Running a business requires a certain skill set. Whether you are a CEO of a major corporation or a manager at a store, you need to have leadership skills, and you need to know how to use them. Even if you have these skills, you might find that you fall prey to common mistakes that leaders in business environments often make. If you want to be an effective leader, it is important that you be aware of common pitfalls and avoid small mistakes that can undermine your authority. The following are six examples of errors that can derail you.
In addition to avoiding common mistakes, focus on fostering the qualities that make leaders effective. Work on fostering trust and loyalty in the workplace between yourself and your employees. Prioritize transparency and accountability at all levels of your staff. These ideals—in addition to awareness of the following common missteps—will make your leadership endeavors much more successful.
Trying to Be a Friend
It’s a common debate whether an employee can truly be friends with their boss. When you come to work and enjoy the company of your staff, that might seem like a friendship, but the power imbalance created by your role as a leader makes it a little bit more complicated. Regardless of whether bosses and staff can be friends, this should never be your motive when you come into work. Do not approach your employees as potential friends and social buddies. Approach them as your professional colleagues and collaborators. This can help you avoid any emotional complication and blurred boundaries.
Playing Favorites
Playing favorites is yet another dangerous endeavor that too many leaders mistakenly engage in at work. Of course, it is only natural that you will have a better relationship with those employees who exhibit better performance and are productive employees. To make a professional preference known, however, only serves to demoralize the rest of your employees. If you want your whole team to succeed, make it known that you value them all equally. Do not give any preferential treatment to a single staff member. Doing so will only cause strife and frustration throughout the workplace.
Lacking a Major Strategy
The day-to-day minutia of running a business can be overwhelming, and it may feel as though putting out little fires prevents you from focusing on any major strategy. If you do not center your efforts strategically, though, you cannot expect to get much accomplished. It is vital that you develop a specific approach to your leadership responsibilities and maintain that focus throughout your work. This is the approach that professionals such as Don Gayhardt have built successful businesses with. Rather than getting caught up in little issues, focus on the big picture with a professional strategy.
Lack of Direction
It is important to be very clear with your employees regarding what is expected of them and how they should complete their job. If you develop a definitive strategy for your work but do not impart this strategy to your staff, it is essentially useless. As a leader, you should always be directing and leading the rest of your company to ensure everybody is on the same page and working towards the same goals. To this end, schedule daily or weekly meetings to establish goals for all staff members. This eliminates ambiguity regarding responsibility and ensures everybody is treated equally.
Setting Unclear Standards
Professionals such as Don Gayhardt have excelled in business for more reasons that one. Perhaps the biggest catalyst, though, is a set of consistent leadership principles that guide business actions and decisions. One of the most important leadership principles is the responsibility you have to maintain clear standards for your employees. There should be no ambiguity when it comes to what you expect from your staff and how they should be performing in the workplace. If there are questions, you should always make yourself available to answer them and provide professional clarity to your employees.
Delegating Too Much or Too Little
Delegating is one of the most basic tasks leaders must engage in. You cannot possibly do everything you are responsible for, and that is why you have a team of capable professionals to help and report back to you. Too many business leaders, though, make the mistake of either delegating too much or too little—and these are equally problematic offenses. If you put off all of your responsibilities on staff, they will notice and become resentful. On the other hand, if you hesitate to share responsibilities, you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work.
No leader is perfect, but there are some essential principles you can follow to become better. More importantly, you can avoid common mistakes and pitfalls to ensure that you are not sabotaging yourself with simple errors. Familiarizing yourself with the aforementioned six common mistakes is a good place to start in your pursuit of effective leadership techniques.
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Being a business owner, whether it is a small company or a larger one, is one of the most challenging activities, which is one of the reasons why not everyone can launch a business and make it work long-term. Entrepreneurs have a lot of commitments and daily responsibilities to take care of; besides having the necessary knowledge and skills to start a business, one has to be truly organized and know how to establish relationships with workers. As no one likes working in a disorganized environment, it is important to make changes to the workplace. It is a well-known fact the productivity of the employees is often linked to the environment where they have to perform their tasks.
Optimizing that space and making it look and feel as comfortable and welcoming as possible should be the main priority for business owners. Making a small investment is worth it in this case because your workforce will appreciate your effort and your company will benefit a lot from that. Contrary to popular belief, improving the work environment does not always involve spending large amounts of money. With the help of some simple yet effective tips, business owners can improve the mood, drive, and performance of their workers.
