Maurilio Amorim

Category: business

  • Success and the Perseverance Principle

    The difference between success and failure in any venture often cannot be attributed to a single incident or cause. It’s usually a culmination of factors including timing, execution, assumptions, economic factors, and more. While much has been written on the success of start ups, one factor usually sticks out in my mind. Recently a friend who is in the process of starting a business told me he was “overwhelmed and not sure of what he was doing.” I can relate to that feeling well. But my advice to him still rings true from the early days of my company, The A Group. My words of encouragement were simple: “Don’t quit. Success is 90% perseverance.”

    Perseverance

    I can’t quantify the percentage. But I know that the great majority of the successes I have seen in my professional career both in business as well as in ministry have been directly tied to my ability to keep going and not accept defeat. I have talked with others who have successful businesses and churches who share the same trait: perseverance. Since most entrepreneurs are usually “all in” and there is not a “Plan B” in place, we tend to keep going until something happens.

    None of us knows when our next break is going to be–the meeting with a profitable new client, the phone call with a large order, the exchange with a wealthy donor. But we all know that if we are not there, none of them will ever come to fruition. So we continue to push forward, to persevere even when there are no signs of spring. In business, as in life, perseverance pays dividends. Be aware, however, that perseverance is not glamorous and often not fun, but absolutely essential.

    Think about your life. Where do you need the most encouragement not to quit?

  • How to Write Marketing Copy that Works

    Words are powerful. They can move people into action. They inspire, they challenge, they amuse, but words also sell. Regardless of your industry, you are in sales. We all are, especially those who are in the non-profit sector or church leadership. It’s perhaps the most important of all sales: hope for better days and the ultimate hope of eternal life. Here are some key points to consider when writing copy that’s going to be used to compel and motivate people into action.

    compelling marketing copy

    Write to a person. Unless you understand your target audience, you cannot communicate effectively. Writing to “everyone” guarantees that you reach “no one.” Have a person in mind as you craft your words. Are you writing to a 50 year-old business professional, or a 35-year old stay-at-home mom with snotty-nose kids running around the house?

    Understand your audience’s motivation. Forget your agenda for a minute and try to think of your audience’s needs. I recently saw a commercial for a local congregation featuring the preacher talking about the church’s choir and their lovely sanctuary while showing shots of him preaching from the pulpit. I couldn’t help thinking “what a waste of money.”  The number one question we all ask when confronted with an offer or an option is a simple but powerful one: “What’s in this for me?” If you don’t understand people’s motivation, you cannot compel them to move forward. Your motivation, the “right thing to do,” are all irrelevant in moving people into action. Find out what’s important to them first, then lead with that. Instead of a generic spot about the church, that congregation would have seen more fruit from trying to begin with its audience’s needs first.  Since I know about the church and its perception as a strong family church, I would have led the spot with something like “Growing a strong family is not easy these days. But we are here to help you.” That’s a simple line but it is written to motivate the spiritual decision maker of the home, the mom, to bring her family to church. It solves a problem every mom in America is facing as she tries to keep her family together and growing strong.

    Have a strong value proposition. In any marketing or persuasive copy writing you must answer the “so what?” question. It amazes me how often I intersect marketing pieces that fail to give me the pay off. In our sentence above, the value proposition is simple and yet very compelling: if you want a strong family, we can help you get there.

    Give clear next steps. You must close the deal. If you got my attention and gave me a value proposition, then the next question you must answer is “what do you want from me?” If we continue the church commercial script, I would create a clear call to action like this: “Join me this Sunday for a new teaching series…Power Parenting…and find the tools to love and grow your family.” In this example, I want you to come this Sunday, because there is a “new” teaching series. People like to be in something new and it’s timely, since it will no longer be new a couple of weeks from now. It’s also a series which implies a limited amount of time. Yet another easy way to get a “yes.”

    What else would you add to this list?

     

  • What Should You Stop Doing?

    “Every leader must learn that just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” That’s what I came up with after the lady asked me to write down my favorite quote. Nothing had come to mind but that statement.


