A New Year's Chance

As we come to the end of another year it gives us a chance to reflect back on everything we have accomplished and everything that still remains to be done. This can be a bit overwhelming given today's tough environment. Accomplishments become harder to achieve and unattained goals seem even farther away.

I reviewed my marketing plan for the year and found that certain assumptions I made in the beginning of the year were overly optimistic as I fell way short of the planned goal. There were other areas of the plan where I exceeded my expectations and made some deep inroads that should pay dividends in the future. The main point I took away from these reflections was that growing your business as well as living your life is one big road trip. There are no right or wrong paths, just paths of opportunity. You can choose to play it safe and drive around in circles, or throw caution to the wind and drive around without a map. I personally would not recommend either of these choices, rather I would chart a course that is well planned and thought out, but will take you out of your comfort zone and force you to explore new and different paths of opportunity.

I came to the realization a few years back that you only get one chance to live your life, and there are no do overs. I decided I can live with the regret of failure, but not the regret of never trying. Given all the challenges we face on a daily basis, one of the few things we can control is attitude. Attitude is what causes people to quit or drives them to persevere.

The New Year Holiday has always been one of my favorites because it gives you a chance at renewal. While the majority of people's resolutions will quickly fall by the wayside, vow to not let this happen to you. Set some goals that will improve your quality of life in a mental, physical, and spiritual way. Forget the past as it can not be changed. The future will take care of itself. Live in the present and set these goals as high as you can. The trick is to not let the fire go out when you encounter the inevitable obstacles that will urge you to quit. You may not accomplish everything you set out to do, but you will end up far better not having the painful regret of giving up.

Decision Making- Black, White, and Grey

Decision Making: Black, White, and Grey

There were many times I sat in a meeting when an important decision had to be made. Someone from accounting or operations would say “That is a black or white situation.”
With my background being in sales I was not always sure this was the case. There are many business decisions that are cut and dry, however too many times people look for a simple yes or no answer to solve a complex problem.

Company policy is a vital part of any organization. You have to have structured processes in running any business. These policies need to be set in the best interests of the company and then properly communicated to the employees responsible for following them. Too many times companies do not have set policies, so when situations do arise there is no consistency in their reactions. Internal policies are important so that everyone is treated fairly. Employees must know what is expected of them in the role they fill. They must also know what behaviors are acceptable and which ones are not. External policies are equally important so the company’s vision and mission can be achieved. Without these policies chaos will certainly ensue.

My problem with black and white decisions arises when the concept of flexibility is removed from rational thought. Too many times I found myself in situations where someone, citing company policy, made a wrong decision that drastically affected the company. If you have a policy that states that any order received after 9:00 A.M. will not be delivered until the next day, there probably is a good reason behind it. If you don’t set a cut-off time you will never be able to maintain a delivery schedule that accommodates all your customers. But what happens when one of your biggest customers is out of stock on your best selling item and forgot to call their order in on time? My answer always was that if we can physically make this delivery we would. These were the decisions that were not black or white; rather I liked to call them grey.

In the world of sales we constantly exist in gray. To ensure customer satisfaction you can’t throw the rule book out, but you better have the flexibility to bend it a little. I would always look at a problem as an opportunity. How can I handle a situation that goes from a loss for someone to a win-win for everyone? While that was always my goal, it certainly was not always achieved. You have to decide what you can live with and what you can’t. Once you do this you can render a decision that takes everyone’s best interest into consideration but still protects the company’s best interest. Anyone can make a black or white decision. The ability to make those “grey” decisions is what makes a person successful in the long run.

The Rule of Seven

I recently attended a sales seminar and one of the topics discussed was the number of times you need to contact or touch someone before you can truly make a connection and open the door to a sale. The presenter referred to this concept as "The rule of seven." The theory is that it takes seven forms of communication in order to gain some trust and begin to build a relationship with a potential customer. Examples would be a phone call, an e-mail, a direct mail piece, a personal letter, a written article on your product or company, your website or a reference from another associate. All of these can be used to reach out to prospects in the hope of gaining them as customers.