Hire Great Team Members
In order to be able to make a business work, it is essential to hire the best professionals out there. The hiring process is the first step to creating a great work environment. Generally, professional people have a positive attitude and know how to handle difficult situations. If you already have a team of workers, you might want to take some time and assess their work performance. Don’t be afraid to let go of those who are not good enough for your company. You want to avoid hiring toxic workers at all costs as they will easily transform the general atmosphere from a normal one to a negative one, which will decrease the productivity of your workforce. Let poisonous employees go no matter how hard it is for you.
Improve Communication
Working as a team leads to success. As a business owner, you need to be careful when communicating with your team members as your message can be misunderstood. A simple way of motivating workers to become better is by making them feel valued and giving them positive feedback. Your employees need to understand that their work is very valuable and it contributes to the success of your business. Moreover, they need to be able to establish connections between them and know how to communicate effectively. Improving communication is simple if you keep your employee’s feedback in mind. Ask them how they feel about this aspect and think of ways of showing gratitude for their work.
Create a Comfortable Office
One of the most important aspects that provide great results is the office where your employees perform their work. You need to make sure that little aspects such as lighting and office furniture are comfortable enough for your workforce. Working in a clean, organized office can have great effects on the team members and their relationships with both you and each other. For example, you need to allow employees to work in a comfortable place, whether it is a certain area of the office or a standing desk. If the furniture of your office is considered “bad” or “uncomfortable” by the workers, they will be less productive. A virtual office is a great option in this case because they are a lot cheaper and provide all kinds of facilities.
Add a Nice Smell
According to academic studies, there is a close relationship between certain scents and memories. They found that certain scents can have a positive impact on people. Although different people can react in different ways to certain smells, there are subtle scents that add to the overall atmosphere. Therefore, if you’re working with traditional office space, you can add a few flowers and plants to each corner of the office. For a fresh and clean atmosphere, you can count on air fresheners. However, opening windows or burning a scented candle has a great effect as well. A cheap bouquet of fresh cut flowers works wonders in any office. It does not only elevate the aesthetics of the place, but it also provides a fresh smell.
Schedule Breaks
Breaks are an important part of the workday. Most workers tend to stare at their screen for a long period of time without taking any breaks for their eyes. You should encourage your employees to take regular eye breaks each time they get a chance. Even a few moments of looking away can make a big difference for the health of their eyes. At the same time, it is just as important to step away from what you are doing. When you step away from your work and focus on your surroundings, you come back with a fresh pair of eyes and mind. You can create a relaxing room where workers can play games, chat or listen to music while they are on their lunch break. Make sure breaks take place often in so that you can prevent burnout.
Water and Snacks
Work days are long and tiring, and people need to stay hydrated all through the day. Nonetheless, water is a pain to drink for some. A great way of motivating people to drink water while they work is by adding a bottle next to their desk. Water improves brain functioning, prevents headaches and makes you feel fresh. As plain water is boring for some, it might be a good idea to provide workers with either flavored water or lemon and fresh mint so that they can prepare lemonade. Moreover, taking a few short snack breaks is just as important when it comes to improving the work environment and the general atmosphere. Workers are encouraged to disconnect from work, communicate with one another and leave their chairs for a few minutes.
No matter where you work, you need to make an effort to create a comfortable space. These tips might come in handy whether you are a business owner or a simple worker. They can be easily customized to your needs as there is no strict recipe for success.
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There are many advantages to having an online presence for your business, even if you don’t plan to sell products online. Today, having a business website is as important as having a telephone number for customers to reach you on, if not more so. Research indicates that 6/10 consumers expect brands to have some form of online content, whether those companies operate on a local or global scale.
If you don’t already have a business site, now’s the time to step into the online world and start growing your brand. Here are five ways a website could drive your business forward and help secure its future.
Your Business Will Show Up In Search Engines
Many business owners swear they get along just fine without a website or social media presence; perhaps you know one yourself. While their claims may be true, imagine how much better those companies could be doing if they took the time to invest in a website. Now that we collect data on what consumers search for (as well as where, when and how they spend their time and money online) we can tailor online content to ensure it shows up in search engine results. Therefore, having a website will improve visibility and drive more sales to your bottom line. For advice on improving your website ranking, read this Forbes article.
