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O'Neil & Associates, Inc.
Named to Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing
 O'Neil
& Associates, Inc. owned by CEBI Member
Bob Heilman and partners, has been listed by
Inc.
Magazine in its annual ranking of the 5000 Fastest Growing Private
Companies in America. The Inc. 5000 list is comprised of U.S.-based
and privately held companies with the best earnings growth from 2005 through
2008. This year’s list includes such companies as Visio, Zipcar and
GoDaddy.
O'Neil
& Associates, founded in 1947 as an engineering and development firm, is
a global leader in the development of product support documentation and
information solutions. They specialize in content development, open
architecture solutions, Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs),
e-learning, and content management systems.
  Prior
to becoming an employee-owned company through an ESOP and stock purchase by Bob and
other key managers, O'Neil was owned by CEBI Member John
Staten, currently Chairman of the O'Neil Board.
Congratulations to
Bob, John and the O'Neil & Associates team for this prestigious recognition.
Link
to Press Release
Ed Note: O'Neil & Associates is one of several CEBI Member
companies to be named to the Inc. 5000. Coincidence?
The Frugality Horse Has Left the
Barn
For several months now, business owners -- both CEBI members and non-members --
have been talking about upturns in quotes, orders, revenues and
profitability. During that same time period, I've also heard people say,
"There are no economic fundamentals to support the stock market
rally."
Apparently those folks weren't paying attention, and some still aren't.
The stock market's uncanny ability to price the future has again
prevailed.
A friend of mine says, "You can't save your way to success."
He's right -- you can't take advantage of an upturn if you're stuck in
cost-reduction mode. If you're behind the curve, it's time to switch
horses.
Whether you agree with this premise or not, and particularly if you don't,
you may find some provocative challenges
to your assumptions in this article...
Own the High Ground in Sales
Relationships
Every army wants to own the high ground on the battlefield. On the competitive
battlefield, you want to own the high ground as well, don't you? How many times
in your career have you lost an order because:
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There was a surprise decision-maker lurking in the background?
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Your competition got to a higher rung on the prospect's organizational
ladder than you did?
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Your champion in the prospect company got fired, and you were out in the
cold?
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Your champion in the prospect company got promoted or moved, and you were
out in the cold?
Here's
a proven strategy to keep that from happening.....
Want Your Prospects to Remember
You?
-- Make them Smarter
You called on a prospect 6 weeks ago. At the time she
didn't need (or think she needed) your product or service. If she decides
she needs you next week, she'll remember you, right? Perhaps
not.
Customers have very short memories, and prospects' memories are
even shorter. Especially now, when your still-surviving competitors are
out trolling for business and poaching your accounts. Memory is FIFO --
First in, First Out. If your competitor made the most recent impression,
he will probably get that call.
So how can you stay at the front of your prospects' and
customers' minds? Give them something for free with your logo on it.
No, not a ballpoint pen, keychain or ball cap -- some knowledge.
Think about it -- which would you rather have, a ball cap or an idea that's
useful in your business?
Here's
a simple, clever way to make your customers smarter
(at almost no
expense to you).....
Creating Raving Fans
Loyal customers
keep coming back. Raving fans bring others with them. Which
would you prefer? In the scramble for market share as the economy
improves, raving fans are more valuable than ever.
Creating raving
fans is not easy -- fewer than 5% of most companies' customers qualify.
Many organizations spend most of their customer satisfaction efforts and metrics
on measuring the outcome of their product or service delivery.
Raving fans,
however, need not only outcomes that exceed their expectations, but also
an experience that consistently exceeds their expectations. More.....
It's Time to Register for the Fall
Summit
It's not too soon to register
with both CEBI and the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center for the Fall 2009
Executive Summit.
You'll want to arrive in Peachtree
City, GA (Gateway airport = Atlanta) on Wednesday, November 18. It's worth
arriving early for an optional facility tour of "the Source" showroom
and training center at Cooper Lighting at 3:30. We'll have a welcome
reception at the Wyndham at 6 pm followed by dinner at 7. The Summit will
start with breakfast Thursday morning and an opening session at 8:30 am.
We have some great Executive
Briefings being prepared by CEBI members, plus an all-member Forum on Friday
afternoon. Plan on return flights that depart on Friday from Atlanta at
5:30 or later.
And, as always, we're
interested in your ideas for newsletter articles. Would you perhaps write
a guest Editorial? Please let us know if you have ideas or material you'd
be willing to share with others.
Thanks,
Terry Weaver
CEO
Chief Executive Boards International
TerryWeaver@ChiefExecutiveBoards.com
864 527-5917
www.chiefexecutiveboards.com
www.chiefexecutiveblog.com
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October 13, 2009
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October 28, 2009
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October 30, 2009
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Fall Summit
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Nov. 19-20, 2009
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Listing
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It's Time to Look at Your 401(k) Strategy
Who is getting the most return from your 401(k) plan --your
participants or your plan fiduciary? Hidden fees are killing
a surprising number of small companies' 401(k) returns -- by a haircut of
3% or more in annual fund performance. Here's
a CEBI Alert on how to find and fix that problem.....
Most 401(k) plans operate on a calendar year basis.
Changes in plan provisions or Safe Harbor elections need to be made at least 30
days before the plan year begins.
You have some time to adjust your 401(k) strategy for 2010, but
not a whole lot. Have
a look at some ideas you might consider.....
Working Harder - A Sustainable
Strategy?
I've heard an amazing number of
people recently say, "I just can't leave my business for one day right
now." Really? Of the 250 business days in a year, you believe
not being there for one of them, doing the same things you've been doing, will
hurt?
Or would it be better to spend one
(or two or ten) of those 250 days elsewhere, getting yourself and your playbook
recharged?
Actually, there's an underlying
guilt in some people's minds when they're not at the office. They're
asking for extra effort from everyone else, and somehow feel a day away working on
the business doesn't look as good as that same day working in the
business. Consider
4 ways your time might be better spent...
Want Better
New Hires? Measure Attention to Detail
There aren't many jobs where "letting things fall through
the crack" is a success principle. One CEBI member believes that
attention to detail is the key success factor in every job in his
company, and he's learned how to measure it.
For about 15 bucks, you can screen applicants for this important
personal attribute, which many believe can't be taught -- it's either part
of the person's nature or it's not.
Find
out how.....
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Nominate a Member
CEBI membership
has grown at a record pace over the past year, in part due
to CEBI members nominating friends & associates as new
members. Additionally,
we've had multiple members nominate identified successors or
purchasers of their businesses.
Do you have an
acquaintance who could benefit from membership in Chief
Executive Boards International? If you need an
email to share with a friend, try these "talking points"
Use this Nomination
Form
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