Shop Small Saturday – It’s Service That Sets Small Businesses Apart
It’s unquestionable that many large businesses are giving superb customer service and that’s why I’m so dumbfounded when I encounter the opposite. Here are two examples: As I prepared to leave a hotel recently I called for a bellman and requested a taxi. I waited for 15 minutes. Cue the crickets. I eventually wrestled my two suitcases down to the lobby where – surprise! – no one had any clue about the taxi. Further, no one took any interest in helping me handle all the stuff I was dragging along. That was an upscale hotel. Here’s a big box store example. A friend wanted to buy an expensive game console. There was no one in the department. He tracked an employee down who called for help. No one came. He tracked down another employee who called for help. Same (non)response. Humorously, at the end there were four employees in the department but none knew enough – or had the right key – to help. (On his way out of the store he passed another employee restocking a shelf while she chatted away on her cell phone.) Bigger is not always better Both of these horror stories happened at major national chains. Unfortunately, unless they are superbly managed, the customer service at these large national brands can vary tremendously. As bad as that is for customers, it’s good news for small business owners and also offers some important lessons. You might not be able to compete on price on some items with the mega-stores. However, you should be able to clean their clocks when it comes to customer service. Spend some time in the facilities of your biggest competitors and see what they are doing wrong and right. Refocus your business so you excel on both fronts. You don’t make their mistakes and you’re even stronger where they seem to be doing okay. It’s called excellence and you may remember Tom Peters went in search of it back in 1982. Be sure your customers and clients find it all throughout your organization. No time to relax However, don’t get too smug about the customer service misadventures of your bigger competitors. If you do well and grow your business, that could be you someday. See if you can relate to this: A favorite restaurant does well and opens a second location. After a year or two neither restaurant seems quite as good as the original. When you experience growth you must do two things: * Maintain your company’s unflaggingly excellent customer service DNA, and * Provide the systems that enable your employees to make great customer service a reality (not just a slogan). The first point requires personal dedication from the top. If ownership and management start to believe that customer service is a line-level responsibility, it’s game over. The tone must be set from the top. The second point requires training, empowering, supervising and retraining. It’s not a “once and done” event. In fact, if your customer service is not always improving, it will gradually decline. The second law of thermodynamics – the law of entropy – applies to human systems. They need to be constantly fed with new energy to keep them moving forward and prevent eventual chaos. Make customer service part of your company’s culture at every level,...
read moreWant a Profitable 2016? End 2015 on a Positive Note With Your Clients. Here’s how.
Editor’s Note: This post is sponsored by Staples. All thoughts and opinions are my own. What’s the last interaction or communication you usually have with your best clients or customers? More often than not it’s giving them a bill, right? Compare that to your first contacts with these folks when you were trying to bring them on board. I can illustrate this with an example that will probably resonate with all of us. You go into a restaurant. You’re greeted by a friendly employee, your server makes an introduction and goes over menu options with you. You enjoy your meal and are ready to leave. Now it’s crunch time. How will this experience end? Sometimes an attentive server anticipates your needs, brings you your bill and efficiently lets you finish your business and be on your way. However, there are other times when you can’t find your server and you start to hear a clock ticking in the back of your head. This is not the ideal situation for a server who wants a good tip. What’s the last interaction or communication you usually have with your best clients or customers? More often than not it’s giving them a bill, right? Compare that to your first contacts with these folks when you were trying to bring them on board. I can illustrate this with an example that will probably resonate with all of us. You go into a restaurant. You’re greeted by a friendly employee, your server makes an introduction and goes over menu options with you. You enjoy your meal and are ready to leave. Now it’s crunch time. How will this experience end? Sometimes an attentive server anticipates your needs, brings you your bill and efficiently lets you finish your business and be on your way. However, there are other times when you can’t find your server and you start to hear a clock ticking in the back of your head. This is not the ideal situation for a server who wants a good tip. The billing problem I’m relating this narrative to you because in business we always remember our last interactions and it is critical that they are a positive one. Unfortunately the typical flow of a business relationship encounter ends with the presentation of a bill. However, it doesn’t have to be that way and right now, as we’re going into the holiday season, you have the perfect opportunity to finish out 2015 on a positive note with your clients and customers. Most business owners know that the holiday season is a time to send greeting cards and perhaps gifts to customers and clients. If you’ve been ignoring this tradition, my first advice is to get on board; you don’t want to be remembered as the one company that ignores its customers at the end of the year. That’s a very bad finishing experience. By the way, Staples Copy & Print is an excellent resource for your company’s holiday cards. But let’s go one step further. I think many companies miss a great opportunity with their year-end gift giving because they are thinking about themselves, and not about the clients who are receiving the gifts. Typically, companies send out some kind of swag that is imprinted with their logo or name. The thinking is...
