MicroTech Systems June 2019
(208) 345-0054 MicroTech Pages
June 2019
What Dad Taught Me Lessons From Being in Business With Dad
W hen I joined MicroTech Systems in 1998, my dad and his business partner had let the technology industry pass by them. Together, they had done a wonderful job of establishing a successful tech company in Boise, Idaho, and since 1970, they had been offering their customers valuable services. However, in a time when Microsoft was booming and the dot- com world was on the verge of explosion, the company was still focused on printer repair and typewriters. So, after my dad’s business partner retired, I began looking at my next steps. I was in my mid-20s, and I had been working at a marketing research firm for the past three years since graduating from Boise State University (BSU). I had little to no management experience, and compared to my father and his business partner, I knew nothing when it came to running a team, much less a company. Still, I decided to step in and began the process of taking over what my dad had built. At the time, MicroTech had about five employees who were all in their 50s, so you can imagine what it was like for the boss’ 26-year-old son to walk in and make some changes. It wasn’t easy, but I knew I had to be firm in the direction we were headed. Part of the credit for this transition working the way it did goes to my dad. Despite his 30 years of expertise, he knew it was time to take a back seat. I can imagine how hard it was for him— especially since he has never shied away from sharing his opinion — but I will always be grateful for the way he let me take the reins on his company. Dad agreed to stay on the sidelines, guiding me the best he could during this transition.
wanted to take that momentum and purchase a company that was similar to ours. It’s always a gamble to purchase a company, but after we made significant strides, I knew it could be a big gain. Meanwhile, my dad wasn’t so sure. He didn’t think acquiring a company was the best idea for us just yet, so we decided to sit down and hash out our points. After listening to his concerns, we came to an agreement to move forward with the purchase of the company. When it came time to make a new business decision, my father knew when it was appropriate for him to step back and let a transformation happen. I was appreciative of his thoughts and concerns, but ultimately, we made a decision that would benefit our entire operation. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the drive to push forward and consistently improve came frommy father. He was always motivating me to be better, especially when it came to athletics. His drive and determination can’t be matched, and seeing the kind of flexibility and freedom he had as a business owner drove me to want to become my own boss. But my dad’s career has also shown me the value of striving to improve. Dad and his business partner did a fantastic job building this business, but near the end, the drive to do more stalled. When he stepped aside to allow me to move us forward, I saw just how big of a man he could be. I worked with Dad for about 11 years before he retired in 2010. I always value the time we spent together and the way he let us grow. He helped lay the foundation for this business, and I’m proud to continue building a new legacy with a dedicated team of experts.
–Randy Amorebieta
One of the greatest examples of the working relationship I shared with my dad came in 2006. We had been riding a bit of a high at this point, and I
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The 3 Cardinal Rules of Effective Email Communication
DON’T BE ‘THAT GUY’
The average businessperson reads and composes more than 120 emails every day, but there is an overwhelming amount of business emails that seem to be written with no apparent regard for the reader. A massive chunk of people’s workdays is wasted wading through irrelevant, unclear, or incomprehensible messages. To remedy this issue, it’s vital to understand the keys to effective online communication, both to stem the tide of annoying and unnecessary emails and to protect your reputation as a professional. Here are three rules for effective email communication. 1. Tighten it up. When your message is sitting in an inbox packed with dozens of others, it’s essential to respect your reader’s time. Make the contents of the message clear from a glance at the subject line. Your subject line is what will draw the attention of the recipient — or lead them to skip over it altogether — so be specific and relevant.
In the body of the email, your reason for emailing, as well as all the important points, should be immediately clear. Keep it as concise and as transparent as possible. 2. Write like a human being. Many professionals assume that the need for brevity means they can get away with short, robotic missives. Managers are especially guilty of this, sending out single-sentence messages in all lowercase letters with nary an emotion. We get it; you’re busy. But it’s worth taking an extra moment of your time to craft an email that carries the human element as well. It’s important to take a professional tone and to keep communication brief, but you can still write, to some degree, like you talk. This will show recipients that you take communicating with them seriously. 3. For the love of all that is holy, reply to the emails you receive. Again, you’re busy, and you’ve got to prioritize your work, but consistently ignoring emails is a clear sign of negligence and will make you unpopular among your coworkers. If you don’t have time to think of a clear answer, a simple confirmation that you received the message goes a long way. While you can safely ignore all those companywide filler emails you receive each week, you need to show your coworkers and contacts that you’re willing to put in a little effort and that you’re on top of your responsibilities.
See What Our Customers Are Saying
Happy Workiversary!
