C-Suite Network™

Menu
Search
Close this search box.

Category: Personal Development

Categories
Leadership Marketing Personal Development

Startup Brand Builders Must Not Underestimate the Retail Sales Process

Too many brands make the mistake of over-simplifying the sales process. We’ve seen some brands state in their sales section, “Will sell at retail.” Yeah, sure—good luck!

Our society constantly misjudges the sales process. This “shopper’s” perception has no place in any business plan. What kills most brands is the lack of adequate sales, so how could anybody expect to build a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand without respecting the sales process?

It’s easy to see how this simplified view of sales begins. As you shop, you stroll down the aisle of your hardware, drug, or grocery store, looking at the branded CPGs stacked up, lined up, and replenished. This looks easy—an automatic, programmed system. You can get your product there with no trouble, and be front and center! Right?

Many startup companies emphasize administration, raising capital, and production. Wrong! Their focus should be on sales—because that’s everyone’s Achilles’ heel. A sales strategy cannot be separated from a brand-building strategy. In the CPG arena, true brand-building success is in sales, especially in the critical first stages.

Many CPG brand builders successfully secure financing, and it boggles our minds! Their investors should be concerned about precisely where and how their money will return to them. After all, it’s from the customer! But, this route is complex and convoluted in most cases. It is reliant on the brand-builder’s success in accessing the market, and carefully implementing a sustainability strategy.

Having been through it all, we are astonished that this piece of any business plan can be summed up with, “Will sell at retail.” It’s like the advocates and their backers think this product is so incredible, so revolutionary, and at such a value that retailers will blindly purchase it, promote it, and keep it stocked. Sure, maybe one day—once it’s a household name, has immediate recognition, and represents a large percentage of the retailer’s profit. But until then, no way! Not for starters. You’ll have to earn your spot on that shelf.

Maybe you’ll catch a lucky break and get your product into Target or Walmart. But without continued sales, your product will be discontinued. This will stain your brand as you expand. Buyers will ask, “Wasn’t your product kicked out of Target?”

We always look for the sales plan first when looking at a business plan for a CPG brand. Is it sustainable? Affordable? Practical? Still, we are stunned by the lack of specifics and the naïve overgeneralizations.

We think a good CPG sales plan should include how the market will be accessed and why, how expansion will be supported by cash flow (not just relying on outside funding), and how preliminary sales will be serviced. We want to see a comprehensive breakdown of the cost of sales. This can only happen once you understand and respect the distribution channel, and what everyone in that channel wants in order to advance your brand. How will the brand be built at each level? Neglect at any point can ruin your brand.

Sure, your new product is amazing. Sure, it’s in demand. Sure, it’s revolutionary. But is it for sale? And is it constantly on the shelf?

For more, read on: http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Marketing Technology

The Millennial Attention Gap

Maybe my favorite generation is the millennials. I love their insights and ability to change quickly … and they can also learn from generations before them. So, I was excited when I recently watched the movie, The Intern, about a Baby Boomer going to work for a young, hip start-up company. This company was very successful, full of bright ideas and innovative ways to succeed. Initially, they looked as though they thrived in chaos, when in fact, they were suffering from the very methods that made them successful.

While the movie was a light-hearted comedy about an older generation fitting into a Millennial mindset, I couldn’t help but notice the number of mistakes the young professionals made because of information overload, a barrage of interruptions, and an obsessive need to multitask leading to a frantically fast paced life. They worked together for hours on end yet knew little about each other. They celebrated professional success while suffering personal losses in relationships at home.

The movie was fiction. The situation was reality.

Millennials weren’t the age of technological discoveries. They were born into the technological age we created. They never knew life before the internet, texting, streaming and social media. Before most of them could walk, they could operate an iPhone. Many of them watched their first programs streaming from their parents’ devices while sitting in a restaurant for dinner. As the Millennials grew up, they formed new languages ripe with acronyms as they felt there was no time, or need, to write in full, complete sentences.  Now that this generation has aged and entered the workplace, they struggle to turn their attention from devices and into real relationships that communicate openly, thoroughly and effectively.

At one point in the movie, a younger employee approached the Baby Boomer to ask for relationship advice. He admitted to having messed up with his girlfriend, and he failed to see how his attempts to mend the relationship were unsuccessful. He said he sent a “ton of text messages” – to which she never responded – and a “super long email” laced with acronyms and emojis. At which point the Baby Boomer simply suggested that he talk to her face-to-face. Guess what? The advice worked.

Now let’s hop over to real life.

