EP.05 - Building a Stronger Brand to Stand Out in a "Sea of Sameness"

The Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast presents Lisa Shorr as this week’s guest.

Lisa owns two successful businesses: Shorr Success and Secure Future Tech Solutions. Certified in Advanced Image Consulting and Corporate Consultancy, Lisa has spent more than 25 years in the sales, marketing, and personal branding arena. Using her proprietary “Shorr-to-Shine System,” she has coached hundreds of businesses worldwide to build a stronger brand.

A sought after speaker, Lisa has delivered professional development and corporate branding workshops and seminars across the country. Her articles on style, career development, and technology have been published in notable publications including, Providence Business News, PC World, ChannelPro Magazine, and more. Lisa has styled many professionals on photo shoots, television, and in private settings. She is an Executive Board Member of The Tech Collective and a Member of The Association of Image Consultants International.

Listen to her share knowledge about Branding and how you can grow your businesses by first focusing on yourself.  Tune in now to hear Lisa's great advice and key nuggets on topics such as:

• Why a Personal Brand Matters?
• Lisa’s journey to the world of marketing and sales
• Branding is a lot beyond the Logo
• How "BRAND Method" transforms professionals?
• Confidence + Credibility = Cash
• Communication is the key to success
• Building credibility in your targeted industry
• The importance of engaging virtually
• What is Executive Presence?
• Lisa's Dream Board of Advisors

Special Bonus:
Check out Lisa's Calendar to Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation with her.  

 Get in touch with Lisa:

• website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram 

If you enjoyed this episode of the Dynamic Business Leaders Podcast, then make sure to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.

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Transcript

Roy Richardson (Host) (00:03):

Hello, I'm Roy Richardson, and this is the dynamic business leaders podcast.

Roy Richardson (Host) (00:13):

Good day, everyone. And welcome to another edition of the Dynamic Leaders Podcast. I'm your host Roy Richardson. And I'm excited today to bring you, someone who, you know, given the current climate with us, working remotely, et cetera. I think we'll bring great value to you in terms of, you know, the steps you can do to sort of, you know, improve your branding, improve your, your awareness, the culture of your organization, and how that all ties together. The person I'm going to introduce you to. I've known her for a couple of years, as a matter of fact, full disclosure hair. We are in a few accountability groups together, and a couple of other areas in the technology sector. She also happens to be the owner of a technology company like mine but she has a separate company as well. Her two companies are Shorr Success and Secure Future Tech Solutions.

Roy Richardson (Host) (01:03):

She's a certified advanced image consulting consultant, as well as she does corporate consultancy spent more than 25 years in the sales, marketing, and personal branding arena, and has coached hundreds of businesses worldwide to build a stronger brand through using her proprietary. I would say short to shine system, which she'll tell you about today. She's a sought-after speaker, who's delivered speaker, sorry, who was delivered professional development and corporate branding workshops and seminars across the country. And she's also published several articles and notable publications, such as Providence business news, PC world ChannelPro magazine, and more. I'm bringing you today. Folks, Lisa Shorr of Shorr Success and Secure Future Tech Solutions. And before I turn the mic over to her, let me tell you that Lisa has styled many professionals on photo-shoots televisions, and private meetings. She's an executive board member of the tech collective and a member of the association of image consultants, international folks put on your seatbelts, take out your pads, get your pens ready and take down some notes here from Lisa.  Lisa, welcome to my podcast.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (02:10):

Thank you so very much, Roy. I am so excited to chat today about my favorite topic, which is branding and personal branding, and how we can grow our businesses by first focusing on ourselves. So I'm very excited.

Roy Richardson (Host) (02:26):

It absolutely makes sense. And I remember years ago where, when Aluska and I met you and Eric and, and we, we ran into you after you made a presentation. And I remember saying to Aluska, you know wherever I saw you thereafter, you, you were always very, if I may say this as a compliment, very well put together and both you and Eric and, and now, you know, with the launch of Shorr Success, I understand where that's all coming from now. And I've had the opportunity to listen to some of your, you know, weekly tidbits and some of the stuff you have released as well as sudden through one or two seminars that you did with your new business. So tell me a little bit about, you know, a personal brand and why it really matters.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (03:13):

So thank you for asking that question. I think it's a critical component to building trust. So a personal brand is how we are perceived by others. It's that ability to walk into a room or these days show up on camera and have just the impression that you said, Roy, that, wow, she's always put together. I want to listen to what she has to say. She speaks with confidence. There's you can tell there's knowledge there, but you don't really know me, but you can surmise that. So that's a personal brand and that comes when people take stock and who they are, how they're presenting themselves in multiple ways from appearances to, you know, the way we speak our tone of voice to the credibility that we display socially in social media and, you know, and the ability to be consistent with our message and what we're doing and how we're doing it.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (04:18):

So that personal brand is the foundation to establishing a strong corporate brand, but it always starts with the people. It's, if you have a, you can have a great product, Roy, but if you don't have the people to support that product, then people are going to go on to the competitor because we all, a lot of us, and especially in the IT world, we offer a lot of the same products and services. However, what sets us apart though, is that something we talk about often, and what sets us apart is that likeability is that ability to develop a relationship and have that trust so that you're providing that prospect or that client peace of mind it's critical.

