I got a call from the new business account manager at my bank last week;  she called to introduce herself.  I told her I was surprised as I had never received any kind of contact from this bank since I had opened the account.  I also told her that I did not recommend this bank to any of my clients or in my seminars because of the lack of service.

Her response?  Nothing.  She repeated her name and phone number and told me to call her ‘anytime’.  She did not ask any questions about my business or what I did, made no attempt to fix things.  It was obvious that she had been told to call a list of customers and she was going through the motions - nothing more.  She blew a golden opportunity to turn me into a satisfied customer and has, instead, ensured that I will switch to another bank.  And the irony is that I would prefer that the bank fix things, rather than having to switch accounts.

Take a look at your existing customer list - what can you do to make them feel glad to do business with you?  Usually it is as simple as a thank you phone call or a short note of appreciation.  But if you are going to pick up the phone - do it with sincerity and a willingness to fix things.  Otherwise don’t bother.

Who doesn’t love fresh-baked cookies and milk?  I just stumbled over my dream business idea- Insomnia Cookies.   Started in 2003, by some undergrads at the University of Pennsylvania, this combination retail store and delivery service offers fresh-baked cookies to midnight snackers. They also do corporate catering and clothing.  Check out their expansion plans here.  This is a great example of spotting a niche market with a need and going after it.

This summer, I have found that persuasion and influence are key in any business relationship.  In the consumer world, companies often offer some sort of perk or promotion to encourage potential customers. The Apple ipod hook is a good case in point: when students buy a new laptop for school, they receive a “free” ipod.  

In his book titled “Influence: Science and Practice”, Robert Cialdini suggests the best way to get consumers to buy a product is to first offer a promotional gift and then sell the product rather than the other way around.  When a consumer receives such a gift, even as small as a pen or notepad, they feel a sense of obligation to buy the product, even if they dislike the company.  How could this strategy help you to gain more customers?  What small product could you give away to your future customers?  

-Katrina

I had an interesting coaching session with a client last week.  Her business is growing and needed some significant changes to achieve the goals she had set.  In the last 5 weeks she has:

• Hired new sales staff
• Put together a new sales training program
• Created new job descriptions and accountability for existing staff
• Installed a new CRM program
• Hired a company to revamp your e-commerce website
• Set very clear goals on what she wants to accomplish with this company.

As a student returning to school next week, beginning to juggle classes, homework and work, I know that there may be stressful times on the horizon.  In the August edition of Entrepreneur Magazine, there is a great article that gives insight into good stress versus bad stress.  Most people only understand stress as an inhibitor that causes insomnia, depression and increases blood pressure; the results in business are ineffective management and lower productivity.

An entrepreneur can turn this stress into an asset that fuels creativity and spurs ideas.  Focus on the cause, not the outcome, to establish a simple system to address the issue and move on.  Let the initial rush of adrenaline that often marks a situation as stressful be the cue to respond quickly and think clearly.  

-Katrina 

I love this quote.  It is good reminder to all of us, whether self-employed or working for someone else, that we all do need to know how to sell.  Even if your job is not a sales job, you still need to sell.  You work in accounting?  YES, you still need to sell.  You need to sell your boss on that promotion or salary raise you want; you need to sell your clients that you are competent and can do what they need done.  And you need to educate your clients on other services you provide, so they don’t go to your competition because “they didn’t know you did that.”

There is no escaping sales!  If you want to thrive, especially in today’s economy, sharpen up your sales skills. It will pay off more than you realize.

As a young entrepreneur, I am constantly studying other entrepreneurs’ business tactics and strategies.  As the saying goes, the bricklayer never gets around to finishing his chimney and the seamstress rarely sews for herself.  Many people in business don’t take personal advantage of their own expertise. 

 Whether it’s managing, organizing, arranging, consulting or selling – customers or clients may glimpse the entrepreneur’s personal life and see a disconnect.  Most of us are aware of this and I believe it is a big source of stress.  That nagging feeling of “I’ll get around to it,” is an unnecessary burden to carry through the day. 

For the rest of the week, treat yourself like your own client, take the advice and wisdom that you give others - finish laying the bricks on your chimney or complete your unsewn dress.  

-Katrina

Too many times I hear women entrepreneurs give out excuses as to why their business is not doing well.  Case in point - I was chatting with one on Friday and asked her how business is going.  She is still in her first year.  Her reply was -  ”Not well.  I did a big project 2 months ago and they haven’t paid their invoice yet.  This really has discouraged me.”   And then she went on to say how she hasn’t been motivated to look for any new business.  Excuse me??

Building a successful busines is really tough.  Ask any profitable business owner and they will likely tell you they worked harder than they ever had before in their life to get that success.  Making excuses like the woman above only slows you down and gets in your own way.  Things don’t always go smoothly, clients don’t pay on time, you don’t land the contracts you want.  So what?  You can choose to wallow in disappointment or you can get right back at it and go after the next prospect on your list. 

So, if you find yourself on this sunny Monday, making excuses for things you are not happy with in your business - STOP!  Take some action to fix things.

My favourite blog post of this week has to be this article - Running on Fumes .

For all of you women out there who are driving yourself to exhaustion, pay special attention to points #2 and #5!

Life is about enjoyment, not about how much you can accomplish.

I was in LA recently and while there, decided to visit some businesses and see what the customer service experience was like. And here’s what I experienced:
- Ralph’s: Bought a sandwich there, sporting a large sticker saying “Made Fresh in Our Kitchen”. I unwrapped it and then checked the expiry date on the sandwich - 2 days away. The lettuce in that sandwich had transformed into a new, inedible life form. Impressions of Ralph’s: thumbs down - will never buy anything from them again.
- Bloomingdale’s: Beautiful store, great merchandise. However, when I went to make a purchase acted like they were doing me a big favour. Looked totally bored. Impressions of Bloomingdale’s: Not in a rush to go back.
- Target: Passed by the cosmetic section and the sales rep for Boots Cosmetics was there. What awesome customer experience! She was very passionate about her product, extremely knowledgeable, easy to talk to - a fun encounter. I walked away with several products that I had no intention of purchasing when I walked into the store. Impressions of Target: Loved it and will definitely go back.
- It’s a Grind Coffee Shop - was in one at Redondo Beach. Half the parking lot was under construction so business was way down. The owner was in great spirits anyway - great coffee and excellent customer service. He handled all the grumbling about lack of parking pleasantly and handed out freebies to the kids when they walked in with flustered parents. Impressions of It’s A Grind: Two thumbs up - loved the coffee and the service. It’s my favourite coffee hangout in LA now.
JetBlue: My first time flying them. The plane was clean, the seats were comfortable with lots of leg room and the crew had fun with passengers. It was a great experience. Impressions of JetBlue: Thumbs up. They deliver a great customer service experience - a rare thing in the aviation industry today.

As business owners, we often get bogged down in getting the ‘work done’. Make sure you take the time to check out your customer service - are you sure your customers are happy and impressed with your company? You need to check this out on a regular basis. Hire a mystery shopper, get a friend to pose as a customer or talk to your exisitng customers. Find out what they like, what they don’t and how you can improve. Then - take action.