
Reconnecting to roots running deeper and reminding our long standing clients why they chose us in the first place remains priority one. Business infusions are a must year round especially during what is for some the Fall Downs and the Winter Blues. Here's a little boost.
Leave No Doubt-New competition is around every corner. The onslaught of technology puts us in the throes of playing defense and offense. Every email promises more than the last. Some offers may be good but they become a sea of words lost on some good old school tender. Hands on service. We didn't forget-we didn't want to expend the energy.
Texting and email never replaces personal effort and the insult of the day comes in receiving the ever dreaded Robo-call. Send your client base a token of your continued loyalty to them. No need to break the bank. Have they hit a milestone? Celebrating a new arrival to their family? Move into a new space? You should know these things, surprisingly few do or value the impact being personable has on brighter outcomes for all parties.
Call your clients with the fervor you initially had when you sealed and minted your first contract. Don't ask for opportunity, call to simply say thank you. Let them know the impact they have had on your business and let them know they are appreciated. If you are an entrepreneur do not leave this to your staff-you personally make the call. And for the love of Pete, stop sending the non-personal tech driven notes to valued clients. Email has its place and you'd better learn where it can best be effective.
Back Away From The Ego-Once your business is off and running it is very easy to get cocky. This is a rookie mistake. Don't let your head play games with your current realities. You need people to keep your business moving in the right direction. We may be stellar at what we do however, rates, skill and availability can change like Wall Street. All someone has to do is turn on any device to be instantly connected to whatever the need, care or want is. Not to mention good word of mouth. Customer appreciation days mean a lot. Small Business Saturdays being more than once a year.
Do Not Give Mixed Messages. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Reject $200-In the field you here oft of the little sale. Across the board responses range from every sale is a good sale to hourly rates having to make sense with revenue serving as the penchant. Or overpricing verses undervaluing. Ask yourself these questions. What is the client worth to you? Is your reputation leaving an indelible mark? Why is it that the only ones remembering your name is the competition? Does the skill match your demand? Can you exceed expectation? Bait and switch are old news with a checkered past many still chase like a zoot suit wearing lawyer after the ambulance. Where are you going from here?
Taking One For The Team-No need to if the team all has their A-game together. Bring real results with true demographics and you can leave the smoke and mirrors at home. Take responsibility for your actions. Continue learning from mistakes and reduce the hunker down affect by maintaining proper housekeeping. You know what your business needs, why are you still sitting on your hands? Get up, dust yourself off and get back on the road.
Retraining may be the route to take. Show the value of change by being the change. Ponder key step of business fitness. Start with a top ten. If this proves to be too much pressure, pick a top 5. Implement immediately for the instruction to take positive hold on you and your teams outcomes. Reevaluate weekly, bi-monthly.
Any issues, address them instead of allowing the banter to run rampant throughout the problem's tenure. You do not have to be a corporation in order to has a code of conduct in writing. Solicit outside expertise, seek legitimate professional human resource sources to know what you can and cannot put in writing as a company code of ethics. Review this as the company grows.
A few basic steps can go a long way. Take a moment to save yourself a lifetime of tumbles.
Until next time~