You Will Benefit From the ROBO Effect
You may or may not have heard of the ROBO effect, but the concept is pretty simple. ROBO stands for “research online, buy online,” and it stems from the fact that 81% of 18-34 year-olds follow this consumer trend. Think about the times you’ve needed to buy something specific. More often than not, you would have used a search engine and found your way to an online shopping cart. It’s easy, convenient, and the fastest way to assess all your price options. Do you want to miss out on the 42% of global consumers who shop this way? Of course not, which is why you need a website.
SEO Can Boost Your Rankings
With so much competition out there, you will only remain visible online if you use some search engine optimization tactics. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a way of making sure your business shows up in Google’s indexes by creating optimized content, building relevant links and setting yourself up as a market leader in your niche. It is possible to learn the basics of SEO on your own, but few business owners have the time and resources to do this. Most will use a third-party company to stay on top of their SEO, website and other Internet profiles. Companies like Data Design Systems will work with your business to create an eye-catching, smart website design with optimized pages and content to ensure you stay relevant. For more information, visit datadesignsystems.com.
Email Opt-Ins Will Grow Your Client Base
Even if you don’t own a website or social media profile, you probably still use email for your business. Having an opt-in button on your site allows you to collect email addresses from clients, industry contacts and prospective customers so you can keep them updated on your latest deals and promotions. You can even automate the process to cut down on manual tasks. The best way to collect email addresses using your website is to create an incentive for people to sign up – perhaps money off one of your products or a gift or trial of your services? An email list could end up being one of your business’s strongest sales tools, so don’t miss out.
Your Business Can Operate 24/7
Your website is essentially a storefront for your business that is always open; this means customers can research and buy products while you’re sleeping, creating plenty of passive income opportunities. What’s more, customers will always have a way to contact you, no matter the time of day. Studies show that the rise of globalization and millennial culture means that businesses need to operate 24/7 to stay competitive. Recent research indicates that three-quarters of consumers worldwide expect their queries to be dealt with on the same day, while half expect a reply in as little as one hour. As a business, you must respond to these changing demands if you want to survive in your market.
Conclusion
Rather than seeing the need for a website as another pressure on your business, you should seize the opportunity to grow your company’s online presence and tap into the millennial market. Having a well-designed, user-friendly website will give your business credibility, making it easier for consumers to find you, shop with you and spread the word about your offering.
The question is not whether you should create a website for your business, it’s when to make that all-important step toward your company’s future.
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It does not matter what type of business you have, sometimes it starts to feel a bit stale and as though it needs an uplift of some sort. This can often be achieved by better performances from your employees, who may be feeling a bit lackluster from doing the same job every day. They may need motivation to help them improve their techniques, and you may need help to assist you with improving your management skills.
Align Them to a Common Goal
Aligning your staff towards a common goal is vital if your business is to grow and succeed. This process often starts at management level, as if you involve your managers in the strategy, it will soon be passed on to the rest of the staff. The manager’s role includes the task of supervising the employees in their group to ensure that work is finished on time and on budget. This will happen if team members are working together, which has been proved by using this strategy at Rolls Royce. They have seen improved collaboration, enhancing its reputation for luxury and quality, and a report by the Harvard Business Review showed that 70% of employees were in favor of working this way.
Communicating your vision for the future of your business can have very positive results.
Deal with the Problems
If a member of staff informs you or their manager about a problem, no matter how minor it might seem, it should be dealt with as soon as possible. Do not shrug your shoulders when someone tells you they have lost the My Favorites Toolbar on their computer, go to Myfavoritestoolbar.net and find out how to correct it. This might seem a trivial matter to you but dealing with their minor issues as well as any major ones will make them feel that you value them as a member of your team.
When a member of staff does not feel they are taken for granted, they will work more efficiently and help towards that common goal.
Keep Them Informed of Progress
Once the goals have been set, you should keep your employees informed of the results. Knowing if they are performing well can help them to aim even higher, and if they surpass the level of business that was being aimed for, they will all feel much happier in their work. Also, in letting them know what has been achieved, you are still involving them and that matters where employees are concerned. Keeping staff regularly informed of the progress of the plans, and when changes happen, helps to maintain engagement and make them more productive.
