Meagan Kerlin

Leadership is not something that comes naturally for everyone. If you own a business, want to be an entrepreneur someday, work in any type of management or simply want to work on personal development, it is important to constantly sharpen your leadership skills. With time and intentional effort, it is possible to develop skills and habits that will make you a good, strong and consistent leader. Strong leadership skills can be an incredibly important part of achieving success in business and other parts of life.

One of the most critical aspects of being a strong leader is earning the trust of those with whom you work. Your employees and others may do what you say and follow your instructions, but trust is not the same as obedience. When you are trustworthy, people will be more likely to come to you with their concerns, ask for advice and willingly follow your guidance. Being a trustworthy leader is not necessarily the same thing as being liked, and it’s important to be able to distinguish the difference between these two things.

Part of honing your leadership skills is to learn the importance and power of the words you use. One of the marks of a good leader is someone who chooses his or her words wisely, making the effort to be kind and honest to everyone. If you speak unkindly, engage in gossip or do not follow up on what you say you will do, the people around you and those who work with you will likely not consider you a good leader. Words have power, and it’s important to use what you say to build people up, encourage, instruct and lead — not tear down and discourage.

While words have power, leadership also requires that you follow-up on what you say. It’s important to be a man or woman of your word. Being true to what you say is a mark of integrity, and it is also a mark of strong leadership. Honing your skills as a leader is a beneficial step for anyone who wants to improve, distinguish themselves and succeed.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Every business will deal with a dispute at some point. Whether it’s with a customer,  vendor, supplier or even an employee, it’s important to know how to deal with business disputes in the right way. If left unchecked, a dispute can lead to litigation, and litigation can lead to financial loss. It’s always better to nip these issues in the bud as soon as you become aware of them.

It is often possible to resolve many types of business-related disputes through negotiation or other means. Often, calm discussions and promptly addressing concerns is enough to resolve the issue in a way that is satisfactory to both parties. One of the most important things to do is to take action to handle these things quickly — don’t let issues grow out of control due to simple inaction.

If you’re involved in a dispute, the first thing to do is to identify the root issue. Going in with guns blazing is not always effective. In fact, it can make things worse. Find out why the party feels wronged or why they acted in the way they did. An attempt to understand and meet halfway can go a long way — and it can also save you time, money and stress.

Disputes can arise for many complex reasons. In some cases, such as issues arising from breach of contract, it may be necessary to seek legal guidance to protect your interests and those of your business. However, it is always prudent to explore all of the solutions available — sometimes the best route may be easier than you think.

If you’re involved in a dispute, don’t panic, but don’t wait to take action to address it in a positive manner. This is a complex problem, but there are steps you can take to protect your interests, resolve the dispute and move forward.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

If you have been on social media for more than 30 seconds, you have most likely seen the overabundance of videos, Instagram stories and other types of video messages that are on virtually every platform. Savvy business owners have already grabbed onto the idea of using social media as a powerful, and very inexpensive, marketing tool. While it is easy to get caught up in social media trends, like Instagram or Facebook stories, or other fads on social media, it’s important not to overlook the simple effectiveness of videos on your website. Consumers still find value in informative or entertaining videos when looking at websites, and including videos can be a great way to connect with potential customers.

Video is a fantastic way to enhance your business website, and it is a powerful way to increase engagement. When used in the right way, it can also lead to sales conversions. Many businesses use videos on the homepage. This catches the attention of a site visitor, and it can compel him or her to visit other pages of the site. This is a great way to engage, but videos are quite useful and effective on other pages of the sight, too.

A website that has videos on multiple pages typically has better sales. This type of marketing tool helps people emotionally engage with your brand and gives them a break from only reading blocks of content. In addition to home page videos, it may also boost your site engagement to have videos on your About page or on any pages explaining or using your products. Including videos can also make pages seem more organized and more visually appealing.

Social media and videos on social media are trendy and effective, but don’t forget to implement them on your website as well. If your site traffic is low or not resulting in sales conversions, try including more video to engage better and get your money’s worth out of your site.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

As an entrepreneur, your business is a reflection of you. It is up to you to ensure that you have instilled values and positive qualities at every level of your company operations. Making efforts to ensure that the characteristics of your company are good and to communicate a positive message to your customers are both worthwhile. Consumers will be more likely to patronize a high-quality business, and you will make your company a place people want to work.