    That was it. Of all the books I’ve read and of all the people I’ve studied, is that THE quote? Come on. But it has stuck with me over the past few weeks since the incident. As I think back in my professional career, I have lived and continue to live that statement. As a matter of fact, the more I’m able to apply it to my life, the more successful I become.

    I remember the first time that I decided to stop fixing the office printer early in my career. Yes, I could do it, but so could someone else and my time was best served elsewhere. It’s not that I’m too important to fix the printer, but for every hour I spend dealing with printer issues, I fail to do the most important things I could do for my company: lead, sell, and inspire.

    I remember the day I stopped designing. I loved to tinker on the computer and come up with very cool graphics. It took me hours, even days to come up with very nice work that I enjoyed, but, that ultimately did not help grow and develop my business.

    The big question then is “what should I do that only I can do for this organization?” Once I understood the answer to that question and began to work in that sweet spot, I saw growth.

    Today I work with people who are much smarter, more sensitive, and more talented than I. But I know that what I do everyday contributes the most to my team. Often I find myself going back to doing the things I’m capable of doing but shouldn’t be doing them. When I do that, everyone loses.

    What should you give up in order for your organization to grow?

  • How to Form a Great Partnership

    Partnerships are important part of business as well as ministry. Great partners can help you grow while a bad one can be the death of a dream. While we can easily form a partnership, it takes a long time to break one apart, sometimes with dire consequences. Here’s what I consider before going into a partnership with an individual or organization.

    partnership success

    Trust. If there’s no trust then you should never, ever go into any kind of partnership. If you get the feeling that the other party is waiting for you to mess up so they can get the upper hand on any situation, run for the hills.

    Respect. Whether it be business or personal, if you don’t respect the leader of an organization, then you shouldn’t create any kind of partnership, no matter how beneficial it looks on the onset. Once, I went to work for a man because I thought I could “bypass” my own lack of respect for him. Big mistake.

    Different skills. Find people and organizations that bring different skills to the partnership. If you bring the same skills to the table, you might not have a partner but a competitor.

    Compromise. No one gets everything they want. That’s just life. If you or your potential partner cannot compromise on the onset, you’re doomed.

    Defining the win. Wins can be vastly different even for people working on the same venture. Don’t assume that your partner’s win is the same as yours. Understand what they value and what they want out of the partnership. Managing expectations is critical in any relationship.

    Exit strategy. Nothing lasts forever. Even the best of friends often grow apart and move on. It’s imperative to have a clear, well-documented exit strategy for both parties. That’s where a good lawyer is worth every penny you pay.

    What else you add or change on this list?

  • Trust and Competence: Leaders Must Have Both to Succeed

    Some people you trust with your life. Some people you know will get the job done. These are two essential qualities that every leader looks for in building their organization. But unless you find both trust and competence in those whom you lead, you don’t have a dynamic team who can grow your business, church, or not-for-profit. As a matter of fact, without trust and competence, the only thing you have is a mess in your hands.

    The trustworthy and yet incompetent is often the first to be hired and the last to be let go. After all, who does not love someone you can trust, someone you know will have your back and whom you do not have to worry about what they are “up to?” However, his inability to perform and deliver will catch up with him and the entire team. Sure, he’s a likeable person, but in business and even in ministry, people expect results. Good will only goes so far and then your entire organization loses credibility.

    The competent and yet not trustworthy is an equal liability. Usually these individuals are highly motivated to succeed. But his personal success and advancement are what matter the most. He is willing to throw his team mates, their boss, and the entire company under the proverbial “bus” in order to save face or advance his career. His primary concern is to take care of number one. Leaders often struggle with firing these start performers because they feel like the individual’s contribution to the organization is worth their selfish behavior. In reality it’s quite the opposite. He is not delivering your product, but his performance.

    Whether we like someone who is loyal but cannot work on the level that benefits the organization or we put up with the untrustworthy because he delivers, we are contributing to a dysfunctional work environment that demoralizes those who are both competent and trustworthy.