You should listen to their opinions as well. When they are working with your customers, they may well have ideas that you, sitting in your boss’s office, would never have even thought of. Do not fall for the mistake of not realizing just how clever some of your employees are, and what a help they can be to your business if you just listen to what they have to say.
It could be that your product or service needs improving to help your business grow, but first of all, look at how you can improve the performance of your staff, as that could be all that is needed.
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Customers are the backbone of any company; they drive a business forward, and they can be the difference between success and failure. Therefore, to make it in the nail-biting world of business, regardless of industry, you need to first and foremost, keep your customers truly happy.
There are a variety of ways you can accomplish this task. From making sure every customer feels appreciated and valued to ensuring you don’t promise a product or service which you simply can’t deliver, looking after every customer, both current and potential, needs to be your priority, year in, year out. By doing so, you can rest assured that you’ll be rewarded with loyalty and positive word of mouth recommendations. After all, who doesn’t want to do business with someone who makes you feel like you’re number one?
Offer Rewards
Who doesn’t love a freebie? Customers respond well to free giveaways and a chance to win something valuable. On your website and blog, advertise how you’re planning to give something away for free and explain how clients can go about winning it. Try not to be cryptic about what you’re giving away. Instead, be transparent so that individuals know what they could win so they can decide whether they want to enter or not. Opt into a customer rewards program such as the one offered through Sparkage to keep your customers returning to your business time and time again; click here to discover more about how this can work for your company.
Refrain From Over Promising
Try not to claim that your services are the best available on the market unless they definitely are and you have evidence to prove it. You need to find a tone that communicates your intentions, and how you can promise excellence but not perfection, again, unless you can. Be open, honest, and transparent with customers so that they know what to expect.
Let Them Know They’re Valued
Customers like to know that you appreciate them and that they’re valuable to you. You need to demonstrate just how instrumental they are to your success by keeping them up to date with what’s happening in your company. Send them regular updates via email if they’ve opted in to receive newsletters and information about press releases, for example. Encourage new and existing clients to join a mailing list in which you’ll tell them when you’re having flash sales or offering deals and discounts. Email is a great way to get a message across to customers that don’t frequently use social media.
Call Them
Ring your customers to find out more about the interaction with you and ask for their thoughts and opinions. If you receive a complaint, then ensure that it is followed up appropriately and sorted as soon as possible. Communicate with the customers directly if possible and if not, then schedule a time to call them and discuss where they think you could improve. Never call multiple times throughout the day, as you don’t want to be a nuisance. If you don’t get through to your customer on the first try, then leave a message and explain that you’ll try calling at a more convenient time the next day, for example.
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6 Common Leadership Mistakes in Business
/in Management & Leadership/by StrategyDrivenRunning a business requires a certain skill set. Whether you are a CEO of a major corporation or a manager at a store, you need to have leadership skills, and you need to know how to use them. Even if you have these skills, you might find that you fall prey to common mistakes that leaders in business environments often make. If you want to be an effective leader, it is important that you be aware of common pitfalls and avoid small mistakes that can undermine your authority. The following are six examples of errors that can derail you.
In addition to avoiding common mistakes, focus on fostering the qualities that make leaders effective. Work on fostering trust and loyalty in the workplace between yourself and your employees. Prioritize transparency and accountability at all levels of your staff. These ideals—in addition to awareness of the following common missteps—will make your leadership endeavors much more successful.
Trying to Be a Friend
It’s a common debate whether an employee can truly be friends with their boss. When you come to work and enjoy the company of your staff, that might seem like a friendship, but the power imbalance created by your role as a leader makes it a little bit more complicated. Regardless of whether bosses and staff can be friends, this should never be your motive when you come into work. Do not approach your employees as potential friends and social buddies. Approach them as your professional colleagues and collaborators. This can help you avoid any emotional complication and blurred boundaries.
Playing Favorites
Playing favorites is yet another dangerous endeavor that too many leaders mistakenly engage in at work. Of course, it is only natural that you will have a better relationship with those employees who exhibit better performance and are productive employees. To make a professional preference known, however, only serves to demoralize the rest of your employees. If you want your whole team to succeed, make it known that you value them all equally. Do not give any preferential treatment to a single staff member. Doing so will only cause strife and frustration throughout the workplace.
