CEOs will occasionally push you down, but mid-level managers will rarely join you. If you do not start at the top, there is a steep climb to get there that puts relationships in your path at risk.
Knowing the employees of the company, their rank and level can prepare you when you start entering the business.
As a sales representative, you should know that you should strive for your C-level decision-makers as soon as possible. That way, you don’t have to put a lot of effort on someone who is not part of the decision-making process to talk about your sale.
Also, it is better to get direct rejection from C-level Executives. If you get one from the lower-level management, you’re always stuck wondering if you can get a yes from the higher-ups instead.
Forget the Features:
The facilities are great for an operations person, but the higher you climb, the more your interaction should be tied to the benefits of their organization.
People in C-level positions constantly think of ways to improve their company. If you can solve the company’s challenges and offer benefits, these executives will be more accessible and may be more ideal to talk to.
C-suite Executives look at their company’s issues from a more perspective, so you should focus on the solutions you can provide. When you list your features one by one, it is not meant to attract anyone up the corporate ladder.
They are always going to be a lot smarter. Also, these business leaders are thinking: “What’s in it for me?”
Thus, you should answer that question before they ask it.
Understand the Priorities of C-Level Executives:
The performance of an Interim CEO is linked to increasing revenue, improving margins and boosting the bottom line. They will spend their time in conversation which will help them to achieve these objectives.
Remember that you should modify your sales pitch to accommodate for the person you are talking to. Therefore, for those within C-level Management, you should not ask basic questions about their company.
In fact, you should already know enough to get straight to the point. If you ask questions about their company’s goals and background, they probably won’t think much of you.
You have to be armed and ready and able to show your understanding of the company’s goals and needs, before they have to say what it means to you.
Let’s connect and share requirement at info@interimcsuiteservices.com.
“It is lonely at the top” is a common saying between CEOs and business owners.
In many cases, you are the head of the organization and you do not have any peer inside the company with whom to talk. Ironically, once you are in that role, you have things to talk about more than ever – vision, strategy, what you want to do next with the business, personnel issues, major challenges, And the list goes on and on.
There is no question, this issue has never been more prevalent.
At IE Consulting LLC, we have recently seen a very large increase in requests for business advisors. I quite often asked why I think this is happening.
My answer, “As the leaders of a company, we are more alone than ever, we do not have all the answers, sometimes feeling like we don’t have visibility into what the future holds, and just need someone to talk to us, be on top for a while and bring their point of view and vision. ”
The next question I get is, “What kind of consultants are CEOs looking for?” My response varies depending on the situation, but below are some examples to help answer that question.
Scenario 1:
A mid-to-large-sized company with a business growth in an industry or business sector is not familiar or comfortable. Interim CEOs are expecting a 50% increase again this year and are unsure what their organizational structure should look like at that point. It has no ratio or compensation benchmark for other companies in the industry as it is a fairly new industry for it. The CEO is looking for someone with a deep industry background to tell him/her what she/he knows and does not do around plans for profitable growth.
Scenario 2:
Small family-owned businesses that seek to focus not just on growth but on business value. The CEO has received an offer to buy the company but it is “not enough to retire.” There are some long-term business relationships that are potential catering. The owners are looking for someone to help them figure out what the roadmap options are, so that an increased assessment can be obtained and they can be trained through the mines.
Scenario 3:
The interim CEO has a long-term employee who aims to help the company manage and reduce its workload. Unfortunately, none of this is happening. S/He knows s/he needs to replace the employee but there is also a long-term connection. S/He is then not sure if s/he needs to move forward and how best to replace the person. The CEO is looking to reduce his/her workload and reduce expenses. She/He is looking for a mentor to help guide in completing both.
In each of these situations, the head of the company had no one who could provide advice internally and needed someone who could step in in that capacity.
As difficult as it is to get beyond our four walls (metaphorical company walls or office / home office walls), it is now more necessary than ever.
Here are some common options for gaining perspective or finding like-minded people and building a credible relationship with them.
Industry Events, Roundtables
CEO Peer Groups
Networking
Growth Consultants
If you feel that you don’t have time for these or are a little too familiar with the above examples, you can bring expertise.
Here are some examples of how to get help within your four walls without hiring someone for long term.
Business Coach
Business Advisor
Advisory Board
Expert Roundtable – Specific to Your Company and Business Issues
Part Time Interim Executive
Interim Executive
There are several options for transferring a conversation from one person to two or more within a trusted and confidential setting. If you do not have it internally with your leadership team, then it is easy to find someone who is suitable for the time you need. Let us know how we can help.
Is there ever a time when it is the right thing to hire outside senior executives for short term assignments in a software or hardware company? If you are based in the US, technical company boards and senior leadership do not seem to have the most specific response to the question of using interim management.
