can trust (such as our accountants), we still review our tax documents or architectural plans, right? It's the same but more so with anything that ultimately touches the client. If a database contains misspelled names or dead clients, then that can sour a relationship or point to a less detail oriented organization. Finally, it is principals who can instantly feel/smell if these various lists accurately reflect the company's current business development direction or if the lists have become stale and still target an audience long left in the dust.
It takes ownership to bother with that kind of examination. That's the truth. Have fun. I promise the effort will pay off in numerous ways every day. Really. |
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A few of my students from 2015
at
Georgetown University
Business Etiquette & Learning to
Cook
Are Special Advantages
for this Georgetown Class.
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Special Thanks
This generous group from the Real Estate Industry have contributed enormously as guest speakers for my 2015
12 Keys to Successful Business Practice masters class at Georgetown University. They so well deserve recognition for their contributions.
James C. Dinegar, CAE,
President & CEO
Greater Washington Board of Trade
Daniel J. Feil,
FAIA, Executive Architect
Eisenhower Memorial Commission
Debra Gilmore, Founder/Principal
Gilmore/Lighting Design, Inc.
Robert Helwig, Bob Helwig Consulting, LLC
William I. Magruder,
Senior Vice President
Clark Construction Group, LLC
Caroline Massie,
Editor, Architect Magazine
Robert J. Murphy
,
Managing Principal
William H. Norton, Retired Regional Director
Northwestern Real Estate Investment
John Simeon, Development Executive
The JBG Companies
James P. Tunkey, Chief Operating Officer
IonAsia
Finally, I want to thank Nicole Witenstein and
Lynnecia Eley who set up the programs at
Georgetown.
Thank You,
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To everyone who bought my book and who has supported this effort--you are the best. The book is currently about to be reprinted as it has SOLD OUT. Well, there are a few copies still lingering on Amazon. New books arrive in May 2016.
For those of you not familiar with my book I was
once the best and largest
off-premise caterer in Western New York. For years I have paired business acumen with my fabulous recipes to help cement business concepts for my clients and that teaching idea became the foundation for my book. The book conveys my story of how to achieve the American Dream; where anyone in this country can become whatever they want with hard work and a never-give-up attitude.
Hence the title:
Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat
"Trust Marilynn Mendell's creative spirit to serve up valuable business strategies alongside everyone's favorite... food... and make it meaningful and delicious. Bon Appetit!"
- Cindy Allen,
Editor in
Chief,
Interior Design Magazine
"Marilynn Deane Mendell's inspirational book is not only a HOW TO but a WHY NOT? - offering entrepreneurial ingredients for tasty meals, healthy businesses, and fruitful lives. Delicious food for thought!"
- Bill Cunningham,
Television Producer,
Los Angeles
"Elbow Grease + Chicken Fat is hard to put down. I love the recipes, and Marilynn Deane Mendell has included many that I'd like to try. The accompanying words of wisdom--on growing a business and much more-- are just as valuable. Kudos to Marilynn for implementing a great idea! It was extremely motivational."
-
Diana Mosher,
Editor in Chief,
Multi-Housing News
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