Roy Richardson (Host) (05:04):

So it really comes down to the perception that the client or prospect has of you and by extension your organization.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (05:14):

Absolutely. So I always like to say that perception and other people's perception is reality, and it's critical to understand that everybody was raised differently and we all bring to the table, our own view of the world, of our culture, of our business perspective. So it's critical that we take stock and really take the time to work on ourselves and how we're presenting ourselves because it's really hard to, you know, navigate everybody's individual values and individual persona.

Roy Richardson (Host) (05:54):

And I would say it perhaps even more so when, you know, during normal times when we are working in what I call our walled garden, right, which is, which is the four walls around our business. And we have re you know, we had I should say everyone under one roof you know, keeping and maintaining, I would say establishing a corporate culture and a corporate brand and such a normalized setting is difficult in of itself and even more so now where everybody's sort of spread out and kind of working on their own islands. What have you, you know, what, what, what, how have, how has the COVID situation played into the whole, the importance of branding and, and what, and the work that you're doing.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (06:37):

So starting with the corporate, the four walls. So you're absolutely right. Roy, when we were all, when, when businesses were together, we had comradery, we had, we did lunch together. We had that ability. And then, but now that we're all separate and separated, it's critical that we actually take stock in how we're presenting ourselves virtually and making sure we're connecting with each other and we're communicating what we want, what we need. And most importantly, we're turning our cameras on so that people can still see your face and see your eyes, see your smile. It's such a, we're such human. We, we need that human interaction. We need that human touch. And if we turn off our cameras and we're distracted, there's a lot of perception that could be happening right there. You know, you could be changing the mind of someone, Oh, they could be distracted or maybe have a perception of disinterest or any number of things.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (07:42):

So really taking stock in where, you know, how you're showing up on camera, you know, presenting ourselves, but also thinking about our backgrounds, our lighting, and as well as, you know, looking at the camera when you're speaking, it's very hard for me. I'm looking at the camera. I would love to just look at you, but I'm really trying hard to just make sure I aim in on the camera. So this is a little bit of an image tip for everybody, but I'm looking at the camera so that I appear to be looking at you and I'm connecting with your eyes and you're connecting with my eyes such an important component.

Roy Richardson (Host) (08:19):

Yeah. You know, I've, I've actually, I've, I've I remember my, one of the first podcasts that I did went over very, very well. And it was a webinar actually. And then when I looked at it afterward, I realized that you know, I was actually looking at the person down here versus looking at the camera. And it just took away from the entire experience. So a little tip here that, that I've learned over the time is, you know, if, if you like looking at yourself, park your picture right below the camera and the other person park it right below the camera and this way, you're always engaged in one aspect of the other. That's awesome. That's awesome. So at least one of the things that I, that I probably jumped the gun here a little bit on, and I should've asked you earlier was, you know, how did you get started with this?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (09:03):

So my passion has always been, and I didn't realize it, but it's always been on appearances and it might sound superficial, but I have a picture of me in sixth grade in a matching outfit. I mean, I remember just back in elementary school, how important it was every day, getting dressed. And, and I always got dressed for how I felt that day. And so I didn't know that that would lead to where I am today because I ended up in it. My degree is in marketing and I ended up in sales, really. I was traveling, I was selling books and I met my husband, Eric, and we run our IT company together. I met him 22 years ago and he was an IT guy and he needed marketing help. And so, okay. We were a match, I would say probably a match made in heaven, but I didn't miss just marry Eric, but I married our tech business as well.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (09:58):

And so over the years, I was building the company, building the company, and then we hit a point where we were getting passed over for opportunities. Prospects were saying, Oh, because our former name was PC troubleshooters. We're now secure future tech solutions. But I re I rebranded our company, which was such a necessary component, but people were starting to notice that, you know, I don't think you can handle our sophisticated needs. Or I started seeing clients call us for some internal issues that I didn't even realize was a prop were the problem. Like we lost a client because of phone skills. And I had no idea. So I started realizing how critical the human component is. So I started doing research and I became, I met another person who was a stylist in our area, in my area, I'm on the East coast. And so I started learning about the human side of things.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (11:03):

And then, and then until I started, that's where I started doing, doing TV shows and styling for photoshoots and all of that. But what I realized is the connection and the critical connection between branding your corporate brand and internally the human side. So I sought out the organization association for image consultants because that's what they do. That's, I'm a member of the elite organization, a global organization of other image professionals. And we are trained in nonverbal behavior and communication and etiquette. So I started taking my teachings and what I was learning and applying it internally to my MSP, which led me to start and begin sure. Success. So when I realized I can't, I don't want to just keep it in my MSP. Other businesses need me. And so I have been working with other MSPs or managed service providers, and it's an acronym and other professionals I've worked with real estate agents and I've worked with kitchen remodeling companies on really upping their brand. And what does it mean to have a strong corporate personal brand? So it's been a journey that I didn't realize would come to this, but it's truly my, my true passion in life. Absolutely.