It is smart to think about the ways you can offer a positive experience to both your customers and your employees. Running a high-qualify company starts at the top, and you can take steps to create a company culture that reflects strong ethics and values. The first step in this process is to ask yourself how you can implement things that will set your business above the rest, as well as learn from established and successful high-quality companies. Consider the following marks of high-quality businesses:

• No complacency allowed — When you are always challenging yourself and your employees to learn, grow and improve, it will mean you will never grow complacent. Never stop trying to get better, even if you reach a certain level of success.
• Communicate values — Your company values should be evident in every aspect of your operations, from the way you train employees to how you handle customer complaints. Starting at the top with you, decide how to instill your values and ethical practices at every level.
• Treat customers well — Customers are the most valuable players for any successful company. Offer value and treat your customers well, and you will establish a loyal customer base that will keep returning to your business.

Your company culture is a critical aspect of your success. Start with yourself, identify important values for your business, and make the effort to see this established in every area of your operations. If you want to run a high-quality business, it will start with you and the decisions you make.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

From the moment of the first handshake, the impression that you make on people when meeting them for the first time can have a significant effect on the rest of your relationship, whether it’s personal or professional. Making a strong first impression matters, and it can be beneficial for you to work diligently on honing your interpersonal skills and developing habits that will set you apart and allow you to connect with people, network well and build the right relationships that will benefit your business.

When you are meeting someone for business purposes, it is important to communicate that you are trustworthy and capable. You do not necessarily have to use words to communicate this with other people, but instead, you can say those things with your body language, through eye contact and in how you treat people. One of the very first things you can do when meeting someone for the first time is to allow them to speak first. Even if you are the one with the agenda, letting the other person have the first word is a sign of respect, and it can be a positive way to start your relationship off on the right foot.

Another way to make a strong first impression with people is to be an active listener. Don’t just listen to people and wait for your chance to respond — listen to what they are saying, give them time to talk and don’t interrupt. An important part of listening well is making others feel like you really care about their concerns. Put your phone down and become an attentive listener.

In business meetings, part of making a strong first impression is to do your homework beforehand. Be prepared for your conversation by researching the client and being ready with the right information. Taking the time to do a little research before the meeting is a great way to show that you are professional but also personable and prepared. Knowing how to make a good first impression is important, and it’s a worthwhile skill to have, whether you want to simply build stronger relationships or gain more from your business meetings.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

The survival of your business depends not only on getting prospective clients to become paying customers but also to keep them coming back. The way to get a solid client base that returns again and again is to build an emotional connection with the people who patronize your company. It is easy to overlook the importance of connecting with your customers, but in reality, it can be of the most powerful ways to establish your brand and lay the foundation for success well into the future.

In a world where businesses may feel overwhelmed by the various marketing options out there, you have to be intentional about choosing ways to remain accessible to build personal connections with your customers. Connection usually drives loyalty, but for most businesses, it is not always easy to figure out the best way to connect with the people who patronize their business. One simple way is to be personal — offer personal service, take the time to listen to your customers and provide products that truly matter for their lives.

Another simple way to connect with your customers is to go the extra mile for their benefit. Show that you value them and appreciate their patronage. Take the time to address concerns in a beneficial manner and offer special incentives and small touches that demonstrate your dedication to customer care. The “extra mile” is often where lifelong and loyal customers are made.

How you will be able to build strong connections with your customers depends on the type of business you have and how your company operates. However, there is always benefit in evaluating client care procedures and the ways you interact with customers. It can be particularly beneficial to focus on emotional connection in all aspects of your company operations, from your marketing strategies to the products you develop.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC

Distraction is an issue for most people. We live in a time when distractions abound in the form of social media, cellphones, podcasts and much more. There are dozens of things vying for your attention at any given moment, and if you allow distraction to become an ongoing problem, it can begin to affect your productivity and the quality of work you produce. Whether you struggle with distraction or you want to ensure it does not become a problem for you, it may be beneficial to learn how to improve your focus and get more out of the hours in your day.

Learning how to improve focus is incredibly important for professionals of all kinds. You may not be tempted to look at your phone at work, but you still may be distracted by the many things you need to do, the people you need to help and other obligations. Improving your focus can help you manage your time better, be more effective and get more done. You can work on your focus and productivity by doing any of the following:

• Focus on one task at a time — there is evidence to suggest that few, if any, people can actually do more than one thing at once and do it well.
• Do what you can to eliminate distractions — put your phone away, avoid Facebook and remove other things from your work space that could have a negative effect on your ability to focus.
• Exercise and give yourself time for self-improvement — by allowing yourself “free time” in your day, you may feel less tempted to allow distraction to steal the time you need to be working.
• Structure your workday and stick to your schedule — this simple step can lead to significant productivity and help you accomplish more in fewer hours

Sometimes, simply telling yourself to focus is not enough. It may require mindfulness and intention to develop focus in your workday, but it’s well worth the effort to boost your productivity and the quality of the work you are doing.

By Meagan Kerlin for Vertu Marketing LLC