Lacking a Major Strategy
The day-to-day minutia of running a business can be overwhelming, and it may feel as though putting out little fires prevents you from focusing on any major strategy. If you do not center your efforts strategically, though, you cannot expect to get much accomplished. It is vital that you develop a specific approach to your leadership responsibilities and maintain that focus throughout your work. This is the approach that professionals such as Don Gayhardt have built successful businesses with. Rather than getting caught up in little issues, focus on the big picture with a professional strategy.
Lack of Direction
It is important to be very clear with your employees regarding what is expected of them and how they should complete their job. If you develop a definitive strategy for your work but do not impart this strategy to your staff, it is essentially useless. As a leader, you should always be directing and leading the rest of your company to ensure everybody is on the same page and working towards the same goals. To this end, schedule daily or weekly meetings to establish goals for all staff members. This eliminates ambiguity regarding responsibility and ensures everybody is treated equally.
Setting Unclear Standards
Professionals such as Don Gayhardt have excelled in business for more reasons that one. Perhaps the biggest catalyst, though, is a set of consistent leadership principles that guide business actions and decisions. One of the most important leadership principles is the responsibility you have to maintain clear standards for your employees. There should be no ambiguity when it comes to what you expect from your staff and how they should be performing in the workplace. If there are questions, you should always make yourself available to answer them and provide professional clarity to your employees.
Delegating Too Much or Too Little
Delegating is one of the most basic tasks leaders must engage in. You cannot possibly do everything you are responsible for, and that is why you have a team of capable professionals to help and report back to you. Too many business leaders, though, make the mistake of either delegating too much or too little—and these are equally problematic offenses. If you put off all of your responsibilities on staff, they will notice and become resentful. On the other hand, if you hesitate to share responsibilities, you will quickly find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work.
No leader is perfect, but there are some essential principles you can follow to become better. More importantly, you can avoid common mistakes and pitfalls to ensure that you are not sabotaging yourself with simple errors. Familiarizing yourself with the aforementioned six common mistakes is a good place to start in your pursuit of effective leadership techniques.
Great Ways To Improve Your Work Environment
/in Entrepreneurship, Talent Management/by StrategyDrivenOptimizing that space and making it look and feel as comfortable and welcoming as possible should be the main priority for business owners. Making a small investment is worth it in this case because your workforce will appreciate your effort and your company will benefit a lot from that. Contrary to popular belief, improving the work environment does not always involve spending large amounts of money. With the help of some simple yet effective tips, business owners can improve the mood, drive, and performance of their workers.
Hire Great Team Members
In order to be able to make a business work, it is essential to hire the best professionals out there. The hiring process is the first step to creating a great work environment. Generally, professional people have a positive attitude and know how to handle difficult situations. If you already have a team of workers, you might want to take some time and assess their work performance. Don’t be afraid to let go of those who are not good enough for your company. You want to avoid hiring toxic workers at all costs as they will easily transform the general atmosphere from a normal one to a negative one, which will decrease the productivity of your workforce. Let poisonous employees go no matter how hard it is for you.
Improve Communication
Working as a team leads to success. As a business owner, you need to be careful when communicating with your team members as your message can be misunderstood. A simple way of motivating workers to become better is by making them feel valued and giving them positive feedback. Your employees need to understand that their work is very valuable and it contributes to the success of your business. Moreover, they need to be able to establish connections between them and know how to communicate effectively. Improving communication is simple if you keep your employee’s feedback in mind. Ask them how they feel about this aspect and think of ways of showing gratitude for their work.
Create a Comfortable Office
One of the most important aspects that provide great results is the office where your employees perform their work. You need to make sure that little aspects such as lighting and office furniture are comfortable enough for your workforce. Working in a clean, organized office can have great effects on the team members and their relationships with both you and each other. For example, you need to allow employees to work in a comfortable place, whether it is a certain area of the office or a standing desk. If the furniture of your office is considered “bad” or “uncomfortable” by the workers, they will be less productive. A virtual office is a great option in this case because they are a lot cheaper and provide all kinds of facilities.
Add a Nice Smell
According to academic studies, there is a close relationship between certain scents and memories. They found that certain scents can have a positive impact on people. Although different people can react in different ways to certain smells, there are subtle scents that add to the overall atmosphere. Therefore, if you’re working with traditional office space, you can add a few flowers and plants to each corner of the office. For a fresh and clean atmosphere, you can count on air fresheners. However, opening windows or burning a scented candle has a great effect as well. A cheap bouquet of fresh cut flowers works wonders in any office. It does not only elevate the aesthetics of the place, but it also provides a fresh smell.
