Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | June 16, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 19 By Janelle Drolet Janelle Drolet is vice president of operations and sales for Towerwall, a cybersecurity consulting firm based in Framingham. 10) Personalized AI scams. Gone are the days of poor grammar, typos, and poor syntax. Scammers now use AI to craft per- fectly correct language like a local, down to saying, "Wicked awesome" if they are allegedly from Boston. 9) Beyond generic. Today's AI-sophisticat- ed phisher will address you by name and reference specific details mined from your social accounts. 8) Sophisticated addresses. Phishers mimic legitimate email addresses and do- main names with slight tweaks. "Microsoft" could be spoofed as "MICRO5OFT." 7) Hover before you click. Before clicking any link, hover over it to see the actual URL domain address. If it looks unfamiliar or suspicious, too long, or just plain weird, avoid and delete. Ensure the sender's email domain matches the website URL 6) Urgent requests. Legit companies and government entities never ask for sensitive info via email, phone, or text, and they nev- er use threats, even if they claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service. 5) Think before you act. It's human nature to be impatient and impulsive, even greedy. Scammers exploit these human traits and competitive biases, using them to lure vic- tims. Be wary of unexpected requests. 4) Unexpected attachments or links. Be cautious with unsolicited attachments or links, even from known contacts. Cyber- criminals can compromise accounts and use names from your own contact list. 3) Beware of romance scams. Yes, they exist. Scammers will take a measured approach, biding their time to establish a trusting relationship, eventually confessing their love, then asking for a loan for their child's emergency surgery. 2) AI-generated voice and video. With AI advancements, scammers can create convincing voice or video messages called deepfakes or synthetic media. Look for lack of torso movement and neck tendons. Deepfakes are unable to show a face in profile. 1) Exercise caution. Be wary of unex- pected meeting invites. Scammers embed phishing links in event details. How personalized marketing retains clients BY SLOANE M. PERRON Special to WBJ C ongratulations, you've landed the managerial role you've been working toward. Now comes the real challenge, defining who you are as a leader. Your leadership style isn't one- size-fits-all; it's shaped by your personal- ity, life experiences, and the skills devel- oped along the way. Understanding your unique approach is essential to leading with confidence and competence. Look inside for answers. Before you can effectively lead others, you need a clear understanding of your own strengths and areas for growth. Self-as- sessment tools can offer actionable insights to help you sharpen your skills. Tools like the Myers-Briggs test and other personality assessments provide objective perspectives on your leader- Unlocking your leadership style Julia Becker Collins is the chief operating officer of Northborough-based Vision Advertising, a full-service digital marketing agency celebrating 25 years in business. BY JULIA BECKER COLLINS Special to WBJ T here's a saying that a loyal customer is worth 10 times their first purchase, and your business undoubtedly has some client retention in place. But do you have the right kind and enough of it? As a business owner, I get it: It's hard to focus on the clients you've sealed deals with when you need to bring in new leads and purchases. However, when you view client retention as a form of marketing and have the right personal engagement tools in place, you can keep your clients close and thinking of you. Personalize your retention marketing A big stumbling point for businesses isn't not investing in this kind of market- ing but not providing a personal touch building true loyalty. anking someone for a purchase or offering a generic dis- count lacks the warmth making custom- ers think with their hearts alongside their heads when making purchase decisions. Many companies don't have the time to handwrite letters to each customer, so you need to couple this with data. Collecting and using clients' info We talked earlier about tools. e first tool you have is your clients' information. Names, locations, emails, phone num- bers, amount of purchases, which kind, etc., are all vital statistics to power your personalized marketing to make them seen and heard by you, including when it makes sense to have someone reach out for the truly personal touch. is data can be pulled from your CRM, filled out forms, or whatever your sales staff has written down. Tips for personalized engagement in marketing Once you've collected this infor- mation, you can implement it to offer personalized engagement in a variety of ways, from email marketing to adver- tising remarketing. e medium doesn't matter so much as what you do with it: • Review and collate the data: What kind of data do you have? Do you have enough emails for email marketing? A cart-tracking e-commerce platform? Information on most-viewed services, social media posts, etc.? • Provide something of value: Pro- viding valuable information through client emails, ad campaigns, and social media interactions enhances customer experience and positions your business as a trusted partner and expert. When knowledge is used effectively, it can lead to stronger customer relationships. • Be authentic: Being genuine and honest during interactions is key. Show them your values and what you stand for. Shared values build loyalty. • React to actions: Sometimes, this means being timely and responding to topical events, but this can be automat- ed, such as items-le-in-cart emails or birthday promo codes. • Customer satisfaction: Client reten- tion goes hand-in-hand with customer satisfaction, so much of this same infor- mation and marketing can be used for asking for feedback, reviews, and other reputation management marketing. As for the type of marketing, that de- pends on your specific brand, data, and products, but starting here can let you know your options and where to focus your marketing and data collection. e importance is coupling any automation with sincere content. 10 THINGS I know about ... ... Spotting phishing emails ship tendencies. "Using these tools in partnership with a coach is an added bonus because you will be able to prac- tically apply the findings into your work and find ways to leverage your strengths while upskilling and refining in your areas of improvement," Rachel Wells writes in an article for Forbes. Be honest about your motivations. Are you driven by external rewards like promotions and career advancement, or do you find motivation through internal factors such as a belief in your team or a personal drive for excellence? Under- standing your motivation is key to shap- ing your leadership style. "An example in business where leadership motivation and management style work synergis- tically to achieve a positive result could occur when an organization's workforce responds most effectively to a democrat- ic style — and the senior management of the organization recognizes this and rewards the leaders' efforts in exercising this style for optimal results in ways that satisfy their extrinsic and intrinsic motivators," the American Management Association explains on its website. Practice makes perfect. Autocratic, bureaucratic, coaching, democratic, laissez-faire, and servant are just a few of the leadership styles. With such a wide range of approaches, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. at's why it's essential to try different styles in real-world settings and seek feed- back from your team. "Test out styles over short periods of time. Observe how workplace morale, relationships, and productivity shi with each style," Lian Parsons writes in a blog for the Professional & Executive Development Department of Harvard Division of Continuing Education. W W W

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