Roy Richardson (Host) (12:29):

That's awesome. That's awesome to hear. And you, you mentioned a couple of things in there that, you know, sort of have the wheels turning here. So when people here talk about branding and they, particularly, when it comes to business, they think about the logo. They think about their stationery and perhaps their website, but it goes a lot beyond that because it really entails everything about let's, let's start with the marketing. It goes with the sales, but more so it's the whole culture within the organization, right? How you engage with people, but the steps to take when, you know, a lead comes in making sure that the same message is conveyed to clients, regardless of whether they speak with the employee a one or employee 20. And you mentioned something there just now about losing a customer due to full skills, something that I think most people don't really think about. You care, you care to elaborate, maybe not on that aspect, but you know what you do in that, in that aspect too, to help businesses turn that around

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (13:28):

Hundred percent. So I can tell you, I created a phone skills workshop from this experience. So what happened was, so the phones were icing on the cake experience here. So we had a client for 10 years, a car dealership, and they were several thousand dollars a year client. And we thought things were going well until our customer service was lacking. And we, you know, we were working on all those things. But what we didn't realize is we had a dispatcher who was answering the phone, very monotone sounding disinterested. And so when the final sales call came in and the client finally said I've had enough because a client has to reach a threshold for them to leave. I mean, it's not a comfortable process on either side, but they've got to reach a point and that's, and there's a threshold. And he said, you know, every time I call you act as if you have no idea who I am.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (14:29):

So that was such a punch in the stomach to me, being the marketer who turned into not only a marketer but really understanding culture and my husband, Eric, who owned the business, you know? And so the two of us were like, scratching our heads, like, Oh my God, how did we miss and not understand such a key component? And a lot of businesses don't take stock. They just think, Oh, it's an admin. Oh, it's just the receptionist. And it is actually the frontline of your business. It's the gateway to your business. And so if, and, and, and especially if you're a service business, whether you're an IT company like ours or a law firm, a CPA firm, whatever your service industry, practice medical, absolutely medical practice insurance agency, your people are your product. And so it's critical that right from the get-go and all they can hear is the tone of voice that you're delivering. They want to hear a friendly tone. They want to hear that you're welcoming and that they feel like a VIP for you. And it has to start with those phones. So I did some calculations and it costs over $200 for a, just for my phone to ring and all the marketing that we're doing. Can you imagine how many leads we burned? I didn't want to, I don't want to do the math. Let's just not do the math, but leave it there.

Roy Richardson (Host) (15:56):

But, well, it's, it's, it's, it's 200 for lead, but if that's a customer that, that, that now becomes more, right? Because now you're talking about the revenue that, that customer, you know, generates over a longer period of time that, you know, the person answering that phone with the wrong tone or, or, or maybe with the wrong information, has the ability to cause them to leave your organization.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (16:19):

And I lost any opportunities for referrals, any of that. So the revenue is just exponential, exponential. So I created a phone skills workshop.

Roy Richardson (Host) (16:28):

So is this something that you helped businesses with now, they come to you and they can, you know, you train their folks on terms of that's part of this whole, of your whole process.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (16:39):

It's one of the products that I offer. It's one of the services I offer and it's a training I actually do nationally, or actually, I've done it in Canada as well, but it's all virtual it's for the entire team or at least departments. And we go through everything of analyzing a call, the critical nature of branding to, by the end, they're writing scripts, consistent scripts, and they're practicing. So I'm trained in vocal training as well. So I work with everybody on how they're speaking, how they're delivering their message, and the critical nature of having a very positive tone or having an empathetic tone when a client is frustrated as well, and being able to change that. So that's all covered in this workshop. Absolutely.

Roy Richardson (Host) (17:31):

Awesome. Awesome. And we'll, and we'll put up Lisa's information and, and the scrappy low, or in the wind that we low or, or at the end so that you know how to get in touch with her Lisa, while we're on it. And we're talking about my messaging and branding, et cetera, you know, a lot of companies, as I mentioned before for them is about marketing, right. And so, you know, a lot will say, well, you know, I'm sending all marketing campaigns, et cetera. Why do I also have to focus on personal branding? What's the tie-in?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (18:00):

Oh, does it? So the tie-in is, is you can make your phone ring. That's great. But if you don't have someone polished on the other end, who sounds interested, who is rehearsed and knowledgeable about what you're doing, and actually sounds confident, then that prospect is going away. So you're getting the phone to ring. You're sending out all these marketing campaigns, you're spending money, getting out there doing sponsorships, or you're doing direct mail campaigns, and you're generating some leads. But if you don't have a salesperson on the other end, who is able to handle that lead and able to sound credible, and if the prospect hears any mistrust in there in your voice, or has any misconception, they're onto the next. So it's critical that you put someone in place and you train them to be friendly on the phone, give them a script, give them some objections and some Nat, some scenarios that they can then roll off their tongue, and then they can have quick answers, but confidence answers. And, and, you know, you want to make sure that the person on the other end is excited to help. So, and that comes with time and tone of voice