There are obviously many exceptions to this statement. But in most cases when an executive position opens, the next person in that role hires another permanent executive. Much of the idea of too short the time of reflexion is given to some other possible solution.
In small cases where someone is designated in a role with the tag “interim”, it is usually someone from inside the company. In the case of an interim CEO, it is often a current board member.
Let us look at some areas where a senior interim executive should be hired:
Gaps covered with interim management:
This is probably the most common reason for using C-level interim management. One executive has left the company – voluntarily or not. The team needs leadership. You can try to fill this gap by temporarily putting the team under another functional area manager or more junior executive, but of course this is not optimal. Bringing in an experienced interim can often be a great solution allowing you to move the momentum in the area of concern in the right direction, while allowing the company to take the time and a careful, thoughtful hiring process for the next permanent executive.
Change agents:
There are many different reasons that a company may benefit from the use of a change agent. One of the more common scenarios is a company undergoing financial pressure. Although a new permanent freight may take the necessary steps, sometimes it may be beneficial to use an interim manager such as a fleeting change agent to take these steps. An interim can step in and work fast, while the right permanent fare can take a very long time in situations where time is important.
Interim management can serve as change agents in tech companies:
Sometimes a situation arises in companies where conflict over policy or personality is tearing the company down. In these cases, bring in an interim manager with a previous “dog in the hunt”, who may allow him to be in the role of an impartial, honest arbiter to bridge the divide between the warring factions.
Manage a specific project:
The ultimate common reason for retaining senior interim management executive officers in a technology company is the ubiquitous “special project”. There are many good reasons to bring a temporary senior resource for special projects. Sometimes a project is very, very challenging, and it makes sense to bring the most efficient, experience expertise to lift the odds of success.
International Executive Consulting LLC provides C-Level interim executive services to software and hardware companies, in addition to core management consulting services. If you would like to discuss the potential need for an interim executive, contact us using the information below.
Follow Cyril Moreau and International Executive Consulting LLC via Twitter, LinkedIn. Contact Cyril directly at info@interimcsuiteservices.com.
A mid economic upheaval and increasing challenges, what is the best source of sound, applicable counsel available to the CEO? This is a simple question, but of great importance for the development of small and mid-size businesses (SMEs). At different times a leader may want to use specialized expertise, generate a strategic decision or strengthen discussion around business development. There are many possible sources of professional advice; the executive team, shareholders, peers, professional advisors, family, etc. each have its pros and cons, but an Interim C-Level Executive can certainly provide the kind of results Leaders of small and midsize businesses can expect from their chosen soothsayer.
By working with many CEOs over the years on several specific projects, many clients understood C-Levels to be a higher level and strategic guidance of a more general nature. There seems to be a growing demand for such comprehensive high-level advice, which is not available to any one person. This contemporary body of research was sponsored and shared. This gives a staggering revelation of the kind of impact that experienced consulting business can have on productivity and profitability.
Although large organizations often have a board of directors, many SMEs are not in a position to use the benefits of such a formal structure, for several reasons. However, it is well within the capacity of a small to medium-sized organization to employ the services of an advisory board. It is a relatively straightforward way of accessing expertise, know-how and depth of experience, and yet it is a far more flexible approach, especially if the leader of an organization is focused on getting further perspectives and guidance, as opposed to rear-view oversight which was practiced by most corporate boards.
The outstanding feature of the BDC methodology is their use of metrics to determine the value of the use of advisory boards. Two major highlights of the research found that organizations with an advisory board reported that they enjoyed 24% higher sales and 18% higher productivity than the higher board less’ control group. 86% of these SMEs were also “respondents who benefited from the advice of their advisory board and believe that it had a significant impact on their company”. Those results speak volumes. So far BDC reports that only 6% of American SMEs have formed advisory boards to assist them. The study concludes that “the role, operations and benefits of this governance tool should be highly promoted to American business leaders to help them better manage their company’s success.”
Based on this trailblazing study, and by tapping into the depth and breadth of the talent pool at C-Level, we have developed a consistent approach to help clients actively establish their own advisory board. This approach reduces time, effort, and risk; and provides immediate direction by focusing on upcoming major issues; be it vision, profitability, increased sales, strategic initiatives or enhanced transactions.
Have you considered the benefits of an advisory board? Care to see the findings of the entire BDC research? Potential benefits are indisputable.
No matter what business owners do, businesses will always run into a rough patch where things all seem to go wrong. To deal with this rough patch, you sometimes need someone with a specific skill set to help get your business out of this tough time. This is where interim leadership comes in. Through interim leadership, you can find that specific person with expertise in a certain area to help your company.
