People don't buy services, they buy people! If they don't like you or have trust in you, then people won't buy from you or refer other people to you.
I seem to be having a few pet peeves lately with certain members of a networking group I belong to which is starting to get very frustrating to say the least. This time, it is about only one member who as far as I am concerned is old enough and supposedly a mature professional who should know better.
What is the problem? Without going into all the details, this person has publicly disagreed with me, doesn't listen to what I am saying and doesn't respond to my emails asking for information.
Why is he doing this? I can only guess but the only thing that comes to me is that I am a LOT younger than him and I don't think he likes being told what to do by someone who is technically young enough to be his daughter.
I don't have problems with any of the members of this group on a personal level, but professionally, that is a different story!
If people treat me this way, do you think I am going to buy their services (and this particular members services would come in very handy to me soon)? Do you think I am going to refer my clients and associates to him? A big fat NO is the answer. How can I trust this person with my business or that of my clients and associates with an attitude that isn't professional.
Remember, how people perceive you and your business is reality to them. They won't think you might be having a bad day, hard time of late - they don't care. Now might be the time to review what you clients think of you and your business - for impartial advice and a Virtual Assistant to help you with this task, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
28 September 2006
21 September 2006
Email frustrations
I'm afraid today's post is about a pet peeve of mine but also a very important business tool, so bear with me.
We are in the 21st Century and technology is a daily part of our personal and business lives - whether we like it or not. Nearly all businesses use email as one of their communication tools with their customers, associates and suppliers and advertise this fact on marketing material, websites, business cards etc.
I belong to a networking group and am a member of the Leadership Team. I regularly send out communications to our members via email so that everyone receives the information. What frustrates me though is that a good number of these members don't even look at their emails - even though they advertise a personalised email address on their business cards!
The other annoyance I have is when I specifically ask for information, normally to the benefit of everyone and THEIR business, and I get a big fat zero response.
Well if they can't be bothered to check or respond to my emails, why should I refer business to them? After all, I am one of their potential customers and if they treat me this way, how are they going to treat a paying customer!
I was having a talk with another member of this group who has the same frustrations as me and he said that our members are supposed to be mature business people who are serious about their business. I question whether they are serious business owners as their behaviour and actions speak differently - why should I have confidence and trust in them to be the specialists they are supposed to be?
Please remember that customers can include people who don't actually spend money with you, but they know and refer your future customers!
What is your communication like with all your customers and suppliers? Now might be the perfect opportunity to review your processes and train your staff. To see how CKPA and a Virtual Assistant can help improve communications within your business, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
We are in the 21st Century and technology is a daily part of our personal and business lives - whether we like it or not. Nearly all businesses use email as one of their communication tools with their customers, associates and suppliers and advertise this fact on marketing material, websites, business cards etc.
I belong to a networking group and am a member of the Leadership Team. I regularly send out communications to our members via email so that everyone receives the information. What frustrates me though is that a good number of these members don't even look at their emails - even though they advertise a personalised email address on their business cards!
The other annoyance I have is when I specifically ask for information, normally to the benefit of everyone and THEIR business, and I get a big fat zero response.
Well if they can't be bothered to check or respond to my emails, why should I refer business to them? After all, I am one of their potential customers and if they treat me this way, how are they going to treat a paying customer!
I was having a talk with another member of this group who has the same frustrations as me and he said that our members are supposed to be mature business people who are serious about their business. I question whether they are serious business owners as their behaviour and actions speak differently - why should I have confidence and trust in them to be the specialists they are supposed to be?
Please remember that customers can include people who don't actually spend money with you, but they know and refer your future customers!
What is your communication like with all your customers and suppliers? Now might be the perfect opportunity to review your processes and train your staff. To see how CKPA and a Virtual Assistant can help improve communications within your business, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
14 September 2006
Be an optimistic entrepreneur
By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success
Any seasoned businessperson will tell a fresh faced entrepreneur that he has to have optimism - bucket fulls of it! A pessimistic entrepreneur just doesn’t ring true somehow.
You will find, if you are starting out on the road to self employment, that you are full of optimism, otherwise you would not be taking the steps you have. A healthy dose of optimism is essential to counter all the doom merchants!
You know the standard lines by now, “Do you honestly think you can make a living by doing that?”, “What will happen if your idea fails?”, “How are you going to keep on top of your bills?”
If all entrepreneurs listened to the doubters of this world nothing would have been discovered, invented or businesses opened.