    What’s your experience with the trust and competence dynamic? 

     

  • Getting Your Way: The Art of Negotiating.

    Life is a series of negotiations. We negotiate our way through traffic, we negotiate with family, with our boss,  with a car salesman, and with our clients. Some of us are better at it than others. But whether it comes naturally and easy or whether negotiating is hard work, your negotiating skills are on the line every day. In the art of the deal, proper communication is critical. Here are a few things to consider next time you want to get your way.

    Getting your Way how to negotiate Maurilio Amorim

    Know your non-negotiables. Some things in life, such as your morals and convictions, should never be up for discussion, and they ought to be truly deal breakers. If you don’t know what they are,  you’ll always find your life in the midst of a mess. Figure out your non-negotiables before your life becomes unmanageable.

    Know what you want. I’ve seen people try to negotiate without knowing what they want out of the deal. To me that’s like my children arguing with their parents for the sake of arguing. Much like them, you are bound to be sent back to your room empty handed.

    Know what you’re willing to give up. A successful negotiation is a give-and-take situation.  Even if you get everything you want and never give up anything, the other party is often resentful. Decide what you’re willing to give up. Give the person on the other side of the table a chance to feel good about the outcome, even if what you give up is trivial or meaningless to you.

    Know how to say no with grace. There’s never a reason to be rude. You can be firm in your stance and still smile and be gracious. While you can’t control anyone else’s behavior, you certainly should keep yours in check. I’ve never heard anyone say: “I should have lost my temper in that meeting.”

    What else would you add to this list?

  • A Dysfunctional Team? Blame the Boss

    “I just wish my team would get along,” I heard from a leader not long ago. That’s not an uncommon complaint. But the more I learn about organizational health, the more I blame the leader for getting it in such predicament.

    business fight

    In my experience, unrest, infighting among departments or ministries, or divisions within an organization can be traced back to two main factors: lack of clarity and/or organizational culture. And in either case, they are always set from the top down.

    Lack of clarity allows any good idea to be valid. Without a clear and articulable focus for your organization, any good idea is worth fighting for. I have worked with leaders who want to lead by consensus without a clear focus of identity and purpose. It’s a disaster. Usually the person with the strongest personality within the organization gets his or her way while others resent and get frustrated.

    A contentious culture will eventually render the team and the organization ineffective. Long, inflammatory emails with multiple recipients are signs that you are part of a contentious culture. The passive leader who allows for bickering and infighting among his generals creates a culture that those who are not willing to fight for everything they do will not succeed. As a matter of fact, they’ll not stay long. There’s a healthy environment where team members have the right to push back on decisions, but that’s done with respect and welcomed by everyone.

    What’s your experience with either lack of clarity or a contentious culture in your work history?

  • Expose Yourself Out of Business

    “We priced it low because we wanted the exposure.” Every young, and even some seasoned entrepreneur can fall on the trap of the “exposure” temptation. In the search for legitimacy and clout, entrepreneurs want to have the recognizable “big fish” names in our portfolios.  After all, that means great PR and lots of new clients, right? Wrong.

    Bankrupt

    There are several traps of  such reasoning:

    It sets the wrong expectations. You will enter an organization at the wrong level. Your first job defines what level of player you are. You do not want to be the “cheap” guy. Trust me on this one.

    It’s not sustainable. Even if your project is successful and the client loves the results, you have set an unrealistic expectation of cost, timelines, and services. When your next bid comes in at twice the price of your first, your new client will balk. “They’re good but not that good.”

    It prevents you from doing your best work. When you’re scraping to get things done, working late hours, and doing things on “the cheap” you cannot do your best. Lacking margins and the budget to get the job done properly will hurt you later. The client will not give you grace because of all the extra effort. More likely they will give you grief for the extras they expected you to do.

    The  law of inversion always applies: The least profitable project has the most demanding client. This happens to me all the time. The project that you are doing mostly as a favor where you have very little or no profit turns out to be the project from hell.  You end up losing money, patience, and your religion by the time the project is finished.

