We are in a world that is always talking. On the phone, at the office, over lunch – conversations occur with or without our participation. And we hear the continuous buzz of human voices along with barking dogs, meowing cats, screeching busses and beeping iPhones. There are so many sounds that we cannot help but hear because hearing, function of the ear, one of our five senses, happens with or without our consent.

On the other hand, listening is an act that we all choose to do. Listening occurs in discussing a career move with a mentor, talking to our children, when closing a business deal, and when a particular piece of music is to our liking. Listening happens because we are actively processing the information exchanged at that moment.

It is important to note that hearing does not equal listening since hearing is involuntary while listening is a conscious choice. Choosing to listen nurtures positive traits:

• Listeners are patient. We’ve all heard it, “Patience is a virtue,” never more so in a conversation and discussion. Many of us begin to formulate a reply in our heads while a topic is being presented. We must learn to keep our minds from creating replies as the other party expounds and finishes expressing their thoughts.
• Listeners are respectful. Showing respect comes in many forms one of which is allowing somebody to finish a sentence. A listener values and understands the words and emotions of peers and colleagues evidenced by the time invested in listening to them.
• Listeners can empathize. They are able to put themselves in the other person or group’s situation, understand better the reasons for the changes in behavior. For example, management might implement strict policy about tardiness. Staff who can empathize will understand that in being late productivity time is wasted. A change in behavior may show that staff were listening, comprehending that tardiness affects the business’ bottom line.

Listening is an acquired skill. With time and persistence, it can be learned. We will, perhaps, know that we are learning when family, friends, and colleagues begin coming to us to become their sounding boards. The best proof would be an improvement in company workflow and productivity proving that staff listens to management.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Teamwork is for SUCCESS

Success means different things to different individuals. In the professional world, a promotion, a large commission from a sale, or acceptance at a prestigious university like Yale could define it. Although they are major feats and can be used as a yardstick for success, others focus on accumulating worldly possessions – the latest BMW model, for example – to measure achievement.

However, personal and professional triumphs are imbedded in daily life and can be found in activities such as finishing the company annual report on time, setting up a play date for the children, and writing that long-overdue email to a dear friend.

Sharing and celebrating success with others can motivate, also push someone towards achieving, creating more triumphs, encouraging one and others to go beyond their perceived potential. For starters, here are a few reminders why sharing one another’s successes is important.

1. Success is a celebration! Invite family or a friend to join you for a fun movie and dinner. What better way to strengthen relationships?
2. Victory shared is joyful, creates positive energy all around, and inspires others.
3. Shared success is a confidence builder for oneself and colleagues.
4. Because success is deeply personal, sharing an accomplishment with a friend, family, or colleague produces an equally deep feeling of satisfaction of having hurdled a major challenge.
5. One’s physical and mental well-being is greatly improved by the endorphins produced when sharing the good news of success with others.
6. Sharing success with others will, at a personal level, start an improved and deeper dialogue.
7. Most of all, spending time with colleagues thru sharing large and small successes allows managers to understand staff values and helps foster positive employee-employer relationship.

In an office setting, achievements do not happen because of one person. Success occurs because the work is shared and each team member contributes to the task. Staff brings their own meaning in experiencing triumphs. Owning and celebrating achievements with others is when success is sweet.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Congratulations to The Help!

An A+ accreditation from the Better Business Bureau for The Help! The rating is one more achievement among many, giving the company prominence. Clients are certainly assured that the firm operates at a high level of excellence.

What is the Better Business Bureau?

The BBB, as it is commonly referred to, is a nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to foster trust between businesses and clients. It was established in 1912 and is not associated with nor created by any government arm despite having the word “bureau” in its official name. It regulates itself and does not endorse products or services.

What is the function of the BBB?

Two important functions are the collation of reviews on businesses across the country, and the mediation of conflicts between companies and patrons. According to Wikipedia, 78% of over 885,000 disagreements between business and customers were resolved in 2013.