I'm sure everyone knows of sales people that close most of their business on the first call. If you have a superior product and a flawless presentation, a one call close is very possible. The decision to buy is often an emotional one rather than a rational one. If you hit the right nerve with the buyer you can immediately close the deal. While there are the sales superstars who can achieve this result on a regular basis, for the majority of us it will take a number of efforts to close the sale.

The key to sales is to be consistent with your message and remain persistent, but not pushy. You need to present the benefits to the buyer in multiple ways in order to get your message across. Some people respond to visual stimuli (letters, e-mails, written articles, websites) while others respond to audio stimuli (phone calls, voice mails, a reference from an associate). That is why using a combination of both forms of communication helps insure your message gets through.

Most decision makers are bombarded with sales messages on a daily basis. They have built up a defense mechanism to deflect most of the information they receive. If you have something special or unique to offer, you may catch their eye, but chances are it will take several efforts to do so. Your role as a sales person is to use everything at your disposal to cut through the clutter, once again in a persistent, not pushy way.

It is easy to get discouraged when the only word you hear all day is no, but do not use this as an excuse to give up. Keep track of your efforts and make sure you remember "the rule of seven" as it pertains to them. Most sales people tend to quit asking for the order after the first no, when in reality you might need six more attempts to turn that no into a yes.

Staying Positive Amoungst So Much Negativity

It is extremely easy to find constant sources of negativity in the world. One of the easiest ways is to simply turn on the local news as it is often filled with negative stories. Unfortunately, most of the stories revolve around bad things happening to good people. There is nothing that anyone in the world can do to change this, as it is part of everyday life. I would sum up this type of negativity as unavoidable. The negativity you want to avoid is usually brought on by the various people you interact with on a daily basis. The ones that want to bend your ear about everything that is wrong with their job, their boss, their life, ect.

I worked in an office setting having direct supervision over a staff of twenty people. In my eighteen years of management not one day went by without some kind of major problem arising. In fact most days there were multiple problems all worse than the one before. While I know it is a cliche, my first response to "we have a problem" was "there are no such things as problems, only opportunities". In all honesty I really believed that to be true. I found that in managing people, if you start to panic, all hell will break loose with the rest of the troops. Now that I work on my own I sometimes have to remind myself that problems really are opportunities in disguise.

While I think most people would like to think of themselves as optimists, in reality there are very few people in the world who truly are. I myself, a staunch optimist, will let negativity creep into my psyche. It is only the fact that I can not stand to be around negative people that snaps me back into a positive state of mind. It is hard for me to dwell on some minor issues in my life that given the right attention and some time, will correct themselves, when there are so many people in this world facing serious, often life threatening situations everyday of their lives. You need to put things into their proper perspective before you start complaining about the problems you may face.

Negativity will never go away, as it is woven into the fabric of society. How you choose to deal with it is entirely up to you. You can easily succumb to the masses and join in the rant, or rise above the complaints and find a better way, a positive response.

Managing your Customer Relations

I think everyone would agree that customers are the life blood of a business. As I have said before, without customers you really do not have a business. Keeping your company and the products and/or services you provide in the forefront of their minds is more important than ever in our current business environment. Fortunately there are numerous CRM(Customer Relation Management)software systems on the market that are designed to help you organize and keep track of all forms of contact with customers, prospects, and other business associates.

A simple Google search for CRM will provide a good start to finding a software system that meets your particular needs. I personally use a management tool designed by an independent software developer, so I not recommending one system over another. What I am recommending is that anyone who has daily, weekly, or even monthly contact with people that are vital to their business have some kind of system in place to keep track of your communication efforts.

Time has a way of slipping by, and if you do not have an organized approach to maintaining consistent communication with all of your contacts, opportunities will surely fall through the cracks. One of the biggest benefits of a CRM system is the ability to track your efforts and record your results. This enables you to create consistency in your selling efforts by developing regular campaigns that can deliver your message to both existing customers as well as future prospects. A trackable system prevents you from bombarding your contacts with too much information or even worse, forgetting about them altogether.