read moreUntapped employee talents are buried business treasures.
When you hire an employee, you focus on the skills which are necessary for that particular job. But that employee may have hidden talents which could help you take your business to the next level. As a small business owner it is important to discover those hidden treasures, but you are going to have to do a little digging. Once uncovered however, if you can match those special skills with the right position, you’ll have a match made in heaven. Your company will benefit and the employee will excel. “Employees who identify their talents and passions and apply those toward driving business usually do much better,” says Dan Coughlin a training consultant who works with companies to get the best performance from workers. “Employers can create a very motivating workplace by asking staff about their strengths and passions,” Coughlin explains. Coughlin a former athletic coach, borrows a few techniques from the playing field in his approach to business coaching. He suggests huddling with staffers; “Small meetings can give small business owners valuable information about what drives their employees and how those talents can be used to grow the company,” Coughlin explains. Employee outings can also reveal some unique characteristics. Create an environment allowing individuals to showcase their unique abilities. Coughlin assists his clients in designing activities that will create an ongoing dialogue about each individual’s unique perspectives. If your company’s budget won’t allow you to bring in a coach to help employees unearth their gifts and apply them to your firm’s day-to-day operation; here are some steps you can take. Make the Connection Don’t assume employees understand your firm’s priorities or what you expect from them. You need to help your staff connect to why their job matters. Then, give them the freedom to utilize their talents in creative ways. In other words, give them opportunities to show their stuff. Check In Regularly Create an ongoing dialogue to gain information which can reinforce trust and commitment. It is easy for well-intentioned staffers to get off track if they don’t feel as though they are part of the bigger picture. Regular meetings will help you steer them back on course. Have Some Fun Play time is often the best time to discover an employee’s hidden talent. Schedule a company softball game and picnic or consider planning a company talent show. Informal, fun environments provide a safe way for employees to showcase their talents and they can also enhance employee morale. Develop A Game Plan Once you have identified an employee’s talent and passion develop a plan to incorporate it into their job responsibilities. If this means additional training or experience for the employee, it’s an excellent investment. “I have always had a philosophy of allowing employees to take classes in anything they want to learn, given budget constraints and time with the company, etc. Most people, especially star performers will pay back in performance any money that is ever invested in them. I let them pick any classes – art and music, included. Goals and dream development are a constant process,” says Trish Adams, president/founder, Education Resources/StarShine Academy. Small businesses need to utilize every resource to the fullest. Discovering hidden employee talents can be a big boost to your bottom...
