How to keep track of your Business Contacts
August 4th, 2010
Recently we stumbled upon a fantastic way to manage business contacts. A company called 37 Signals has developed several web based platforms for things like; project management, CRM, file management, and most important improved and transparent communications.
We discover this great web based tool for managing our business contacts called Highrise. There are just so many people, phone calls, emails, notes, follow-ups, and tasks we have in our lives there needed to be a centralized hub. Who is this person again? When did we last speak? What did we talk about? Has anyone else in my company talked to this person? What happens next? Highrise keeps track of our customer relationships so that we can grow our business more efficiently and effectively.
We may deal with 50 different people in one month and Highrise allows us to track our conversations and stay up to date with client communications. It has enabled us to close more deals too. Not to mention the i-Phone app for Highrise is awesome! I really don’t even need my computer on the road when the app is just as functional.
In the world of information overload, it is the business that can best orchestrate and utilize all the info for the betterment of the business, that will see the fastest growth and success.
How Important is Teamwork?
June 4th, 2010
Do you think and individual can do it better and faster than a great team? Fostering teamwork can increase the performance of your company significantly. The foundation of a team is trust and experience. When everyone does there job you get results like this:
Next fall, when you see Geese heading south for the Winter….
Flying along in V formation… you might consider what Science has discovered as to why they fly that way.
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on it’s own.
People who share a common direction and goal will get where they are going more quickly and easily traveling on the thrust of one another.
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone… and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in information with those who are headed the same way we are when the goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point.
It is sensible taking turns doing demanding jobs or changing point with the people on your team Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up there speed. What do we say when we honk from behind?
Finally… and this is important… when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies:
only then do they launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with their own group.
If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other and watch each others back.
Is there a better way to get the point across about teamwork and its importance?
Breaking Through Barriers
May 4th, 2010
For the past few days we have been traveling and working with a highly successful client in the healthcare industry. This client has an extremely successful business in comparison to others in his industry and wants to grow it to that next level.
The challenge is how to take his existing business or reality and connect it to his vision of a nation-wide healthcare service provider. The answer is simple, take one step at a time in accordance to a well thought out plan.
Many business owners have a difficult time grasping their own potential and capabilities. They have big dreams and need help taking the steps to get there. Our plan with this client is to implement our performance based management system to help them set the foundation and controls for growth. This system will help him achieve higher production in his staff and set the stage for being able to open other facilities regionally.
Do not let any barriers get in your way. All barriers are created in your head, preventing your from getting to the next level. We will keep you posted on our clients success as it develops!
How to Turn Around Your Business In 90 Days or Less!
March 4th, 2010
The major problem every for-profit and non-profit face is holding onto customers. Most of the companies we work with think that they need “marketing” but the reality is they need to keep the customers they already have. If you do not have customers then you are correct, you do need marketing. For the companies who already have an established customer bases you need RETENTION!Once the real problem is recognized it is time to fix it. Every company that realizes they have a customer issue has to try and fix it and everyone does this differently. One company started a Facebook fan page in hopes of trying to connect better with its customers. Another company fixed some old equipment in their fitness area. Lastly, another company started a monthly e-newsletter. So how did each one of these companies do with attempting to fix retention? The results were clear; retention was not fixed and in some cases it actually got worse.
So you ask, how do we fix retention? How do we keep customers coming back for more products and services? Before we reveal the answer, lets define customer retention: according to Wikipedia (not our favorite source but we like this definition) customer retention is, the activity that a selling organization undertakes in order to reduce customer defections. Successful customer retention starts with the first contact an organization has with a customer and continues throughout the entire lifetime of a relationship. A company’s ability to attract and retain new customers, is not only related to its product or services, but strongly related to the way it services its existing customers and the reputation it creates within and across the marketplace. Customer retention is more than giving the customer what they expect; it’s about exceeding their expectations so that they become loyal advocates for your brand.