As we close out another year, now is a good time to analyze your current CRM efforts. If there is no system in place, make plans to implement one. If you have a system in place, make sure that it meets the needs of your business and most importantly, it is being used to its full potential. In a tough market, nobody can afford to loose customers. An effective CRM system provides an important tool that works to help ensure your company remains relevant in your customer's mind.

Recapture Your Vision

In business you often hear companies refer to their Vision and Mission statements. While a mission statement tends to define the actions needed to accomplish the company’s objectives, a vision statement should point the direction to achieving them. The vision gives the company something to strive for by creating an identity they wish to achieve for themselves. It should be able to define the expectations that have been set by the company’s leaders. The vision needs to be the driving force that provides a company its present and future motivation for being in business. While having a vision is important to starting a business, following and maintaining a vision is crucial to the success of that endeavor.

Many times the reality of business life will cause a company to loose sight of their original vision as they battle the day to day fires that constantly arise. As you get caught up in working in your business you will tend to forget to work on your business and its future path. Sometimes just getting through another day is the main focus. Unfortunately these days turn to weeks, then months, then finally years. While by many standards you may see yourself as successful, this is often based on the fact that you have survived long enough to still be around. The reality of your present situation is most likely radically different from your original concept of what your business would be like.

Another potential scenario is having an outdated vision. While you have been successful in achieving what you set out to accomplish, your original vision may no longer be relevant to your future goals and objectives. In a good way you have outgrown your expectations and now need to set new goals and objectives. In setting the bar higher you need to develop a whole new vision. To maintain success a company must always have something to aim and strive for. A company can never stand still, as it will actually begin to slip backwards. Truly successful businesses are never satisfied with the status quo. New visions provide new innovations that continually drive the company’s growth. If you sit back to admire all you have achieved, get ready to watch your competition go speeding by.

At any given point in time of the business life cycle you must be able to know and understand where you are and where are you going. In order to do this you must be able to maintain or update your company’s objectives. In other words you need to recapture your vision. If you take an honest approach to this task it will lay the groundwork to continued success.

Sourcing Information from Website Forums

Up until a few months ago, I was not really familiar with the benefits of participating in forums that are starting to pop up on many company, community, and special interest websites. I belong to a few professional organizations that have an open forum for members on their website, but other than skimming over some eye catching topics, I never took the time to actually read and respond to other member's posts.

Recently I started to seek out websites that have forums relevant to my business or special interests. I began to read some threads, which are basically a topic starter, and the posts that follow, which are a response to that thread. Once you are registered in the forum, you can add your own threads and posts to any of the listed topics. While the majority of the information contained in a forum revolves around people's opinions, you can still learn quite a bit from actively participating in them. If you are looking for information on a particular topic, you can add your question as a thread and then see what kind of answers you receive back.

Some of the benefits I have personally derived from business oriented forums are links to websites and organizations that I never knew existed, advice on a particular issue, and feedback on my theories and opinions that I expressed in my own threads.

There are also many social forums out there on just about any subject imaginable. They provide a great place to exchange experiences with other people who share your same interests.

While every forum may be a little different in nature, they all work on the same basic premise, an exchange of information and ideas. As long as you remember that for the most part people are expressing opinions, not facts you should still be able to use them as a valid resource for obtaining information.

The Power of Self Assessment

I spent close to twenty years as the sales manager for a wholesale distribution company and one of my main tasks was to constantly track and measure the sales team's performance. There would be weekly one on one reviews as well as monthly and quarterly performance evaluations all designed to align individual goals and objectives with those of the company. It was extremely time consuming, but beneficial in driving growth and improving the bottom line. It was this constant assessment that contributed to twenty years of profitable growth.

Now that I work for myself I have adopted this approach to evaluate my own performance. I have put processes in place that track my weekly results in four critical areas that are directly tied to the overall growth of my business. I conduct a monthly review of my efforts to ensure they are in line with my goals and objectives. On a quarterly basis I review my overall marketing plan to make sure it is still on track,and then make any necessary adjustments to my current strategies. This self assessment is designed to keep me moving forward, but more importantly to keep me committed to the vision and mission I established for my company.