    Next time you feel the urge to lower your prices or compromise on your timeline just to “get in,” think twice. Better yet, don’t do it. If your work is good and you’re worth it, win the business on your strengths and not by creating artificial, unsustainable, unreasonable expectations. That’s often a lose-lose situation

    Have you been burned by trying to take on a project or client in order to can exposure?

  • Know Your Audience and Improvise: A Lesson from a Restaurant Server

    Understanding your audience’s motivation is key in finding opportunities to reach them. That point was driven home a while back during dinner at J. Alexander’s in north Atlanta. Our server, Jimmy, did something I haven’t seen done much lately in a restaurant. He assessed the situation and improvised, getting our gratitude as well as up-selling us another course.

    audience jimmy kibler
    Jimmy Kiblere understands his audience

    As I looked at the description for the sea bass special, the words “puddle of brown butter sauce” got my attention. I told Jimmy I was trying to eat clean and if there were an alternative to my butter dilemma. Shortly after our exchange he asked if we wanted an appetizer. Since our options were fried, cheesy, or fried and cheesy, I declined. Thinking on his feet, literally, Jimmy asked, “What about our seared Ahi tuna appetizer?”

    Interestingly there was not an Ahi tuna appetizer on the menu. “It’s not there, but I can make a special one.” Sold.

    Not only did I feel special and cared for, but Jimmy quickly up-sold me when I was already determined not to have anything that was high in calorie or high in fat and had decided to bypass the first course.

    When you understand your audience’s motivation, in my case eating clean, and improvise to tap into such motivation, the seared tuna with greens, then  you have a win/win combination. I wonder what the growth in sales across the entire J. Alexander’s restaurant chain would be if servers were tuned into their patrons’ motivations, were able to improvise and adjust the menu to offer them what they were really looking for. Not only would the customer satisfaction index go up, the economic impact would be significant, I’m certain.

    How aware are you of your audience? In a world of customization, are you able to improvise to serve your clients and your bottom line?

  • What to Do on a No-Win Business Situation

    One of the toughest lessons I had to learn as a businessman was to identify and successfully deal with a no-win situation. That’s a very difficult situation for an entrepreneur to navigate because most of us are optimists by nature. We want to believe we can rescue the relationship, deliver on our promise,s and save the day. But with experience and better understanding of human behavior, I have come to believe that sometimes the best course of action is to cut your losses and walk away before the hole you find yourself in becomes your grave. No one wants to admit failure and throw in the towel too soon, but here are a few scenarios that if you find yourself in, you should consider walking away.

    no win situation

    Lost trust. Whether one or both side loses trust, it’s time to call it quits. If you cannot trust your partner, an employee, a vendor, or a client, nothing good can come from the ongoing relationship. The day you come to the realization that “I cannot trust that person,” you need an exit strategy. The sooner you do it, the better.

    Unreasonable expectations. High expectations help your product and organization grow to the next level. Unrealistic expectations kill the joy of a project and the spirit of a team, no matter how committed it is. Some clients are unreasonable because they are ignorant of what it takes to get the job done: “it should take you only a few minutes to change the ‘skin’ of our website.”  They can potentially be brought around through education, but they are the exception. Some are unreasonable because they cannot be pleased. “Yes it’s what I wanted but you should have fought me harder on it because I don’t like it now. And you shouldn’t charge me for the changes because I’m not happy.” And then there’s the deadly demanding-ignorant combination, truly a living nightmare.

    Ungrateful taker. Historically, the clients to whom I have given the deepest discounts, often at a financial loss, are usually the ones who demand more and more without much appreciation or understanding for the true value of what they’re getting. It amazes me to see that happen over and over again.

    In business as well as in life, we need to know when to say enough. I use to think that walking away from a client or a project was a sign of weakness, the mark of a quitter. But today it’s the sign of a wise person who knows that not every relationship is salvageable.

    Have you ever faced a no-win situation? What did you do?