Schedule Breaks
Breaks are an important part of the workday. Most workers tend to stare at their screen for a long period of time without taking any breaks for their eyes. You should encourage your employees to take regular eye breaks each time they get a chance. Even a few moments of looking away can make a big difference for the health of their eyes. At the same time, it is just as important to step away from what you are doing. When you step away from your work and focus on your surroundings, you come back with a fresh pair of eyes and mind. You can create a relaxing room where workers can play games, chat or listen to music while they are on their lunch break. Make sure breaks take place often in so that you can prevent burnout.
Water and Snacks
Work days are long and tiring, and people need to stay hydrated all through the day. Nonetheless, water is a pain to drink for some. A great way of motivating people to drink water while they work is by adding a bottle next to their desk. Water improves brain functioning, prevents headaches and makes you feel fresh. As plain water is boring for some, it might be a good idea to provide workers with either flavored water or lemon and fresh mint so that they can prepare lemonade. Moreover, taking a few short snack breaks is just as important when it comes to improving the work environment and the general atmosphere. Workers are encouraged to disconnect from work, communicate with one another and leave their chairs for a few minutes.
No matter where you work, you need to make an effort to create a comfortable space. These tips might come in handy whether you are a business owner or a simple worker. They can be easily customized to your needs as there is no strict recipe for success.
How a Website Can Drive Your Business Forward
/in Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Sales/by StrategyDrivenIf you don’t already have a business site, now’s the time to step into the online world and start growing your brand. Here are five ways a website could drive your business forward and help secure its future.
Your Business Will Show Up In Search Engines
Many business owners swear they get along just fine without a website or social media presence; perhaps you know one yourself. While their claims may be true, imagine how much better those companies could be doing if they took the time to invest in a website. Now that we collect data on what consumers search for (as well as where, when and how they spend their time and money online) we can tailor online content to ensure it shows up in search engine results. Therefore, having a website will improve visibility and drive more sales to your bottom line. For advice on improving your website ranking, read this Forbes article.
You Will Benefit From the ROBO Effect
You may or may not have heard of the ROBO effect, but the concept is pretty simple. ROBO stands for “research online, buy online,” and it stems from the fact that 81% of 18-34 year-olds follow this consumer trend. Think about the times you’ve needed to buy something specific. More often than not, you would have used a search engine and found your way to an online shopping cart. It’s easy, convenient, and the fastest way to assess all your price options. Do you want to miss out on the 42% of global consumers who shop this way? Of course not, which is why you need a website.
SEO Can Boost Your Rankings
With so much competition out there, you will only remain visible online if you use some search engine optimization tactics. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a way of making sure your business shows up in Google’s indexes by creating optimized content, building relevant links and setting yourself up as a market leader in your niche. It is possible to learn the basics of SEO on your own, but few business owners have the time and resources to do this. Most will use a third-party company to stay on top of their SEO, website and other Internet profiles. Companies like Data Design Systems will work with your business to create an eye-catching, smart website design with optimized pages and content to ensure you stay relevant. For more information, visit datadesignsystems.com.
Email Opt-Ins Will Grow Your Client Base
Even if you don’t own a website or social media profile, you probably still use email for your business. Having an opt-in button on your site allows you to collect email addresses from clients, industry contacts and prospective customers so you can keep them updated on your latest deals and promotions. You can even automate the process to cut down on manual tasks. The best way to collect email addresses using your website is to create an incentive for people to sign up – perhaps money off one of your products or a gift or trial of your services? An email list could end up being one of your business’s strongest sales tools, so don’t miss out.
Your Business Can Operate 24/7
Your website is essentially a storefront for your business that is always open; this means customers can research and buy products while you’re sleeping, creating plenty of passive income opportunities. What’s more, customers will always have a way to contact you, no matter the time of day. Studies show that the rise of globalization and millennial culture means that businesses need to operate 24/7 to stay competitive. Recent research indicates that three-quarters of consumers worldwide expect their queries to be dealt with on the same day, while half expect a reply in as little as one hour. As a business, you must respond to these changing demands if you want to survive in your market.
Conclusion
Rather than seeing the need for a website as another pressure on your business, you should seize the opportunity to grow your company’s online presence and tap into the millennial market. Having a well-designed, user-friendly website will give your business credibility, making it easier for consumers to find you, shop with you and spread the word about your offering.