I wish I could say that I have accomplished all the goals I set for myself, and everything is going according to schedule. The reality is that starting any business is hard work and extremely demanding. I have changed my business model numerous times and have made countless mistakes along the way. The one constant through the whole experience has been the process of self assessment. This is the single most important reason I even have a business. It has kept me focused and committed to the tasks at hand. It has allowed me to learn from my mistakes and make the necessary adjustments to get me back on track. It prevents me from making excuses and holds me directly accountable for my efforts. Most importantly, it gives me a reason to get up everyday and get back to work.

Assessing your performance is not the easiest thing in the world to do, however it probably the most important thing you can do for yourself. People close to you tend to tell you things they think you want to hear. You are the only person in the world who can honestly assess your efforts and performance. Utilizing this powerful tool and all the benefits it can provide will be directly tied to your eventual success or failure.

Creating a Blueprint for a Sales Call

When a contractor wants to build something they start with a plan that usually involves creating a blueprint. I do not really know that much about construction, but I do know that builders constantly refer to the blueprint to make sure everything they are doing meets the specifications of the project.

Just as a contractor starts with a blueprint, a sales person's efforts need to start with one as well. Anyone involved with selling a product or service needs to develop a specific plan before their initial contact with a prospect. This plan will take you through the necessary steps to execute an effective sales call.

First, you need to thoroughly know the features and benefits of your product or service. This gives you the ability to match these benefits to a prospect's needs. This concept becomes the real nuts and bolts of any sales call and will ultimately determine the positive or negative outcome of that call.

Second, you need to know where you are going to sell your product or service. By developing a target list of prospects that are the best fit what you have, you will maximize your "time to sell". Qualifying prospects eliminates wasting your time calling on people that really don't have a need for your product or service.

Third, you need to know how you are going to sell your product, determining the techniques you will employ to effectively reach your prospect. While most times a face to face meeting is the best way to engage someone, this is not always possible. You need to determine the process you will follow and the means of communication you will use to get your message to the proper decision maker. This will often become a matter of trial and error, but having a set plan helps to eliminate wasted time and effort.

The most important thing a blueprint will provide is confidence. If you are properly prepared for a sales call, executing the call becomes that much easier. By taking the guess work out of your actions, you will come across as professional and an expert in your field. You may not always close the sale, but you will definitely give yourself the best chance to do so.

Potential verse Performance

When I decided to start my own consulting company, I attended a training seminar designed to help get your business off the ground. One of the instructors talked about the concept of potential vs. performance in terms growing your business into a successful venture. As with any start up, I have encountered wall after wall of obstacles that try and derail your efforts. It is your actual performance , not your potential that determines whether you succeed or fail.

Everyone has the potential for greatness in some form or another. By taking a good, hard look at your strengths and weaknesses, you can determine what skills or attributes you possess. These skills, when properly applied, can lead you to success in both your personal and professional endeavors. So if this is truly the case, why do certain people succeed and others fail? Potential alone does not guarantee success, in fact in often gets in the way and leads you on the path to failure.

Performance, that fully utilizes your potential is what will create the proper environment for you to flourish. Remember the Nike ads..."Just do it". Too many times people want to blame everything around them for failure, except a lack of proper execution on their part. The truly successful people in life do not sit on the sidelines, rather they look for ways to constantly get in the game. Everything you do will not be an instant success, rather you learn from trial and error. The mere fact that you try will at the very least be a learning experience.

In the past two years since starting my business I have made numerous mistakes and squandered quite a few opportunities. Fortunately, this was not from inactivity, but from trying and failing. The beauty about this is, there is always another day, and always new opportunities to succeed. You learn from your mistakes and adjust your performance accordingly.

You need to make the commitment to yourself that you will succeed, and that you will do what ever it takes to achieve your vision. You already know you have the potential to reach your goals, however your performance is what will ultimately determine if you get there.

Control the Controllable

As the economy begins to slump more and more each passing day it becomes harder and harder to remain optimistic about growing and expanding a business. With so much doom and gloom in the air many people will be tempted to throw in the towel. While I do understand that things are slow, they aren't stopped. It is the companies that change, adapt, and persevere during these tough times that will not only maintain their business, but grow their business.

