Turnover £
Average order value £
GM %
Pain points in the business
Pareto principle, 80/20 rule
Small changes, tweaks to what you are already doing.
What marketing activity are you currently doing?
Where are you getting your leads from?
How many leads are coming from your website?
Let me show you why websites typically don’t work
The majority of websites just don’t work and I will show you why.
Its all about using effective messaging and we call this the conversion equation
Interupt is the first thing your prospects sees
Engage is the 2nd thing they see
The educate – you must make your business totally unique so that it doesn’t come down to price
The offer
On average 3,000 marketing messages a day or over 1 million a year
Most businesses are only making offers that appeal to Now buyers.
These are prospects ready to make an immediate buying decision, unfortunately Now Buyers account for less than 1% of the buyers market
These Businesses typically offer their prospects a free consultation, a discount, a coupon, a free assessment or the biggest mistake of all – CALL US.
They list their phone number as their only offer.
They just aren’t ready.
Prospects don’t shop price they shop value – the reason they will shop price is that they have no way of separating the competition.
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
This is the child psychologists original site
Generic headline as he is trying to be all things to all men.
Inch wide mile deep
So if we compare this site with the fundamentals that we just discussed, where is he’s market dominating position?
Look at the 9 areas he is focuses on.
He must create a MDP, he could have 9 sites all focusing on one area.
He needs to forget about his website completely and what this doctor needs is a squeeze page.
This squeeze page is a single page that specifically address a single issue.
So what should this page look like and what messaging should the doctor use on this new page?
Remember the second fundamental – you must enter the conversation in the head of your prospect.
There is a problem they have that they don’t want and a result that they are looking for that they don’t have.
This is where we engage the first 2 points of the conversion equation, interrupt and engage.
The headline is the interrupt and must engage the problem that they have and don’t want.
Look at the offer, nowadays we all resist making calls with every fibre in our body as we just don’t want to be sold to – this is call an incentive offer.
Incentive offers only work for common purchases, emergency situations, and impulse purchases.
Just remember most prospects aren’t ready to buy what you are selling until they have been exposed to your messaging at least 5-12 times.
If you keep on telling prospects to call you and they wont, how do you keep on marketing to them?
The secrect to effective marketing is to offer what most prospects truly want which is information.
So look at the headline – this is the interrupt.
Does this address the problem the parents have and don’t want?
Now look at the subheadline – this must address the result that the parents are looking for that don’t yet have – READ IT
Would you say that this covers these two areas?
Now the educate – the original site offered hundreds of pages of articles.
Just think how ridicules this sounds to the parents of one of these children with these conditions – would I really want to read through 100’s of pages or articles or am I be searching for specific solution to a specific problem?
Now you can see why most websites these days are basically a total waste of money and just don’t work as they don’t address what your prospects are looking for.
Now the offer is a simple, give us your first name and email address and you will receive a series of helpful techniques…..
To immediately restore peace and calm to your home.
This offer is completely no risk to the doctors prospects
So hopefully you can now see the power of putting a squeeze page in place, also you will notice that there are no navigational buttons… There is only one action they can do – add their information.
This informational offer provides them with profth that the doctor can provide the information that they are looking for.
That this is the current national average – out of every 100 leads you generate, you will close 1 or 1% as customers.
That is bad.
That is obviously a dramatic increase in revenue, especially when we are being ultra conservative with the numbers.
And all we was to make some small tweakes to the doctors site.
So do you think that we could get similar results for your business?
How many leads have you generated in the last 12 months?
Or how many would you estimate that you generated this month?
How many of these leads requested your offer?
If we could create a similar process for your business and offered compelling information for your prospects just like we did for the child physicalist, do you think more prospects would respond?
ONLY DOUBLE ORGINAL ESTIMATE.
I agree that may happen but lets conservatively agree on #### 10% or what ever is double)5
Just that one single change alone would double your sales revenue and that’s assuming we don’t increase your number of leads or your final conversation rate which we will.
Do you currently have any established JV’s – if yes explain if no carry on!
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
Now, you have identified your ideal clients, Module 2: Decision Making Process will help you understand more about who your ideal clients are and what drives their decisions.
This module builds upon your research findings from Module 1 and introduces you to additional market research.
Your report will begin to grow significantly after completing this module.
True or false… should you complete a “Gap Analysis” prior to creating your revenue plan?
(Answer… True)
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: While every attempt has been made to verify information provided in this book, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies.
Any slights of people or organisations are unintentional. If advice concerning legal or related matters is needed, the services of a qualified professional should be sought. This book is not intended as a source of legal or accounting advice. You should be aware of any laws which govern business transactions or other business practices in your state or province.
The income statements and examples are not intended to represent or guarantee that everyone will achieve the same results. Each individual’s success will be determined by his or her desire, dedication, effort, and motivation. There are no guarantees you will duplicate the results stated here, you recognise that any business endeavour has inherent risk for loss of capital.
Any reference to any persons or business, whether living or deceased, existing or defunct, is purely coincidental.
All your life you have worked hard with the sole goal of ensuring the health and happiness of your family. You have believed in me when others have walked away and your love and support is one of the main reasons I am able to do what I do today.
A huge thank you must also go to my sons Ben and Will for your unbridled love and faith in me. I hope I can make you proud boys.
This is the first page, but by opening this book you have already taken an important step towards increasing the success of your business. I wish you luck in your quest to enhance your business and marketing skills.
When I put pen to paper or keyboard to word document, I found myself with an enormous amount of useful marketing material I've used since 2001. This experience is drawn from many different business entities including being a Development Manager for a small discount retailer; ownership and management of two training and coaching businesses, working with international charities and businesses to help them create world class environments where people can thrive, and developing a business development consultancy. Several of these I continue to own but consult from afar.
The strategies I talk about in this book are still in place at these companies.
Even though I truly believe we are all 1 or 2 great marketing ideas away from more sales opportunities than we can fully imagine, I believe the first two chapters are as important as the following eight.
The strategies in this book - when implemented with focus and care - are guaranteed to make you more money with less effort. These are strategies that have helped businesses just like yours make hundreds of thousands of pounds - including your competitors.
This is the reason I have dedicated my life to Business Consulting.
Since starting my company to provide direction for small business operators, I have been literally overwhelmed with the demand for marketing, structure, accountability and for the need to have small business operators surrounding themselves with someone that cares and to provide a proper and profitable third-party perspective.
As you follow the book and read the principles to follow, remember it does not matter what industry nor type of business you operate (I've been part of many). What matters is that you grasp the heart of the principles, the underlying lessons and strategies, that can help grow any operation in any category of business imaginable.
The best time to start is NOW, not tomorrow, not next week or next year.
PS. If you would like to arrange a meeting to get a profitable third- party perspective on your business, please send an email to andy@wythen.com and we will gladly point you in the right direction.
To learn how to avoid the 3 key mistakes all small business owners make, visit www.TheBusinessAcademy.tv ___________________________________________
One of the biggest mistakes a business owner can make is to create a company that is dependent on the owner’s involvement for the success of its daily operations. This is called working “in” your business. You’re writing basic sales letters, licking stamps, and guiding staff step-by-step through each task.
There are a number of problems with this approach. One is redundancy. You’re paying your staff to carry out tasks that you eventually complete. The second is poor time management. You’re spending your day – at your high hourly rate – on tasks as they arise, leaving little room for the tasks you need to be focused on.
However, the biggest issue I have with this approach is that countless intelligent business owners are spending the majority of their time operating their business, instead of growing it.
A good test of this is to ask yourself, what would happen if you took off to a hot sunny destination for three weeks and left your mobile phone and laptop at home. Would your business be able to continue operating?
Systemising your business is about putting policies and procedures in place to make your business operations run smoother – and more importantly – without your constant involvement. With your newfound free time, you will be able to focus your efforts on the bigger picture: strategically growing your business.
For most small business owners, systems simply mean freedom from the day-to-day functioning of their organisation. The company runs smoothly, makes a profit, and provides a high level of service – regardless of the owner’s involvement.
Systemising your business is also a healthy way to plan for the future.
You’re not going to be working forever – what happens when you retire? How will you transition your business to new ownership or management? How will you take that vacation you’ve been dreaming of?
valuable to investors. Systemising your business can position it in a favourable light for purchase and merit a high price tag.
A system is any process, policy, or procedure that consistently achieves the same result, regardless of who is completing the task.
Any task that is performed in your business more than once can be systemised. Ideally, the tasks that are completed on a cyclical basis – daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly – should be systemised so much so that anyone can perform them.
Systems can take many forms – from manuals and instruction sheets, to signs, banners, and audio or video recordings. They don’t have to be elaborate or extensive, just provide enough information in step-by- step form to guide the person performing the task.
The first step in systemising your business is taking a long look at the existing systems (if any) in your business. At this point, you can look for any systems that have simply emerged as “the way we do things here.”
How do your staff answer the phone? What is the process customers go through when dealing with your business? How are employees hired? Trained? How is performance Reviewed and rewarded?
Some of your systems may be highly effective, and not require any changes. Others may be ineffective and require some reworking. If you have previously established some systems, now is a good time to check-in and evaluate how well they are functioning.
Use the following chart to record what systems currently exist in your business.
There is no doubt that system creation – especially when none exist to begin with – is a daunting and time-consuming task. For many businesses, it can be difficult to determine where to start to make the best use of their time from the onset.
Here are seven main areas of your business you can to systemise.
Begin with one area and move to the other areas as you are ready.
Alternately, start with one or two systems within each area, and evaluate how those new systems affect your business. Each business will require its own unique set of systems.
1. Administration This is an important area of your business to systemise because administrative roles tend to see a high turnover. A series of systems will reduce training time and keep you from explaining how the phones are to be answered each time a new receptionist joins your team.
2. Financials This is one area of systems that you will need to keep a close eye on – but that doesn’t mean you have to do the work yourself. Financial management systems are everything from tracking credit card purchases to invoicing clients and following up on overdue accounts.
These systems will help to prevent employee theft and allow you to always have a clear picture of your numbers. It will allow you to control purchasing and ensure that each decision is signed-off on.
3. Communications The area of communication is essential and time consuming for any business. Fax cover letters, sales letters, internal memos, reports, and newsletters are items that need to be created regularly by different people in your organisation.
Most of the time, these communications aren’t much different from one to the next, yet each are created from scratch by a different person. There is a huge opportunity for systemisation in this area of your business. Systemised communication ensures consistency and company differentiation.
includes everything the customer sees or touches in your company, as well as any interaction they might have with you or your staff members.
Establishing a customer relations system will also ensure that new staff members understand how customers are handled in your business. It will allow you to maintain a high level of customer service, without constantly reminding staff of your policies. It will also ensure that the success of your customer relations and retention does not hinge on you or any other individual salesperson.
profiles 6. Marketing This is likely an area in which you spend a large part of your time.
You focus on generating new leads and getting more people to call you or walk through your doors. These efforts can be systemised and delegated to other staff membersUse the information in this program to create simple systems for your basic promotional efforts. Any one of your staff should be able to pick up a marketing manual and implement a successful direct mail campaign or place a purposeful advertisement.
7. Data While we like to think we operate a paperless office, often the opposite is true. Your business needs to have clear systems for managing paper and electronic information to ensure that information is protected, easily accessed, and only kept when necessary.
Everyone knows where information is to be stored, and how it is to be handled, which prevents big stacks of paper with no place to go.
Ensure that within your data management systems you include a data backup system. That way, if anything happens to you server or computer software, your data – and potentially your business – is protected.
If you completed the exercise earlier in this chapter, you will have a good idea of the systems that are currently in place in your business.
The next step is to determine what systems you need to create in your business.
To do this you will need to get a better understanding of the tasks that you and your employees complete on a daily and weekly basis. If you operate a timesheet program, this can be a good source of information. Alternately, ask staff to keep a daily log for a week of all the tasks they contribute to or complete. Doing so will not only give you valuable insight into their how they spend their time on a daily basis, but also involve them in the systemising process.
Review all task logs or timesheet records at the end of the week, remove duplicates, and group like tasks together. From here you can categorise the tasks into business areas like the seven listed above or create your own categories.
Then, you will need to prioritise and plan your system creation and implementation efforts. Choose one from each category, or one category to focus on at a time. The amount you can take on will depend on your business needs, and the staff resources you have available to you for this process.
Remember that system creation is a long-term process – not something that will transform your business overnight. Be patient and focus on the items that hold the highest priority.
There is a big variety of ways you can create systems for your business – depending on the type of system you need and the type of business you operate. Some systems will be short and simple – i.e., a laminated sign in the kitchen that outlines step-by-step how to make the coffee – while others will be more complex – i.e., your sales scripts or letter templates.
One thing all of your systems have in common is steps. There is a linear process involved from start to finish. Begin by writing out each of the steps involved in completing the task and provide as much detail as you can.
Now that you have created a system, you will need to make sure that it works. More specifically, you need to make sure that it works without your involvement.
Implement the new system for an appropriate period of time – a week or month – then ask for input from staff, suppliers and vendors, and customers. Evaluate if it is informative enough for your staff, seamless enough for your suppliers, and whether or not it meets or exceeds your customer’s needs.
Take that feedback and revise the system accordingly. You will rarely get the system right the first time – so be patient.
Systems will also need to be evaluated and revised on a regular basis to ensure your business processes are kept up to date. Structure an annual or bi-annual review of systems and stick to it.
It will be nearly impossible for you to develop effective systems without the involvement and input of your employees. These are the people who will be using the systems, and who are completing the tasks on a regular basis without systems. They have a wealth of knowledge to assist you in this process.
Employees can also draft the systems for you to review and finalise.
This will make the systemisation process a much faster and more efficient one.
It is also important to note that when you introduce new systems into your company, there may be a natural resistance to the change.
People – including your employees – are habitual people who can become set in the way they are used to doing things.
from the process, but it does mean giving your employees enough freedom to complete the task within the structure of the systems you have spent time and considerable thought creating.
After that, allow yourself the freedom of focusing on the tasks that you most enjoy, and most deserve your time – like creating big picture strategies to grow your business and increase your profits.
and Development The people you hire to work for your business can be your biggest assets and your biggest headaches. They can support and help you to achieve the vision you have for your company – but they can also prevent you from reaching that vision.
Too many businesses overlook the role of employee recruitment and retention when planning for the success of their organisation. Staffing is an important exercise that needs to be purpose driven and strategic, just like marketing.
It is vital to understand in today’s market that the relationship between employee and employer is a two-way street. Now, more than ever, employees have a “what’s in it for me?” attitude that extends beyond salary and benefits expectations into incentive and rewards programs.
Now, this may sound like a big headache, but it’s actually a good thing! With some simple systems and open dialogue, you will be able to effectively create – and keep – your dream team.
How much of your own personal time has human resources – staff hiring, firing, issues management, etc. – taken this year? No doubt staff recruitment and retention is one of the biggest challenges facing any business owner today.
The truth is, if you spent half as much time on human resources as you do on marketing, I guarantee your sales would increase dramatically.
disgruntled ones, and it makes a difference when it comes to purchase decisions. Would you rather have your car serviced by a grumpy mechanic who doesn’t feel his good work is rewarded, or a pleasant one who just stepped out a weekly team meeting?
A successful business owner has confidence in the people who work for him, because he believes they are the best people for the job.
Employees who know their employer believes in their skills and abilities will go over and above to get the job done, to make the sale.
Successful business owners invest time and money in finding and keeping the right people. These are the people who share and support the collective vision for the company.
I’m not talking about a complicated formula, or magic concoction. I’m talking about some careful thought and a proactive strategy that will make your business shine from the inside out.
Building a dream team starts by finding and hiring the right people for the job. Sounds simple enough. You post an ad, find someone who has the necessary qualifications, and hire them on.
Not so fast. Recruitment is complex process that can dramatically impact your business operations. Just like finding and securing the right customers, finding and hiring the right candidates requires pro- active planning and careful evaluation.
If you currently work with a recruiting agency to build to your team, now may be a good time to stop and evaluate the effectiveness of their service. While a recruiting agency can save you the time and hassle of working through the hiring process, it can also cost more money in the long run.
because recruiting agencies do a bad job, but because no one knows your business like you do.
An internal recruitment system ensures that the true essence of your business culture is communicated – from advertisement to interview.
You also have the opportunity to communicate expectations from the outset, instead of relying on the recruiter to relay this information. The middle-man’s thoughts and impressions are eliminated, leaving you to make decisions based on your impression of the candidate and no one else’s.
The first step in recruiting candidates is obviously letting potential candidates know about the opportunity with your company.
But before you pick up the phone to place a classified ad, remember that advertising for potential employees requires just as much consideration and planning as general advertising for your business.
Once you have a mental picture of your candidate, then you can begin to write an ad that will not only reach them, but also inspire them to act (and submit an application).
When writing this ad, be as specific as possible and focus on the benefits of the job. Remember that potential candidates screen job postings with an eye for “what’s in it for me.” Tell them exactly that.
You’re fun, friendly and have a keen eye for detail. You’re always two steps ahead of your colleagues, and eager to take on new and exciting challenges.
You’ll be the glue that keeps the marketing team operating in a seamless fashion, responsible for website updates, copywriting, event coordination and client relations. You’ll be punctual, responsible, and well put together.
You’ll ideally have an undergraduate degree in marketing or English, and some previous office experience, but a fast learner with a great attitude will also get our attention.
We are a collaborate team of young professionals. We offer a competitive salary, great benefits and performance incentives.
Think you fit the bill? Email your resume and cover letter to John Smith at jsmith@email.com by Friday at 4pm.
We operate Anytown’s leading computer repair store, and are known across the region for our customer service. We work hard, play hard, and offer a competitive benefits package to our employees.
Tell us why this job is for you. Email your resume and cover letter to info@computerworld.com by Thursday, September 23.
Both of these job postings speak directly to a very targeted audience.
Now that you have a great ad to post, you need to decide where you are going to publish it. This depends on the level of the job (junior to management) and on the specific type of candidate you are looking to recruit.
Here are the five major places to advertise your opportunity:
These are great places to find blue-collar or junior level employees.
Candidates register with the centre, which keeps their resumes on file.
Be cautious with this route – it can produce a wide variety of candidates who are not qualified.
The most ideal way to find candidates is through your existing network – including associates, colleagues, employees, friends and family.
These candidates come to you already vetted by a trusted source.
You may also wish to consider giving your staff an incentive to refer their qualified friends and associates to you.
You should also brainstorm a list of any other niche areas that your target market may look for a job. Consider industry publications, industry associations, small publications, etc.
Once you’ve posted your ad, your next step is to manage the inquiries that come flooding in.
This is one of the most time-consuming aspects of the recruitment process, so you will need to work out a system to manage the response to your job posting.
A system will also allow you ensure you ask all potential candidates the same questions and provide them with the same information about the role as well as about your company.
1. Decide whether all inquiries will be handled by one person or several. This will depend on your staff resources and capacity. A system will allow multiple employees to assist in the process.
For example, if your candidates have been instructed to submit their resume and cover letter to you through email, designate a single email address and inbox to receiving and responding. This way you or another staff member will not be bombarded by emails and can designate an hour of time each day to managing the inquiries. If your candidates are calling in, designate a unique phone number or answering machine to this purpose.
2. Decide how inquiries will be responded to. This can be as simple as an email acknowledging receipt of the resume, or specific instructions on an answering machine. Ensure everyone receives the same information, and that you receive the same level of information from all candidates (resume, cover letter, portfolio, references, and other relevant information.).
If you have asked candidates to call you instead of submit their resumes through email, create a standard checklist of questions to ask them, as well as of information to provide them with. You may wish to create a script.
Use this opportunity to get a feel for the applicant’s personality and trust your initial impression. Create a form on which to record this information, and file it with their resume when you receive it.
3. Devise a process for reviewing resumes or applications. The easiest and most time efficient way to do this is in a single session, after the stated deadline, and not as you receive them. You may wish to enlist the assistance of a senior colleague to provide a second opinion.
applications into three piles: interview, no interview, and maybe.
From here you can begin to call candidates and set up a first interview.
It is also a good idea to be in touch with unsuccessful candidates, and politely let them know that you will not be asking them in for an interview. If you anticipate your response rate will be overwhelming, you may wish to consider stating in your advertisement that only successful applicants will be called.
questions, compensation structure, availability, and room for advancement.
• Bring two copies of a typed job description. Include all tasks the candidate will be responsible for completing or assisting with.
Begin to build a relationship with each applicant. The purpose of the interview is not just to discuss the job description, or for the applicant to get all the interview questions “right.” It is to determine if this person has the right attitude for the job, and whether or not they will fit in with the company’s culture and its employees.
Keep the interview professional, but make sure the applicant is comfortable. Interviews test our ability to perform under pressure, but you will want to gain an understanding of the applicant’s true nature.
Remember that even if the applicant is not well suited to the role they have applied for, they may be suited to a future opportunity with the company.
The questions you decide to ask the candidate are highly specific to your company and the role you are hiring for. Take some time to brainstorm what you really need to know about each person, and what questions you can ask to get that information.
Keep in mind that part of the objective of the first interview is to get a sense of the candidate’s personality. You will want to ask questions about their responses and begin to establish a real relationship with them.
Here are some starter interview questions to get you going: • Tell me a little bit about your background.
• Tell me about a time when…[insert a likely scenario they will encounter in the position]. How did it make you feel? How did you handle the situation?
• What advantages do you feel you have over the other candidates?
Make sure you take good notes or ask a junior member of your team to take notes for you. Also record your impression of the candidate after each interview. You will want to be able to reflect on each interview before inviting the candidate to the next phase of the selection process.
When the first interviews have been completed, review your notes and discuss your first impressions with other employees involved in the process. Then, decide who you would like to invite back for a second interview, and let the unsuccessful candidates know they are not right for this particular role.
The second interview is used to confirm your impressions of the applicants you believe are well suited to the job. It can also be used to get more information, or to more closely compare two solid candidates.
Make sure you only offer a second interview to those you are considering hiring. If you are on the fence about a candidate, chances are your instincts are right, and bringing them in for a second interview is a waste of their time and yours.
When you call a candidate to invite them to come in for a second interview, remain professional and don’t make any allusions to a job offer. If your impression of them changes during the second interview, you do not want to have to go back on something you said.
Let them know what you thought of them based on the first interview and ask if they would be interested in meeting with you a second time.
Give yourself and the candidate at day or two between interviews to reflect on the first interview and prepare for the second.
While the second interview is often less structured than the first – a relationship has already begun to be established – you should still prepare a list of questions for the candidate.
These questions should focus on the specific tasks related to the job, and on providing more information about the culture, systems, and values of the company. You can also use the second interview to ask questions you may not have had the chance to in the first interview.
This is the final – arguably most important – step to make before offering the job to the candidate. You should ask your candidate for at least three employment references, and perhaps a character reference.
Call each reference contact and explain who you are and why you are calling. Then ask if they have a few moments to answer some questions about the candidate. You will want to find out information about punctuality, professionalism, skills, and their reason for leaving.
Cross reference this information with your interview notes to ensure consistency between the candidate and their reference.
Provided their references are solid, now is the time to make them an offer of employment.
Call the candidate personally to offer them the job. Make sure you congratulate them and express your enthusiasm in welcoming them into your team. You will also need to follow up your conversation with a letter or email that includes the job offer document or contract.
In the case a candidate declines the job offer, you may wish to do a reference check on your second pick candidate and make them an offer.
Once you have landed your dream employees through a rigorous recruitment process, it is essential that you continue to invest in your decision by putting them through a thorough training process.
Training is actually an element of recruitment. A new employee’s orientation and training sets the tone for their entire employment; this includes their impression of your business, its systems, and respect for its leaders. This has an impact on your ability to retain good people and avoid unnecessary or redundant recruitment processes.
Too often, businesses rely on junior employees to train new ones without any guidelines or ‘curriculum.’ New employees are thrown into the deep end without clear expectations or an understanding of ‘how things are done around here.’
These elements affect how an employee perceives their own required level of effort or performance. A business that doesn’t give much thought to planning, expectations, and preparation will end up showing a new employee that the same lack of attention is expected from them.
Here are some things to ensure you implement when you create your comprehensive training system:
Also ensure you have the tools available to train your new recruit. Will the training be held at their workstation, or another workstation? Do you have all the software you need? All the equipment required?
Doing so will ensure the training runs smoothly and the time provided will be used effectively.
The trainee should be able to ask questions and review information at any time – including after the training process. Create an environment that encourages open dialogue and encourages employees to ask questions when they are unsure of a task.
The other common mistake that many companies make is ending training after the first few weeks of a new recruit’s employment.
Training is an ongoing process for every single member of your team, and there should be a system or structure in place to ensure that staff training and development happens on a regular basis. This can include cross-training, employee development, and new systems orientation. Regular training not only benefits your staff and improves their performance, but it allows you – the business owner – to: •
An effective system of ongoing training is weekly, monthly, or quarterly staff reviews. When conducted one-on-one, this provides a forum for regular communication with employees to review performance and identify areas for improvement. A one-on-one environment will encourage more open and honest dialogue than if the session were conducted as part of a team.
As a business owner, these sessions are valuable sources of information and insight into the strengths, weaknesses and motivations of your team.
If you have a large staff, consider pairing junior staff with senior staff and establishing mentorship relationships. This is a powerful way to build the synergy of your team and frees you up from weekly meetings with each staff member. Instead, each senior staff member can report back to you on the results of their regular training sessions, and you only need to conduct these sessions with your senior staff.
Team training events are great team builders and provide insight into how your team interacts as a whole. These can take the form of “lunch and learns”, where senior staff or guest speakers conduct an hour-long session with staff members, or more social team building exercises with a less formal program.
Team training exercises will shed light on the leaders and followers in an organisation and bring together employees who may work outside of the office. These can be especially helpful if you and your senior staff do not see the team ‘in action’ on a daily basis.
Now that you have spent hours of time and potentially hundreds or thousands of Pounds recruiting and training your staff, your human resource job is done, right?
I suppose you’ve done what you’ve set out to do: get the right people working for you. But what happens when those people get bored? Or stolen by another company? Or feel they’ve “done all they can do” at your company?
The final step in the overall recruitment process is employee retention.
The environment you create for your staff has a huge impact on your employee retention rates. This includes the interior design and layout of your office or business, the lighting, plants, and kitchen amenities available. It also includes the culture of the company – what is the general working atmosphere? Are most people loud? Quiet? Is there a buzz or hum to the office space?
The bottom line is that employees should enjoy and feel comfortable coming to their workplace – they do spend most of their waking hours there.
Spending a little more on comfortable office furniture and amenities like coffee, tea, snacks and social spaces will go a long way toward keeping your employees happy at work.
Did you know that many employees place more value on positive public recognition for a job well done than they do on salary?
Recognition and rewards are powerful tools when it comes to keeping employees happy. Positive feedback from those in more senior positions has a higher perceived value than a 3-5% salary increase – and it costs the business little to nothing to implement.
Incentive programs are a formalised way of rewarding employees for their achievements and successes. Clear targets and milestones are identified, and when an individual or team reaches those milestones they are rewarded with bonuses or prizes.
Recognition, rewards and incentive programs are an important part of employee retention, as well as team building. They will be discussed in further detail in the Team Building chapter.
Another common reason employees choose to leave their positions is professional development. Many feel they need to move to another company in order to develop their careers or gain more responsibility.
They may not necessarily dislike their current role but become bored or stagnated and believe they have ‘done all they can do’ at that particular company.
retention – but they are also an important part of business growth and development. A company with staff who are always increasing their knowledge and improving their skills will stay on the ‘cutting edge’ of their industry and have an advantage over the competition.
Ongoing training and development should be a primary focus for any growing business. Here’s why: •
one-on-one training systems. Keep a folder or binder for each staff member that outlines current role responsibilities, short- and long-term goals, and areas for improvement, and review it during your weekly or monthly meetings. Identify specific areas for growth and develop plans of action for that growth.
For example, if your marketing assistant wants to grow into a marketing coordinator or manager role, and needs to improve her people management skills, consider putting her through a management course.
Maintaining this program doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task.
With some simple system tools and a commitment to regularly scheduled meetings, you can have a clear and effective program for your staff.
(Together Everyone Achieves More) The people you employ contribute – directly or indirectly – on a daily basis to the strength and vitality of your business. You can’t run your business alone, so you rely on their skills and support.
But your employees are not just the people who arrive at your office every day and exchange effort for a pay check. Their role is not just to build capacity and sell more or serve more.
Your employees are part of a potentially powerful group of people that you can leverage to put your business on the fast track to success.
Your staff is more than the people who work for you. They are actually members of your team – the group of people who are collectively working to achieve the same objective or reach the same vision.
I say they are more than just employees because their collective, cohesive value is actually much higher than their individual worth.
We all know that more people working on the same task will ensure the task is completed faster. In business, when you have more people working together on the same task, you save time, increase brainpower, and ultimately, make more money.
Corporate Culture has become a common buzzword when it comes to building a successful business, and rightly so.
Your corporate culture is the environment in which you run your business, and the environment in which your team members work. It is rooted in the vision, mission and beliefs of the organisation, and dictates the “kind of office” and “kind of people” that work in that office.
Corporate culture is something that typically develops organically.
The business owner and senior employees create a positive or negative environment based solely on who they are as people and how they behave as leaders. You simply can’t avoid creating some type of corporate culture when you run a business.
corporate culture. Whether you are just starting out, or seeking to improve your workplace, you do have control over the type of environment in which you run your business.
Like most things in business, this won’t happen overnight. However, with a clear idea of where you want to go, and what you want to create, you’ll be well on your way to getting there.
Your company’s vision statement should be a bold, clear, short sentence that every single one of your employees knows and understands. It is a roadmap to your idea of success; if you don’t know what that looks like, how will you know when you achieve it?
If your goal is to create a highly profitable company – what does highly profitable mean? £1 million in annual sales? £3 million in annual profit?
Do you seek to become the industry leader in sprocket production?
How will this be measured? How many sprockets will you have to produce to reach this goal?
The vision statement is a short summary of the long-term objective of the company. What the company will look like, produce, achieve; it is how you know the company is “successful.”
Many companies either do not have a vision statement or they keep it a secret from their employees. It is only discussed in board meetings or management meetings. For a team to collectively work toward a goal, they need to know what the big picture objective is. They need to have buy-in in the company’s direction and be communicated with on a regular basis.
Be proud of your vision. Keep it visible for staff – post it on the wall, include it in internal communications, and connect day to day activities too it as often as possible.
The process of creating a vision statement is something that you can work through alone, or in collaboration with your team. It is highly recommended to review the draft vision statement with your employees to ensure they understand and support the goals and objectives of the company.
Keep the following points in mind when crafting your vision statement: • Think big – Why did you start or buy this business? What was your dream or purpose in doing so?
• Think long-term – Vision statements should last five to 10 or even 25 years • Be specific – Use numbers, dates, ratings systems and other ways of measuring success • Be succinct – Use clear, short, simple sentences that are easy to repeat and remember
statement: Step One: List your company’s core strengths and weaknesses; what do you do well? What do you need to work on, or avoid doing?
Step Two: Who are your primary customers? Describe the types of customers you serve – both internal and external.
Step Three: What do your customers think of your strengths? What strengths are most important to them? Go ahead and ask them if you need to.
Step Four: Connect the strength that each customer values with its customer type. Write it in a sentence. Combine any redundancies.
Elaborate on points as needed. This is your draft mission statement.
Step Six: Consult with your staff and customers and ask for their feedback. Do employees support the statement? Can they act on it?
Do customers want to do business with a company with this mission statement? Does it make sense?
Your culture or values statement is the next step in the process. It describes how you and your staff will go about taking action (your mission statement) to achieve your objective (your vision statement).
Much like every family has their own belief system and way of doing things – from cooking to cleaning to raising kids – every company has their own set of values when it comes to running a business. It reflects the unique personality of the organisation.
supportive environment that values calculated risk in order to achieve the maximum reward. At Johnson & Johnson Inc., we encourage and reward innovative thinking, innovative solutions and an innovative approach in all that we do.
• Passion. The deep desire to enrich people’s lives – by delivering quality products and remarkable experiences that make their lives easier, healthier and more joyful.
Involve your team in creating your company’s culture or values statement. Generally, this is a point-form document that reflects the beliefs of the company, its employees, and its customers.
It can be helpful to think about the type of people you currently employ, as well as the ones you may wish to employ. What are they like? What are their belief systems? What are their most important values?
Remember that the culture or values statement is usually the longest of the three statements – and that’s okay.
The strength of a team lies in the strength of the people who lead it.
No group of people is effective without strong leadership, just like no business is effective without a strong owner or management team.
Building a strong team means knowing who your leaders are – both in job description and natural ability.
Understanding the strength of your natural leaders and the skills of your natural followers will allow you to strategically structure your team for maximum effectiveness and efficiency. It will give you insight into who is best suited for management promotions and project management; which team members have the ability to assemble and motivate their peers.
Your leaders need to have a high degree of passion for your product or service, and truly believe in the company’s vision. They need to be able to handle a high level of responsibility and manage a range of people to achieve a common goal.
Your leaders are your team builders. They present new ideas, build consensus, and encourage the involvement of others.
Simply speaking, there are four main types, or styles, of leaders.
Chances are, you’ve experienced each type at some point in your career
The only way to build and maintain a strong team is through strong, consistent communication. This is often an overlooked or neglected aspect of business management and is easily forgotten during periods of high stress or heavy workload.
Avoid letting communication fall on the backburner by creating a regular meeting schedule – and sticking to it. Depending on the size and type of your business, daily, weekly, or monthly team meetings are an important cornerstone of a strong team.
Regularly scheduled team meetings are like Sunday dinners with a busy family. They give you – the owner – a regular forum with your staff to implement company-wide training initiatives, announce results, establish goals and targets, or share new visions or directions. They also give your staff a forum to share feedback and air grievances.
By now you’re probably thinking, “Sure, I hear some company’s team meetings are effective, but we tried them and it didn’t work,” or “I held regular team meetings, but after a while, no one showed up.”
There is a difference between team meetings held for the sake of having team meetings, and well-prepared team meetings with a purpose.
Scheduling is potentially the biggest challenge when trying to set up a team meeting. Often, all of your staff members are busy going in eight different directions to fulfil their roles and operating on dramatically different schedules.
This is one reason why regular team meetings are important. Ad hoc meetings require ad hoc scheduling and reduce the likelihood that all your team members will be able to attend.
Ask your team to block off one hour (or two) each week (or month) for the team meeting in a time slot that is convenient for everyone.
exclude that time slot from the scheduling of other meetings and avoid conflict.
If you find that a team meeting is not necessary one week, you can always cancel it.
Each team meeting should have a purpose and clear objectives. Is it to educate? Build consensus? Gather feedback?
Once you have established a purpose for a particular meeting, send an agenda to your staff confirming the meeting and outlining your objectives. This is a good time to ask if anyone has a subject they would like to raise at the meeting.
If you find you do not have a clear purpose or objective, ask yourself if a team meeting is the best use of time for that week and consider postponing it to the next regularly scheduled time slot.
The biggest complaint from employees about team meetings is the length. Too often team meetings run out of control and end up taking three hours instead of one. You will quickly lose team focus and respect for the regular meeting this way. By establishing a clear agenda and staying on topic, you can run an efficient, succinct meeting.
Your detailed agenda should include: • meeting purpose or objective • list of topics and associated speakers • list of decisions that need to be made/agreed to • time allocation for each topic • opportunity for additional topics at the end Circulate your draft agenda in advance of the meeting, and request input and feedback. When all team members have reviewed and contributed to the agenda, you will increase their level of ownership and buy-in into the process.
Choose one person to chair the meeting and keep it on track. This is generally the business owner or a senior member of the team with some authority over junior staff and a high level of respect.
It is the responsibility of the facilitator – or chairperson – to create an environment of open dialogue and trust, and to keep the meeting on schedule.
Assign the task of taking detailed meeting minutes to a team member – or rotate this responsibility on a regular basis. It is important to record what happens in team meetings, just as you would in a client- related business meeting.
In the minutes, establish a system for tracking the action items that arise from decisions made in the meeting. This can be set up as a simple chart:
Make sure that these responsibilities are assigned and agreed upon in the meeting, and clear deadlines are established. Reviewing or following up on this chart can serve as a regular topic during team meetings.
Circulate meeting minutes to all attendees and ask for input or revisions. You may wish to circulate meeting minutes with the agenda for the next team meeting and gather feedback at the same time.
A big challenge in team building is coming up with new ways to foster and maintain a high level of motivation. How do you keep teams of people excited and driven to succeed over long periods of time? How do you keep your team motivated to improve their performance, and increase their achievements?
It is important to note that we’re not just talking about individuals, but teams of people working together. It is fairly simple to motivate a single person, but an entire team of motivated people will generate significantly higher results.
The key here is to give incentives for individual and team accomplishments. Incentives that reward based on collective achievement require people to work together and motivate each other to succeed.
Before we start talking about monetary and incentive-based rewards, it’s important to look at motivational factors that are not incentive- driven.
and your managers clearly express confidence in your team members. You hired them to do a job, perform a role, so you must ensure they have the space to do so.
When you put effective systems in place and establish clear expectations, you create a clear context or boundary system for employees to work within. They understand the decision-making hierarchy, and the general way ‘things are done around here.’
Your team should be encouraged to take initiative and to take risks within this context. You have hired your team based on their skills and intellectual capabilities, and thus should be able to trust in their choices and decision-making abilities.
Incentives are great motivators. An incentive is a reason to perform or act in a certain way. For example, if your team increases sales by 40% by month’s end, they will be treated to an expensive dinner.
Incentives need to be specific and have deadlines in order to be effective. In the example above, sales need to increase by 40% by the end of the month in order for the team to receive their dinner. If sales only increase by 30%, or if they increase by 40% at the end of the second month, the team does not earn their reward.
encourage staff to work harder to achieve the objective. If the incentive is not time-bound, there is no reason to work faster or harder, since staff will assume they will reach their milestone “eventually.”
Rarity is also a key component of effective incentive-based team building. If the reward is ongoing (i.e., if staff receive an expensive dinner every month sales are over £75,000), then “there’s always next time.” There is a lesser incentive to push performance to receive the reward. Some team members may care one month, but not the next.
I’m not going to beat around the bush on this one: Your offer is the granite foundation of your marketing campaign.
Get it right, and everything else will fall into place. Your headline will grab readers, your copy will sing, your ad layout will hardly matter, and you will have customers running to your door.
Get it wrong, and even the best looking, best-written campaign will sink like the Titanic.
A powerful offer is an irresistible offer. It’s an offer that gets your audience frothing at the mouth and clamouring over each other all the way to your door. An offer that makes your readers pick up the phone and open their wallets.
Irresistible offers make your potential customers think, “I’d be crazy not to take him up on that,” or “An offer like this doesn’t come around very often.” They instil a sense of emotion, of desire, and ultimately, urgency.
Make it easy for customers to purchase from you the first time, and spend your time keeping them coming back.
I’ll say it again: get it right, and everything else will fall into place.
As you work your way through this program, you will find that nearly every chapter discusses the importance of a powerful offer as related to your marketing strategy or promotional campaign.
There’s a reason for this. The powerful offer is more often than not the reason a customer will open their wallets. It is how you generate leads, and then convert them into loyal customers. The more dramatic, unbelievable, and valuable the offer is the more dramatic and unbelievable the response will be.
marketing campaigns in glossy magazines and big city newspapers.
They send massive direct mail campaigns on a regular basis; yet don’t receive an impressive or massive response rate.
A powerful offer is one that makes the most people respond, and take action. It gets people running to spend money on your product or service.
Powerful offers nearly always have an element of urgency and of scarcity. They give your audience a reason to act immediately, instead of put it off until a later date.
Urgency relates to time. The offer is only available until a certain date, during a certain period of the day, or if you act within a few hours of seeing the ad. The customer needs to act now to take advantage of the offer.
Scarcity related to quantity. There are only a certain number of customers who will be able to take advantage of the offer. There may be a limited number of spaces, a limited number of products, or simply a limited number of people the business will provide the offer to.
Again, this requires that customer acts immediately to reap the high value for low cost.
Powerful offers also: Offer great value. Customers perceive the offer as having great value – more than a single product on its own, or the product at its regular price. It is clear that the offer takes the reader’s needs and wants into consideration.
Make sense to the reader. They are simple and easy to understand if read quickly. Avoid percentages – use half off or 2 for 1 instead of 50% off. There are no “catches” or requirements; no fine print.
Seem logical. The offer doesn’t come out of thin air. There is a logical reason behind it – a holiday, end of season, anniversary celebration, or new product. People can get suspicious of offers that seem “too good to be true” and have no apparent purpose.
Provide a premium. The offer provides something extra to the customer, like a free gift, or free product or service. They feel they are getting something extra for no extra cost. Premiums are perceived to have more value than discounts.
Remember that when your target market reads your offer, they will be asking the following questions: 1. What are you offering me?
Decide what kind of offer will most effectively achieve your objectives.
Are you trying to generate leads, convert customers, build a database, move old product off the shelves, or increase sales?
Consider what type of offer will be of most value to your ideal customers – what offer will make them act quickly.
This type of offer asks customers to act immediately in exchange for something free. This is a good strategy to use to build a customer database or mailing list. Offer a free consultation, free consumer report, or other item of low cost to you but of high perceived value.
You can also advertise the value of the item you are offering for free.
For example, act now and you’ll receive a free consultation, worth £75. This will dramatically increase your lead generation and allow you to focus on conversion when the customer comes through the door or picks up the phone.
Offer a bonus product or service with the purchase of another. This strategy will serve your bottom line much better than discounting.
This includes 2 for 1 offers, offers that include free gifts, and in-store credit with purchases over a specific Pound amount.
Focus on only one product or service – or one product or service type – at a time. This will keep your offer clear, simple, and easy to understand. This can be an area of your business you wish to grow, or old product that you need to move off the shelves.
What are you looking to achieve from your offer? If it is to generate more leads, then you’ll need your customer to contact you. If it is to quickly sell old product, you’ll need your customer to come into the store and buy it. Do you want them to visit your website? Sign up for your newsletter? How long do they have to act? Be clear about your call to action, and state it clearly in your offer.
First, think of the biggest, best things you could offer your customers – regardless of cost and ability. Don’t limit yourself to a single type of offer, combine several types of offers to increase value. Offer a premium, plus a guarantee, with a package offer. Then take a look at what you’ve created and make the necessary changes so it is realistic.
Finally, make sure the offer will leave you with some profit – or at least allow you to break even. You don’t want to publish an outrageous offer that will generate a tremendous number of leads, but leave you broke. Remember that each customer has an acquisition cost, as well as a lifetime value. The amount of their first purchase may allow you to break even, but the amount of their subsequent purchases may make you a lovely profit.
What if I told you that you could put an inexpensive system in place that would effectively allow your business to growth itself?
For most business owners, a large part of their customer base is comprised of referral customers. These people found out about the company’s products or services from the recommendation of a friend or colleague who had a positive experience purchasing from that company.
If your business benefits from referral customers, you will find that these customers arrive ready to buy from you and tend to buy more often. They also tend to be highly loyal to your product or service.
Referral customers cost less to acquire. Compared to the leads you generate from advertising, direct mail campaigns, and other marketing initiatives, referral customers come to you already qualified and already trusting in the quality of your offering and the respectability of your staff.
With a little effort, and the creation of a formalised system – or strategy – you can not only continue to enjoy referral business, but easily double the number of referral customers that walk through your door. All of this is possible for a minimal investment of time and resources.
results for nearly any business. Since most referrals do not require any effort, the addition of a strategy and a program will often double or triple the number of qualified referrals that come through a business door.
There are, however, a few types of businesses that will not benefit from a formalised referral strategy. These are businesses with low price points – like fast food restaurants and drugstores. Their customer base is large already, and their efforts would be best spent on increasing the average sale.
A referral program can: • Save you time. Referral strategies – once established – don’t require much management or time investment.
As we discussed in the “Repeat Business” section, you don’t “get” customers, you buy them. The money you spend on advertising, direct mail, and other promotions ideally results in potential customers walking through your doors.
For example, if you placed an ad for £200, and 20 people make a purchase in response to that ad, you would have paid £10 for each customer.
Referral customers cost you next to nothing. Your existing customer does the work of selling your business to their friend or associate, and you benefit from the sale. Aside from the cost of any referral incentives or coupon production, there is no cost involved at all.
Referral customers cost less and require less time investment than any other customer. That means you can spend that time making them a loyal customer, or a devoted fan.
Referral strategies can allow you to groom your customer base. As we have previously discussed, 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers – these are your ideal customers.
These are also the people you have established as your target market and are the people you cater your marketing and advertising efforts toward.
You also have a group of customers who make up 80% of your headaches. These are the people who complain the most and spend the least.
Use your referral strategy to get more of your ideal customers. Spend more time servicing your ideal customers – do everything you can to make them happy – and less time on your headache customers. You can even ask your headache customers to shop elsewhere.
Then, focus your referral efforts on your ideal customers. Ask them to refer business to you and reward them for doing so. Try to avoid referrals from your headache customers – chances are you’ll just get another headache.
No, not romantic relationships. I’m talking about anyone you have previously had a relationship with, but for one reason or another have fallen out of touch. This includes former colleagues, associates, customers and friends.
Including them in your referral strategy can be as simple as reaching out through the phone or email and updating them on your latest business initiative or career move. Gently ask at the end of the correspondence to refer anyone who may need your product or service. They will appreciate that you have attempted to re-establish the relationship.
Customers are an obvious source of referrals because they are the people who are dealing with you directly on a regular basis. Often, all you have to do is ask and they will happily provide you with contact information of other interested buyers or contact those buyers themselves.
Your customers also have a high level of product knowledge when it comes to your business and are in a great position to really sell the strength of your company. Remember from the Testimonials section, the words of your customers are at least 10 times more powerful than any clever headline or marketing piece you could create.
Give your employees and associates a reason to have their friends and families shop at your business with a simple incentive program.
These people have the most product knowledge and are in the best position to sell you to a potential customer.
This is also a way to tap into an endless network of people. Who do your employees and associates know? Who do their friends and friends of friends know? A referral chain that connects to your employees can be a highly powerful one.
This doesn’t seem so obvious, but it can work. Your direct competitors are clearly not the ideal source for referrals. However, indirect competitors can refer their clients or potential clients to you if they cannot meet those clients’ needs themselves.
For example, if you sell high end lighting fixtures, the low-budget lighting store down the street may be able to refer clients to you, and vice versa. You may wish to offer a finder’s fee or incentive to establish this arrangement.
Don’t be shy about asking your friends and family members for referrals. Too many people do not provide enough information to their inner circle about what they do or what their business does. This doesn’t make sense, since these are the people who should be the most interested!
Take time to explain clearly what your business is all about, and what your point of difference is. Then just ask them if they know anyone who may benefit from what you are offering. You could even provide your friends and family with an incentive – a gift, a meal, or a portion of the sale.
This is another place you likely have a network of people who have limited knowledge about what you do or what your business does.
The advantage here is that you have a group of people with similar belief s and values in the same room. Use it!
Unless a member of the media is a regular customer of yours, or you are in business to serve the media, this may not seem like an obvious choice either.
The opportunity here is to establish a relationship with an editor or journalist and position yourself as an expert in your field or industry.
Then, next time they are writing a related story, they can ask to quote you and your opinion. When their audience reads the story, they will perceive your business as the industry leader.
This may seem simple and obvious, but it’s true. Be open with your customers and associates, and simply ask them if they can refer any of their friends or associates to you. Make it part of doing business with you, and your customers will grow to expect the question. Or, let them know in advance that you’ll be asking at a later date.
Remember that this can include potential customers – even if they don’t buy from you. The reason they chose not to purchase may have nothing to do with your business; any person who has begun to or actually done business with you can refer to you another person.
discounts on products, free products or services, or gifts. Offer incentives relative to the number of referrals, or the success rate of each referral.
This can have a spin off effect, as your referral customers may become motivated to continue the referral chain. They too will be interested in the incentives you have provided and tell their friends about your business.
The only way your referral program will work is if you put some effort into it and maintain some level of ongoing effort.
Here are some ideas: • Put a referral card or coupon in every shopping bag that leaves your shop •
Make sure you are staying in touch with all of your potential and converted customers. Through newsletters, direct mail, or the Internet, keep your business name at the top of the minds, ahead of the competition.
Even if they have already purchased from you, and may not need to purchase for some time, a newsletter or email can be a simple reminder that your business is out there. If someone in their network is looking for the product or service, it will be more likely that your customer will refer your business over the competition.
Testimonials are simply the single most powerful asset you can have in your marketing toolkit. When your customers tell others about the benefits of choosing your business, it is a thousand times more powerful than the same words from your mouth.
The words and opinions of others motivate people to spend money every day. From celebrity endorsements on TV and in magazines, to casual conversations with friends, decisions about what product or service to buy – and what brand or provider – are heavily influenced by those who have purchased before.
Why? There are several reasons. Many people have an inherent distrust of salespeople, and a scepticism toward marketing materials.
Others are bombarded with choice and are looking for some sense of security in their purchase decision.
Testimonials build the credibility of your business, break down natural barriers, and create a sense of trust for the consumer. They have an incredible ability to persuade customers to buy, and to buy from you.
Think about the last time someone recommended a brand of laundry detergent, a bottle of wine, or a plumber to you. Their positive experience had more of an impact on your decision to buy than any advertisement or discount.
When it comes to spending money, people want a sure bet. They want to know that someone else has bought before, and they want to know that the product or service has delivered the promised results.
A testimonial for your business is worth more than any copywriter, clever ad slogan, or sales pitch.
When people put their name and reputation on paper to endorse something, it creates a sense of loyalty; if questioned, they will back their decision, even if they find later their decision was wrong.
When someone is willing to endorse your product or service in writing, they have likely already started a word-of-mouth chain of verbal testimonials about their positive experience. Remember the last time you discovered a chiropractic miracle worker? Or the fastest and cheapest drycleaner? Didn’t you tell every one of your friends who could use the service?
By asking a customer for a testimonial, you are asking for their assistance in the growth of your business. When they feel they are truly helping and participating in the development of your company, their sense of pride will mean continuous loyalty to your product or service.
11 Ways to Get Great Testimonials Testimonials are powerful – no question. But how do you make sure that the quotes you get from your customers will bring you the most value? How do you ensure that your client will articulate your product’s merits in a clear and easy to understand way? How do you make sure you can actually use their testimonials in your marketing materials?
general comments and praise. You want to ensure that your customer feels a sense of pride and loyalty in providing their opinion, and that their opinion will have an impact on potential buyers.
How? Glad you asked. Here are 11 proven ways to get great testimonials from your customers.
Your customers are the happiest and most willing to help you within a day to a week of their purchase, so aim to secure the testimonial in this time period. Ask for the testimonial before they leave, and make sure you have all their contact details to follow up with. This also ensures you stay on top of your testimonial recruitment!
2. Get specific Specific testimonials are more believable. The more specific you can have your customer be, the stronger and more impactful the testimonial will be. Remember the Sleep Country testimonials that referenced the little “booties” that their delivery men wore to keep carpets clean? Meaningful details get remembered. Ask for mention of things like time, dates, extraordinary customer service, and personal observations.
Testimonials that tell stories are more engaging. Ask client to not only describe their experience with your company, but also the negative experience that led them to your door. If they can describe the struggles and challenges they were facing before receiving your service, the reader will likely be able to sympathise and resonate with similar struggles. This will motivate them to solve their problems with your solution.
4. Write the first draft Make it easy for your clients. This technique is something you can offer someone who is hesitant to commit to writing a testimonial due to time constraints or is procrastinating. Ask them to brainstorm a few notes they would like to include in their feedback, write them down, and string them into a concise testimonial for their review. All they have to do is review, print on their letterhead, sign, and mail back to you!
5. Include your marketing message or USP Always ask your customers to include your unique selling proposition (USP) in the testimonial. For instance, if your USP includes exceptional customer service, same-day installation, and a money- back guarantee then ask your customer to attest to those qualities.
6. A picture says… Yes, you know the saying. But it’s true. When readers attach an image of the speaker to words, the words are enlivened and have twice as much validity and impact. When readers see an image of a previous client using your product or service, their words and opinions are even more believable. You can take these simple pictures yourself – and take many so you have a selection to choose from.
7. Credentials equal trust As we mentioned, testimonials from credible sources will have the most believability and impact. When you ask for a testimonial, make sure your customer states their expertise and credentials. If you sell custom orthotics, and can secure a solid testimonial from a doctor, their words will be golden in your marketing materials.
8. Don’t forget to ask permission When you ask for testimonials, make sure you are clear that their words may be used in your marketing materials, including advertisements, website and in-store displays. This is a good time to thank them for their time and sincerity and show your appreciation for their words.
9. Location, location… Depending on the market reach of your business, the location of your customers is an important part of the believability of your testimonial.
If you own a community-based business, when potential clients see you’ve made others happy just down their street they’ll be motivated to use your service too. If you own a regional business, then the cities and addresses of other happy customers can help communicate the reach of your service.
10. Testimonials are not surveys Keep the purpose of your request in mind when you’re asking for testimonials. Testimonials should be positive fodder for your advertising materials. Surveys are used to solicit meaningful (and often confidential) customer information to refine and improve your service. Testimonials are public statements, while surveys are often anonymous and can produce less-than-positive results.
Thanking a customer for their time and effort creating your testimonial is just plain good manners. It also increases loyalty and goodwill.
This can be done via email but sending a formal letter on your letterhead is a more meaningful approach.
What is the most convincing aspect of the testimonial? Is it the author? Where they are from? A specific sentence or paragraph they wrote? Be strategic about the aspect of the testimonial that you feature and select what will have the most impact.
For example, you can compile a list titled What Customers are Saying, and list only the phrases that support your specific marketing message. Or you can feature the unique credentials or story of your customer, before you even include their testimonial. You can also summarise the testimonial with a powerful headline.
Adding a page of testimonials to your website is a great start, especially when you’re beginning to solicit customer responses.
However, the most powerful way to ensure site visitors actually see your testimonials is to include them on every page – especially the ones with the highest traffic.
A testimonial should be placed wherever you make a strong statement about your service or product, and wherever the service or product is described. This is a great way to break up your sales copy with some “proof”. As they read about your offering, your credibility will be validated by someone other than you.
Compile your best 25 to 50 letters in a display book Like a proud grandparent, keep a book of testimonials in the waiting area of your office, your boardroom, and in your desk. Or, put one at the service counter, cash register and anywhere else people may have a moment to flip through.
I’ve seen this done in recruiting firm, a hardware store, and a physiotherapist’s office. When clients have a chance to read the positive experiences of others, they will be more open to hearing your sales pitch less guarded when responding to your unique offering.
If you have an associate or colleague who has a similar customer base of new prospects for your business, try a joint-endorsed mailing.
Each of you will send a letter to your own clients, endorsing the other’s products and services. Your service or solution is offered to a potential client by a trusted source, and you are offering your existing clients the added value of an associate’s service to complement your own.
Dear Mr. Smith, Thank you for visiting our store this week. It was a pleasure helping you select a new laptop for your daughter to use at university this year – they just grow up too fast! Your research and clear idea of the product you were searching for truly made our job easy. We love the back to school season, because it means working with clients like yourself.
We know there are a lot of choices when it comes to purchasing a laptop in Anytown, so thank you for choosing ABC Company. If there is anything else we can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
We occasionally ask select customers for their feedback in the form of a testimonial. Because we are so proud of the feedback we receive, we often use our customer’s quotes in our marketing materials – specifically our website and sales brochures. The real-life experiences of our customers at ABC Company are stories that we are proud of.
Could I ask you to write down some of your feedback? A few words about your experience with ABC Company, and how we helped you and your daughter would be greatly appreciated. We encourage you to print this on your company letterhead, so we can provide your own company with some exposure as well.
You may want to include the names of the associates who helped you, and how your daughter is enjoying her laptop. Again, we would like to feature your name and experience in our marketing materials.
For your convenience, I’ve included a prepaid envelope with which to mail your testimonial back to us.
Dear Mr. Smith, We received your glowing testimonial in the mail today, and I wanted to thank you personally for your kind words. Your comments about our store and our people are important to us, and I will make sure my staff takes a moment to read your letter.
We are thrilled that your daughter is enjoying her laptop and using it to keep in touch with you while she studies abroad. When we sold it to you, we truly believed it would provide the most long-lasting value for her student budget. I hope it serves her for the rest of her time at school.
Thank you again for taking the time to write us. We are all proud to have been of service to you and your daughter and look forward to seeing you both again soon.
Below you will find a series of sample testimonials, and excerpts from testimonial letters. Read these over and take a moment to notice why each is a powerful statement. We have also summarised each testimonial with a headline.
We were sceptical about direct mail campaigns, and unsure about the return on investment. Your strategic advice and logistical help made the project run smoothly and easily – we received over 200 leads from this single effort!
You’ve had to sell the bank to get them to loan you your start-up capital. You’ve had to sell the best employees on why they should work for your business. You’ve had to convince your business partner, spouse, and friends why your business idea is a good one.
Now you have to repeatedly sell your product or service to your customers.
The ability to sell effectively and efficiently is one every successful business owner has cultivated and continues to develop. It can be a complicated and time-consuming task; one that you will have to continually work on throughout your career in order to be – and stay – successful.
Fortunately, making sales is a step-by-step process that can be learned, customised, and continuously improved. There are a wide range of tools available to help and support your sales efforts.
You don’t have to be the most outgoing, enthusiastic person to be successful at sales. You don’t even have to be a good public speaker. All you need is an understanding of the basic sales process, and a genuine passion for what you are selling.
As I said before, making sales is a process. There are clear, step-by- step actions that can be taken and result in a sale.
The sales process varies according to the type of business, type of customers and type of product or service that is offered; however, the core steps are the same. Similarly, sales training varies from individual to individual, but the core skills and abilities remain the same.
Here is a basic seven-step process that you can follow, or fine tune to suit your unique products and services. Remember that each step is important and builds on the step previous. It is essential to become adept at each step, instead of solely focusing on closing the sale.
1. Preparation Make sure you have prepared for your meeting, presentation, or day on the sales floor. You have complete control of this part of the sales process, so it is important to do everything you can to set the stage for your success.
• Prepare all the necessary materials and organise them neatly.
• Do some research on your potential client and brainstorm to find common ground.
2. Build a Relationship The first few minutes you spend with a potential customer set the stage for the rest of your interaction. First impressions are everything.
Your goal in the second step is to relax the customer and begin to develop a relationship with them. Establishing a real relationship with your customer will create trust.
• Make a great first impression: shake hands, make eye contact, and introduce yourself.
3. Discuss Needs + Wants Once you have spent a few moments getting to know your prospect, start asking open-ended questions to discover some of their needs and wants. If they have come to you on the sales floor, ask what brought them in the store. If you are meeting them to present your product or service, ask why they are interested in, or what criteria they have in mind for that product or service.
• If you are making a sales presentation, ask for a few moments at the outset to outline the purpose of your visit, as well as how you have structured the presentation.
• Listen intently and repeat back information you are not sure you understand.
they talk, the more insight they are providing you into their needs and purchase motivations.
• If you become sure the customer is going to buy your product or service, begin to ask questions specific to the offering. i.e., what size/colour do you prefer?
4. Present the Solution Once you have a solid understanding of what they are looking for, or what issue they are looking to resolve, you can begin to present the solution: your product or service.
• Explain how your product or service will solve their problem or meeting their needs. If several products apply, begin by presenting the mid-level product.
further qualifying questions in response to body language and verbal comments.
• Give the customer an opportunity to ask you questions or provide feedback about each product or service after you have described or explained it.
5. Overcome Objections As you present the product or service, take note of potential objections by asking open-ended questions and monitoring body language. Expect that objections will arise and prepare for it.
Consider brainstorming a list of all potential objections and writing down your responses.
• Repeat the objection back to the customer to ensure you understand them correctly.
• Empathise with what they have said, and then provide a response that overcomes the objection.
The competitor or another department offers a better product.
There is an existing contract in place with another business.
6. Close This is an important part of the sales process that should be handled delicately. Deciding when to close is a judgment call that must be made in the moment during the sale. Ideally, you have presented a solution to their problem, overcome objections, and have the customer in a place where they are ready to buy.
Here are some questions to ask before you close the sale: • Does my prospect agree that there is value in my product or service?
• Does my prospect understand the features and benefits of the product or service?
• Have I minimised the risk involved in the purchase, and provided some level of urgency?
Once you have determined it is time to make the sale, here are some sample statements you can use to get the process rolling: •
7. Service + Follow-up Once you have made the sale, your work is not over. You want to ensure that that customer will become a loyal, repeat customer, and that they will refer their friends to your business.
Ask them to be in your customer database and keep in touch with regular newsletters. Follow up with a phone call or drop by to ask how they are enjoying the product or service, and if they have any further questions or needs you can assist them with.
This contact opportunity will also allow you ask for a referral, or an up sell. At the very least, it will ensure you are continuing to foster and build a relationship with the client.
Up selling is simply inviting your customers to spend more money in your business by purchasing additional products or services. This could include more of the same product, complementary products, or impulse items.
Regardless, up selling is an effective way to increase profits and create loyal clients – without spending any money to acquire the business. These clients are already purchasing from you – which means they perceive value in what you have to offer – so take the information you have gained in the sales process and offer them a little bit more.
You experience up selling on a daily basis. From “do you want fries with that?” to “have you heard about our product protect program?”
companies across the globe have tapped into and trained their staff on the value of the up sell.
Up selling is truly rooted in good customer service. If your client purchases a new computer printer, you’ll need to make sure they have the cords required to connect it to the computer, regular and photo paper, and colour and black and white ink.
If you don’t suggest these items, they may arrive home and realise they do not have all the materials needed to use the product. They may choose to purchase those materials somewhere closer, cheaper, or more helpful.
Customer education is another form of up selling. What if you customer doesn’t realise that you sell a variety of printer paper and stationery in addition to computer hardware like printers? Take every opportunity to educate your customer on the products and services you offer that may be of interest to them.
An effective way of implementing an up sell system into your business is simply by creating add-on checklists for the products or services you offer. Each item has a list of related items that your customer may need. This will encourage your staff to develop the habit of asking for the up sell.
Other up sell strategies can be implemented: • At the point of sale. This is a great place for impulse items like candy, flashlights, nail scissors, etc.
• In a newsletter. This is an effective strategy for customer education.
related items. For example, paper clips with paper and pens near binders.
• Over the phone. If someone is placing an order for delivery, offer additional items in the same shipment for convenience.
In many businesses, sales is a department or a whole team of people who work together to generate leads and convert customers.
Effective management of your sales team is a skill every business owner should cultivate.
Every salesperson should have an arsenal of tools on hand to assist them in the sales process. These tools can act as aids while a sale is taking place or help to foster continual learning and development of the salesperson’s skills and approach.
The list below includes some popular sales tools. Add to this list with other resources that are specific to your business or industry.
culture and use phrases your customer understands. This may require researching industry jargon or common phrases.
Remember to avoid using words and phrases that are used in the sales process: sold, contract, telemarketing, finance, interest, etc. Doing so will help break down the salesperson/customer barrier.
• Ooze positivity. Show up or answer the phone with a smile and leave your personal or business issues behind. Be enthusiastic about what you have to offer, and how that offering will benefit your customer. Reflect this not only in your voice, but also in your body language.
innuendos and racial comments are absolutely off-limits. So are negative comments about other customers or the competition.
• Create a real relationship. Icebreakers and small talk are not just to pass the time before your presentation. They are how relationships get established. Show genuine interest in everything your customer has to say. Ask questions about topics you know they are passionate. Speak person to person, not salesperson to customer. Remember everything.
The majority of small businesses, like yours, are established in response to market demand for a product or service. Many build their businesses by serving that demand and enjoy growing profits without putting much effort into long-term planning or marketing.
However, what happens when that demand slows or stops? What happens when the competition sets up shop with a “new and improved” version of your product down the road? How do you keep your offering fresh, while growing and maintaining your client base?
Added value is a marketing or customer relations strategy that can take the form of a product, service, which is added to the original offering for free, or as part of a discounted package. It, like all other elements in your marketing toolkit, is designed to attract new customers and retain existing ones. A simple example of added value would be if you owned a gift shop, and offered complimentary gift wrapping with every purchase.
If you don’t refresh and renew your offering over time, your customers will get bored and be drawn to your competitor. Your employees, too, may become disinterested, and find work elsewhere. Ultimately, both clients and employees will demand additional value to remain loyal – and aren’t they the keystones for your business growth?
Everyone can add value to their business. Better yet, everyone can afford to add value to their business. Adding value doesn’t have to blow your marketing budget or take up hours of your time. There are many ways – big and small – to enhance your business in the eyes of your clients.
The key to adding value is determining what your customers and target market perceive as valuable. You must understand their needs, wants, troubles and inconveniences in order to entice them with solutions through added value products or services. Adding value will add to your profits, but if you don’t focus on genuinely helping your clients, you’ll have a difficult time attracting them.
Added value works for both product- and service-based businesses.
If you offer a service, like hairstyling, try treating your customers with products like a latte while they wait, shampoo samples, or a free conditioning treatment with every sixth visit. If you sell a product, consider offering convenience services – like free shipping or delivery – to make the customer’s experience a seamless one. The customer will feel appreciated and their needs will have been taken care of.
columns on topics of interest to your customers and of relevance to your service. This will position you as an expert in the marketplace and give your clients helpful information they won’t receive from the competition.
Do It Yourself Tips: This is a great tool for seasonal marketing.
Provide your clients with this information on your website, in your newsletters, or on take away note cards in your store or office. Ideas include recipes, craft ideas, gift ideas – all of which are branded with your company logo and contact information and include your product as an ingredient.
What to Expect Tips: Take your customer through what they should expect in the first few days (weeks) of using your service or product, and how they can make the most of it. This can include assembly instructions, product care and cleaning, or service results (like a 25% increase in business – guaranteed!).
Related + Community Events: Own a store that sells athletic equipment? Post information on your website, in store, and in your newsletter about upcoming races, games, or consumer trade shows.
Or simply keep a bulletin in your office of community events and offers that will draw your clients in and establish itself as a hub in the neighbourhood for information.
Customer service is a dying practice in our high paced culture – use it to your advantage. When done well, it can be the difference between you and the competition, or the deciding factor for a potential repeat client.
Envision the steps involved for a customer to arrive at your store, purchase your offering, and use your product or service. Can you eliminate any of those steps for them? Can you shorten waiting times, or make them more pleasurable? Stepping into your clients’ shoes will allow you to determine the most powerful value add for your company. Here are a few ideas:
you ship your product free to India?), this is a solid value-added service that many businesses offer. Free delivery (usually with a purchase over a set amount) is a huge convenience for many people who do not have access to a vehicle, or need help moving large items.
Follow up Services: This works great for computers, appliances and other mechanical or technology-based products. Offer maintenance and service contracts for three time periods; instead of dealing with the manufacturer, customers will rely on you for assistance which brings them back into the store and establishes a relationship of trust.
Gift-Wrapping: A great service to provide – especially for seasonal gifts. This service costs very little and can have a big impact on your customer’s experience.
“While You Wait” Amenities: If you could make your customer feel like a VIP for minimal cost, why wouldn’t you? Offering amenities like coffee and treats, free samples and services (wireless internet is a big one) will go a long way.
long way toward adding value for your customer and generating new business. Just like a joint testimonial mailing, the power (and convenience) of referral business is immense.
Build a web of associates: If you’re a yoga instructor, carry the cards of your treatment providers (physiotherapists, massage therapists, etc.) to refer your students to. In exchange, your brochure or card is posted in their offices. This works for automotive repair, aesthetics, consultants and other service providers. Customers will trust referrals received by their existing service providers and feel taken care of by a reputable community of experts.
Packaging and bundling products and services is one of the most popular methods of adding value. Clients perceive the bundles as having a higher value than the sum of the individual items – or as receiving something for free.
Cleverly packaged and named bundles can spark interest and revive your products in the eyes of your customers. Remember to always give the offers an end date or provide a limited number to create a sense of scarcity and urgency and to prevent this strategy from going stale.
together and give them a reduced price or name. For example, this could be selling an extra pair of running socks with new running shoes. Remember the convenience of starter kits – package everything your customer will need to begin a new activity – painting, camping, running, etc. – in a bundle for simple buying decisions.
Package your upsell: This can also be called a chain of purchasing.
It includes the products or services your client will need to use your product or service. Won’t they need leather protector for their new boots? If they’ve run out of oil paints, how’s their supply of brushes, acrylics or canvases? By packaging these clearly related products together, you are making their shopping experience faster and more convenient.
There are a number of ways to structure your rewards and loyalty program, depending on the type of business and level of technological resources available to you. Customer loyalty programs have a huge advantage – they help build your database of customer information and in most cases allow you to view and analyse purchasing patterns.
Here are the most popular: Every 6th (or 10th) Visit on Us: This works well for business that rely on repeat visits from their customers – like hair salons, coffee shops, auto maintenance, etc. Customers receive a card with store information on the front, and space for stamps or initials on the back.
Remember that while 10 is a nice even number, it may be too far in the future for some customers (especially for services that are three to six weeks apart). The idea of six visits is more manageable.
Rewards Pounds: This is the Canadian Tire model. For every Pound your customer spends in store, they receive a small portion back in store credit (i.e., Canadian Tire money). The store credit is in the form of printed Pounds, branded with your company logo and contact information, and serves as a reminder each time a client opens their wallet.
points system. Most grocery stores use this incentive, as well as credit card companies. This works the same as rewards Pounds, where a certain number of points are accumulated based on each Pound spent in store. Points can then be spent in store, or on products you have brought in for “rewards points holders” only. This strategy also allows you to feature products with “extra points value” instead of discounting prices.
Membership Amenities: Instead of points or Pounds, you can offer VIP treatment for members, when they sign up for or purchase a membership. This may include occasional discounts, but is primarily cantered around perks like “while you wait” amenities, skipping the line, free delivery, etc. You can also produce membership cards.
Why did you get into business for yourself? Was it to be your own boss? Choose your own hours? Have more time with the family?
Spend more time doing what you love? Chances are, you answered yes to all these questions.
These days, you probably wonder where the time went. Why you spent 12 hours at work and barely make a dent in your to-do list. We already know that time is a key resource for you and your business, but it’s also a key resource in your life. Harnessing and leveraging time is the only way to enjoy life and have a profitable business at the same time.
resources and pay due attention to their performance. Marketing plans and budgets are created, people are hired and fired. What most business owners don’t realise is that time – and the time of all employees – requires the same attention and diligent management.
Time will never manage itself. The decision to make a pro-active effort to manage your time must come from you. Once you have committed to taking ownership for your own time management, there are a host of tools available to you. But first, you must understand how much your time is actually worth, and where you are currently spending it.
This exercise isn’t intended to scare you but bring your attention to the importance of choosing how you spend each hour you have available.
It is a choice! By developing the skills required to manage your time, you will not only have a profitable business, but a rewarding and balanced life.
Chances are – if you’re like most people – you have no idea where your time goes. You’re likely frustrated by the fact that you can spend 10, 12, even 14 hours a day working, and not make a dent in your to- do list, or only bill half of those hours.
When we’re too busy and overloaded with work, we often switch into reactive mode. We can’t make it to the bottom of the pile and end up handling issues and making decisions at the last minute. One of the great benefits of choosing to become proactive in time management is that you can become proactive in all other areas of your business.
When in proactive mode, you can take steps to grow your business through networking, building programs, and establishing systems.
Before you investigate where your time goes, let’s take a look at the top five culprits of modern-day time theft: 1. Your Email How many times a day do you check your email? Is Outlook or Mail constantly running on your desktop? Email – internal, external, personal and business – clogs up your day like no other communication channel. For many of us, it is possible to spend the entire day writing and responding to emails without even glancing at our inbox. The number of emails sent and received each day by the average person in 2007 was 147. Multiply that by an average of two minutes per message, and you have spent almost five hours one email in a single day.
2. Your Mobile Phone Mobile phones have created convenience, security, and the luxury of telecommuting – but they don’t call it a mobile for nothing. Mobile phones have also created a society that expects to be able to reach you at any moment, or at least receive instant responses to their calls.
Your mobile phone not only robs you of your time during the day, but also during the evenings and on weekends when you are not at work.
3. Your Open-Door Policy If you make it easy for your staff and associates to interrupt you, they will. Too often, open-door policies are set up by human resource departments to create clear communication channels. Instead, they create a clog of employees lined up at your door seeking immediate answers to non-emergent issues.
4. Meetings How many times have you been to a meeting that was scheduled to be an hour, and ended up lasting three? How often do you attend unnecessary meetings? Or meetings that run off-topic? Meetings can be a huge source of wasted time – your valuable time. In a senior management or ownership position, your day may consist of back-to- back meetings, leaving only your evening hours to complete the tasks that should have been done during the day.
Every person has daily habits that sabotage their ability to work productively and efficiently. Many entrepreneurs and business owners can’t separate business hours from leisure hours. Some get caught in a time warp while surfing the internet. Others - mainly overachievers – can become paralysed by perfectionism or procrastination. Mainly we just don’t have the tools to schedule and structure our time in a way that fits with our working style.
Now that you have identified how you have spent your time, go through the worksheets one more time and identify if you have spent enough, too much, or too little time on each main task.
Then, based on your observations, answer the following questions: 1. What patterns do you notice about how you spend your time during the day? (i.e., When are you most productive? Least productive? Most or least interrupted?)
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 2. Write down the four highest priorities in your life right now. Does your timesheet reflect these priorities?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 3. If you have more time, what would you do?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 4. If you had less time, what wouldn’t you do?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 5. Could you remove the items in question four and add the items in question three? Why or why not?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ 6. Is procrastination a problem for you? How much?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
There are many ways to curb time theft and refine your time management ability. Through a solid understanding of how you currently spend – and waste – time, you can determine which strategies you need to implement to correct unproductive behaviour.
Here are 17 ways you can turn less of your time into more money: 1. Set Clear Priorities The foundation of time management a clear understanding of what your time is best spent on. Once you accept that you can’t do everything, you need to decide what needs to be completed now, what can be completed later, and what someone else can complete.
Each to-do list you create should be put through this filter, and reorganised so the highest priority items are on top, and the lowest priority items are less visible, or on the bottom.
Once you have established your priorities – which will also naturally reflect the priorities and goals of your business – stick to them. Just because someone else feels something is of a high priority doesn’t mean it holds the same status next to your other tasks.
Prioritisation is also helpful in your personal life and leisure time. Your spare time is precious – so make sure are clear on how you would like to spend it.
2. Use Your Skills – Delegate Your Weaknesses As a business owner, your day naturally consists of tasks you dislike doing. Some are essential – signing checks, reviewing financial statements, and other business maintenance – while others are simply not within your skill set.
If you are a strong public speaker, but struggle with report writing – delegate to a copywriter or editor. If you own a retail store and have no experience in design – outsource your signage. These freelance professionals often cost half as much as you and take half as long to complete the task. Your time is saved for tasks that use and strengthen your skills effectively, your stress is managed, and ultimately a better product is produced.
3. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate As a small business owner, the only way you will ever get everything done is by delegating. Delegation is a vital skill that needs to be refined and practiced, and once mastered is the key to profitable time management.
Too often, owners and managers believe that it will be “faster” or “more efficient” to complete the task themselves than to train and monitor someone else. Other times, there are no internal resources to download assignments to.
As a result, the following trends can be seen in many small companies: •
• Staff members are not given an opportunity to grow and develop in their roles and may perceive a lack of trust or confidence in their ability. The company loses good people.
• Owners and senior staff are always in a reactive state, instead of a visionary or proactive state.
• Delegation happens at the very last minute, and junior staff has little understanding of either the overall project or expectations for the task.
The easiest way to fix this problem is before it starts. Create a solid team of staff members around you who are well-trained and prepared to support the business. Attract and retain qualified and quality people who can be cross-trained and promoted within the company.
everyone has the product and service knowledge to step in and assist when necessary.
4. Learn to Say “No” It’s easy to fall into the habit of saying yes to everything. You are, after all the business owner, right? No one can complete these tasks as well as you, right? You’ll lose that customer if you don’t help them with their garage sale, right?
understanding of how their time is best spent, and delegate the remaining responsibilities to trusted others. It’s too easy to say yes to every request in the moment, and later feel overwhelmed when it’s added to your to do list. You may not ruffle any feathers, but what toll does it take on your stress level? Your workload? Your time is valuable – so protect it!
Remember that if it is too challenging to say no immediately, you can always request some time to think about it. This way, you can evaluate your workload and realistically decide whether or not you can take on a new project. Then, stand by your decision, or assist in bringing in the necessary resources to get it done.
5. Create (and keep!) a Strict Schedule While multi-tasking is a desirable skill, it is also often a time thief.
Attempting to do too many things at one time ensures that nothing gets done. As a business owner, you need to be able to focus and concentrate on essential projects without interruptions.
The only way to do this is the commit to a strict schedule. Once you understand your work style and concentration patterns, you can allocate periods of the day to specific tasks. This includes personal and leisure time – schedule it and stick to it.
Schedule time for: list-creation + prioritisation, email messages, telephone messages, internal meetings, client meetings, meeting preparation, “me-time”, family time, recreation + fitness, daily business tasks, and blocks for focused work.
Remember that there is a training period involved in beginning a new routine – for yourself and those around you. Use your voicemail, out- of-office email message, and a closed door to begin to let people know when you will not be disturbed.
6. Make Decisions The choice to not make a decision is a decision in itself. The most successful business owners have the ability to make good decisions quickly and efficiently, and do not waste time deliberating over simple choices.
In leadership positions, often people are afraid of making the wrong decision or looking foolish if they make a mistake in front of junior staff. What they don’t realise, is that hesitating or avoiding decision making impacts their leadership just as much or more than making the wrong decision. Not only can being indecisive be personally stressful, but it is also stressful for those around you whose tasks are waiting on your choices.
Remember, you must make the best decision with the information you have, in the time frame you have to make the decision. No one expects you to be a fortune teller – be decisive, make some mistakes, and learn from them 7. Manage Telephone Interruptions This is a huge source of time theft that can easily be managed and avoided. If you are available to take phone calls at any time of day, you are setting yourself up to take work home in the evenings. The phone will always ring when you are focused on an important task, and this is something can easily be avoided.
Figure out when you are most productive. Is it in the morning or the afternoon? Before, during, or after lunch? Once you have identified this time period, set your phone on “do not disturb” or have your calls directed to voicemail. If you do not have a receptionist, a variety of automatic answering systems are available for a nominal fee. To structure your phone time further, let callers know on your voicemail what specific time of day is best to reach you via phone. Then, set that time aside to receive and return phone calls.
8. Keep Your Work Environment Organised Have you ever tried to make dinner in a messy kitchen? More of your time is spent looking for (and cleaning) dishes and tools than actually spent cooking the meal.
The same goes for your work environment. If your desk and office is in a constant state of chaos, then you mind will be too. In fact, some studies have revealed that the average senior business leader spends nearly four weeks each year navigating through messy or cluttered desks, looking for lost information. Does that sound like productive time to you?
Once you make the initial clean sweep, it’s easy to maintain order in the chaos: • Tidy your desk at the beginning and end of each day. Attach pertinent documents to your to do list or have clear and organised folders for loose papers.
• Organise your supplies drawer so you have easy access to stationery like pens, post-it notes, staplers and highlighters.
• Only have the documents and files you are working on, on your desk. The rest should be neatly filed on a side table for later retrieval.
• Keep personal items (like photos or memorabilia) out of your primary line of vision. These can be distracting and encourage daydreaming.
As for your office or shop, there are many ways to make its layout more conducive to effective time management. Try: •
• Keep a clear line of sight between your office and the most productive area of your business, so you are aware of what is happening amongst your staff.
• Organise shelves and filling cabinets so files are not only easily accessed, but out of sight when not being used.
Consider putting sliding doors or cabinets in storage areas and remember that the floor is not a storage cabinet.
9. Keep Your Filing System Organised If your data isn’t organised properly, you will waste hundreds of hours searching for documents you need on a regular basis. This includes both electronic and hard copy files; they need to be organised and up to date.
Customer databases and enquiry records are worth their weight in gold. You can’t afford to get behind when updating this information, or poorly store it for later retrieval. There are many easy to use software programs that will manage and organise customer databases for you; it doesn’t need to be a time consuming or tedious exercise.
A simple way to manage information is to keep it in short, medium, and long-term files for both hard and electronic copies. Create shortcuts on your desktop for folders or files you constantly access.
available within an arm’s reach, and long-term files stored in cabinets.
10. Clearly Communicate – Never Assume One of the biggest issues for time management in business – and likely the world – is miscommunication. This is a dangerous issue that can cripple any business, including yours. Establishing and enforcing clear policies on things like accurate note taking, task assignments, and phone messages will ensure your staff understand the importance of clear and accurate communication.
The easiest habit to start to curb miscommunication is simple: write everything down. Carry a notepad, and jot down key points, figures, agreements and deadlines. Don’t assume you’ll remember later – you have at least a hundred other things to remember.
Some other simple strategies are: • Return all communication promptly, including email, letters, and phone calls •
• Maintain accurate customer contact logs with dates, times, and phone numbers.
• Post checklists in your shop or office for routine operations procedures.
11. Stop Duplicating Efforts This is a key element of time management that is closely related to effective communication. Studies have continually shown that many businesses often duplicate and triplicate efforts that need only be completed once.
When you have clear systems and procedures in place, your staff will not need to “reinvent the wheel” each time the task needs to be completed. Meeting minutes and individual task assignments will ensure everyone is on the same page and understands their personal responsibilities.
Simple examples of this include re-reading your to-do list each hour to determine what the next important item is. If your list is already structured by priority, this is a needless task. If two staff members are working on similar projects, but unaware of the other, the work will not only be inconsistent, but the efforts will be duplicated. These are easy problems to fix, once they have been identified and communicated.
12. Say Goodbye to Procrastination + Perfectionism Procrastination is something we all face at one time or another – and likely have since our school days. However, given the pace that the world operates at today, you will only fall behind your competitor if you allow procrastination to rule your day. So how you do avoid it? It’s simple. Stop, and just get started, no matter how boring, tedious, or painful the project may be. Reward yourself by crossing each step off your to-do list.