If you aspire to be an entrepreneur then optimism is one quality you must have. It will provide you with the urge to persist during the darkest days. BUT, be careful not to tip the scales too far. A pathological optimist doesn’t necessarily equate to business success. What do I mean by a pathological optimist? Someone who can see no danger; someone who cannot see any downsides; someone with no skepticism or suspicions.
To run a successful business you have to have optimism and pessimism in balance. If you think you are the eternal optimist, go and look for someone who will find faults in your plan; ask the negative thinker for his comments! Only this way will you see the flaws which you were blind to before.
One word of warning - don’t get dragged into a discussion about the points raised. Entering into a debate, or defending your idea, will quickly end what is an important session. Listen, acknowledge and move on, thinking and taking action on what has been raised.
But remember, keep the scales in balance and don’t let them dampen your optimism!
© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/
Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.
For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/
CKPA work with their clients to build effective relationships and offer honest advice to all ideas. We will tell you if we think something is good - or bad. To find out how we can help you and your business with our Virtual Assistant services, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Any seasoned businessperson will tell a fresh faced entrepreneur that he has to have optimism - bucket fulls of it! A pessimistic entrepreneur just doesn’t ring true somehow.
You will find, if you are starting out on the road to self employment, that you are full of optimism, otherwise you would not be taking the steps you have. A healthy dose of optimism is essential to counter all the doom merchants!
You know the standard lines by now, “Do you honestly think you can make a living by doing that?”, “What will happen if your idea fails?”, “How are you going to keep on top of your bills?”
If all entrepreneurs listened to the doubters of this world nothing would have been discovered, invented or businesses opened.
If you aspire to be an entrepreneur then optimism is one quality you must have. It will provide you with the urge to persist during the darkest days. BUT, be careful not to tip the scales too far. A pathological optimist doesn’t necessarily equate to business success. What do I mean by a pathological optimist? Someone who can see no danger; someone who cannot see any downsides; someone with no skepticism or suspicions.
To run a successful business you have to have optimism and pessimism in balance. If you think you are the eternal optimist, go and look for someone who will find faults in your plan; ask the negative thinker for his comments! Only this way will you see the flaws which you were blind to before.
One word of warning - don’t get dragged into a discussion about the points raised. Entering into a debate, or defending your idea, will quickly end what is an important session. Listen, acknowledge and move on, thinking and taking action on what has been raised.
But remember, keep the scales in balance and don’t let them dampen your optimism!
© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/
Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.
For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz/
CKPA work with their clients to build effective relationships and offer honest advice to all ideas. We will tell you if we think something is good - or bad. To find out how we can help you and your business with our Virtual Assistant services, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
07 September 2006
How to keep your customers for life!
By Robert Warlow - Small Business Success
Being in business isn’t just about getting a customer, selling him something and moving onto the next one. It’s all about making sure that your customers keep coming back to you and spend more money!
But how can you make sure that your customers stay customers for life? What strategies can you put into practice to keep bringing them back for more? A planned customer retention programme is something every established small business should have in place. That sounds great, but what is a retention plan and what should it include?
Do the groundwork
Before starting a retention programme, you need to understand where your business stands now as regards its retention track record. Ask yourself these 3 questions:
How many have you lost?
It’s essential you know how many people stop doing business with you at any one time. Keep a database of all your frequent customers; how often they buy; what they buy and in what quantity. Every month review the information and see if you can spot any worrying trends. Has the average order value been declining over the last 3 months? Has one customer’s regular order dried up altogether? If someone orders a large range of items each month but suddenly stops purchasing one particular range, why?
If you can’t track the customers you are loosing, how can you keep them or tempt them back?
Why have they turned their back on you?
Armed with the information on who’s deserting you, the fight back can start in earnest! There are sometimes very good reasons why business can dry up – the owner could have died, moved away, or closed down. Not a lot you can do about that! But what about more worrying reasons? Your product quality has gone downhill; the customer feels he is no longer getting value for money; your general service levels have declined. These are areas you have to know about, so you can get the business back on track.
If you see a slippage in business and you can identify who is contributing to it, then pick up the phone and get talking! Find out what the problem is. If you can bring them back into the fold, then great but if it’s genuinely too late, then at least you have gathered some important knowledge about where the business is going wrong.
What has it cost you?
You may be thinking that the odd customer here and there is not going to have a major impact on your lifestyle. Think again! Remember, it’s not just one sale, it’s a lifetime of sales that you are losing. Supposing a customer spends £1,000,000 per month with you. He walks away into the sunset and you never see him again. Imagine that he could have been doing business with you for the next 20 years – that’s £240,000,000! Interested now? Well you should be!
Working out the financial impact of loosing just one customer can really bring home the impact on the business. This should galvanise you into action and get you working on a retention plan.