One fundamental concept that must always be in the forefront of your mind is to "control the controllable". You can't fix the credit crisis, you can't lower the price of gas, and you can't print money(at least legally), so focus all your energy on what you can do. This is a great opportunity to examine your work processes to look for ways to eliminate waste and raise productivity. That doesn't mean everyone working harder and longer, rather it means worker smarter. This is a great time to get rid of all the bad habits that have accumulated over the years. I guarantee if you take an honest and hard look at how your business is being run, you will find areas that need improvement. Improvement leads to better productivity. Being more productive leads to a more profitable business, and a more profitable business means growth not declines in revenue.

This is also a great time to eliminate the word excuse from your vocabulary. Most likely your excuses for poor results are things you can't control, so why make them. Nobody uses poor performance as an excuse for poor results. It can't be me, it has to be all the negative things that surround me. If everyone takes accountability for their day to day actions and works toward improving their own results, the company will automatically improve their results as a whole.

There is no doubt that a good number companies will not make it through this current economic meltdown, some actually through no fault of their own. However, by not taking control of the controllable you give yourself even less of a chance to make it. Remember "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger".

Stretching Your Advertising Dollar

As the economy heads into the tank everyone will be looking for ways to tighten the budgetary belt to cut costs. The first knee jerk reaction is to cut marketing and advertising dollars as a way to cut costs. This is not the best move but as cash flow gets tight there may be no other choice. So how can you keep promoting your product or service if you have to cut back on traditional ways to advertise?

One way to stretch your advertising dollars is to donate your product and/or time to local charities and other fund raising organizations. Donations to organizations are a great way to generate goodwill for your business. You will gain recognition from the community as well as endear yourself to the fund raising group. This is an excellent way to gain positive visability at a very low cost, not to mention the benefit of helping a worthy cause.

Another way to stretch your dollars is to seek out trade for mention opportunities with the companies you already advertise with. Radio stations are constantly giving things away on the air, why not give away your product. This is far less expensive than the cost of buying more ads. If you already spend money with them do not be afraid to ask how you can get involved with their promotions. Print and other forms of media can be a little more tricky, but opportunities still do exist. The bottom line is to go to your media suppliers to look for ways to leverage your current ad dollars to generate additional promotional value aand exposure for your business.

The amount of exposure you receive from these activities can be worth their weight in gold, as not only to you get your product in front of the public, you create trial and most likely future sales for them as well. The opportunities are out there, the main thing is to find the right ones and make them work for you.

Core Values

Owners will often develop a Mission Statement and a Vision Statement to use as a blueprint to guide the direction of their company. You need to be able to visualize what your company currently is and what you want it to become. Giving careful thought to these statements is very important as they have the power to unite everyone involved into a common bond that will focus on achieving this mission under the guidelines of ownership's vision. One other thing that goes hand in hand with a mission and vision, are core values.

Core values establish the behavior and attitude that will guide the actions needed to carry out the mission, and stay true to the vision. If you strongly believe that honesty is the best policy, then make it a core value that will always be in the forefront of decisions and actions. If think tenacity and persistence are the way to grow your business, make them core values and hold everyone accountable to conduct business accordingly. What ever traits you want to see displayed in people's behavior in the course of the work they do should be communicated as a core value of the company.

Once you have your Mission, Vision, and Core Values make sure you post them for everyone to see. Make sure they are part of your company's culture. Most important of all make sure your actions and behavior as an owner stay true to what you have posted. Always remember you will be judged by your actions not your words.

The Power of Listening

Listening to someone else talk is probably the easiest thing in the world to do. You just have to sit back and focus on what they are saying. You don't have to respond other than a head nod or some other facial expression to let the person speaking know that you understand what they are saying. If listening is so easy to do, why is there often communication problems in almost every facet of everyday life?

My theory is that people generally do not know how to listen. I always thought I was a great listener, until it was pointed out to me by more than one person, that I really wasn't. The true art of listening is an acquired skill that like so many other skills has to be practiced to be effective.

