Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting 40 Skolkovo Moscow School of Management entrepreneurship graduate students. They were in the area to visit Silicon Valley and learn from the temples of American Entrepreneurship. Once their tech tour finished, we asked them to join us in Russian River wine country. They got to experience some time basking in nature, had a few discussions about entrepreneurship, enjoyed lunch outdoors, and of course, had a wine tasting after learning about Sonoma County wine.
Skolkovo is among the top universities around the globe and is affiliated with MIT. These students were already in their 30s, many of them with their own businesses. Other students were either considering the idea of entrepreneurship or just wanted to learn.
Familiarizing These Russian Students with Soft Skills
We knew that they already learned a lot about hard technology during their time in the Valley. Between all the VCs and the tales of lucky tech success, we thought a more natural environment and a different type of discussion would be refreshing. So we gave them our course on “How Soft Skills Earn Hard Cash.”
We guided them through the three foundational soft skills (Acknowledgement, Appreciation, and Communication), and how they relate to the three foundational business relationships (Vendors, Buyers, and Employees).
Even though you need much more than soft skills to find success, their absence can lead to cripplingly expensive turnover, loss of credit, higher operational costs, and worst of all—a loss of customers. In short, you must be able to balance soft skills and tech skills in order to be successful.
The students’ genuine interest in achieving business success was impressive. We started our discussion by identifying what we had in common—a need for extended terms and credit, a desire for loyal and enthusiastic employees, and a need for continuously increasing business.
Yes, there are many cultural differences between our societies, but business is business. People are people. How they are treated can make a monumental difference in their decisions regarding your goods and services. As a businessperson, possibly the most important consideration you can pay to others is respect for their concerns.
If they are your employee, do you have their best interests at heart?
And do you show it? For example, are your people able to enhance their careers within your company? Do you give them the recognition, security, compensation, education, and vacation time they need to stay loyal to you?
If they’re your buyer, are you servicing what you’re selling?
Do you stand by your warranties? Do you provide the support they need in order to do business with you, promote their products, and increase their purchases? Do you address buyers on every level, from your warehouse to your end-buyer, so your products can navigate freely through all channels?
If they’re your vendor, do you respect their salespeople?
If you know you’ll be late on a payment, do you call in advance with a plan to bring your account current? Have you developed a long-term contract so they can confidently extend the credit and terms you need to support your business?
This all comes down to one thing—being able to put yourself in the other guy’s shoes. Understand that by getting them what they want, you get what you want. Our friend Ivan Misner likes to say, “Take off the bib and put on the apron!” Or, as we say, “If you’re going to be a jerk, get out your wallet! It’s going to cost you more.”
These lessons cross all cultural boundaries and have withstood the test of time. Anybody that can change the world with a great idea will benefit by practicing these soft skills. They can make or break your success.
When we initially got into business, we were under the misconception that our products would sell themselves—they were Gold Medal winners at less than $6 per piece! We didn’t understand why people weren’t breaking down doors to get to us. It cost us a whole bunch of money, time, and frustration to finally develop and understand these crucial skills that ultimately brought us to success.
We were ecstatic to share the real benefits of applying soft skills in business with the extraordinary Skolkovo students. We wish them nothing but the best in their own endeavors and we’d love for them to visit their “Outdoor Classroom in the Wine Country” again! Надеюсь увидеть тебя снова в ближайшее время!
For more, read on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/
Preserve Founders Legacy through Story Performed by Actors with Sound Effects and Music
DOES YOUR HISTORY, FOUNDING SPIRIT, & GUIDING PRINCIPLES GET LOST OVER TIME?
Does your growth result in specialization, turf battles, corporate malaise, costly employee turnover, and lack of engagement and loss of the big picture?
"Any company that works intentionally on their culture will like this product for on-boarding."
-Bill Higgs, Host, Culture Code Champions Podcast
"TRANSFORMATIONAL ! Tremendous potential for CEO's to tell their story in a new way!"