What is Interim Leadership:
Now as the name suggests, interim leadership is leadership on a temporary basis. These executives are usually brought in for a short time period or on a project basis. The reason is these executives are highly specialized. Not only do they have the specific skills needed to fix the problems, they also have years of experience to back these skills up. You may be wondering if this form of leadership is another form of consultants. That is not the case. The main difference between a consultant and an interim, is that not only does interim leadership advise your company, but they also can execute on the solutions to assist your company.
The Benefits:
When comparing an interim to a full-time hire, there are 2 main benefits in choosing the interim route. One benefit is the flexibility they provide. A full-time hire may not have the background expertise in each of the areas needed the company may encounter. With interim leadership, you can hire one executive who has the expertise for a specific project or situation the company is facing such as new channel expansion. Once this is launched, another set of expertise may be needed to achieve the company’s goals. The second benefit of an interim is the cost. There are no hidden costs with an Interim Executive such as pension or paid vacation. Interim leadership is a more flexible model where you can pay as you go, only for what is worked on.
For the various challenges your company will face throughout its life, it may not make sense to hire a new full time executive. This is where an interim comes in. Interim leadership is flexible and highly specialized, so whatever the challenge your company may face, an interim can be the superhero that saves the day!
To learn about how International Executive Consulting LLC can help you and for more information on interim executives, please visit our home page by Clicking Here.
Interim executive tips to grow your platform, product or service.
Understanding Network Effects:
You buy a toothbrush and use it to clean your teeth. You got what you paid for. Most products are like this. But in the last decade, a new kind of work is taking place whose value actually increases as the number of people using it increases. Otherwise known as network effect.
Facebook, AirBnB, Uber, and eBay are popular examples of companies that have only grown more powerful and useful as their user base. This is not to be confused with development as it does not always translate to a large network.
Focus on Business:
Seeking to grow quickly, businesses can often lose touch with their existing user base. This is not good before branching out to new markets and cities, focus on increasing engagement with people using your product or service.
If you don’t focus on busyness in the early days, you can grow very quickly and lose your old user base. And so you’re not really focused on products and improvements that help the overall network. It’s very important to focus on your growth, how strong your engagement is and how much of your existing users are serving you. Ready to use more.
Interim Executive Tip: An Access Strategy
Sometimes the best way to develop your network is to use other networks. Integration with social media apps and platforms is great for getting your product out there. Focus on users tweeting or sharing your product. This may just be your ‘something special’.
For more information, give us call – +1-202-258-5376 now or visit our home page – International Executive Consulting LLC for the best Interim C Suite Services to improve your business growth.
Interim management is the supply of an individual with business management abilities. These people will ordinarily be experienced business pioneers who can deal with an association through changes or times of progress, give soundness to a business after the abrupt take-off of a senior executive, or a profoundly specific range of abilities a business might be lacking.
Interim for Finance
Finances is always a challenge for small firms competing with large firms, and especially right now. Business costs have risen above the rate of inflation, and the impact of Brexit on exchange rates has led to further increases for firms importing goods.
Why turn to an Interim?
According to a recent survey by the Interim Management Institute, 80% of interim managers will use interim service providers at least some of the time. International Executive Consulting LLC is best at managing turnarounds, accelerating change and helping businesses change in times of demand. They bring intelligence, exertion and rigor that can differentiate between a bust or a boom.
The obvious advantage of interim over alternative routes is that it allows an to use knowledge together with your existing team and implement change quickly. The immediate result leaves a lasting positive impression. In addition, interim are a flexible and variable cost option, not a fixed overhead. This gives organizations considerable flexibility with the nature of interim contracts.
Interim managers are experienced professionals who bring industry knowledge and expertise that is independent and as a result is able to provide insight and value to a specific goal, with a quickly realized ROI. The main benefits are:
Timescales:
Interim CEOs are available to start at very short notice with minimal recruitment or termination formalities
Experience:
Interim managers are experienced professionals who are used to working completely autonomously, and require very little direction to start and make a real difference to their business
Inspire Results:
Interim managers are judged by the results and know that they have to deliver
Learning curve:
The skills, contacts and knowledge that brings an interim to your business will transfer to your team and stay for a long time after they are gone.
New Perspective:
Being sensitive to company values and culture, having no previous history with your business means that they can view the situation objectively and clearly. Personality and politics did not influence the best decision for business.
Action:
An Interim Manager can act as a adviser for the board, with an ace up his sleeve to help carry out the strategy.
Love it or hate it, you need a business plan. Interim executives share the best way to get started.