Next time you are in a conversation with someone take the time to focus on what they are saying and the words that are coming out of their mouth. Put all other thoughts in your head aside and truly listen. I guarantee you will come away with a clear understanding of what they said and you will be much better prepared to respond.

This concept can be really powerful in business and in life. If you listen carefully, people will usually give you all the information you need. You can then process that information to craft a response that is based on their actual needs, not your preconceived notions. Everyone has the ability to effectively listen, then properly process that information, most just choose not to do it. Developing this trait can become a key component to success in all areas of your life, helping to eliminate communication problems that cause so many problems in relationships today.

Oganization is the Key to Success

I remember working with a guy who always said, "How can you be lost if you don't know where you are going". I think this rings true for many people in today's world. They are always busy, yet don't seem to accomplish much. With some people that is by design. They are paid by the hour so appearing to be busy is much more important than actually completing a task. However for the majority of people wasting time is not a luxury. They are constantly under the gun to get things done with a never ending list of tasks. Their boss has no concept of time and is only looking to have answers and results for their boss. This trail leads all the way to the top. Often the president or owner of the company works just as hard if not harder trying to keep up with the demands of the whole company.

What can be done to stop this vicious cycle? One of the best ways to maximize productivity is good organization. You need to have a plan of attack, so to speak, that prioritizes tasks and clearly spells out what is necessary to complete the task. How much time is wasted trying to figure out how to do something before you actually do it? How much time is wasted having meetings to talk about doing something? If an agenda is developed and adhered to, much of your wasted time can be eliminated.

Roles and responsibilities need to be defined, so everyone knows exactly what is expected of them. This eliminates someone worrying about what someone else should or should not be doing. Reasonable time lines must be put in place. If a project starts to fall behind, you need to find out why and adjust accordingly. Sometimes it could be human error, or simply conditions that are out of your control. Complete one task before moving onto the next. While multitasking sounds impressive, trying to juggle too many balls simply causes you to drop a few.

If you develop a daily plan, prioritize the tasks, and stick to it, you will end the day with a sense of accomplishment. Remember you will never be done, just try and be done for the day as tomorrow always allows you to take another crack at it.

Networking 101- Understanding the Concept

Most people understand the benefits of networking as a way to expand and grow your circle of influence, especially those of us who own and run our own business. Meeting and interacting with other people is probably least expensive way to promote yourself as well as develop key contacts that can become valuable assets down the road.

Productive networking has to be about giving and receiving. If your sole purpose in networking is to "get what you can get" from everyone else, you will soon find people going out of their way to avoid you. You need to bring something to the table before you sit down to eat.

I have been at events where people have come right up to me, tell me what they do, and shove a card in my face. While that type of approach is an extreme, it does speak to a certain mindset, it's all about me. I have also gone to events and had great conversations with people and never even found out what they do. To network successfully you need to strike a balance somewhere in between these two examples.

First and foremost, you need to be able to listen. By showing you are genuinely interested in what someone else has to say, you engage them in the conversation. This also allows you to determine if this is someone you want to get to know better. Second, do not try to meet everyone in the room, rather focus on trying to meet two or three new people you never met before. A few solid contacts that you can follow up with is much better than a stack of cards of people you won't remember the next day. Finally, be yourself. Don't exaggerate or undersell any aspect of who you are and what you do. Let your true character make an impression on everyone you meet.

By following some basic rules, you can make networking one of the most productive activities for you and your business.

Word of Mouth Marketing

I think everyone realizes that "word of mouth" advertising is the cheapest and probably most effective way to market a business or product. There are countless examples of products that took off primarily through people simply talking about it, creating "buzz" so to speak.

Until recently,how many Red Bull commercials did you see on T.V.? This product is a perfect example of how people, not electronic or printed media can take a little known product and make it a huge success. It took awhile as Red Bull has actually been available for years, but slow steady growth is the best formula for long term viability.

If you own your own business a vital part of your marketing strategy should be creating "buzz" for your product or service. The first step is to be good at what you do and the second is to have your satisfied customers spread the word. One mistake business owners make is to assume this will automatically take place.