The question is not whether you should create a website for your business, it’s when to make that all-important step toward your company’s future.
Are You Looking for Advice to Improve the Performance of Your Business?
/in Business Performance Assessment Program, Entrepreneurship, Professional Development/by StrategyDrivenAlign Them to a Common Goal
Aligning your staff towards a common goal is vital if your business is to grow and succeed. This process often starts at management level, as if you involve your managers in the strategy, it will soon be passed on to the rest of the staff. The manager’s role includes the task of supervising the employees in their group to ensure that work is finished on time and on budget. This will happen if team members are working together, which has been proved by using this strategy at Rolls Royce. They have seen improved collaboration, enhancing its reputation for luxury and quality, and a report by the Harvard Business Review showed that 70% of employees were in favor of working this way.
Communicating your vision for the future of your business can have very positive results.
Deal with the Problems
If a member of staff informs you or their manager about a problem, no matter how minor it might seem, it should be dealt with as soon as possible. Do not shrug your shoulders when someone tells you they have lost the My Favorites Toolbar on their computer, go to Myfavoritestoolbar.net and find out how to correct it. This might seem a trivial matter to you but dealing with their minor issues as well as any major ones will make them feel that you value them as a member of your team.
When a member of staff does not feel they are taken for granted, they will work more efficiently and help towards that common goal.
Keep Them Informed of Progress
Once the goals have been set, you should keep your employees informed of the results. Knowing if they are performing well can help them to aim even higher, and if they surpass the level of business that was being aimed for, they will all feel much happier in their work. Also, in letting them know what has been achieved, you are still involving them and that matters where employees are concerned. Keeping staff regularly informed of the progress of the plans, and when changes happen, helps to maintain engagement and make them more productive.
You should listen to their opinions as well. When they are working with your customers, they may well have ideas that you, sitting in your boss’s office, would never have even thought of. Do not fall for the mistake of not realizing just how clever some of your employees are, and what a help they can be to your business if you just listen to what they have to say.
It could be that your product or service needs improving to help your business grow, but first of all, look at how you can improve the performance of your staff, as that could be all that is needed.
How To Keep Your Customers Truly Happy
/in Customer Relationship Management/by StrategyDrivenThere are a variety of ways you can accomplish this task. From making sure every customer feels appreciated and valued to ensuring you don’t promise a product or service which you simply can’t deliver, looking after every customer, both current and potential, needs to be your priority, year in, year out. By doing so, you can rest assured that you’ll be rewarded with loyalty and positive word of mouth recommendations. After all, who doesn’t want to do business with someone who makes you feel like you’re number one?
Offer Rewards
Who doesn’t love a freebie? Customers respond well to free giveaways and a chance to win something valuable. On your website and blog, advertise how you’re planning to give something away for free and explain how clients can go about winning it. Try not to be cryptic about what you’re giving away. Instead, be transparent so that individuals know what they could win so they can decide whether they want to enter or not. Opt into a customer rewards program such as the one offered through Sparkage to keep your customers returning to your business time and time again; click here to discover more about how this can work for your company.
Refrain From Over Promising
Try not to claim that your services are the best available on the market unless they definitely are and you have evidence to prove it. You need to find a tone that communicates your intentions, and how you can promise excellence but not perfection, again, unless you can. Be open, honest, and transparent with customers so that they know what to expect.
Let Them Know They’re Valued
Customers like to know that you appreciate them and that they’re valuable to you. You need to demonstrate just how instrumental they are to your success by keeping them up to date with what’s happening in your company. Send them regular updates via email if they’ve opted in to receive newsletters and information about press releases, for example. Encourage new and existing clients to join a mailing list in which you’ll tell them when you’re having flash sales or offering deals and discounts. Email is a great way to get a message across to customers that don’t frequently use social media.
Call Them
Ring your customers to find out more about the interaction with you and ask for their thoughts and opinions. If you receive a complaint, then ensure that it is followed up appropriately and sorted as soon as possible. Communicate with the customers directly if possible and if not, then schedule a time to call them and discuss where they think you could improve. Never call multiple times throughout the day, as you don’t want to be a nuisance. If you don’t get through to your customer on the first try, then leave a message and explain that you’ll try calling at a more convenient time the next day, for example.