What is ONE THING….

… You can do to improve your productivity?

More and more, I hear my clients say they are finding it harder to make time to do actual work!

They are looking for ways to be more productive and are convinced that they must be doing something wrong. There is no secret “one-size-fits-all” system to address this dilemma, but rather there are many approaches from which to choose. I suggest experimenting and trying various systems and methods to find what fits and works for you and your business.

One powerful suggestion is to develop a routine. Yes! A routine that you follow judiciously. Find a way to systematize your work. Good work habits support you in finding focus and free up your mind from constantly juggling myriad details. A good routine helps to set expectations and develop consistency.

What works against you is to think that you must tackle your overflowing inbox, answer all your voicemails and handle all the follow-up notes you have hanging around before you can get to your real work. You have the mistaken idea that when you are up-to-date, you’ll be able to focus. The reality is that you’ll spend precious time on other people’s agendas. You’ll never get to the end of that impossible to-do list, and you’ll never get to your own agenda.

It won’t get better tomorrow – The one change to make is to block off a large chunk of time each day for your very real projects and work that generates revenue. Start with one hour. No phone calls. No FaceBook. No e-mails. No texts. I know that sounds impossible but trust me, this is powerful, and when you decide to devote the time to this Power Hour, you will be amazed at the results.

When you schedule your Power Hour, decide beforehand what you want to accomplish. Write it down. For instance, finish editing the proposal for Client A. Or, write a letter to XYZ Company. Or, send invoices to 10 clients. Or, write 5 thank you notes to send in this afternoon’s mail. You get the idea. Then at the appointed time, you devote your total attention to the task. I set a timer for an hour. Do this for 2 weeks and I guarantee you will see your productivity increase in amazing ways.

Share your experience…

The post Hour of Power first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

The biggest of these “hidden” assets is your customer list, and it should be the most obvious place to begin leveraging. Let’s take a look at what leveraging really means. This word is used commonly in business settings, and I’ve come to realize that many small business owners don’t really know what it means for them.

A definition of leverage:

The ability to influence a system, or an environment, in a way that multiplies the outcome of ones efforts without a corresponding increase in the consumption of resources. In other words, leverage is the advantageous conditionof having a relatively small amount of cost yield a relatively high level of return.

If you were to leverage your current customer list, what would that mean? Do you know why these customers do business with you? Perhaps that seems an obvious question, but surprisingly, many business owners do not know who is doing business with them or why they are loyal customers.

It makes absolutely superior business sense to know who your most profitable customers/clients are. And, by ensuring that you provide them with excellent service, they will be loyal to you and generate more business.

When these customers/clients are happy, they will most likely refer you to others in their circle.

On a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being, it couldn’t be better–

• How good is your communication with your current, loyal customers?

What is one way that you can increase your communication with them?

• How is your service to them?

What is one way that you can improve your service to them?

• How visible are you to them?

What is one way that you can increase your visibility to them?

• How strong is your relationship with these customers?

What is one action that you can take to strengthen your relationship with your loyal customers?

Your responses to these questions are simple, easy, cost effective ways to leverage your already loyal customers to do more business with you.

The post Are You Leveraging Your Assets? first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

The theme this year is “Everyday Heroes”. Use this week-long opportunity to raise awareness of the service you provide to your customers and to show them your appreciation.

Some suggested ways to create some attention and have fun during Customer Service week:

• Invite customers to enjoy coffee and bagels/muffins/doughnuts one morning.
• Give each employee a badge that says, “I’m an Everyday Hero” to remind them of their commitment to your customers / patients /clients.
• Give certificates of appreciation to your customers.
• Write thank you cards to your customers. Remind them of your service commitment to them.
• Answer the phone with, “Thank you for calling during Customer Service Week. We are here to help you.”
• Recognize your service team for their work on your customers’ behalf.
• Invite customers to come for make-your-own-sundaes one afternoon this week.
• Share what other fun things you plan to do or have done to bring attention to Customer Service week.