You have to create an environment that encourages people to talk you up. One way is to come out and ask them to. There is nothing wrong with asking somebody to recommend you to their friends and family. Most times if a customer had a good experience they are more than happy to help. Another way is a good old bribe. Offer them a discount on their next purchase if they give you a business generating referral. A more subtle way is to create some form of communication with your customer base. Sending out a flyer or newsletter is a good way to keep your name fresh in their minds as well as encouraging them to refer you to a friend or two.

You have to remember, there are only two ways to build your business, add new customers and generate more business from your existing customers. Word of mouth is one of the best and actually easiest ways to accomplish this.

Communicating with Your Customers

Everyone knows that customers are the life blood of your business. Without customers you really don't have a business, just a great product or service that nobody buys. Keeping in touch with your customers on a consistent basis is one way to better understand their needs and create a relationship that will build loyalty and trust.

You need to know what is going on in the market, and your customers remain the best source of information.Is your product or service meeting their needs? Does your delivery meet their expectations? Is there a competitor that is poised to steal them away? All these questions need to be answered on a regular basis. You need to know what they are thinking and how they view you as a supplier. If there is a problem you need to know about it. The only thing worse than a customer that complains all the time, is the customer that you never hear from. They are the ones that will take their business somewhere else once a problem occurs.

Another main reason you need constant communication is to build a relationship. Don't just call on your customers when you need an order or it is time to renew a contract. Reach out to them on an ongoing basis to let them know you value their business and you want to understand how to better serve their needs. Be genuine in your approach and be consistent in you actions. They will come to value you more than just for what you provide. They will reward you with their loyalty and trust.

Customers voice their dissatisfaction by taking their business elsewhere. Use all forms of communication available to ensure they remain satisfied with you and your company. By all means, don't be a pest, but do be vigilante in your efforts.

Where did the Time Go?

You often hear people complain that there are not enough hours in the day to get things done. As you struggle to finish everything you set out to accomplish in any given day, you find yourself succumbing to the pressures and stress this mindset will bring.

You have to realize that you will never be caught up no matter how long and hard you work. Even when you retire there will always be something on your plate that you feel has to get done. This has been ingrained in our psyche from day one. It all started when you were a kid in school. It wasn’t enough to go to class all day, the teachers felt compelled to give you homework.

I realized this awhile back and decided that I was not going let the burden of unfinished work drag me down. I would create a list, prioritize it, and work to complete my tasks following the order of importance. If something came up that had to be immediately addressed, I just put it at the top of the list and continued on my way. While this didn’t always work to perfection, it did create a mindset that reduced the stress of everyday life. As long as I completed what absolutely had to be completed, I would call it a day and save the rest for another time.

Unfortunately in today’s “get it done yesterday” world of deadlines too many people are swallowed up in jobs that consume them. Bosses forget their employees have an outside life and if you work for yourself your job becomes your life. Just remember, until the day you die, you will always have something to do. If you don't slow down that day may be coming sooner than you think.

The Sad State of Good Customer Service

When I like to think about customer service, I like to think about GOOD customer service.Good customer service is when someone greets you with a smiling face or a happy voice. They genuinely are interested in you and what can they do to help you. If there is a problem, they take the time to listen and work to find a solution. If it is just a general transaction, they are attentive and make sure everthing goes smoothly. Their main goal is have you walk away or hang-up with a sense of satisfaction and a good feeling about the company they represent.

It is right about now when I awake from this dream and am faced with the current state of customer service we as consumers face on a daily basis. Not that it's all bad, but I have experienced such poor service it makes me question how certain companies are still in business.

Good customer service begins and ends with a company's attitude toward providing it. Senior management must develop a company wide culture that embraces excellent service as a cornerstone of doing business. It does not begin at the ground floor, rather it starts at the top and must trickle down through the entire company.

If your front-line employees, who happen to have the most contact with your customers, don't understand how important it is to treat people in a proper fashion, you will never develop a consistant, quality approach to customer service.

As a high level manager or business owner, take the time to evaluate your company's current track record in relation to proving good customer service. If what you find isn't good,take whatever steps you can to correct it. Most customers do not voice their displeasure, rather they just stop calling or showing up.

