Love is the Missing Piece No, this isn’t an ad for a dating site, although maybe it should be.... I was in the process of writing on a different subject when I found myself in a conversation with a client (who shall remain nameless but will likely know its them when they read this ;) ) We were discussing their business and a particularly rough couple of weeks they have … [Read more...]
Customer Service and Your Bottom Line
Guest Post by Peggy Carlaw, founder of Impact Learning Systems (Learn more about Peggy at the bottom of this post) You know that providing top-notch customer service is good business practice. But do you know just how good? Customers Spend More for Good Customer Service According to the American Express 2012 Global Customer Service Barometer, over half of customers over … [Read more...]
How GenX Affects Your Business
I was doing something decidedly none business yesterday (replacing my dead dryer) and the sales representative that was helping me was glued to his IPAD. Now I applaud the store for the use of technology to create a more accurate account of inventory, but to run a business you actually have to talk to your customers! The sales representative was great; he was friendly and … [Read more...]
What Happens if the Person Picking Your Brain is Already a Paying Client?
A lot of us have seen this article on Forbes making its round on the various social media platforms: No You Can’t Pick My Brain. It Costs Too Much. But – what happens if the person picking your brain is already a paying client? Most small business owners or consultants would agree – we give entirely too much information away for free. For me, a lot of times this occurs … [Read more...]
Pleasant Website = More, Happier Customers
Guest Post by Barbara Austin. You could say there are two kinds of websites: those that are enjoyable, and those that are downright painful to use. The more pleasant the site, the more we tend to gravitate toward it, spending more time there and going back more often. So how can you ensure that your website is providing that positive experience, as opposed to making your … [Read more...]
Verizon Are You Listening?
As of January 15th Verizon will start charging its customers a $2.00 convenience fee for paying their bills on-line via a credit card. Now as a Verizon customer myself for my home and business, let me address all the ways that this situation was mishandled and hopefully give a summary of how customers don't want to be treated. Don’t spring change on your … [Read more...]
Sales For All Seasons
As we all rush out to do some holiday shopping and retailers put their best foot forward, as a small business owner you want to be sure that your sales don’t cripple your business. Attracting new customers is great, but what you want is repeat business and customer loyalty. Stick with these tips and build a relationship, not a sale. Listen to your customers While it is … [Read more...]
The Capable Employee
As a modern business owner, I’ve caught the fever to rely on gadgets and depend on electronic communication in lieu of actually picking up the phone; but I wonder, have I done my company a disservice? As I visit client sites and assess the challenges they face, it becomes clear that sometimes the culprit is not the employee, it’s the technology. Excessive reliance on … [Read more...]
Hey Boss, Your Policy is Stupid!
As business owners we often set policies and procedures from a reactive point of view. Something happened that brought the situation to our attention and then we put things in place to ensure they don’t happen again. But is this the best way to create policies? Can your staff weigh in on their effectiveness and when they do, do their opinions matter? If you have a sense that … [Read more...]
The Cost of Business
In our current situation many companies are cackling about how much money they have saving on services and are doing their fair share to keep pushing prices down. On the surface this savings looks good to many companies, but as soon as the economy turns around these services are going to go back to the increased costs they deserve and then what? Well in my years I have observed … [Read more...]