How often do you, or Millennials in your life, attempt to communicate with others in this fashion? With phones buzzing, emails flying, and alerts binging, it’s no wonder we miss the connection. What if we encouraged Millennials to pay attention to relationships, not technology, and to address others in a real-time conversation, saving time and confusion from back and forth digital dialogue. Imagine the time we could save if we would focus on our relationships and began paying attention to what matters most.

Another hysterical scene in the movie came when the young CEO inadvertently sent her mom an email not intended for her to read. Watching these characters go to great lengths to undo a digital mistake made was a riot! I couldn’t help but consider the number of times we have all been guilty of hitting ‘send’ on a message not intended for the receiver, and the following countless hours/days/weeks/months/years we spent trying to recover from our lack of attention to detail. The Millennial boss was moving at such a fast rate of speed, dealing with one distraction after another, she almost risked a vital relationship in her life as a result. Ever been guilty of doing the same?

We have an opportunity to lead by example for Millennials and other future generations. We can show them how to slow down and pay attention to details. We can demonstrate how to step away from gadgets and build relational bridges with peers, employees, spouses and friends. Our time spent before the digital age could enlighten them on advantages that came with it.

Can you become like the Baby Boomer in the movie? Can you mentor young professionals and encourage them to invest in sincere relationships – getting to know each other on a deeper level? Can you lead by example by focusing on one task at a time, saying ‘no’ to distractions that lead to mistakes? Will you demonstrate what it means to stop living a ‘crazy busy’ life and start paying attention to what matters most?

Categories
Accounting Economics Entrepreneurship Industries Investing Management Personal Development Taxes

Highlights of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act

CHANGES TO INDIVIDUAL RATES AND BRACKETS– lowered top bracket from 39.6% to 37%

  • Married Individuals highest bracket starts at $600,000; Single Individual $500,000; Trust and estate $12,500
  • NEW-Dependent children aged 18-24 in school must use trust rates not Parent’s rate
  • Capital gains rates remain unchanged
  • NEW-three year holding period for carried interest distributions, sales or redemptions for Long-term capital gains
  • AMT thresholds increased

CHANGES TO INDIVIDUAL DEDUCTIONS

  • Only deductions available: medical expense, Interest expense, charitable deductions and tax expense and business casualty loss
    • Taxes limited to total of $10,000; Mortgage debt for existing loans limited to $1,000,000 and New home purchase $750,000.  Cash contributions limit increase from 50% to 60% of adjusted gross income
  • No longer deductible expenses-Alimony paid for and alimony received under divorce contracts entered after 2018, tax prep fees, employee business and investment expenses and other miscellaneous itemized deductions moving expenses; personal casualty theft loss except for federally declared disasters
  • New 529 plans for elementary or secondary public private or religious schools.
  • Like kind exchanges now limited only to Real property so fast-food restaurant franchise licenses and patents; aircraft, vehicles, machinery and equipment, railcars, boats, livestock, crypto-currency, artwork and collectibles are no longer eligible.
  • Current year business operating losses including passive losses limited to $500,000 joint and $250,000 for other filers.  Anything in excess cannot offset capital gain or investment income.
  • No carryback of Net operating business losses. Carryforward of future losses limited to 80% of taxable income.
  • Increased limits for expensing capital assets up to $1,000,000 for new & used property.
  • Non-owner of some private company employees may get up to 5 years to defer income on exercise of stock options or RSU’s.

CHANGES TO ESTATE TAX

  • Life time gift & GST exemption-2018 $11,200,000 single & $22,400,000 married couples.  Will be adjusted for inflation each year.  
  • Annual gift tax amount-2018 Increased to $15,000

CHANGES TO BUSINESS (SCHEUDLE C) AND PASS THRU ENTITIES

  • NEW- 20% deduction for pass thru or Schedule C qualified business income done at individual level
  • Limitation of business interest deduction limited to 30% of the business’s adjustable taxable income, exception for real estate companies who elect longer depreciable life for real estate.
  • NEW-Taxpayer’s average $25 million gross receipts- can use cash method of accounting and don’t have to use UNICAP rules for inventory capitalization.

At GROCO, we assist high net worth clients and their families with wealth creation, family transfers, taxes and charitable giving. Please give me a call at 510-797-8661 if you need assistance or have questions on these new rules or would like to know how to make, keep and/or transfer your wealth.

Categories
Accounting Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations News and Politics Women In Business

Do You Know How to Negotiate With a Bully?