The Ever Changing Marketing Plan

The beginning of every year I would work on a comprehensive market plan for our company. This thirty page document covered every aspect of our past year's results and our plans for the coming year. It would take two to three weeks to complete and occupy most of my time for the month of January. The main reason I hated this project was that I knew once it was done, we would never look at it again until the following January.

When I started my own company, I developed a one page marketing plan that basically followed an outline clearly stating my goals and objectives and defining the proper strategies to achieve them. I have redesigned that plan three times already this year and will probably revise it one more time before the end of the year. It is a living, breathing document that holds me accountable for my actions. I change things that aren't working, expand things that are, and have no fear completely changing directions if conditions warrant it.

Fight the temptation to get locked into a plan. Give yourself the freedom and flexibility to change and adapt. Once I got myself out of my old box of sticking to the same tactics whether they moved the dial or not, I became much more effective in my approach to growing my business.

Be Patient but Persistent

When I started my own consulting company a little over a year ago, one of the first things I did was develop a Mission and Vision statement as well as my Core Values for my company. Two of my core values are patience and persistence. At the time I never realized how hard it would be to keep these core values front and center in my approach to growing my business. While at face value they seem to oppose each other, in reality they compliment one another. You can not successfully be persistent without being patient. You have to know when to apply the pressure and when to hold back and let nature take its course.

In a past life as a sales and marketing director for a beverage distribution company I would have never been described as being patient. I certainly was persistent, almost to the point of being unbearable.I rarely took the time to let things develop and often made rash decisions without having all the necessary information. I didn't have patience to evaluate alternative courses of action. Most of the time this approach actually worked, but the times it didn't proved disastrous.

I practice patience everyday of my life as I have come to realize the world doesn't always move at my pace. I continue to be persistent because it is the only way I know how to keep moving forward. These two core values are vital in creating a balanced approach to both business and life.

Professional Courtesy and Communication

In today's fast paced world most people are constantly pressed for time. Communication is shifting from face to face meetings and phone calls to text messages and e-mail. Given the fact you face a constant barrage of electronic messages on a daily basis, it is hard to promptly respond to everyone as fast as you would like.

You probably prioritize your messages and respond accordingly. This system makes the most sense as you try and clear up issues that require immediate attention. What do you do with the rest? If you don't have some sort of system in place to address all your messages, I guarantee some secondary issues will fall through the cracks. What is important to one person isn't always important to someone else. I send countless e-mails out every week that are never responded to. Obviously they aren't important or relevant to the person I sent them to. Professional courtesy doesn't allow me the same luxury. I respond to every e-mail I receive from some I know, whether it is a good friend or a casual business acquaintance. If they took the time to reach out to me, the least I can do is return the favor.

There will never be enough time to do everything you want to do on any given day. Once you accept this fact your life instantly becomes easier. Start taking the time to respond to everyone who deserves one. If it's a pesky salesman, simply tell him no you are not interested. At least they'll know you read their message. If it's an old friend, send them a quick reply. They will feel better you remembered who they were. If it is an invitation, RSVP. If it is someone you are not sure who it is, respond anyway. It may be a business opportunity in the making.

Faceless communication is a way of life. Start to treat it as if the person who initiated the contact was sitting right in front of you. Take the time to respond whether it is good, bad, or indifferent. It is just a matter of professional courtesy.

InBev buys Anheuser-Busch

I worked in the beer wholesaling industry most of my adult life. My grandfather started our company in 1954 and in 1968 we aquired the rights to distribute Anheuser-Busch products in our area. We sold the company in 2005 to a neighboring Anheuser-Busch wholesaler. While I always thought we would pass the company down to the next generation, selling when we did was the right move. There comes a time in every business, no matter how big or how small when change is the best course of action. While it is sad to see Anheuser-Busch , the Great American Beer Company, sold to a foreign company, it really isn't a surprise. Global consolidation of the beer industry has been going on for years. This was the most logical move for Anheuser-Busch to make in respect to their stockholders as well as their employees. This move ensures that Budweiser will always be The King of Beers.