The post Customer Service Week first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

When you are in business, every thing matters. Every thing is important. The things that matter are how you interact with your customers or clients, how you follow up to requests, how you market yourself and your business, what systems you employ to run your business, how you pay your vendors. It ALL matters!

The smallest thoughtless gesture might keep a customer from coming back and doing business with you. Or, a small gesture might keep a customer coming back! And, many times you don’t know what that special little thing is…unless, of course, you ask.

When I’ve conducted surveys of customers for large and small companies, the business owners are often surprised at what customers appreciate or what drove them away.

For one company, it surprised the business owner that the fact that his workmen showed up on time and were polite, kept customers coming back.

Another owner learned that his referral of other service-provider businesses was actually hurting his business. His referrals were not following up and those who did were not doing good work. He corrected the perceptions by calling all of his customers who were affected by the shoddy workmanship to apologize and re-establish his connection with them. Not knowing this information was seriously affecting his business and the referrals that weren’t coming because of this.

Take the time to ask your customers and clients a few questions. The information that will be revealed is priceless. Ask questions about your service. When you do business with my company, and me, do you feel well served? Is there anything we can do to make your experience better? Is our follow up adequate?

One of the important ways to differentiate your business from others is in the follow up. Do you call your customers or clients a few days after their interaction with you to assess how happy they are and if there is something that needs your attention? For instance, a few years ago, I had some dental work done. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from the dentist the next day to ask how I was doing? It wasn’t a routine call from his assistant or receptionist. It was the dentist himself who called. Showing you care about your customers, clients or patients is a critical part of showing them that they matter.

When you are tempted to say, “it doesn’t matter”, stop and think. It does matter.

Every thing matters!

The post Every Thing Matters! first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

When I read the statement “Tolerate Nothing” in Thomas Leonard’s article: The Models of the Attraction, I thought how could it be possible to tolerate nothing – no thing. To tolerate nothing seemed to be a tall order. The tolerations referred to by Thomas are those things that you are enduring, not paying attention to or allowing to sap your energy in a non-productive way.

I decided to make a list of my tolerations. I didn’t expect to have a long list. When I reached for a second sheet of paper, I thought there must be something to this tolerate nothing thing. I sorted my list into what could be handled and crossed off quickly and longer term items. For instance, I could clean out the trunk of my car in about 1/2 hour or sort a pile of correspondence in 15 minutes. I made it a priority to eliminate as many tolerations from my list as possible. It felt great when I could cross something off my list and I did this exercise nearly every day for a month.

Then I asked myself if I was tolerating anything in my business. Again, I made a list. Did I forget to mention that I am a relentless list maker? Lists help me to focus and stay on track.

I realized that the tolerations in my business would need the same sort of attention that I paid to the ones in my personal life. You may be asking what was on that list of tolerations? One toleration was meetings that start late because attendees don’t arrive on time. Another was last minute cancellations or rescheduling of meetings. And another toleration was the non-return of borrowed books by my clients and friends. So, how did I eliminate these tolerations?

For the late meetings: I asked the attendees if it was ok with them for meetings to start late and how they felt about late comers. The discussion was quite revealing and each attendee renewed their commitment to being present and prepared to start at the appointed time. We also agreed to start on time even if everyone was not there. Our agreement created a new respect for each other’s time and a much more professional awareness of how timeliness or the lack of it affects everyone.

For cancellation or rescheduling of meetings: I re-read my coaching agreement and tightened up the language so that a notice of 24 hours is appreciated for a change of appointment times. No notice or a no show incurs a payment for my time. The clarification of expectations has been very helpful.

For the non-return of borrowed books: I now put my name and contact information in the books that I allow people borrow and I keep a list just like a library.

Tolerations are costly. When I took inventory of the real and potential costs of my tolerations, it was not insignificant. How much are your tolerations costing you and your business?