-Robert Reiss, Forbes Magazine
After building & selling the famous Barefoot Wine Brand and writing the NYT's Bestseller, The Barefoot Spirit, used in 60 schools of entrepreneurship, and after a decade of being trusted advisors to startups, buildups, and buildouts, Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey have developed Business Audio Theatre. As workplace culture experts, they believe the best way to increase engagement and reduce turnover is through story. They believe the best way to convey business story is through audio theatre provided to new employees on day one. Identification with the founders, their story, and their principles is the basis for identification. Identification is the basis for engagement. Engagement is the basis for longevity. Find out more!
Watch C-Suite TV Interview with Taryn Winter Brill:
Listen to The Barefoot Spirit from the C-Suite Library
Call: 707-484-1600
EMAIL: Sales@TheBarefootSpirit.com
Michael & Bonnie in Action:
1.5 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/svuthvx4uy
2.5 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/q1t21okz9f
3 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/8y5btoyfrw
10 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/8crj4p1hg9
|Welcome to Business Audio Theatre the Most Effective Onboarding Tool to Reduce Turnover and Increase Engagement
Preserve Founders Legacy through Story Performed by Actors with Sound Effects and Music
DOES YOUR HISTORY, FOUNDING SPIRIT, & GUIDING PRINCIPLES GET LOST OVER TIME?
Does your growth result in specialization, turf battles, corporate malaise, costly employee turnover, and lack of engagement and loss of the big picture?
"Any company that works intentionally on their culture will like this product for on-boarding."
-Bill Higgs, Host, Culture Code Champions Podcast
"TRANSFORMATIONAL ! Tremendous potential for CEO's to tell their story in a new way!"
-Robert Reiss, Forbes Magazine
After building & selling the famous Barefoot Wine Brand and writing the NYT's Bestseller, The Barefoot Spirit, used in 60 schools of entrepreneurship, and after a decade of being trusted advisors to startups, buildups, and buildouts, Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey have developed Business Audio Theatre. As workplace culture experts, they believe the best way to increase engagement and reduce turnover is through story. They believe the best way to convey business story is through audio theatre provided to new employees on day one. Identification with the founders, their story, and their principles is the basis for identification. Identification is the basis for engagement. Engagement is the basis for longevity. Find out more!
Watch C-Suite TV Interview with Taryn Winter Brill:
Listen to The Barefoot Spirit from the C-Suite Library
Call: 707-484-1600
EMAIL: Sales@TheBarefootSpirit.com
Michael & Bonnie in Action:
1.5 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/svuthvx4uy
2.5 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/q1t21okz9f
3 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/8y5btoyfrw
10 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/8crj4p1hg9
|Welcome to Business Audio Theatre the Most Effective Onboarding Tool to Reduce Turnover and Increase Engagement
Preserve Founders Legacy through Story Performed by Actors with Sound Effects and Music
DOES YOUR HISTORY, FOUNDING SPIRIT, & GUIDING PRINCIPLES GET LOST OVER TIME?
Does your growth result in specialization, turf battles, corporate malaise, costly employee turnover, and lack of engagement and loss of the big picture?
"Any company that works intentionally on their culture will like this product for on-boarding."
-Bill Higgs, Host, Culture Code Champions Podcast
"TRANSFORMATIONAL ! Tremendous potential for CEO's to tell their story in a new way!"
-Robert Reiss, Forbes Magazine
After building & selling the famous Barefoot Wine Brand and writing the NYT's Bestseller, The Barefoot Spirit, used in 60 schools of entrepreneurship, and after a decade of being trusted advisors to startups, buildups, and buildouts, Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey have developed Business Audio Theatre. As workplace culture experts, they believe the best way to increase engagement and reduce turnover is through story. They believe the best way to convey business story is through audio theatre provided to new employees on day one. Identification with the founders, their story, and their principles is the basis for identification. Identification is the basis for engagement. Engagement is the basis for longevity. Find out more!
Watch C-Suite TV Interview with Taryn Winter Brill:
Listen to The Barefoot Spirit from the C-Suite Library
Call: 707-484-1600
EMAIL: Sales@TheBarefootSpirit.com
Michael & Bonnie in Action:
1.5 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/svuthvx4uy
2.5 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/q1t21okz9f
3 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/8y5btoyfrw
10 minute: https://barefootspirit.wistia.com/medias/8crj4p1hg9
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