January 2020 - Vertū Marketing

Lack Of Confidence Can Be A Powerful Tool

January 28, 2020 by Meagan Kerlin

It’s a good thing to feel confident in your choices. As a professional, you need to feel certainty about many of the choices you make, and your abilities and skills can allow you to do things and make decisions that will ultimately pay off. Confidence is a powerful tool, especially if you are in a field that requires a certain amount of charisma and doggedness to reach a point of success. There are times, however, when a lack of confidence can get in your way.

If you are not a naturally confident person, you’ve probably had to train yourself to seem confident. It may help to remember that a lack of confidence is not always a bad thing – you can actually learn to use this as a powerful tool as well. Use these feelings to drive yourself to develop a process that works for you. Over time, you can rely on these habits to cultivate a sense of confidence in your knowledge and work – even if your feelings don’t always match up.

One thing that can help is to build your knowledge and develop your skills. Focus on self-improvement, and never eschew the importance of continued learning and growth. Read, study, practice, develop and do whatever it takes to set yourself apart from the rest. This gives you a foundation on which you can move forward with a sense of surety – you’ll know that you know what you’re doing and how you should do it.

Another thing that can help you develop a sense of confidence is to establish good habits and routines, and stick to them. When you know what you’re doing and when you’re going to do it, it can become a support system for you. Confidence doesn’t always come naturally, and that’s okay. With the right tools, you can learn to develop it and feel good about moving forward.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Do You Know Your Management Style?

January 14, 2020 by Meagan Kerlin

If you are in charge of people in any capacity in a professional setting, you know that it is critical to manage this responsibility well. Management is hard work, and it’s not something a person can do without preparation or effort. If you are in a position of leadership, it may be helpful for you to pinpoint your management style and determine how you can develop an approach that is effective without being overbearing.

Some managers are actually too hands-off with their team. They may offer some guidance and instruction, but the members of the team are often left to figure out their own path forward. Without feedback and direct interaction on a regular basis, people may not be sure where they stand. Lack of management can lead to people feeling insecure about their work, unsure of what to do next and how they can grow in their current role.

Managers who are undermanaging are often like this because they have confidence in their team and want to give them space. Even if that is the case, it is still the responsibility of the person in charge to provide definitive leadership. The opposite of this problematic management style is over-management. This happens when a person is directly involved with too much, leaving team members feeling stifled and frustrated.

Over-managing can be just as damaging as not managing at all. There must be a balance between allowing people room to do their jobs and being overbearing. It’s certainly not easy to know where this line is, but it may help to talk with your team and to find out how they perceive your role. With mutual respect and a willingness to talk through issues, you can develop a management style that will allow you to lead your team with confidence.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Making New Year Resolutions Count

January 6, 2020 by Meagan Kerlin

If you are like the many people who make New Year’s resolutions, you probably made your choice based on things you want to improve upon or change in the New Year. People often resolve to lose weight, eat healthier, maintain better habits and do other things that will make them healthier, happier and more successful. While the intention behind these things is good, the trouble with resolutions is that people rarely keep them for more than a few weeks or months.

Many resolutions won’t work long-term, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t important to make goals and strive to get better and do better. Instead of making resolutions that will fizzle out over time, instead try to implement habits that will bring effective change. In fact, you may find it helpful to look at your currents habits and simply make positive adjustments that will bring the most meaningful changes to your life.

It will also help to remember that for any change to actually stick, you have to give it time and remain consistent. Over time, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts and find that your better habits are working to bring positive change to a specific area of your life. One reason why New Year resolutions rarely work is because people become frustrated and quit when they don’t get the change they want quickly enough.

Even small changes are good changes. You don’t have to change the world overnight or completely transform yourself in order to make and celebrate positive steps forward. Don’t fall for the trap of thinking that your resolution has to be amazing or huge to count. Focus on one or two small things to change or habits to improve, and go from there. Resolutions might not always work, but effective change is worth the effort.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

How Good Is Your Business Idea, Really?

January 2, 2020 by Meagan Kerlin

When you’re planning on starting a company, you may think you have an innovative plan and an idea that virtually guarantees success. It’s easy to allow excitement over a business idea to cloud your judgement instead of honestly assessing whether that idea is, in fact, good. Even plans that are brilliant and thought out sometimes fail, and it’s prudent to move carefully through the planning and preparation stage. When you test your idea out and challenge yourself to improve issues before you even start, you can save yourself a significant amount of heartache and stress down the road.

There are certain questions you can ask that help you assess the integrity and potential of your idea. Asking yourself any of the following can help you see whether your idea “holds water” and will allow you to achieve success in your entrepreneurial venture:

-Who else is doing something similar?
-Will your concept confuse consumers?
-Will you have to enter a highly competitive market as the new kid on the block?
-How much funding do you need to get started?
-What needs will your product or services fulfill?
-Who is your target audience, and why would they be interested in your product?
-Do you need to take steps to secure patents or legal protections for your product?
-What do you have that will give your business a competitive edge?

Starting a business and achieving success is not easy, even with the best business model in the world. This is why it is crucial to really test your idea before you move forward. It takes a careful balance of an original idea and hard work, but all the effort in the world may not overcome an inherently bad idea.

Many successful entrepreneurs learned the hard way that their original business idea was not that great, but that doesn’t have to happen to you. After an honest assessment of your plans, you may find that a few tweaks or even starting from scratch is necessary. However, this is always better to do now than after you’ve already invested a significant amount of time and money.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC