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Run Your Small Business without Interruptions

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call-15758_640In running your small business operation, you have a lot on your plate. That said the last thing you want to deal with on an on-going basis is interruptions.

While some of those interruptions are all but unavoidable, others are preventable.

Take for instance when you are being bombarded with phone calls on a daily basis. Yes, many of those can be customer calls ranging from questions to comments on your brand. Others, meantime, can be nothing short of a nuisance.

If you’re wondering how to find out who’s calling you on a regular basis, it is actually easier than you may think.

There are services out there that allow you to track down where the call is coming from. In doing so, you can determine if it is worthy of your time or not.

In the event you continue to receive calls from the same number or numbers, you can end up blocking them. By doing so, you remove one more obstacle to avoiding daily interruptions

Calls Are Not the Only Issue

While unwanted phone calls can put a crimp in your daily plans, they are not the only issue you must deal with.

Whether in business for years or getting started in the small business world, keep it moving.

Among some of the interruptions to best try and avoid:

  • Email overload – Have you ever stopped to count how many emails fill your inbox on a daily basis? If you did, there’s a good chance you would be quite surprised by the volume. It is best when you have some down time to go through and sort those that you need to receive on a regular basis.
  • Customers coming in – In a business where customers come in on a regular basis, you have a fine line to balance. On one hand, you want to make sure customers feel welcome when they enter your business. On the other side, you can’t afford to have disruptions that keep you from doing your duties as head of the business. Make sure you find that happy medium.
  • Employee distractions – Though you don’t want to babysit, some workers need more direction. In such cases, stress to those individuals the importance of time management. It only takes one or two employees to throw off the production schedule for a small business. If this occurs, some customers may become upset that they’re not getting what they want on time.

Keeping Your Focus Too

In owning a company, you have to make sure your time management skills are exemplary for others under you.

This means making sure you delegate responsibility when necessary.

For some small business owners, they try and do everything under the sun on their own. As a result, they can end up dropping the ball more times than not.

Your best bet is to hire the right people, responsible individuals that is. When you do, you will feel better about assigning tasks that you can’t do or have time for.

Last, don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Remember, some of the best small business leaders out there have made their share of gaffes over time. What separates them from the losers is they learned from their mistakes.

So, are you ready to become an even better small business owner today?

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

 

 

 

Keep Your Customers in the Communications Loop

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agent-18741_640How good of a job would you say your business does when it comes to keeping your customers in the loop?

Keeping them in the loop typically revolves around your products and/or services, any issues that you’re having with one or the other and of course letting them know about payment issues etc.

With that being the case, you may at times take for granted how important it is to maintain good customer communications.

For one, you may get so inundated with other tasks at hand that you drop the ball with customer communications. If this happens, some customers may feel like you just treat them as dollar signs and do not really take a genuine interest in them. If that occurs, those current customers could become former ones in quite a hurry.

So, are you ready to review your customer communication initiatives, making sure your customers are in fact in the loop?

Use Various Methods of Communicating

So that you are best able to communicate with customers as much as possible, remember these keys:

  • Channels – What type of channels are you using to communicate with customers? While some businesses are able to get by without using what most would consider today’s modern channels of communication (emails, texts, apps, social media etc.), countless companies use those methods just mentioned and others. In today’s digital age, you have to embrace technology, not literally run away from it. As such, review your communication options to make sure you leave everything on the table;
  • Efforts – Even if you have countless channels with which to communicate with customers, are you putting the time and effort into properly using them? As an example, what if you are aware of a potential hazard with one of your products and/or services? Do you immediately get that word out to those customers who purchased said product or service? If you do not, you not only run the risk of customers being injured, but also potentially facing a personal injury lawsuit. When the latter happens, it can have a major financial impact on your business. Whether it is an issue involving a recall with heaters at Home Depot or another such major home improvement retailer, vehicles with GM, outdoor lawn care equipment with John Deere, you hopefully get the idea. Make sure you alert current and potential customers about the problem through recalls ASAP, thereby lessening the chances of one or more people being injured.

Truth Certainly Does Matter

  • Truth – Although you may be embarrassed and even quite worried about the public relations fallout from dealing with a major recall, be honest with customers. The worst thing a company can do is blatantly lie to its customer base. Not only is it wrong, it gives companies a negative PR image. Just ask some of the businesses over the years that were befallen with a negative public relations image. Many of them simply never recovered to what they were prior to that;
  • Feedback – Lastly, always be open to customer feedback. You can do this via polls, emails, texts, social media and more. By getting feedback from your customer base (positive and negative), you give customers a platform, one which many in fact will end up using. That platform leads many customers to believe that you care about them (and you should). While you will receive some negative feedback, don’t just automatically dispute it as rubbish. Learn from that negative feedback, allowing your business to improve itself on a regular basis.

When you truly learn how important customer communication is in your company, you are much more likely to keep customers in the loop, a loop that includes maintaining their business.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

The Value of Words

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The Value of Words

When I was a small child my mother had a simple cardboard box in which she kept toys in closet. She believed that we would value our toys more if we didn’t always have all of them all around us to play with. So every few months she would take the toys that she felt we had grown tired of and put them in the box in the closet. Then she’d replace them with some of the toys from the box we hadn’t see for a long while.

It would be as if those old, forgotten toys were new when she brought them out again!

It doesn’t take much to make me think of that old cardboard box. I often wish we had a box like that for words that we’ve used too much — words we’ve grown so familiar with that they’ve lost meaning.

Imagine if we could make some words new again … restore them back to their original meaning.

Words like . . .

peace

joy

wonder

good will

wishes

awesome

irresistible

Take a moment to savor the words you use to define yourself, to describe the people you value, and to share your feelings about the people you value with them.

Stop to value what’s dear and delight in the familiar.

Be irresistible,

Liz

Put Your Mind to It

The words we choose are like the stories we tell. Without realizing their effect, choosing and using them changes us — how we see ourselves and how others see us. Consider the phrases you use without thinking, like answering, “I’m fine,” when people ask how you are. Try saying, “I’m fabulous.” Watch how that changes your day.

More from Liz . . . about the Value of Words

Images & Words: Are You Ready to Make Opportunity and Change the World?

How Do Get You People to Stop Listening to Words and Start Hearing Ideas?

Express to Impress: Expert Tips for Professional Communication

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businessman-1492563_640

To realize your professional potential and reach your goals, your communication etiquette needs to be on point. The details of how you get your message across can make a huge difference in the way you are perceived in the workplace.

Tanya White-Earnest, Director of Trident University International’s Center for Career Planning & Workforce Strategies, believes that communication skills can make or break professional opportunities and relationships. She put together an outstanding webinar called Professional Communication Etiquette to help job seekers and employees be more successful.

Below are some helpful and insightful tips from that expert webinar. We’ve broken them down into things that work well and things that don’t work so well in a professional setting.

“Whether you’re applying for a job and want to be sure you communicate well with recruiters and hiring managers or if you’re already in a position where you want to present yourself well to superiors, coworkers, and clients, these tips will help,” said White-Earnest.

Things that Work

According to White-Earnest, there are some things you can do when dealing with professional contacts that help make your interactions more positive, polished, and easy. These are a few:

  • A hand-written thank you note after a good interview. This helps you stand out as a candidate and shows your sincere desire to earn the position. Some people are tempted to text after a job interview because they want to get in touch immediately. While immediacy is important, you can accomplish this by sending an e-mail and then follow up with your hand-written letter.
  • Use good posture and smile when talking on the phone. The person on the other end of the conversation may not be able to see you, but scholars of communications find that these behaviors make a real difference in the way you are perceived. By sitting up straight and smiling, you can help ensure you leave a positive impression. You can even put a mirror in front of your face when on an important call to ensure you convey your meaning with the appropriate expression.
  • Make sure your personal phone is job search/office ready. Ensure you have a basic ring tone and voicemail greeting that projects an image of professionalism.
  • Turn your personal phone off whenever you are in interviews, meetings, or other professional settings. Not doing so is disruptive and makes you seem unorganized.
  • Fully read all of your e-mails and reply appropriately. Do not skim! Address each point that is brought up. If a person brings up three issues, don’t address only two. If you cannot answer all of their questions, tell the person you will find out the information they are seeking and get back to them.
  • Use autoresponder when on vacation or at a conference. That way if you don’t get back to someone right away, they will not be left to wonder why you didn’t respond or assume you are nonresponsive and unreliable.
  • Be sure to have an e-mail signature. This should include all of your contact information and a link to your LinkedIn profile. That way the person will be able to easily contact you in terms with which they are comfortable.
  • Respond even when you’re not interested. If you receive an e-mail requesting an interview for a position you’ve decided you do not want, don’t ignore it. Write the person back, thank them, explain that you don’t think it’s the right position for you, and if you know someone who might be a good fit, mention that person and put them in touch. That way, if an opportunity that does suit you opens up within their company, they will remember your courteous communications and helpful attitude. If you ignore them, consider the bridge burned.
  • Make sure all of your social media profiles are up-to-date and thorough. You want to be sure that anything they check really shows what you bring to the table. And they will check!