It is usual for customers to provide feedback in the form of surveys or face-to-face dialogue. With the rise of online commerce, reviews of businesses – service and product quality evaluation – have become the norm. Disputes over price, product/service promotions, and discounts can be settled amicably with the help of BBB.

What’s in it for businesses?

BBB accredited and registered companies are more credible and clients are confident because there is adherence to local and international standards of excellent business practices. An accredited entity shows its level of commitment thru abiding with the BBB’s standards for trust, as follows: “building trust, advertising honestly, telling the truth, being transparent, honoring promises, being responsive, safeguarding privacy and embodying integrity.”

Through the nine years since The Help took its first steps into the virtual industry arena, it has pursued its mission, namely: to enhance operational functions and to boost the competitive edge of businesses by providing professional, efficient, and conscientious administrative assistance. Growing by leaps and bounds, The Help more than deserve the BBB accreditation.

Check us out at The Help’s BBB Business Review!

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Quality. In layman’s language, it is that “something” in a product or service which makes clients return for more of the same. Many businesses aspire to have this almost effervescent factor so as to thrive and make a profit.

It can, however, be achieved. Knowing and understanding clients’ as well as identifying new markets are all part of quality management. But the presence of a Quality Manager’s watchful eye ensures that high performing products and services get to the customers’ hands.

What is the quality manager’s relevance to business today? As the buying public continues its demand for improved goods and services, high performing products became the norm. Quality control evolved, integrating itself into business operations.

The importance of Quality Managers cannot be underestimated. The role covers a gamut of functions: responsibility for benchmarks and project management, precise definition of clients’ expectations, and human resource management

Values or standards, whether in-house or government required, must be complied with. Because the quality manager is organized and can prioritize, projects are certain to be delivered on time. It is also the manager’s responsibility to clearly communicate company expectations to employees. At the same time, the manager identifies potential clients for the company’s services.

People, or human resource, management is possibly the most important function of a quality manager. Aside from communicating well, a manager is a problem solver who can discern when situations involving management and staff conflicts need mediation. Quality managers are sometimes requested to orient new employees to make certain that company policies are clear and complied with in all aspects. They are also the “go-to” person for all types of questions that line managers and staff encounter in business transactions.

Quality, however, must be consistent for buyers to take notice. For example, an editing job will have correct grammar and substantive changes, where needed. Quality must also manifest in employee’s attitudes when dealing with tasks and clients. In essence, quality is the result of excellent and committed work, evident in both business and employees production of high-performance goods and services.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help

Marketing involves two important features – focus on clients and creating a formula containing the product, its price, and selling point. Selling or promoting products and services are, perhaps, the most difficult aspect of any business. Its been said that marketing is the foundation of a successful enterprise. An example is Facebook. It is focused on clients plus its formula of connection (product), cost free (price), and the blend of connection and no cost to users (selling point) resonated worldwide.

The marketing of a business takes creativity and hard work. In the virtual industry, administrative specialists may partner with another virtual company specializing in legal documentation thus complementing one another services. Dialogue and careful planning can make the partnership increase client base for both as doors open to similar markets.

Marketing could be done by launching a service or conducting a webinar to generate new business. Offering a discounted service such as editing for new clients allows a foot in the door for future work. Even without the promise of future work, referrals can come from a good relationship with current clients.

Because marketing is basically a persuasive undertaking, traditional and interactive methods are applied. Traditional would mean the use of brochures while interactive refers to social media. Everyone has become familiar with the use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, allowing businesses a better reach to many audience types.

Perhaps the more important aspect of marketing comes from employees talking about company products to their online network such as professional organizations. Seasonal campaigns can be effective. For example, a month’s service free of charge in exchange for two months of paid work could very well entice clients. In this scenario efficient and punctual delivery of contracted work is crucial.

Noting that marketing does not produce overnight results, companies must plan on sustainable activities. One way is to try a mix of ideas like advertising on Facebook and blogging about the company’s product until a certain combination brings in results. Impact happens when a marketing plan is both persistent and constant in engaging its audience, i.e. prospective clients, getting the desired results in the long term.

Written by Yoli P. – The Help