Roy Richardson (Host) (19:21):

And, and very natural sounding, right. Because we, I'm sure we've all encountered. And I, I know back in, in, you know, w when I, when I first started going off of scripts, I'm sure if I played back some of those recordings, if I had them, I probably, you know, sounded as, as a natural as it could be. Right. So that's an important step as well because whoever's calling in, can tell that you're reading from a script and you really generally don't have an interest in servicing them.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (19:48):

You don't want to sound robotic because then you sound automated. And if someone doesn't feel like they're dealing with another human, that they can build a relationship with and have some sort of an emotional connection to, then there's nothing there to hold on to, and then they're onto the next. So, and then your competitor is going to be the next, next step and the next phone call that they make. Absolutely.

Roy Richardson (Host) (20:13):

So, and, and, and, and thank you for that. So, so one of the things that I, you know, what, when I sat through a couple of your workshops and it was very excited about this part here is I know that you have put together, you know, you have something called your brand method, and then I'll let you explain what that is. But as B.R.A.N.D tell me about the brand method and how it transforms professionals.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (20:38):

So thank you for asking this has become my signature. I needed to find a way to formalize my training with professionals. And I started with my, my, my umbrella is my, what I call my shorter shine system. And if you use my brand method, then you will absolutely be transformed. I know this because I've transformed my company into a multi-million dollar MSP and in continuing to grow. And it's amazing. I know that I have a successful business. And so people coming, you know, calling me, asking me to work with them. So I know that it works and I've got some amazing testimonials. So the brand method is a method that I organized when I put it together. And I thought, okay, how am I working with my team? How am I working with some of my clients? What is it that I've done? And, and brand is an acronym.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (21:34):

And it stands for behavior, which is B. And that's how we showing up. I was showing up on time. I was respecting time. Are we doing research and understanding clients and prospects and sales meetings, are we being real? You know, we, how are we acting toward our peers internally? Are we, are we doing what we can to develop a great culture? Are we taking leadership actions? No. Even if there is a leader, but everybody has an obligation in a company to take a leadership stance in their particular roles, whatever their role is within their organization, R stands for respect. And that is twofold. Having respect internally for yourself. And that's taking some self-care, whether it's hydrating with water, exercising, doing breathing exercises before we have to jump into a difficult conversation, and then respecting others and respecting other's differences, others' cultures, others' values. And how do we demonstrate that respect?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (22:40):

And primarily, we talk about the difference between having sympathy for someone versus really showing empathy. And that's a huge component. A is where I started Shorr Success, and that's in your appearance. So it's not only your clothing and your, you know, your grooming, but it's also posture. And that nonverbal behavior that you're displaying and is networking. So before COVID, it was very much heavy on networking events, coffee meetings, handshakes. How do you do that? It's converted for the past several months now because of COVID two. Okay. Let's talk about how do you network online? How do you, you know, what do you need to do? Like today is an opportunity for me to network with you, Roy, and how am I showing up? What messages am I sending? You know, what kind of conversation are we going to have? So that's part of what we talk about.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (23:36):

Networking on the tech side. I also talk about networking with clients and how critical our technicians are in terms of setting relationships and being a perfect person to set the tone for a potential sale. So, and then D happens to be my favorite, which is dynamic dialogue. It's not just what we say, but it's actually how we say it. That leaves a message and leaves that impression. So it's critical that we review difficult conversations. We talk about the tone of voice, the different levels of the tone of voice. And, and so that's, that's my brand method. And, and all of those components combined, if you work on them consistently, then you become that celebrity in your industry. You become that leader that people seek that people want to do business with versus Passover. You're also a manager or a leader that people respect and want to work for and build that team culture and team morale that is so critical in a thriving business.

Roy Richardson (Host) (24:45):

That's amazing. That's amazing. And, and, you know, I've, I've had the opportunity to engage with some of your, your clients and, and at least hear their testimonials, I would say, and how you've been able to help them turn their business around and, and, and, you know, sort of have it running down that path of success that you've, you've done for your own. So kudos on that. Congratulations. And keep it going. So tell us, tell me a little bit, you know, there are probably listeners and viewers out there now saying, wow, you know, I like everything that Lisa is doing. W what's my next step. And I know you've put a class together around this brand method. So tell us a little bit more about that and how you created that and, and you know, what the benefits are for an organization or, or, or, or a business owner.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (25:33):

Yeah. Oh, no, absolutely. So I, you know, the brand method has been so impactful in, in individual ways that I said, okay, I need to package this. I need to create it so that I can work with more businesses, not just with the leader, but actually focus on the entire team. So I have a program called confidence, plus credibility equals cash. And when people work with me, it's a six-week program. So I am working on the five weeks of it is the B.R.A.N.D. method. The first week starts with mindset and we work on having that right mindset that you need to have a growth mindset. And we talk about branding and corporate branding. We talk about our own personal values and how do we set the tone for the entire energy of your organization or the energy for your team or the way that people approach you.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (26:31):

