Whoa Lets back it up a little

This weeks Chilli News is here! Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Whoa! Lets Back it Up a Little.. I've done a number of newsletters about getting new clients and increasing business.  It got me to thinking - maybe I had jumped the gun a little.   A result of getting new clients and increasing business, is of course, getting busier.  And maybe we aren't ready, or prepared for more business.  Take a minute to think about this, If your business increased tomorrow by 30%, could you handle it?   A better question - how did you react to that question? Did you react with excitement? Did your heart do cartwheels at the thought of 30% new business? Or did your stomach tighten? Did your mind start racing with questions of how on earth you would cope? Before we head out to create more business, we need to know that we are prepared to handle the new level of business that will come along with it.  Until we know we can handle it, our subconscious mind will be plotting against any attempts we make at growth! Take some time out to do some hypotheticals - when your business has grown by a third - will you need more staff? More services? Longer opening hours? Depending on the answers to these questions you may have some planning to do to make sure you are ready for growth.  Getting more staff could be as simple as an add in the paper - if you are in an industry where staff need minimal skills / or there is generally a large amount of people with the skills, perhaps if you are in an industry that is a little more rare - you need to make some moves to train up some apprentices, or existing staff into roles with more responsibility. Map out a virtual business model of how your business will look in 12 months - whats different?  Once you have this picture in your mind, you can begin to work towards this business model, and the new business that goes along with it.   Here's to a great week in business.  Tanja                                                      follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend | Like Chilli Consulting | Buy Tanja's Book Copyright © 2011 Chilli Consulting, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Chilli Consulting Po Box 456 Coffs Harbour, N.S.W 2450 Add us to your address book  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Getting Great Gossip - and how to get more

Gossip is not something that is normally considered a good thing.  But when you take a minute to think about it - we all love a bit of gossip now and then!  We love hearing it, sharing it and spreading it.  So what does this have to do with business?  Your business needs to be the focus of (great) Gossip!

We have all done it - had an experience in a shop or business and let more than one person know about 'what happened'.  Now unfortunately we are more likely to spread negative stories (we love gossip - but we love to have a whinge too!), and alot of the business advice you read or receive is focused on this fact.  How about focusing on the fact that when people have a funny, odd or sensational experience - they will share that with friends too.

What can you do in your business to start the gossip ball rolling?

What your business services are will depend on what can you do, but some ideas may include;

Putting in a kids corner to keep clients kids occupied (parents LOVE it when their kids are entertained for 10 minutes), colouring in competition, giveaways, lucky door prizes, free delivery, carrying goods to the car for people, free wifi for clients, complimentary tea and coffee while they wait, up to date magazines and books, a library of books or equipment that is specific to your business that your clients can borrow, these are the basics - then you can add to this list the 'quirky'.  How about giving everyone who comes in the door a flower on valentines day? An egg at easter (beware of allergies), the list can go on.

Think about who your business caters for, and then think about who else you cater for by default.  If your business caters to kids - they have adults that bring them along - what are you providing for them?  Your business caters to adults - they may have friends or family that come along - how can you cater to them?

Get the gossip cranking today!

 

Here's to a great week in business.  Tanja

What is holding you back?

What is Holding you Back?

If I was to ask you today, if you have done everything possible to grow and promote your business, if you were 100% honest, you would answer no.  This can be a challenging concept, as alot of business owners out there, believe that they are doing everything they can, to promote the business.  I believe that there is always something more you can do.  For those of you that the answer 'no' came easily to - my 2nd question is why?

Why haven't you done, everything humanly possible to grow your business?

The excuses range from time to money, to nothing works or we are in a down turn.  These are just excuses.

The real answers, the challenging ones, can be quite in depth.

Maybe you think your business isn't good enough to promote.  Maybe you think you have a big enough share of the market.  

    Maybe you are (to get a bit psychological) afraid of success?     With success comes great responsibility.

Maybe you are afraid of failure?      What if you really do try everything, and nothing works?

Maybe you think your business is doing so much on the high end (TV advertising, radio etc) that you don't think it necessary to continue the promotion at the base level (word of mouth, networking, referral).

Once you have the answer - then you can correct the mindset, and continue the climb to success for you business.

Once you establish in your mind, that you do want success (and you need to have a clear definition of what success means to you), you will be more open to the opportunities that come your way, and more importantly creating the opportunities that will allow your business to grow.

What are you doing this week to grow and promote your business?  How many business cards have you handed out?


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Heres to a great week in business,

Tanja

Are you instilling confidence in your clients?

Confidence is a key factor in your clients decision making process.  Deciding to stay with you, or deciding to become your client in the first place starts with their confidence that you can provide the service that they are after.  Once confidence has been established, the relationship continues to go 1 of 2 ways - it either builds, and they begin to trust you, and eventually trust you and begin to recommend you to their friends and relatives.  The opposite direction is the relationship does not build, it even declines, the client starts to question the initial confidence they had in you, in the first place.

How to we give the clients the confidence that they need?

Knowledge + Honesty = Confidence which builds to Trust.