The post What Are You Tolerating? first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Since Integrity is such a fundamental requirement for businesses, it is amazing when it is sorely lacking. A recent encounter with a local business has created an amazing example of the total absence of integrity and no understanding of the costs associated with the total lack of common sense. While I do not want to name the business that provided such shabby service to one of my clients, I consider my referral to be the very last one that I will ever send his way. There is no excuse for being an ass and treating people with disrespect.

Let it be known Mr. Businessman that you not only lost my client’s business but she will never refer anyone to you. I will not refer anyone to you. For a lousy few $$, you have hurt the movement to Shop Local. When people try to shop local and are treated with such a lack of respect, you hurt the local economy–shame on you for your lack of integrity.

I am using this recent example of the lack of integrity to heighten the awareness of importance of this value for doing business. How do your customers or clients experience your integrity?

The post I = Integrity first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

“Attention is devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and to honoring the people who serve and support customers with the highest degree of care and professionalism.”

How amazing is that?! Congress recognized that without caring employees who provide excellent service, businesses would suffer. While I think that a more appropriate name for the week’s observance would be “Employee Recognition Week”, it is important to acknowledge what your staff and employees contribute to your business. Even if you are a ‘solo’ business owner, there are people who contribute to your business; a bookkeeper, administrative assistant, computer guru, social media consultant, etc. Take the time to acknowledge each person’s contribution to your business and your customers. There are numerous studies that cite the power that recognition has to motivate employees. Nearly 80% of employees who quit their jobs, do so because they feel unappreciated. While they may say in an exit interview, that they are leaving because of salary or a better offer, the underlying reason is most often a lack of recognition. We all need to feel that our efforts make a difference and a contribution. If we are never acknowledged for our work, demotivation sets in and we need to get that very human need met in some way.

When staff is demoralized, how can the customer be served well? Recognition does not require a trophy or cash, it is about taking the time to verbally thank people for their contribution. A genuine “thank you” from the business owner or manager can make a huge difference in performance and productivity. Knowing how to acknowledge and thank people is a skill worth developing.

Many times, when I suggest to a client that employee acknowledgement is an important part of their work, I hear comments like, “ why should I thank them for just doing their jobs?” or “ if I recognize them too much, they will expect pats on the back all the time.” Those comments drive me to look at the turn-over statistics for the business. Acknowledgement – real and genuine acknowledgement – is a powerful employee and customer retention tool! Use it.

If you don’t know how to provide recognition that is meaningful, learn how. Say, “Thank you” and use the person’s name and be specific about what you are thanking the employee for. Write a ‘thank you’ note. Bring in lunch for the team when you want to recognize effort. Give fun awards or certificates.

Make your “thank you’s” fun for both you and your staff!

Your customers will benefit from your acknowledgement of your staff. A happier staff will mean more satisfied and served customers.

The post Customer Service… It’s About “Thank You” first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Yes, it’s confirmed. We are still in a recession although recovering. There’s no avoiding that reality. And, if you read recent news features, you will see gloom and doom articles warning us of a bigger recession on its way by the end of 2013! Those who encourage business owners to get “back to basics” are loudly shouting that attention to the delivery of excellent customer service will help to keep you in business. There’s been a recent flood of articles relating to customer service in the Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Inc., and too many books to list. The torrent of words to raise service awareness promises increased sales, customer loyalty, increased productivity and greater job satisfaction. This information is not new! When has customer service not mattered? Don’t we all know that without loyal customers, businesses will find themselves with no business?

Teller Gone Bad

An example of a recent customer interaction that was brought to my attention has me wondering if anyone is listening to the business advisors. A colleague shared with me his experience with a local bank in the Carrollwood, FL area. He walked in to make a sizeable deposit. The teller was extremely rude! Without going into the details of the encounter, do you think that he will ever recommend this bank? Do you think he is going to move his account to another bank? How many people will he tell about the less than optimal service? This one teller’s rudeness will effect more than this one customer and no one in this bank’s management is aware of how much business will be lost because of her attitude.

So, why share this one story which is repeated hundreds of times in many businesses every day?