“When negotiating with a bully, assume nothing and question everything.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Negotiating with a bully, or anyone that acts in an obstinate manner can be a difficult proposition. Such encounters can leave you haggard, bewildered, and in a sense of bedazzlement. Stated simply, it can leave you emotionally drained. But, if you know how to negotiate with a bully, you don’t have to risk jeopardizing your sanity or peaceful state of mind.

When you find yourself negotiating with a bully, consider employing the following strategies to lessen his impact.

1. First, identify why the bully feels he can bully you. There’s something that he’s perceived about your demeanor that marks you as a target. Once you discover that, you can alter your demeanor to appear more formidable. Just an FYI, you should alter his perspective of you prior to entering into the negotiation.

2. Understand his source of power. A bully’s mindset is one of picking on people that he perceives to be weaker than himself. His perception stems from his support system (i.e. those that back him), along with his perspective of what he’s achieved versus what he perceives you to possess (e.g. he has friends in higher places, more money, greater status, etc.) To combat his perception, create the persona of someone that’s also connected. You can do this by emulating the bully’s support system.

3. Appear fearless when such is required. A bully will ‘push your buttons’ to discover ways to manipulate you. Everyone is familiar with the schoolyard bully. He picks on the kids that won’t stand up to him. When they do, he usually moves to a target that is less challenging. When dealing with a bully in a negotiation, you have to be defiant when defiance is called for. Remember, the bully will only push you to the point that you allow him and, he’ll continue to push as long as you allow him. Unfortunately, history has taught us this lesson time and time again when dealing with tyrants; tyrants are nothing more than bullies with a bigger platform.

4. Observe body language – In particular, look for nonverbal signs of submission and those that are out of sync with his verbiage (e.g. bully leaning away from you when making a demand – potential sign of him retreating and testing your resolve, softening his demeanor when he senses that you’re displaying backbone, making request with ending statement sounding like a question). Such observations will give you greater insight into what his next action(s) might be and his psyche.

5. Consider how you can have embedded commands in your offers, suggestion, and/or concessions. As an example, observe the statement in bold in the first paragraph of this article. It states, ‘you know how to negotiate with a bully’. Such subliminal messaging may not be observed by the conscious mind, but they will be perceived at a subconscious level. Therein is where it can have an influence on the other negotiator. To combine the effects, lace several subliminal messages together. Use them as needed and apply them judiciously.

While negotiating with a bully can be trying, if you employ some of the suggestions mentioned above, you can decrease the bully’s effectiveness. In so doing you’ll make yourself less desirable from being targeted for bullying by the bully … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#NegotiatingWithABully #Bullying #Bully #negotiations #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

8 Decision-Making Tips for Executive Leaders

How many decisions have you made so far today?  I mean, think about it. As an executive leader, starting with your early morning decision of whether to catch a few more ZzZ’s or to crack open your e-mail inbox, you make thousands of decisions in the course of just a typical day.

As you step into the workplace, or get situated behind your laptop, you are no doubt faced with more decisions than the average bear, and how you make decisions will, no doubt, have an impact on your team. And whether you enjoy it or not, decision-making just goes with the territory. In fact, when asked to list the attributes of a great boss, most people would typically include decisiveness in that list. Who wants to work with a leader who’s wishy washy or uncertain? Frankly, I’d rather chew on broken glass than work with someone who can’t make a dang decision and then run with it. But maybe that’s just me.

In fact, whether you are doing the behind the scenes work of a busy intern, or you are perched in the corner office of the C-suite, I think that most people can use some help in making decisions more effectively. Here are some practices that I’ve picked up along the way.

Decision-Making Tips for Executive Leaders

1 – Narrow down your options. Well, duh. This may seem like a no-brainer, but today we have soooo many choices that it can seem overwhelming.

Two psychologists conducted a study where they offered shoppers in an upscale store a variety of jams. On Monday they were offered a selection of 24 varieties of gourmet jam. On Tuesday, they were offered only six varieties of jam. The large display attracted more interest than the small one. But when the time came to purchase, people who saw the large display were one-tenth as likely to buy as people who saw the small display.

The bottom line is, a confused buyer says no. When you have too many choices, your mind may just shut down or go into analysis paralysis. Put them on a list and start snipping away.

2 – Expand your options. Of course, this sounds contradictory, but sometimes – especially when you’re facing an either/or situation – allowing yourself to think outside of the proverbial box can help.