Your Retention Plan
Having now convinced you that you need a Customer Retention Plan, what exactly should it include?
I saw a sign in a shop one day, it said, “It’s not how many come in, it’s how many come back that’s important.” Doesn’t that say it all!
© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.
For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
CKPA can help any business keep in touch with its customers and provide a professional image. Contact us now to discuss your needs.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
Being in business isn’t just about getting a customer, selling him something and moving onto the next one. It’s all about making sure that your customers keep coming back to you and spend more money!
But how can you make sure that your customers stay customers for life? What strategies can you put into practice to keep bringing them back for more? A planned customer retention programme is something every established small business should have in place. That sounds great, but what is a retention plan and what should it include?
Do the groundwork
Before starting a retention programme, you need to understand where your business stands now as regards its retention track record. Ask yourself these 3 questions:
- Do you know how many customers you have lost in the last 12 months?
- If you do know how many, do you know why they stopped dealing with you?
- Have you ever quantified the impact these losses have had on your bottom line?
How many have you lost?
It’s essential you know how many people stop doing business with you at any one time. Keep a database of all your frequent customers; how often they buy; what they buy and in what quantity. Every month review the information and see if you can spot any worrying trends. Has the average order value been declining over the last 3 months? Has one customer’s regular order dried up altogether? If someone orders a large range of items each month but suddenly stops purchasing one particular range, why?
If you can’t track the customers you are loosing, how can you keep them or tempt them back?
Why have they turned their back on you?
Armed with the information on who’s deserting you, the fight back can start in earnest! There are sometimes very good reasons why business can dry up – the owner could have died, moved away, or closed down. Not a lot you can do about that! But what about more worrying reasons? Your product quality has gone downhill; the customer feels he is no longer getting value for money; your general service levels have declined. These are areas you have to know about, so you can get the business back on track.
If you see a slippage in business and you can identify who is contributing to it, then pick up the phone and get talking! Find out what the problem is. If you can bring them back into the fold, then great but if it’s genuinely too late, then at least you have gathered some important knowledge about where the business is going wrong.
What has it cost you?
You may be thinking that the odd customer here and there is not going to have a major impact on your lifestyle. Think again! Remember, it’s not just one sale, it’s a lifetime of sales that you are losing. Supposing a customer spends £1,000,000 per month with you. He walks away into the sunset and you never see him again. Imagine that he could have been doing business with you for the next 20 years – that’s £240,000,000! Interested now? Well you should be!
Working out the financial impact of loosing just one customer can really bring home the impact on the business. This should galvanise you into action and get you working on a retention plan.
Your Retention Plan
Having now convinced you that you need a Customer Retention Plan, what exactly should it include?
- Have a system in place which allows you to answer all the questions we have just reviewed. Understand what is going on in the business, so you can identify and put matters right. Make sure you know who you lost, why you lost them and how much it has and will cost you
- Get your staff together on a regular basis and remind them of the importance of retaining your customers. If you don’t get them on board then you have no hope
- During your staff meetings hold brainstorming sessions so everyone can come up with ideas on how to hold onto your customers
- Implement the good ideas and measure the results so you know what is working and what is not
I saw a sign in a shop one day, it said, “It’s not how many come in, it’s how many come back that’s important.” Doesn’t that say it all!
© Robert Warlow - Small Business Success www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to the Small Business Success, a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.
For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
CKPA can help any business keep in touch with its customers and provide a professional image. Contact us now to discuss your needs.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
04 September 2006
Small business challenges
I run my own successful Virtual Assistant practice providing professional secretarial, creative and administrative support to individuals and businesses.
As a small business owner myself, I can totally understand the challenges that we all have to face. For example, what do business owners do with their administrative tasks when they are busy, overloaded with work, on holiday etc?
By hiring the services of a Virtual Assistant, they could free up their valuable time to focus on other tasks for their business, achieve better work / life balance, go on a much needed holiday - all in the safe knowledge that your business is taken care of by a professional partner.
To find out exactly how a CKPA Virtual Assistant can help you MAKE more money and SAVE money, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
As a small business owner myself, I can totally understand the challenges that we all have to face. For example, what do business owners do with their administrative tasks when they are busy, overloaded with work, on holiday etc?
By hiring the services of a Virtual Assistant, they could free up their valuable time to focus on other tasks for their business, achieve better work / life balance, go on a much needed holiday - all in the safe knowledge that your business is taken care of by a professional partner.
To find out exactly how a CKPA Virtual Assistant can help you MAKE more money and SAVE money, contact us now.
Until next time,
Emma Walker
CKPA Office Solutions
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