All the traditional means you may be thinking about will help retention but this is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. The only way to improve retention is to open the communication lines, pay attention and want to create an environment that is not only ideal for the customer but for the employees as well. Retention fixed by the following ways:
1. Communication- Every organization has communication issues whether its internal, external or both. This issue can cause serious retention issues especially when internal communication between staff and its customers is poor. All management, directors, & staff (part and full time) need a solid communication system where information can travel up the chain of command and down effortlessly so that everyone can function from the same page. Once this happens, you then need to implement external communication strategies to your customers externally. This can be done with an e-newsletter, social media or a website. You need to create “touch points” with a customer so that you are consistently in their presence. In order for an external communication system to be truly effective you must have an internal system in place.
2. Customer Centric Employees- This fancy term actually has many levels of meaning but it starts at the top. The leadership in the organization needs to have a clear goal in mind with real purposes backing each goal and specific steps on how to achieve each goal. These goals, purposes and steps need to be clearly communicated to the entire organization. The entire organization needs a picture of the ideal scene, this will start to shift the culture of the organization. Creating customer centric employees has partly to do with hiring the right people but more importantly it has to do with weeding out the bad and getting them off the bus and retraining the remaining staff. Training your staff is one of the keys to creating the culture you desire. Did you know that the first week of boot camp for the Marines is all about their history? Talk about creating a desired culture. The key part of this step is to not only train your employees but to clearly define their roles and responsibilities. If we could all visualize the desired outcome it becomes easier to reproduce it. The muddier the waters the harder it is to create and train your staff. Why is this so important? Your staff are the ones who are in the most contact with customers and are a direct reflection of your brand. Can you imagine a Marine with a messy uniform? Create the culture in your company that will focus on the customer and taking care of them the right way. If this step cannot be done retention will never be fixed, this step is the major cause of poor retention numbers.
3. Surveys-Surveys are the one tool in your toolbox that will give you the information that you NEED to hear but may not want to hear. The number one mistake that organizations make with surveys is their failure to execute the changes that the majority of your customers are asking for. If you do surveys and do nothing with them your customers as well as employees lose trust in your organization and end up losing loyalty. Survey everyone from your board of directors to your customers to your employees and take the information and really look at it and make necessary changes.
If the above steps are followed and executed retention will change! Good luck and report back the results. It will take about 90 days to see real changes.
The Charles Schultz Philosophy
February 4th, 2010
Philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip. It doesn’t matter if you don’t manage to answer the questions. Read this straight through and you’ll get the point.
1.Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2.Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3.Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4.Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5.Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6.Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
The point is, none of us remember the headlines of yesterday. They are the best in their fields, but the applause dies. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials…the most money…or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most. If it’s worth passing on, then send a thank you to those people who have made a difference in your life. Take your time – enjoy the moment and the thoughts of friends and family.
Market Timing…Lose Weight Now
January 4th, 2010
Part of marketing is knowing who your customer is and how to communicate with them. This means unders
tanding the values of your customer and being able to bridge the gap of your company and the customer with your marketing message. It is critical to know what message will connect with potential customers because it will increase your probability of turning that potential customer into a client.
Equally as important as knowing who you customer is, how to communicate with them, where to find them, what their values are, and why they purchase is…
When! When should you approach your potential customers to have the highest probability of success? I believe there is no better example of market timing than the fitness industry just after New Years.
With everyone and their grandmother making a New Year’s resolution to get into better shape, eat healthier, etc, the fitness industry has capitalized on this by launching major marketing campaigns via TV, Direct Mail, bill boards, magazine ads, and the list goes on. They know the best time to target their market is just after the New Year. Many of you may have noticed this through a build up of marketing starting in November…most fitness facilities will aggressively market in November through December to ramp up for maximum exposure for when the New Year roles around.
It is important to time the release of your marketing campaigns and know when to attack. What are your big campaign times and how far in advance to you plan and how far in advance do you release?