So every week we delve deeper into a 90-minute session, and then there's also time built in to have, you know, unlimited email access with me. We discuss there are workbooks and resources that I've created to align with the different types of learning styles that are out there. So this is a program for businesses who want to really figure out how do I shine? How do I Polish my personal brand and my soft skills to be customer service, rock star, and that ambassador for my company, that people just want to do business with me. And when I talk to a prospect, it's not about how can you help me, but I need you to help me. I know you've got what it takes. So it's an all-online program and it's running concurrently,

Roy Richardson (Host) (27:26):

Wow, so-so this brand program you're dealing with soft skills. You're dealing with communication. You're dealing with branding all the key ingredients that are really needed to sorry, and customer service and customer service, the key ingredients that are really needed to take the business to the next level. And to then, you know, how do you say give that marketing and those sales drives and that, that extra push that it needs,

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (27:52):

It's critical. They have to go hand in hand, you can train your team and all the technical skills that you need to, and I understand that there's a critical need to have technical skills, project management, or technical certifications, or you know, Lee lawyers typically have continuing legal education credits and all of that. I, I understand that, but if we don't have the soft skills to align with that, then the technical skills are only going to be that if we can't relate to our clients and prospects in a way that creates a beautiful relationship and a developed relationship, then, you know, I've been saying that then the clients are on to the next. And it's a really critical dance that we have to play to create team morale too. And that team morale then creates productivity, which then because there's happiness within an organization. And there's a sense of pride in the culture and core values of an organization that then goes, plays very nicely into the team in the client relationships. And then those create evergreen clients that not only want to do business with you but also want to refer you and willingly refer you.

Roy Richardson (Host) (29:10):

And you, you, you touched on something there that, you know, is, I would say is dear to heart for me, which is team morale. You know, Lucy and I owned a telecom business before we were very, very successful on that. We were the new kids on the block circling we're told by every bank and everywhere else that we would never make it because we were so late to market. But then, you know, 10 years later we had 65% market share. And it really was driven by our team morale. I mean, we made sure that, you know, training provided for one really restraining provider. All everybody needed to execute from the same page. And think about, you know, I like to use an analogy of sports, right. I mean, let me, let me, let me go up in your neck of the woods up there in the New England Patriots.

Roy Richardson (Host) (29:52):

I mean, imagine, imagine if the offense got out in the field and everybody was executing a different play from, from, you know instead of a synchronized effort. Right, right. So what, where it was going with this was, I see, I've seen a lot of organizations where training, as you mentioned, just now, you know, focusing on the technical skills, but also, you know, training somewhat siloed and it's compartmentalized. You know, I've seen organizations where they will take, let's say, bring in someone like yourself to really focus on the front of the house, but then they totally forget the back of the house. And then there's still that disconnect, which eventually erodes that team comradery that you spoke about how, I mean, you've probably run into similar scenarios, et cetera. What is your recommendation, therefore for businesses and, and you know, who are thinking along those lines?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (30:42):

So my critical request is for everybody to really take stock in the entire organization and the communication skills of the entire organization, this isn't just for the sales department, this isn't just for the receptionist of an organization or the dispatcher, whatever the company may be. This is actually a conversation of the entire organization. And understanding that if there is a, a team that doesn't communicate well, first of all, that grouping, that team will have issues internally communicating themselves. And then it'll trickle out to the rest of the company because nobody's going to want to approach them. Nobody will want to approach them for fear of either being snapped at, or not getting the answers that they need, or just lack of credibility, frankly. And so I know Patrick Lencioni wrote a book called five dysfunctions of a team, and communication is such a key component of that.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (31:44):

And so we want to make sure that the awareness, so I could, in my, in my MSP, for example, I could just train my dispatcher and my sales team to get on the phones. Right. But I have engineers that need to be equally great communicators, internally because I need cross-training to happen so that I don't have an only one silo in my company, but B they also need to be able to communicate to my clients in a non-geek speak kind of way, because my clients aren't technical. That's not what they're hiring us for. They're hiring us to make them productive. They're hiring us to make sure their network is healthy up and running minimal downtime, certainly not worrying about cybersecurity. And so, the company, my, my, my, my Shorr success company has taken all of those pain and bundle them into a six-week program. And so it's a starting point to really progressing and then having that awareness, okay, I need to start somewhere, let me start on really training my team on figuring out, okay, we need to focus on communication skills are nonverbal skills, a tone of voice if I'm monotone or I'm edgy, how do I fix that? So it's really important.