“When we started working with MicroTech, we had little IT support — they were a dream come true! Nine years later, we continue to work with them due to their quick response to our service needs, follow-up, great advice, and fantastic team.” -Shawn Snow
At MicroTech Systems, our mission to provide five-star IT service wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated employees. We want to thank the following employees for their service as we celebrate their work anniversaries. Jeff: 5 years Danny: 3 years
Ken: 1 year Will: 1 year
Thank you all for your continued service, and we look forward to many more years with you all!
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Searching For 5-Star IT?
HOW MICROTECH HELPED THIS LAW FIRM MOVE PAST MEDIOCRE IT
At MicroTech Systems, “five-star IT service” isn’t just a rating that’s handed out. It’s a declaration by our team to go out of our way to provide the best IT service available. You deserve to have a safe and reliable network, and mediocre IT won’t be able to grant it. These providers will rarely communicate with you, frequently wait for you to request assistance, delay your work, and put you at risk for an attack. As one Boise law firm recently learned, no one deserves to settle for mediocre IT service. The communication process with their provider was limited at best, and the firm described the written correspondence as “short and rude.” They would even go months without hearing from their service provider. “It was challenging for our business to grow in that kind of environment. As the number of our employees and clients grew, we were unable to keep up,” a representative of the law firm says. “The problem really came to a head when we realized that we couldn’t change our user profiles or phone protocols to accommodate our business growth because our mediocre IT provider was unable — or unwilling — to give us the time to work through our issues as our business grew.”
began service with us, we knew we had to rebuild their shattered trust in IT providers. We started by creating a relationship with this law firm, introducing them to our employees and headquarters. We walked them through the transition process and promised to continually check in on their service and requests. “From the beginning, MicroTech has been very open with us,” the rep says. “MicroTech’s local service manager in particular has shown extreme patience with us and our phone system. He has enabled us to manage some of it on our own, giving us a certain level of control over how our business grows. We’re very grateful for the over-the-top support team at MicroTech!” Read more of this client’s story online at MicroTechBoise.com/ Microtech-Blog, and when you’re ready to switch to five-star IT service, give us a call at (208) 345-0054.
Fed up with inconsistent and limited service, this growing practice turned to MicroTech Systems for a solution to their subpar IT services. As they
Have a Laugh!
BLT Dogs
Is a hot dog a sandwich or not? We’re not here to weigh in on the ever- contentious debate, but when you combine a hot dog with a BLT, it definitely becomes more sandwich-like — and way more delicious.
Ingredients
• •
4 strips bacon
• • • •
1 tbsp mayonnaise
4 hot dogs (ideally Boar’s Head Beef Frankfurters, but any all-beef variety will do)
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
•
4 hot dog buns
Directions
1. Heat a skillet to medium and fry bacon until rendered and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. 2. Fry hot dogs in bacon drippings, creating a crust and cooking until warmed through.
3. Using a dry skillet or oven, toast buns. 4. Spread mayonnaise on buns, place
hot dog and bacon inside, and top with tomatoes and lettuce. Serve.
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Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
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Inside
Learning From My Dad
The 3 Cardinal Rules of Effective Email Communication What Some People Are Saying About Us
You Deserve Great IT
BLT Dogs
‘Influence’ and the Psychology of Yes
‘Influence’ A Roadmap to Closing Deals
Business majors and longtime entrepreneurs will be very familiar with this work. And in an age when many shiny new theories on leadership and personal development come out every year, it’s refreshing to revisit a classic that has stood the test of time. Thirty-five years after its original publication, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” should still be required reading for marketers, small-business owners, and anyone else looking to improve their negotiation skills. Written by Dr. Robert Cialdini, “Influence” explores why people say yes. A professor of business and psychology, Dr. Cialdini is uniquely qualified to tackle this question, combining scientific data with practical applications. “Influence” is still a subject of praise, with marketing research groups and journals of psychology lauding the book as a “proverbial gold mine.” You don’t have to get too far into “Influence” to see why. Dr. Cialdini lays out six “universal principles” of the human psyche. These include “Reciprocity,” our tendency to want to return perceived kindness or concessions; “Commitment and Consistency,” our tendency to cling to past decisions; and “Scarcity,” our tendency to assign value to things based on their rarity. While these may sound
like surface level business concepts, the way Dr. Cialdini uses these principles as a launching point gives “Influence” value. With each principle, the author dives into examples of how these psychological elements can be used by you or against you in any
negotiation. Take “Commitment and Consistency,” for example. If you are able to get a person to agree with you on several small points, you lay the groundwork for them to agree with you in the future. Conversely, you can be more alert when people try to use this tactic on you. One of the most powerful results of reading “Influence” is that it helps you recognize behaviors you yourself were unaware of. Indeed, that’s the whole underlying thesis of Dr. Cialdini’s work: As social creatures, we all have habitual behaviors geared towards finding common ground with others. Once you are aware of these behaviors, you’ll begin to see conversations and negotiations in a whole new light.
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