Knowledge.  You must be the dictionary of your field.  The encyclopedia that is referred to by your client for answers.  If you are a Real Estate Agent - you must know (not only your own properties) What is on the market, what has sold recently, what developments are happening soon, where it flooded, where it didn't, where all the major "landmarks" are.  If you are a personal trainer - you need to know about nutrition, carbs, sugars, low fat, no fat, gluten free, all the different 'pop culture' diets around, if your client is injured in an area - how do you still workout with that injury.  If you sell widgets - you need to know what widgets are on the market, what the old widgets did, what the new widgets do & what your competition is selling widgets for.

It doesn't stop there, go the extra mile for your clients and look after them.  Is there a new book out on real estate, nutrition or widgets?  Recommend it (after you read it!) to your clients.  This is showing your client that you care about their needs and think about them even after hours.

A note here - It is ok to say that you do not know something, and that you will find it out, and get back to the client - this displays honesty (NEVER LIE!).

Do a quick self assessment - what questions could your clients ask that you can't answer today?  Take the time to do some research!



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Who are your clients and who are your customers?

Who are your clients and who are your customers?
 

In pretty much every business you can differentiate between clients and
customers. For example, in a real estate office - your clients are you
landlords and vendors - they have entrusted you with their asset to manage
or sell. Your customers are your tenants and prospective buyers. In the
retail sector your clients are those loyal ones - the ones that come to you
every time they need an X. In the cafe business, they are the ones that are
there every morning for a coffee, they bring their clients to coffee
meetings at your business.  They refer friends and relatives, and they are
happy to see your business flourish. If you are an events coordinator - you
may have entertainers that make up a big part of the show, and you need to
look after them - they are your customers, but your clients are the agents
of the entertainers that are bringing you 'talent' time after time.

Both clients and customers are an integral part of your business. And the
goal is to 'upgrade' everyone to client status. If you own a butcher shop
for example, your clients are the ones who buy all of their meat at your
shop - they don't buy 90% of their meat at the supermarket, and come to you
for a weekend barby. Your weekend barby buyers as customers are still
vitally important, and you want to service them in such a way that they want
to become clients.

We need to be over-servicing our clients so they remain clients, and our
customers so they want to become clients.  Take the time to identify the
clients in your business - write them down, so you and your team can make
sure that you do continue to over-service them.

Depending on your business over-servicing can mean many different things.
It can mean giving your client a free cup of coffee when they have forgotten
their wallet, it can mean giving them some movie tickets to say 'thank you',
it means giving them 'a bit extra' here and there.  Most of all it means -
putting them first, look after them before anyone else, and make sure you
don't cross them - because a client can grow your business at a rate of
knots by referrals, they can also do damage with complaints.

Take a minute to identify the clients and customers in your business - maybe
its time to 'go the extra mile' for a client or two.

Here's to a great week in business.  TK

Gratitude

It is important to show people when you have gratitude for what they do.

Whether it be a friend or associate that has attended an event that you have organised, or a team member that has gone the extra mile in your business, it is vital to show them that you appreciate that.

Your appreciation can be shown in many ways - perhaps a thankyou card, a gift voucher for dinner or a small gift.

For team members an unexpected bonus is always appreciated.

I like to send out thank-you cards every week. At first it can take time to recognise the things that deserve a thankyou, but if you are aware of your surroundings you should be able to make a mental note of the little extra things that people do.

Once I sent a book to a staff member at a tyre business. I was stuck in Sydney with a flat, of course my car had ‘special’ tyres that were not in stock and needed to be shipped in. The team member that helped me, let me know about every phone call he received about my car, every 15 minutes I waited he came over to see if I was right - do you need a drink, or I just had a call about this, or now we are trying this, or I haven’t had a call yet. Keeping me in the loop meant that I knew what was going on at all times, I not only had no reason to complain, but I was happy to sit there.  And by sit there, I mean sit there for a few hours.  I was so blown away by his service, when I got home to the Gold Coast, I sent him a copy of You Inc, by John McGrath.  He really had the potential to go far, and I hope that he owns that tyre business now.

We should be all striving to provide this type of service in our business - but we should be recognising great service when we receive it too. TJK

The reality of customer service!

There is constant talk about 'customer service' no matter where you turn.  As a business coach, i am constantly reminding my clients about customer service within their business'.  But what is service?  Ask this question, and you will hear a million different answers.  The way I sum it up is simple - customer service is whatever the customer thinks it is.  Whatever they don't expect - in a good way!  


I have a great example to share.  I was in Subway the other day ordering a vege wrap (yes I am a vegetarian - but the sandwich maker didn't know that).  She was making my wrap - and my partners Italian BMT (covered in meat!).  She actually asked me, if I wanted her to change gloves after handling the meat!  THAT'S SERVICE!  It is something that I didn't expect, it was over  and above 95% of experiences I have had like this (I have been offered a chicken sandwich when asking for a vege option!).  

That's what customer service is.  It has gone far beyond 'service with a smile' - we still need to do this, but customer service these days is far exceeding the expectation of the customer.  I fully expect to be greeted nicely, served promptly, without fuss - so when I get this service, I'm not dazzled - I am merely satisfied.  

Are you dazzling your customers? Or merely satisfying them?

tjk