Roy Richardson (Host) (33:06):

That's, I would say immeasurable value that you bring to an organization, because a lot of times, you know, as business owners, we tend to fill positions, right? And, and, you know, we have someone who may be a receptionist or, or, you know, someone else who, you know, we've taken that person. Let me, let me dial it back for a second. A salesperson, you know, we hire in a salesperson, we typically will not provide the right training are we will provide some methodology, but we're not focusing on the soft skills, communication skills. And, and some of the other things that you're bringing to the table there. And then we, we throw them in the lions then and expect that you know, they'll start turning that those numbers right away. But if they don't understand that culture, they can't fit in and they're not operating from that same playbook. Right?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (33:52):

No. And, and this is something that is ongoing training, so it's not something that's one and done. You can't just say, Oh yeah, Lisa, come on in for an hour. And we're going to just talk about this. This is really something that's an ongoing process and ongoing training because people get relaxed and then they'll fall back into old habits. And then it's up to the leader to remind people of getting back into the good habit. So it always starts with leadership and then trickles its way down. So how has leadership acting? And then people follow that. So it's got to start, the consistency has to start with the leader and then work its way down. So but it's not a one-and-done where I can not be just like technical skills need to be renewed. Right. All of our certifications, they don't, they expire as well. Soft skills need to be reviewed consistently as well.

Roy Richardson (Host) (34:48):

I, I, it's amazing. You're, you're, you know, they're sharing this information and I'm, I'm seeing the parallels of course, with, you know, the other field that we're in together, which is cybersecurity. And when we talk about establishing that culture within an organization, that cybersecurity is a culture and that, you know, going from the top down left. Right. And it has to be continuously ongoing. So there are a lot of parallels there. Lisa, let, let's talk a little bit about, you know, credibility and how, how, how would somebody go about building credibility in their target industry? I mean and, and, and you know, how, how does your, you know, what you're doing? How would that actually help them?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (35:27):

I think to answer the question of credibility, I'm going to start with what I use in my courses. I created my, what I call my three CS, my three CS of credibility and that's consistency, congruency leads to credibility. So when you're consistent with your brand, with showing up professional, with doing your homework and researching your prospects, your clients, their needs, asking questions, certainly looking at your logo and engineer, you know, in your team uniforms, whatever the different businesses, you're in a bedside manner, customer service skills. If we're consistent with that, that that's the starting point. The second one, the point is congruency. And in math, it's like, it's that line. So, but in marketing and branding, it's telling that one story. If you're telling people that you're responsive, that you specialize in customer service, look at my testimonials, then you better maintain that story.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (36:32):

And the minute you have a blip in that radar, that's when credibility starts to wane and people start questioning. But if you maintain that credibility and then you, you maintain that story that, Hey, I know. So I'm, I'm an image consultant. I work on marketing and branding. I'm not telling people I'm a web developer. Can I talk about some of the content for a website? Yes. But I'm not going to tell the story that, Oh, give me your project for web development. I can handle it. Because even though it's part of your brand, I work on the human side and I consistently talk about the human side, the human element, how we speak, what we say, our nonverbal behavior. And once you really master consistency, I love that in the beginning, you said that you saw me put together. That means the world to me because I make a concerted effort.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (37:27):

Every single day. I ask myself a question about my appearance and I say, well, what goal do I need to achieve today for my clothing? What goal? And so today, Hey, I wanted to, I knew I was getting on the call with you. And I wanted to make sure people saw that I looked professional and I wore a color I'm wearing blue. I purposely did my makeup, you know, extra special and hair. And, you know, my nails are done. And all of that, I took the time because the goal I wanted to achieve was for people to perceive me and continue to perceive me as someone who gets it knows how to put themselves together. And if I can prove that and I'm consistent with that, then I can certainly do that for anybody else. And it's a forte of mine. So once I build the consistency and credibility, I mean, consistency [inaudible], that's when the credibility comes, that's when that credibility is built. And we have to maintain that so that we maintain credibility and people, very finicky and very fickle these days. And COVID has created quite a bit of angst and, and, you know, it is just, it's just the environment that we're in right now. So we have to really take stock in how we're showing up every day and how we really make a concerted effort and use what I call that emotional intelligence. And that's our ability to manage our emotions based on different situations. It's critical.

Roy Richardson (Host) (38:57):

And, and, and, and you've given me a perfect segue to my next question here, which is, you know, given the current COVID climates with the constantly changing business dynamics, you know, are you finding that this type of training that you're providing and the solutions that you're coming forward with branding, et cetera, that it plays an even more important role. And if so, why

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (39:20):

It's critical now more than ever because we are in a business environment that's full of insecurity and angst. And it's really critical that we learn the tools to manage our emotions. And, and it's really hard virtually to really have engagement and to really know the skills and the strategies to engage others so that they hear your message. And they're not distracted by any, you know, by our pets, by our children. You know, we have a, you know, an environment that's quiet that is focused. We're on camera, we're prepared, we've done the research. So now more than ever, we need to hone in. And a lot of people are in salvage mode or they're in the mode of, you know, I've got some instability in my business. I need to show my clients and prospects. I'm strong, I'm here, I'm viable. And they do that by making sure they're maintaining relationships. And that's where soft skills come in. It's not necessarily the product and service. It's not necessarily the product, but it's the service that's delivered. That was Malaysian. The relationship is maintained and people know that they're still viable. They're still strong. And so that's delivered humanly, it's human interaction. So now more than ever, it's critical, critical.