Things that Don’t Work

Just like there are things that help your work image, there are also actions that can harm it. Below are some to avoid:

  • Initiating text messaging. Generally speaking, you should never initiate texting with a professional contact. They should text first and then it is okay to answer them. However, just because they texted first, this time, doesn’t mean it is okay to use text the next time you need to communicate with them. E-mail or phone should still be used. Texts should be on a response-only basis in the professional sphere, unless specified otherwise by the contact.

Note: About 60% of recruiters use text. This is because 98% of texts are opened and 90% are replied to in 3 minutes. They know if they text they will probably hear back from you quickly, which is an advantage when they are scheduling multiple interviews. While it is obviously fine to respond to these texts, it is important to remember that other communications should take place via e-mail or phone – never text.

  • Text talk, social media abbreviations, and emoticons should not be used in job search materials. These are simply too casual and personal. Plus, many people will see you as juvenile, LOL. 😉
  • Misspelling the contact’s name or addressing them as the wrong gender. These types of mistakes are a great way to make a bad impression. This is especially important when the stakes are high, as in job search e-mails or when writing to a superior. If you are writing to that person, chances are you want them to help you in some way. Take the time to find the person on LinkedIn or their company website to determine their correct name spelling and whether they are male or female. Note: never assume you know gender by name!
  • Emails without subject lines. Always make sure to write a clean, accurate subject line for your e-mail. Emails without subject lines sometimes end up in spam folders. Subject lines also help your e-mail to stand out and be searchable if someone wants to reference the information in it later.
  • Applying to jobs for which you are unqualified. Recruiters get hundreds and hundreds of applications. Wasting their time by applying to a job for which you don’t qualify is a surefire way to ensure that company never hires you. Of course, more qualifications are possible with an online bachelors degree.
  • Not proofreading and spellchecking. Errors will project an image of carelessness when you want to come across as detail-oriented. Sending sloppy communications is also somewhat disrespectful as it indicates you don’t care enough about them to ensure your communication is correct and professional.
  • Following up more than once or twice per week. If you’ve written your follow-up e-mail clearly and appropriately, you will probably not have to do this anyway. But if you find yourself attempting to contact a company on a more than bi-weekly basis, you should probably realize this opportunity is not for you and move on.

In addition to these dos and don’ts, White-Earnest says there is one thing that will help you earn favor more than anything else in business communications: “The most important thing is to make connections and build relationships,” she said.

In the words of Maya Angelou, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If you made your contact feel friendly, at ease, and confident in your abilities, then you are well on your way to success.

Good luck!

Photo credit: Pixabay

 

 

Why Should Customers Come To You?

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Business Woman (Focus On Eye)When running a company, it doesn’t matter if you’re the big boy on the block or the mom and pop shop just trying to carve out a living. At the end of the day, customer service is what it all boils down to.

While some business owners have trouble relating to their customers, many more know that their customers matter more than anything else. Simply put; strong customer service goes a long way towards retaining current clients and bringing aboard new ones.

As the calendar soon turns to 2016, what are you doing to make sure your customers get nothing short of the best service in the New Year.

Review Customer Approach

In order to give your current customers (and hopefully many more new ones in 2016) the best service possible, review these following tidbits to see if you can properly check them off in your to-do list:

  • Customer is always right – Sure, we’ve all heard this adage time and time again whether we’ve run our own businesses or worked for those who have or currently do. Sure, some customers can be a pain in the old butt at times, but stop and wonder where you would be without them. Even though this does not mean you should let a customer yell at you and/or one of your employees, treat you like second-class citizens or spread malicious lies about your brand, you should give customers the benefit of the doubt in the beginning, especially if there is a contentious issue being discussed. Make sure you keep a level head and do not go out of your way to antagonize customers;
  • Keep the deals coming – Whether you sell and/or offer insurance, home furnishings, accounting and other financial services, Direct TV or countless other products and services, treat your customers right from day one until their last day with you. Sure, you can’t give items and services away all the time, but keep the deals coming whenever possible. When customers see that they’re getting specials from your business, they are more apt to stay with you. This is especially important if there is an issue. A customer who likes the deals you offer is more likely to stick with you even when a problem arises, knowing that more discounts are likely coming their way down the road;
  • Employees need to buy into plan – When you have employees under your guise, it is important that they are on the team too. It just takes one bad customer experience with an employee to create problems. Your workers should always give the customer the benefit of the doubt, be it a price issue, a matter involving service, etc. Again, that does not mean customers are allowed to rip one of your employees over the phone, in-person or via email, but make sure your employees are not short with customers, allowing them to speak their mind;
  • Don’t Be a Stranger – Finally, don’t be a stranger to your customers. Sure, you should not be bothering them with endless sales pitches, but you also do not want to seem like you do not care. The occasional follow-up on their thoughts on the service you provided them, whether or not they’re happy with the product/s you sold them etc. is important. It also doesn’t hurt around this time of year to send out a little holiday cheer via an email, text, letter etc. to let them know how important they are to you.

With the New Year only days away, take stock in how you treat customers now and moving forward.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

Are you trying to win? Or win them over?

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By Deb Bixler

Dale Carnegie says that the only way to get someone to do something that you want them to do is to make them want to do it themselves.

If you are always trying to win, then you are fighting. It doesn’t matter whether you are using logic or a club, then you are not communicating. Communication takes practice.

Good communicators do not focus on winning.

Good communicators practice the art of communication and compromise.

Good communication is not winning, but winning others over.

Logic rarely works

Anyone who has tried to argue with children can tell you that logic never works. The same is true with adults. When you couple logic with emotions, then you have a better chance of effective communication.

Humor, anger, virtue, pride, happiness, excitement or even irony can be very effective communication tools. When you are emotionally involving the participant in the conversation, there is a better chance of creating a situation in which they may want to do what you want them to do.

Using logic as a tool to “win” an argument is not effective. Incorporating emotional connections into the conversation will bring better results.

Anger prompts action

It has been proven that people who are angry are more prone to action. However, this type of emotional involvement might not result in the type of action you are looking for. A hole in the wall or a black eye is not the result we are after in most communication efforts.

Creating the emotion of anger in someone is one sure way to get results. The problem is that the result may not be predictable nor the one you want.

Humor is a connector

The ability to use humor in communication efforts will almost always elicit good response even when the co-communicator is not prone to your opinion. The challenge here is to get the other party to see the humor in the situation.

A recent conversation with my 5 year old niece about combing her hair is a good example.

She hates to comb her hair, as it is long and pulls when being brushed out after sleeping.

She would go forever without combing her hair if allowed to do so.

For example, on a recent 2-day sleepover, on day one no amount of convincing on my part could get her to allow me to comb her hair. We ended up going out and about with her hair looking like a rat’s nest.

I am sure that people we met thought I was terrible for allowing her out like that.

It was that or anger! I chose the rat’s nest.

Day 2 brought a new scenario.

I got up and did not comb my hair.

My hair always comes out of bed looking like a total lunatic. Flat on one side, sticking straight out on the other and in 10 different directions all over.

If I went out in public anyone who would see me surely would think I escaped from the insane asylum.

We got ready to go to “Special Persons” day at kindergarten and I asked her if I could comb her hair, and she said no.

I said That’s ok, me neither, I’m not combing my hair either.

She looked at me and we both laughed and we ate breakfast. After breakfast she went upstairs and combed her hair and we both laughed at mine again and I combed mine and we went to school.

Three things happened here.

1. I allowed her to win. She didn’t have to comb her hair if she didn’t want to.

2. We laughed together

3. She chose to comb her hair.

The emotion of humor coupled with me not “needing” to win, allowed her to make her own choice. When I stopped trying to win, I won her over!

Emotions always sell

In sales, when someone has an emotional experience they buy.

The same is true in almost all communications.

Learning to communicate on a level of connection takes practice. It is easier to depend on convincing people of our way through logic than it is to take the time to actually learn their motivations and then make an emotional commitment to connect.

People buy with their emotions. They view products and services emotionally and they also buy into what it is you are communicating when they are emotionally involved.

Author’s Bio: is a direct sales educator who teaches proven systems that work in all direct sales companies. Treat your business like a profession and you will get professional results. Learn more home business systems at: http://www.CreateACashFlowShow.com