Does it HAVE to be either/or? Should I fire this employee, or not? Are those really your only two options? Probably not. You might examine whether he is a good fit for your organization – is he on the right “bus?” If yes, then maybe he’s just in the wrong “seat.” A transfer to another position for which he is better suited might be your best bet. Or maybe he isn’t properly equipped for the current role, so some training and development are in order. It’s helpful to get creative when expanding your options. If he’s not a good fit for your organization, then you need to boot him off the bus.

3 – Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions. This tip can be tough for people like me, because I’m not naturally super systematic and have to monitor my emotions when making big decisions. If this is the case, take out a notepad and make a list of options, then list pros and cons of each.

4 – Decide but also build consensus. The ability to make a decision is the cornerstone of good leadership, but at the same time, gaining feedback from your team is crucial. A smart leader will ask for input, actually LISTEN, and increase their employee engagement.

5 – Decide when you’ll decide. Put a deadline on paper for yourself to avoid procrastinating in ad finitum.

6 – Know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. Effective leaders are calculated risk-takers. They study, consider, and analyze, but they are also ready to take the plunge when appropriate.

7 – Define your values (and/or your company values), and use them to measure your decisions. At the very start of my business, I instituted the no “A-hole Rule.” I vowed I would not work with people I didn’t like. My husband laughs at me, because he says I have that rule and yet I am always talking about how I love my clients. Ah, yeah, but I always have the option to turn away any potential client who rubs me the wrong way.

If you’re clear on your values as a leader and as a business, you will have an easier time making decisions. Period.

8 – Rip off the band-aid. The longer you procrastinate, the more the load of the decision will weigh you down. Just. Do. It.

The recipe to become a successful, decisive leader is a bit like making a good gumbo. It’s not done in a flash, and it’s an ongoing effort that takes a lot of stirring, tasting, and adjusting the seasonings.

Practicing these tips regularly, and even with the small decisions, will help you in becoming a more effective decision maker. Now, if you’ll pardon me, I’m off to lunch. Speaking of which, should I have the soup or the salad? Hmmm.

Categories
Marketing Operations Personal Development

Seven Ways to Build Online Customer Trust

How do you build a relationship of trust with your customers? It’s easiest when you can connect with them in person – you can read their expressions as you interact and more easily understand their needs and their perspective. Even in phone conversations, the customer’s tone of voice can help you ascertain their feelings. But what about building trust in an online business?

Building trust online is different. Not necessarily more difficult, but there are certain things to consider when building an online business. There are companies that have mastered the art of building trust online and have the reputation and accolades to prove it. Some of these, such as Apple and Sephora, are ranked at the top for both their traditional and online customer service, while others, including Zappos and Amazon, originated online and built trust through smart practices to rise to the top. Here are some basic ways to build customer trust online:

1. Keep it simple. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and go through the motions of navigating your website and placing an order. Is the website easy to understand and simple to navigate?

2. Be accessible. People do business with people. Offer multiple channels through which a customer can reach you for support or questions – a call center, email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3. Post contact information prominently. Put it on every page of your website. Make it easy for a customer to call, email, or connect with you instantly.

4. Keep telephone hold times to a minimum. Customers who have to wait on hold get frustrated and feel as if the company doesn’t care enough to staff properly. You might want to make use of technology that can let the customer know how long the wait will be and give the option of an automatic call-back.

5. Respond quickly on social channels. When a customer contacts you through social media, you should respond within minutes – not hours or days. Continuously monitor your social media channels.

6. Share testimonials from happy customers. This social proof from others will help build trust and increase potential customers’ confidence in doing business with you.

7. Ask your customers to post online reviews. Encourage reviews from not only those who have had a great customer experience throughout, but also any customers who may have had a problem and were satisfied with your handling of the issue.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Skills Women In Business

The 40-Day Leadership Challenge

Aren’t there times when you wish you could yell “do over!” and start with a clean slate, like you did as a kid? The good news is, even though it might not be enough to simply declare the “do over,” it is possible to start again on a clean page. How? Take my 40-Day Leadership Challenge.

For Christians, the forty days before Easter are known as Lent, reflecting the forty days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before his crucifixion and resurrection. During this time, many people make forty-day sacrifices like giving up sweets, eating in between meals, or video games; or making some extra effort like reading the Bible daily, or volunteering at a soup kitchen. The idea is that it should be a time of purification, after which you emerge as a better person and closer to God. But it strikes me that, at a deeper level, there is a universally valuable leadership challenge and lesson inherent in this kind of experience.

Everyone has some relationship, whether professional or personal, that could be improved. Maybe there’s someone who perpetually rubs you the wrong way. Or on a grander scale, maybe you need to project a more compelling leadership image you project for people to see you as a leader to admire. Fundamentally, relationships are made and broken by the communication patterns they promote, and it’s up to you to take the first step towards making these patterns healthier, more respectful and more productive, based on how you choose to communicate.

All you have to do is take that first step today, and then another one each day for the next 39 days. That’s your personal 40-Day Leadership Challenge. Pick something that is difficult enough so that you can’t do it mindlessly; it will require a conscious effort for it to be successful. The goal is that after 40 days, you will replace old, bad habits with positive new ones, which will not only make you a better person, but will improve the lives of others around you.

So where should you start? You might choose to “fast” from gossip or snarky comments, both in conversation and email. Hold your tongue instead of criticizing someone in public even when others do, or let the other person get the last word even when you want to add more.

Perhaps you have a tendency to be blunt, dramatic or insensitive in some contexts. If that’s the case, try committing to a 40-day diplomacy challenge. You could also abstain from exaggeration, swearing, or drama for 40 days, or opt to walk away from a conversation when you feel yourself starting to get heated – then be sure to follow up later when you feel more focused and composed.

On the flip side, maybe you try to avoid conflict at all costs. For you, the challenge could be committing to address problems rather than letting them fester and hoping they go away on their own.

If nothing else, try this: Simply make an effort to explicitly thank people for their efforts, big or small. You’ll be amazed at what a big impression such a small gesture can make. I promise you it won’t go unnoticed.

Remember: it doesn’t have to be 40 days of consecutive perfection; it’s about 40 days of conscious effort to be a better person, and a better leader. Even if you fall off the proverbial bandwagon occasionally, it’s okay! Try putting a dollar in a jar every time you realize you’ve broken your commitment, and after your 40 days, donate the money in the jar to charity. No matter how often you put money in the “oops” jar, you still get to call a “do over” the next day!

And the best part? It doesn’t matter which 40 days you choose, whether at the start of the new year, during your summer vacation or any other time. By the end of your 40 Day Leadership Challenge, others will feel the difference through smoother and more collaborative exchanges, and your new patterns should start to feel natural and replace the old ones. That’s the best way to build the foundation of a new kind of leadership that makes others want to follow suit.

******

Want to discuss your potential 40-Day Leadership Challenge? Email me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click to set up a 20-minute focus call with me personally.

Categories
Marketing Personal Development Technology

Why You Shouldn’t Be Aiming for Viral Marketing

Viral marketing seems like the business success a marketer can strive for–your message is out there, and everyone is sharing it. What could be better? Well, a lot, actually, because going viral says a lot about how many people see your message, but not a whole lot about how many people are buying your product.

Some of you might remember the feel-good stories or days gone by, such as Blendtec, that great blender whose messages went viral when they pulverized an iPod with that powerful little motor. And that viral marketing definitely led to sales–huge increases, in fact. So, why am I so down on viral marketing? A few reasons:

  • You’re not so unique. Nowadays, there is way more content vying for attention. The possibility of any marketer breaking through the way Blendtec did is much less than it was.

 

  • Facebook makes it hard. Facebook used to show any content–now it suppresses marketing content in the free feed to make you pay them for ads.

 

  • You’re not looking for everyone. This is probably the most important reason. If you’re Coca-Cola, then maybe viral is great, because your target market is anyone with a neck. But you’re probably not.

But the biggest reason that viral marketing doesn’t work, is that even if it goes viral, it doesn’t persuade anyone to buy. The best thing about those old Blendtec videos were that they showed off their differentiation. If it can obliterate an iPod, you can bet it won’t leave any lumps in your smoothies. But most viral attempts focus solely on sharing and reach and not at all on persuading all those people that they reach.

Focus on reaching the right people instead of all the people. Maybe that finally give you the boost in sales you really need.

Categories
Economics Entrepreneurship Human Resources Industries Investing Management Marketing Personal Development

The Long, Hard Road

I recently interviewed Rick Wartzman for my Business Builders Show podcast. Rick is the Director of The KH Moon Center for a Functioning Society at the Drucker Institute, a part of Claremont Graduate University. Rick has written a great book, The End of Loyalty, The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America.  This book has 363 pages and 25 pages of citations and sourcing. This is a very well -written, well documented account of the topic of the book. At the beginning of the interview I pointed out that he started the book in 2009 and it was not published until 2017. I asked him why did it take that long? After he made a joke about him being “slow”, he pointed out that it took that long to check on and validate all the information he wrote about in the book. It simply was the long, hard road to get the book done right.