Roy Richardson (Host) (40:48):

We have about two more, two more questions here. But I heard, you know, and another one of your interviews that you did, you talked about executive presence. Tell me a little bit about that

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (41:01):

Executive presence. I love that word. It's an image word. It's a, it's an image and branding term of walking into the room and owning it. That's what Executive Presence is, it's not just you owning it, but it's, others' perception of you owning it and having that strong brand of knowledge and confidence, and Oh yeah. That person gets it. I want to listen to what they have to say. It was kind of like when you know, I'm trying to think. So when, when Mark Zuckerberg is an example of executive presence needed to step it up, his, you know, his signature is the hoodie. His signature is, you know, a casual hoodie, which to my dismay is a terrible look, I get it. But it's a terrible look and I can't help myself. But when he had to testify in Congress and he had to step it up and, and show maturity and responsibility for the Facebook brand and, and, you know, be taken more seriously, he changed his whole image.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (42:13):

He thought about what executive presence he wanted to display. And, and that's, you know, and that's how we stepped into the courtroom when he or I stepped in front of Congress, I should say to testify. It's really critical that we, and that starts with our personal brand and taking stock. And it's our mindset of caring and wanting to build relationships and wanting others to have the right perception of us because perception is reality as we started talking about. And, but having that ability to just walk into a room and people are like, Whoa, I want to hear what they have to say. That's a strong executive presence.

Roy Richardson (Host) (42:53):

Well, I can tell you firsthand having experienced that from you in life. I mean, and, and, and, and you, you did a presentation to the Aluska and I attended, and then, of course, being engaged with you, and you certainly brought your executive presence here today. So, you know, thank, thank you for that. So before we go here, I have a fun fact, and then a final question here. And the fun fact is as, as I asked you to send me a fun fact about yourself, tell me about baking cookies.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (43:25):

So I love, I love the satisfaction of baking. So I love to bake. I'm not a fancy cupcake Baker, you know, with the fancy frosting and fondant and all of that. I have two businesses, two teenage children. There's a lot on my plate, but there's something about not only the sweetness and maybe others can relate to this. I know there was a general who did a talk on YouTube about making your bed and how it just means that you've completed something that day. So cookies and brownies are just one of those sweet treats that I can do in a day and a half-hour and know that the end result is delicious and sweet. And I accomplished something that day. So if I'm feeling maybe, you know, my sweet tooth is getting the better of me, but I do work. I do have a couple of weights nearby, and I can do weight squats and stuff in between my coaching calls. But it's such a fun way to feel like I've accomplished something. And I know my family will love it. And I just get the enjoyment of knowing something is done and let it be treated, but it let it be cookies. So chocolate chip preferred,

Roy Richardson (Host) (44:37):

Well, we'll have to, we'll have to, you know, be sure that next time we see each other that, that we'll, I'll send you a reminder to bring some out next

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (44:49):

Next time I'm in Florida. I will bring you cookies

Roy Richardson (Host) (44:51):

For sure. Awesome. Awesome. There's the final question of the day, and this has been a really, really amazing interview and, and you know, thank you for your time and for all the knowledge that you've shared here and for even, you know, coming and spending, you know, a half an hour, 45 minutes, you know, just, you know, sharing, you know, really tips with people out there. And so before, before we could close hair and, and, you know, we'll go through this question here, and then we'll close. If you had the opportunity to put together a board of advisors for Shorr Success, and you could choose three people dead or alive, who would they be and why?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (45:34):

Let's see. So the first person on my board would be Dr. Nido Qubein. He is the president of High Point University. He represents just really an amazing sense of a positive outlook and, and just really he understands business. He's amazing. The second person, I think I would have Robin Robins on my board. She, to me, is the epitome of not giving up a marketing strategy to the nth degree. And in order for us to grow our businesses, we have to market person. I would have you actually, I would, because I need someone who's in the trenches. I need someone who understands what business is, what it means to grow a business. You know, I, one of my areas of focus and target areas is the MSP community. And where would I be if I am only making up my own opinions?

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (46:41):

So having others with you that are in the trenches with you that are experiencing like challenges, but also who have experiences that were maybe better accomplishments or outcomes than I had, who can say, Hailey's do it this way, or this is what worked for me. I need to know that I need to be humble enough to know when I, you know, need to shift gears. I need to be humble enough to know that it's okay to listen and put my ego aside and say, okay, someone else has a different perspective on this shoot. I don't know it. So talk to me, send it to me. So, yeah, so those are off the top of my quick head. Those would be my first three I would ask.