Your Business

My purpose is to bring to your attention how important it is to know what’s going on in your business. How would your customers describe their experience in conducting business with you? Are they treated with warmth and respect? Is each customer viewed as an individual with personal needs? Are your front-line employees, who are your face to your customers, given the latitude to accommodate the needs of your key customers? Or do they need permission to do the right thing?

I am sure that you don’t wake up in the morning and decide to make your customers’ lives miserable. Yet, everyday, many employees (from the front-line to senior managers) make decisions that send customers to the competition.

95% of the time when customers decide to take their business elsewhere, it is because they were not heard. The customer’s voice needs to be heard.

If you want to improve the customer’s experience with your business, then it would appear obvious to focus your attention on the customer. Not so! The focus needs to be on employees. The relationship between employee engagement and the customer experience is where service happens. As Walt Disney observed, if employees are well trained and feel valued, then you can be 98% sure that your customers will receive excellent service.

The rules for employee engagement:

• Provide training
• Make it easy to do the right thing
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Celebrate and reward good customer service
• Give employees a voice

Treating employees with the recognition that they are the lifeblood of your business is so basic and critical. If your employees do not feel valued and appreciated, do you think they will love working for you and be motivated to extend themselves to your customers?

Pay attention to the basics!

The post Customer Service….Bah Humbug? first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

This is a question that has haunted me for over 15 years as I’ve coached many business owners from Florida to California.

My theory is that thriving  businesses are constantly and consistently engaged with their customers and clients and are on the look-out for new customers. They never stop prospecting. So, if there is this simple answer, why do business owners stop engaging with their current customers and stop looking for new customers?

Focus is Lost

One reason for disengagement is the “bog down effect”. Business owners get caught up in relentless paperwork, e-mail, social media, meetings, proposal writing, administrative tasks and all the other distracting trivia that creates overwhelm and chaos. Focus is lost. And yet, these business owners will tell you that they are busy!  On the surface, it appears that they are busy but is their busy-ness directed at keeping their business healthy and thriving?

Prospecting & Engaging

A favorite client, Paul, who had been a very successful realtor, suddenly found himself with no listings.

Why? How could this be?

What we discovered was that he was doing lots of ‘stuff’ but spending no time prospecting for those prized listings. We refocused his attention on the important and relevant activities that had successfully built his business in the past and within 3 months, he had 15 listings and the number grew and doubled as he focused on the important growth of his business.

Paul was so busy about the non-essentials that he had stopped calling and keeping in touch with his clients and his referral base.

Are You Thriving or Are You Busy?

Are you letting this strange phenomenon happen to you?  Are you busy with the non-essentials?  This lack of focus happens when we don’t set good goals and list the activities that are necessary for the accomplishment of that goal.  I know!  It is so basic that it should go without saying, right? Who doesn’t have goals?  I was surprised in my early years as a business coach when a business owner struggled to answer the ‘what are your goals’ question.  Businesses with good goals will more likely thrive than those with vague or even no goals.

Set Goals!

Just because it is basic to success doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter, so take the time to set some good goals for your business.  Set aside time to do this – alone or with your business coach.  Do not assume because  you can think of a goal that it is working for you.  Write it down and stick it in a place where you will see it on a daily basis.  When you start an activity, ask yourself, “ How is this activity moving me forward to the accomplishment of my goals?”  If you can’t come up with an answer, then ask yourself what is the purpose of the activity.  Maybe it is just busy-work and is a distraction. Only you can answer.

Prospecting Makes a Difference

Michael owned a printing company for many years. In his best years, sales were $1.5 million. But with time, there had been a slow erosion of his customer base. His business was shriveling – certainly not thriving.  Here is what we discovered:

• His primary contacts with some of his best customers had left for other jobs or moved away. Their replacements brought in their own suppliers.
• Some of his customers experienced a slowdown in business and reduced the size of their orders.
• A few of his customers stopped ordering completely because their business is off.
• Other customers have been bought out by a larger company or have gone out of business.

The loss of business is usually gradual. Cumulatively, it is devastating.