Todays blog from Seth Godin is “Low & Slow (vs.fear)”. He talks about how he rushed the baking of sourdough rye bread. He did not let the dough ferment enough and he turned up the oven, so he could get it done faster so he could meet someone. It did not turn out well. Then he points out a flipside to the story – “Sometimes, we mistakenly believe that we’re building something that takes time, but what we’re really doing is hiding. We stall and digress and cause distractions, not because the work needs us to, but because we’re afraid to ship.”  BTW, remember that Seth Godin has been blogging for I’m not sure how long (a long time) and has not missed a day.

When do we decide to take the long and sometimes difficult road? I see the value in the long view. Just like baking bread correctly, getting a story (your work) right so you can share your insights usually takes time. Be patient. Stay focused. Believe the work you are doing is worthy of the time and effort. So, unless there is an immediate need for speed, consider the long term. Think of the lasting impact your work can have if you take the time to complete all the steps in the process. Those steps will include diligent study, bouncing ideas off family, friends and colleagues and being committed to producing work which will have a positive, lasting impact.

Rick Wartzman, congratulations on taking the time, the long, hard road, to write a terrific book. Seth Godin, slow down and better luck next time with the sourdough rye bread.

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development Technology

Cybersecurity Checkup

Most people understand that going to the doctor and dentist on a regular basis is good preventive practice for their health. Getting your teeth cleaned and x rayed can help prevent future damage, and getting regular blood work and physical exams can catch issues before they become serious.

The same is true for your technology and business practices around cybersecurity. Regular checkups and exams are necessary for the basic health of your systems and to prevent more serious problems later. Knowing early on if there is an issue that needs to be fixed can help you before it becomes too late or more costly.

As a security consultant I am akin to your general practitioner at the doctor’s office. I conduct checkups for systems and processes to determine the cybersecurity health and potential future needs for organizations. Having someone with this skill set to come in at least annually and look at your systems is key in maintaining a healthy network. The result of ignoring your security checkup can lead to an unavailability of system resources, which happens when attackers use Ransomware to keep you from accessing critical business data. Another concern that the checkup addresses is ensuring there is no weakness in the integrity of data or what seems to be the most common headline, the loss of data to hackers or attackers.

Let’s look at three important elements of a cybersecurity checkup.

First let’s look at your infrastructure, which you can think of as the bones that make up your organization. If a device or system on your network isn’t configured correctly it can cause many problems. Systems and data can become unavailable to users and customers, or worse, malicious users or hackers could gain unauthorized access to your systems and data. During the checkup your security consultant will look at system configurations to help identify any weaknesses and provide recommendations for fixing any breaks they find.

Second you need to look at the hardware and software that makes up your network and is part of your infrastructure. These devices can be infected by what are known as a computer virus or bug and in broader terms referred to as malware. With people we have ways to detect if there is an infection and ways to prevent them or cure them. For your systems, the main way this is accomplished is through the use of anti-virus or anti-malware software. This software can test the system looking for vulnerabilities and weaknesses (bugs and infections). Your security consultant conducting your system check-up will make sure that the software is current and working properly, and look to ensure that all current patches have been applied to fix known issues.

When you go to the doctor there are many tests in which you get poked and prodded, many of which are not fun, but incredibly necessary. A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with cancer as a result of his prostate exam. I am quite certain the exam was not something he was looking forward to and he could have easily put off, but since he didn’t put it off he was diagnosed early and has a very good prognosis for being cancer free.

This takes me to the third and one of the most important and often underutilized type security checkup – penetration testing. This is the most important, but least common checkup. This type of test should be conducted by a subject matter expert, i.e. a specialist rather than a generalist. This professional conducts very technical tests against your organizations systems to try and break in like someone who is up to no good, but doing so with permission and ground rules. They can do this from the Internet like most malicious hackers and they can do it from inside your network to mimic a malicious internal user. External and internal penetration tests are some of the most important tests you can run against your systems to make sure you truly understand the cybersecurity health of your organization from the inside out.

These important security health checks should also be conducted throughout the year by your IT staff as part of their ongoing operating procedures in addition to at least annually by an independent third-party. If you have outsourced your IT to a service provider make sure they are conducting regular security checks in addition to having an independent third-party or internal audit group do an annual checkup as well.

Don’t be caught with a diagnosis that is hard or expensive to fix because you decided to skip the annual checkup. If you have questions and want to discuss all the elements of a security checkup in more detail email sharon@c-suiteresults.com.