read moreLeverage Resources to Boost Holiday Season Productivity
Editor’s note: This post is sponsored by Staples. All opinions and thoughts are my own. This is probably something that small business owners already know – or at least feel in their bones – but on average they work 52 hours a week, according to a recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index. Further, most work six days a week and one out of five works seven days a week! And if you’ll let me tighten the screws a bit more, I suspect the amount of hours many small business owners log will go even higher as they contend with the demands of the holiday season. All of this means that finding ways to save time and accomplish important holiday and year-end tasks simultaneously, is extremely valuable for small business owners. Local Staples stores and the company’s ecommerce website can help out. I’m going to point out some specific ideas in a moment, but let me start with a few general observations. First, Staples is a unique combination of merchandise and services that small businesses need. This means that on a single trip to Staples, you – or one of your employees – can knock a lot of things off that “to-do” list. You can get all the office supplies and furniture that you need, order custom printed products through Staples Copy & Print, package and ship items seven days a week, arrange technical computer support thru Staples EasyTech®, see and buy the latest technology, grab gifts for employees and important clients, and much more. And when you’ve finally escaped from your business and are relaxing at home, if you want to hit the Staples website or mobile app, you can do virtually the same things from the comfort of your living room while you’re getting in some family time. Now let’s hit some specifics that relate directly to the holiday season and some year-end tasks. Printing services Holiday cards. Virtually every small business owner should be sending greeting cards to at least their best customers during the season. It’s a very small investment and it accomplishes two objectives that are critical for small business owners: * Holiday cards promote customer loyalty, and * Holiday cards keep your business top-of-mind. Staples offers a variety of holiday cards that you can customize for your small business. Take the time to craft a message that clearly communicates the gratitude you have for your customers. Get your entire team involved and personalize them before you put them in the mail. (By the way, this is one case where snail mail is by far the preferred delivery system!) While you’re getting cards for your customers, order invitations for your holiday party, where you’re certain to hand out some of the next item… Gift cards. The person who invented the gift card finally answered the age-old question, “What do I get someone who has everything?” Staples offers a wide variety of gift cards. They are one of the best ways to show your appreciation for your top customers and great crew. Deck the halls. You probably won’t want to put boughs of holly all over your business, but banners that celebrate the season and promote sales are a great idea. If you’re a retail small business, you know that steering your customers to...
read moreUse National Financial Planning Month to Assure Your Future
Financial planning for securing our personal futures is a must-do for all of us. If you’re an entrepreneur, financial planning for your business is just as important. So much so, that October is designated as National Financial Planning Month, and October 5-9, 2015, marks the Financial Planning Association’s® (FPA’s®) 14th annual Financial Planning Week®! To celebrate, many local FPA local chapters are planning events. Head over to this list of chapters, find one near you and see if anything is planned that would help you out. Where your business is concerned, constructing a financial plan is a valuable exercise for any business owner. It’s essential to the day-to-day decision making of the business, even at a one-person company. Here are some ways having a business financial plan can keep you on top of your game. Money Management Every business has periods when cash is either plentiful or scarce. A financial plan takes these cycles into account, and keeps a tight rein on expenditures during the forecast low periods. A financial plan creates a “cash cushion” that allows you to take advantage of opportunities year-round, such as the chance to purchase inventory from a supplier at temporarily reduced prices. Long-Range Goals In business, putting out fires on a daily basis is the name of the game. But that comes at a hefty price, especially if you’re not spending enough time planning what needs to be done to grow the business long-term. The financial plan helps you determine what expenditures need to be made to keep the company on a growth track and to stay ahead of competitors. Trend Setting At the end of the month, do you easily recognize if the decisions you made resulted in success or failure? Enter the financial plan, which sets measurable targets that can be compared to actual results during the year. Did your increase in advertising lead to the hoped-for jump in sales? Trends in the sales of products and services help make decisions about how to allocate marketing dollars. Prioritize Expenses Conserving financial resources in your small business is critical to your success. The financial planning process identifies the most important expenditures, and allows you to postpone non-essential ones until cash is more plentiful. Even the largest corporations go through this prioritization process, comparing the cost to the benefit of proposed expenditures. Measure Progress Especially during the business’ infancy, small business owners work long hours and deal with a many challenges. At best, it’s difficult to tell whether you’re making progress or spinning your wheels. Seeing actual results provides a blueprint for the future. The financial plan helps you clearly see whether the business is, or is not, on its way to being a success. It seems that every week another story appears in the media that small business owners are unprepared for retirement. This would be the ideal time to do some serious planning, get organized and assure your future and the future of your family....
read more