Many small business owners also fall victim to perfectionism, which can be paralysing. The fear that there isn’t enough time or resources to “get it perfect” will sometimes stop you dead in your tracks.
Perfectionism can also hinder your ability to delegate and say no to tasks you believe no one else can complete “better”. Do the best you can with the time and resources you have – and just get started.
13. Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan Have you ever placed an advertisement on the fly because it was “cheaper”, “faster”, or “more urgent” than creating a marketing plan?
Do you and your staff have a clear idea of where your business is headed over the next six to 12 months, or five years?
Many studies show that less than 10% of small businesses have up to date marketing and business plans, as compared to the majority of large corporations and public companies, which have both.
Marketing and business plans take time and effort to create – but they work and pay off in spades. They also save you time and money as compared to a haphazard or fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants strategy.
With a marketing plan in place, you will have an idea of how many ads you will be placing in a year, which will earn you a volume discount.
Your marketing materials will complement each other and deliver the same message to the same target audience. Designers will charge less for a package of collateral than for individual collateral items.
A business plan will provide you with a guide to reference when making decisions. You can repeatedly ask if the endeavour at hand will contribute to your overall vision, or just seems like a good idea or price.
frames, and applies to both your daily to-do list, and your marketing budget. It provides you with a means to measure your progress, assists in identifying priorities, and helps to manage your time.
14. Avoid Needless, Impromptu + Unstructured Meetings This may seem like a time theft issue that is out of your control, but it’s not. You are in control of your own time, and through strict scheduling can establish a structure for internal and external meetings that everyone around you can work within.
Minimise impromptu internal meetings by letting your staff know when you’re available for a “quick chat” and when you are not. If it is important, ask them to schedule a time to meet with you that works with both of your schedules. This not only saves you time but encourages staff to find solutions to their own issues, and only approach you with more urgent or challenging matters.
You can’t avoid having meetings, but you can avoid having unstructured meetings. Ask for or create an agenda for each meeting you attend, with a clear objective and an amount of time allocated to each item. This will keep your meetings focused and on task. If a meeting does run late, give yourself a reasonable buffer, and politely leave for your next appointment. You can always follow up with a colleague to catch-up on the pertinent items you may have missed.
15. Establish Clear Policies + Procedures A clear policy and procedures manual is like a marketing or business plan – it takes time to create, but ultimately saves everyone in your company time, money and effort. A step-by-step guide to “the way we do things here” is an invaluable resource for your existing and new staff and provides clear expectations for how you like things done.
Too many businesses make up policies and procedures on the fly – creating dangerous scenarios where mistakes are made and expectations are not clear. Some items that should be included in a comprehensive policy and procedures manual include: •
16. Keep the Right Set of Tools The equipment your business needs to operate (and grow!) effectively should always be on hand, or easily contracted out. This is specific to each company, and closely related to costs – including the cost of your time.
Whether you are a high-tech business or local retailer, knowledge of the latest advancements in technology will increase your efficiency. It will help you stay on top of the competitor, maintain your position as an expert, and perhaps provide an easier way of getting things done.
Always ask yourself if these purchases are essential to your business –could perhaps make these purchases from a second-hand dealer to minimise cost? Is it more cost effective to outsource or sub-contract the tasks to someone with access to this equipment, or to buy the equipment yourself?
If your business relies on tools and technology for daily tasks (such as the trades profession) then obtaining the best quality you can afford is crucial.
17. Maintain Your Equipment This may seem obvious, but you’ll understand the importance if your network server has ever crashed or point of sale system has malfunctioned. Your business can be slowed to a stand-still if your equipment is not in good working order. Of course there are instances that can’t be predicted, but regular maintenance of your essential equipment will reduce these occurrences and help to anticipate when old equipment needs to be repaired or replaced.
Choose the top 3 tips from this chapter that you think will help you the most, given your personal time management research. Write them below, with three corresponding actions that you will start tomorrow.
For example, if you are going to set a strict schedule, three actions might be to establish the schedule, communicate it to your staff, and re-record your voicemail message.
1._________________________________________________ a.___________________________________________ b.___________________________________________ c.___________________________________________ 2._________________________________________________ a.___________________________________________ b.___________________________________________ c.___________________________________________ 3._________________________________________________ a.___________________________________________ b.___________________________________________ c.___________________________________________
We’ve all heard about the power of setting goals. Everyone has surely seen statistics that connect goal setting to success in both your business life, and your personal life. I’m sure if I asked you today what your goals are, you could rattle off a few wants and hopes without thinking too long.
However, what most people do not realise is that the power of goal setting lies in writing goals down. Committing goals to paper and reviewing them regularly gives you a 95% higher chance of achieving your desired outcomes. Studies have shown that only three to five percent of people in the world have written goals – the same three to five percent who have achieve success in business and earn considerable wealth.
These studies have also found that by retirement, only four per cent of people in the world will have enough accumulated wealth to maintain their income level, and quality of life. As a business owner, it is essential that you develop a plan for your retirement, but it is equally essential that you develop a plan for your success.
This chapter focuses on the power of goal setting as part of your business success. We’ll teach you to set SMART goals that are rooted in your own personal value system and supporting techniques to achieve your goals faster.
Goals are clear targets that are attached to a specific time frame and action plan; they focus your efforts and drive your motivation in a clear direction. Goals are different from dreams in that they outline a plan of action, while dreams are a conceptual vision of your wish or desired outcome.
Goals require work; work on yourself, work for your business, and work for others. You cannot achieve a goal – no matter how badly you want it – without being prepared to make a considerable effort. If you are ready to invest your time and energy, goals will help you to: • Realise a dream or wish for your personal or business life • Make a change in your life – add positive, or remove negative •
As we’ve already reviewed, setting goals and committing them to paper is the most effective way to cultivate success. The most important reason to set a goal is to attach a clear action plan to a desired outcome.
Goals help focus our time and energy on one (or several) key outcome at a time. Many business owners have hundreds of ideas whirring around in their heads at any one time, on top of daily responsibilities. By writing down and focusing on a few ideas at a time, you can prioritise and concentrate your efforts, avoid being stretched too thin, and produce greater results.
Since goals attach action to outcomes, goals can help to break down big dreams into manageable (and achievable) sections. Creating a multi-goal strategy will put a road map in place to help you get to your desired outcome. If your goal is to start a pizza business and make six figures a year, there are a number of smaller steps to achieve before you achieve your end result.
Success doesn’t happen by itself. It is the result of consistent and committed action by an individual who is driven to achieve something.
Success means something different for everyone, so creating goals is a personal endeavour. Goals can be large and small, personal and public, financial and spiritual. It is not the size of the goal that matters; what matters is that you write the goal down and commit to making the effort required to achieve it.
You should congratulate yourself and your team, of course! By rewarding yourself and your team after every achievement, you not only train your mind to associate hard work with reward but develop loyalty among your employees.
You should also ask yourself if your achievement can be taken to the next level, or if your goal can be stretched by building on the effort you have already made. Consistently setting new and higher targets will lay the framework for constant improvement and personal and professional growth.
Positive thinking and healthy self-talk are the most important business tools you can ever cultivate; by programming a positive stream of subconscious thoughts into your mind, you can control your reality, and ultimately your goals. Think about someone you know who is constantly negative; someone who complains and whines and makes excuses for their unhappiness. How successful are they? How do their fears and doubts become reality in their world?
You are what you continuously believe about yourself and your environment. If you focus your mind on something in your mental world, it will nearly always manifest as reality in your physical world.
Positive thinking is a key part of setting goals. You won’t achieve your goal until you believe that you can. You will achieve your goals faster when you believe in yourself, and the people around you who are helping to make your goal a reality.
Successful people are rooted in a strong belief system – belief in themselves, belief in the work they are doing, and belief in the people around them. They are motivated to improve and learn, but also confident in their existing skills and knowledge. Their positive attitude and energy is clearly felt in everything they do.
complainers? The same is true of positive thinkers. If you cultivate an upbeat and positive attitude, you will be surrounded by people who share your values and outlook on life.
Too often, people and our society subscribe to a continuous stream of negative chatter. The more you hear it, the more you’ll believe it.
For example, instead of a nonspecific goal like, “get in shape for the summer,” a specific goal would be, “go to the gym three times a week and eat twice as many vegetables.”
2. Measurable If you can’t measure your goal, how will you know when you’ve achieved it? Measurable goals help you clearly see where you are, and where you want to be. You can see change happen as it happens.
Measurable goals can also be broken down and managed in smaller pieces. They make it easier to create an action plan or identify the steps required to achieve your goal. You can track your progress, revise your plan, and celebrate each small achievement. For example, instead of aiming to increase revenue in 2009, you can set out to increase revenue by 30% in the next 12 months, and celebrate each 10% along the way.
3. Achievable Goals that are achievable have a higher chance of being realised.
While it is important to think big, and dream big, too often people set goals that are simply beyond their capabilities and wind up disappointed. Goals can stretch you, but they should always be feasible to maintain your motivation and commitment.
For example, if you want to complete your first triathlon but you’ve never run a mile in your life, you would be setting a goal that was beyond your current capabilities. If you decided instead to train for a five-mile race in six months, you would be setting an achievable goal.
4. Relevant Relevant – or realistic – goals are goals that have a logical place in your life or your overall business strategy. The goal’s action plan can be reasonably integrated into your life, with a realistic amount of effort.
For example, if your goal is to train to climb to base camp at Mount Everest within one year and you’re about to launch a start-up business, you may need to question the relevance of your goal in the context of your current commitments.
5. Timely It is essential for every goal to be attached to a time-frame – otherwise it is merely a dream. Check in to make sure that your time- frame is realistic - not too short, or too long. This will keep you motivated and committed to your action plan, and allow you track your progress.
thoughts and comments that flows through your mind, and impacts what you think about yourself and how you perceive situations.
Since you were a small child, this self-talk has been influenced by your experiences and has programmed your mind to think and react in certain ways. The good news is that you can reprogram your mind and customise your self-talk any way you like. That is the power of Autosuggestion.
To begin practicing Autosuggestion, make sure you are relaxed and open to trying the technique; an ideal time is just before bed, or when you have some time to sit quietly. Then, repeat positive affirmations to yourself about the ideal outcome. Top sports and business people will often practice just before a big game or meeting.
Some examples of positive self-talk or autosuggestion include: •
you can repeat affirmations to yourself over and over, combining this practice with visualisation is twice as powerful.
Visualisation is exactly what it sounds like: repeatedly visualising how something is going to happen in your mind’s eye. Nearly everyone in sports practices this technique. It has been proven to enhance performance better than practice alone.
This technique can easily be applied to business. For example, prior to any presentation or meeting where you must speak, present or “perform.” You can also visualise yourself being incredibly productive and effective in your office. Or, having a discussion with your spouse calmly and rationally.
Concentrate on strategies to LEARN and the EARN will follow! If you are serious about taking the next step then go to work on yourself, study other business successes, understand marketing strategies and become a sponge for new (proven) material. The amazing thing about the game of business is that when you put proven processes to work and continue to follow them, an abundance of success will follow. The biggest mistake is to start a process and then fall back into your old habits after a short time.
Above all, get the knowledge you need before you step onto the field. Think about it… if you were going to challenge Michael Jordan to a game of H O R S E for money, wouldn't it make sense to learn the game and practice before you stepped on the court to play him?
It is amazing to me how many new small business people start the game of business against seasoned professionals (the competition), without first developing the necessary knowledge to be successful.
Then they fail and blame the market, the economy, their location, etc.
If you have a business and have not yet managed to start to create wealth and systems that allow you to take time off, build retirement accounts or pay for your children's university, then learn and master the steps outlined in my book. I am a huge advocate of education and mentorships. Get the right information, find someone that knows how to walk you through them and watch your quality of life take new shape.
To learn how to avoid the 3 key mistakes all small business owners make, visit www.TheBusinessAcademy.TV