At International Executive Consulting LLC, we provide the best business plan to our clients. But attracting one is the work done by entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized businesses. Some people either hate it or love it. People in the former category have gone so far as to write blogs and books about why you should not even do a business plan.
Although you can be functioning without one, it is not recommended. The clarity and structure that a business plan gives to your company saves a lot of time and decision making in the long term. It provides direction to all those working in the business and keeps them united in their thought process. Because the advantage is yet out of opposition, it is worth the effort.
Where to Start?
A quick search online for a business plan gives you a stack of templates to get you started. They are a great starting point that help you understand the high level content.
Take a blank document and write everything about your business idea. Starting with the market description, your plans to produce / manufacture, and how you plan to deliver it. Write down all your plans and ideas for the business and then using that content either transform it into a professional looking business plan or import the information into a template.
Review It:
It is always a good idea to have an extra set of eyes through your plans. Use your network to find contacts who have market and industry experience that you would want to sell to. They can provide invaluable insights on cheap and fast ways to improve business processes and, at the same time, advise on any gaps in your plan.
Give us a call today to get the best solutions for your need – 202-258-5376 or drop us an email for the best consultation services at – info@interimcsuiteservices.com!
Interim officers make good leaders because they are self-aware and generous with their teams. They are helpful by responding to their needs and desires – even if it means leaving them alone.
Sometimes the obstacle to success are the leaders themselves. Leaders who are ignorant of what is going on inside the organization and make plans that are not compatible with their talents and abilities. In those situations, the company struggles with its goals and consistently underperforms and fails.
Interim officers take measures keeping in sight the concerns and priorities of the employees.
Interim Officers Put Their Employees First:
Interaction with team members ensued. The interim does not begin with executives, instead seeking to get around the discussion around ‘you’ and gain their perspective on issues related to the firm’s strategy. They try to understand how they should help on their own terms – the way they want to. Encouraging open dialogue allows them to discover rules or behaviours that can lower employee morale and affect their work. On the basis of their findings, they overcome any such obstacles.
Interim Officials Play Around The Rules:
Employees who feel affected by the system are less motivated to work or improve. Rules should be guidelines, not limits. Good leaders make their team feel safe from the rules and motivate them to break when there is a purpose. Typically, when the outcome will positively affect and promote the company’s progress, but not at the risk of exceeding company values and meeting individual needs jointly on all personnel.
Interim Officers are Lenient:
The best support a leader can provide is to listen to the needs of their employees and then act accordingly. They are generous in sharing ideas and knowledge that can help their employees perform better. Not only are they themselves generous, but they also encourage others in the workplace to be generous to support the team.
To know how International Executive Consulting LLC can help you, please click here and visit our home page.
Day by day, the business world is becoming highly competitive. Therefore, businesses must ensure that they have the latest technologies and software to meet the needs at the workplace, to provide quality solutions to customers, and must definitely be ahead of the competition.
With the constantly changing technological trends in the industry, it is quite difficult for businesses to make strategic plans and adopt these technologies. This is where the role of an IT consulting firm comes into play. Interim Executive Consulting LLC helps in making informed decisions with proper and effective management of all the components while handling all deadlock in companies, especially in times of disasters. Therefore, companies hire an IT Consultant to monitor and maintain your company’s network for system upgrades and network-development.
In an increasingly competitive market, many companies are turning to business change consultants to help them keep their business ahead of the competition. These business advisors have the expertise and knowledge to get into a business and recommend the best ways to achieve the goals that will improve the business.
The following are the methods of imposition of business transformation consultancy:
Business Analysis Process – Each leading management consulting performs the following steps while inspecting the company’s existing business processes.
Analysis of Situations or Challenges – During this move, the company analyzes its internal and external industry challenges. Based on these challenges, business change consultants suggest how a company’s strengths can be deployed to meet each of these challenges.
Identifying Opportunities – After analyzing the challenges, business change consultants conduct research on areas where the company can experience growth. In addition, external partnerships, internal improvements and maintaining alliances (to enhance the company’s stance) promote the company’s growth.
Determination of Weaknesses and Gaps – Now, consultants determine all areas where the company is lacking. Once a company’s weaknesses and shortcomings are analyzed, only a consultant can create a road map to improve the internal processes of the business.
Strategic Cancellation – The company’s current strategic positions need to be determined. Later, the advisors suggest to the company how and why it needs to strategically transform itself. For strategic recycling, the company must prioritize its efforts; Management consultants also assist the company’s leadership to prioritize its efforts.
Implement and Evaluate – After formulating the strategies, the consulting firm with the client company implements strategies, initiatives and newly formed processes. Once the strategies are implemented, their performance is evaluated. These consultants have a range of tools and methods to measure the performance of these implemented strategies and initiatives.