Michael’s sales were down more than 50% and he was struggling. Profits were down even more. He was getting desperate.

When we started our work together, he was barely able to make ends meet. Why had this happened? One reason was that Michael had stopped prospecting for new customers. In fact, it had been so long since he had looked for new business, he said he had forgotten how to do it! Michael convinced himself that everyone’s business was suffering because of the economy and so he began to live that story and his business was in trouble.

Michael and I learned that he was spending a lot of time with people who were not buyers and were not his target market. His closing ratios were about 15% which meant that 85% of the possible business was not coming to him. We agreed that a more targeted approach could yield better results. With a plan and a list of more detailed and specific questions to better qualify his prospects, Michael started working directly with the decision makers.

His priority was to make phone calls for 90 minutes every morning for the purpose of finding new business. He quickly discovered who the legitimate prospects were and who was just price shopping. He learned that those who called with a request for a rush quote were usually shopping the market. Michael seldom was the preferred vendor in those instances. He learned not to spend his valuable time on the price shoppers.

When he started really paying attention and working his database and prospecting for new business, he found people who wanted to talk with him. He closed sales.  Revenue began flowing in!

Surprisingly, there were many ‘old customers’ who placed new orders with him. One said, “Michael, it’s been a couple of years since you last called on me. I thought you had gone out of business.” Michael’s business is thriving today because he remembers to pay attention to his customers in a strategic way and to be aware of opportunities for new business.

Increase the amount of time you currently spend with your customers and on prospecting for new customers. You will experience a greater increase in sales than you ever thought possible.

Call me to arrange for a strategy session.  It is a complimentary 30 – 45 minutes phone consult in which we uncover possible ways that your business could benefit from your focused attention. I guarantee that you’ll pick up a couple of useful tips. Let me help your business grow! It’s time to “Take Potential to Performance.”

The post Is Your Small Business Thriving? first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

In Ancient Rome, after he built an arch, the engineer in charge was expected to stand beneath it as the scaffolding was removed. If the arch did not hold, he was the first to know! A great example of keeping ownership where it belongs!

In today’s business environment, when business owners keep lifting the weight off the shoulders of their staff, the staff never learns to build their own muscle. Here’s what I’m talking about. When your customers need attention, make sure your employees know how to take care of them. If your employees do not do this well, you are losing market share because customer care and customer service are your only sustainable competitive advantage. If your customers feel the love, they will stay with you. If they don’t, usually they will leave without telling you why.

An example will serve to illustrate the point. A customer (real story) needs to return a few items that were not the correct size for a project. The customer has a receipt and explains the situation. The customer service representative smiles, but her body language is communicating something very different. Annoyance – anger? There is definitely something being communicated and it isn’t, “I value your patronage of our business. Thank you for being our customer.” The transaction is completed with little exchange in the way of spoken words. When the return receipt is handed to the customer, she says, “thank you”, the employee says, “sure”. What would be your reaction to this interchange? Would you be apt to do business with this company again? Or would you think twice about how Little Miss Huffy treated you?

If you were to suggest to LMH (Little Miss Huffy) that she didn’t treat the customer with care and consideration, she would assert that she smiled and performed the transaction according to policy, and she would be correct – right? However, what LMH isn’t acknowledging is her body language and what that communication to the customer. No sharp or angry words were exchanged, but there was a big message in the silence.

When in Rome…

As a business owner, you need to stand under the arch. The arch of your business is how your customers are being treated by your employees. Would your arch hold up? How do you know? Do you really know?

Be careful to know and understand the customer’s story before you criticize the customer to your staff. Your staff needs to witness you speaking well of and supporting your customers. They are precious and valuable assets. Treat them as such.

I hear many small business owners speak disparagingly about their customers, and this is a very dangerous practice. If you find yourself doing this, STOP immediately. This is weakening the arch of your business.

I would love to hear about policies you have in place to protect your most valuable asset…your customers! Feel free to leave me a comment below and if you know someone who might benefit from keeping this idea in mind, please do share this blog with them!

The post When in Rome… first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.