Roy Richardson (Host) (47:26):

Well, well, first of all, thank you very much for the honor. Except now you've put me on a plateau with Dr. Nido Qubein, who like you, I've had the pleasure of sitting through some of his sessions and what an amazing person and just his story of, you know, him coming over from Lebanon and what he's been able to do at High Point University. And just some of the inspirational, you know, the knowledge he shared just even during this pandemic with us in our industry is amazing. Oh, go ahead.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (48:03):

I would say one of the things I want to say about Dr. Nido Qubein, and I want everybody, I would love everybody to research him and maybe he's got some YouTube videos. I'm not sure. I flew to High Point University to train with him directly. And he said one thing that I want all of your listeners to hear, and it's something that I'm living by because as you know, through COVID businesses up and business, in general, is up and down, you just have to maintain. And he said, his mom actually gave him the advice. It's okay to be disappointed, but it's never okay to be discouraged. So we cannot give up, we have to focus on our dream and figure out how to get there. And I want everybody to live by that if you could,

Roy Richardson (Host) (48:44):

What great words, and yes, yes. I can tell you that Dr. Qubein does have YouTube videos and, you know, we bought a loose, can I have sent them to others around, you know, saying, Hey, you do need to listen to this. And then Robin herself is, you know, what a marketing guru and you know, the mother of marketing. So to say, so I'm, I'm honored. Thank you. First of all, I'm humbled at that. But I would say that the other two, you have a great board there and, and I may be grounded a little bit, but good choices,

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (49:18):

Who would I be without surrounding myself? The other thing that Nido Qubein always says is you need to have a strong circle of influence and someone people that align. And so for your example, for example, you align and you understand my mission. I need people on my board who believe in my mission, who believe in investing in their people, investing in the soft skill side of their businesses. And so I need to find people who aligned just like when you have clients, you need to have clients, everybody out there, you need to have clients that align with and value with the products and services that you offer. The first step is to make them understand it right. And to making them feel why they need you and having that emotion. But then the second point is to maintain that consistency and credibility and aligning with the products and services you offer, why are you offering it? What can, how can I help? How can we help build each other? It's such a critical component. So you aligned with that, Roy. And I'm very, very grateful for that.

Roy Richardson (Host) (50:22):

Thank you. Thank you, Lisa. And likewise, it's always good to be around other people who, you know, shared knowledge, passion, and direction. And, and you certainly did that today, and thank you very, very much for your time that you spent here with us today and with our listeners and viewers, I'm sure that people got great, great you know great tips and you've turned a lot of wheels today, and I will tell you, even me sitting here, as you were talking, saying certain things, you know, and I told you, I had my little, you know, I have, I have you and myself here by the camera. So I'm always looking at you for the most part. And I'm like, you know, she saw my posture, let me you know, I stood

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (51:04):

Up and, you know,

Roy Richardson (Host) (51:07):

You've turned some wheels here. So let me, say this folks, if you're interested in getting in touch with Lisa, and we're going to put this down below and, and the and the box below hair and you know, you can visit Lisa's website@Shorrsuccess.com. That's S H O R R success.com. You can reach her@lisaatShorrsuccess.com. Check her out on Facebook. She has a Facebook page for success, and also she's on LinkedIn, under Lisa. I'm not sure that I miss anything there. Lisa, we're all those

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (51:43):

That's. I am on Instagram as well at Shorr underscore success. And I wanted to say that on the homepage of my website, right on the top is a link to my calendar. If you want to book a call with me, jump right over to my website, I would love to talk to you.

Roy Richardson (Host) (52:00):

Awesome. So they can book a discovery call with you, just go through a little bit of strategy, et cetera, for, you know, 10, 15 minutes or whatever, no obligations.

Lisa Shorr (Guest) (52:09):

You bet. You bet let's, let's talk. Let's explore. Let's set 20, 20, 20, 20, 21, 2021. I can't even say let's get through 2020, right. But we need to kick off 20, 21 the right way. Right. And that's really thinking about ourselves and how are we going to build those brands to rebuild or maintain that credibility critically

Roy Richardson (Host) (52:32):

Alyssa, thank you very, very much. This has been amazing. Really appreciate you. Appreciate your time. Please say hello to Eric. I'm looking forward to those cookies and whenever that board position becomes available, I'll gladly join with those other two. So thank you. We'll be in touch soon and folks, thank you for joining us for this week. We'll be back next week here with another edition of the dynamic beta business leader podcast. Stay safe out there and keep trucking it.

Roy Richardson (Host) (52:59):

Thank you. Thank you. Hi, I'm Roy Richardson, host of the dynamic business leaders podcast. Are you a business owner or a leader of a successful business? If yes, we'd love to have you as a guest on our podcast. Our goal is simple. We provide a platform for leaders to share their experiences, to benefit others. We want to hear your story, how you got started, the challenges you faced along the way, and your passion today. If this sounds you, if you know someone who fits the criteria, then be sure to visit our website@dynbizzpodcastdotaurora-andfulltech.com. That's D Y N B I Z, podcast dot Aurora hyphen, and full tech.com. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the notification bell to be notified when our next podcast video is live. Or if you rather listen to us during your car ride, you can also follow us on your favorite audio channel using the corresponding links below. Thanks. And once again, keep crushing it.