Business

How to Include all Your Business Partners

In the world of business, it has sometimes been acceptable to invite business partners to socialize through weekend golf excursions or even to go out drinking or to a strip club. In an increasingly diverse world, it is important to consider the interests, gender, religion, and culture of your business partners before suggesting a social activity that may alienate some people and leave out important potential partners in commerce. This is not mere political correctness, it is important for your survival in a competitive business world that will penalize you for rude behavior towards others. When you have an idea for a social activity, here are some important considerations to take into account:

Is it considered inappropriate to take part in this activity by the cultural or religious groups of any of the partners?
Does this activity potentially objectify one of my potential partners? Is it insulting to the race or gender of people you intend to engage in business?
Will everyone be able to physically take part in the activity?
Will anyone be more than moderately bored?

If you cannot come up with an activity for which ‘no’ is always the answer to these questions, here are some suggestions:

Host a catered meal with lots of dietary options in an elegant setting. Everyone has to eat, but you can make it an occasion that includes everyone.
Charter a tour of a scenic location. Sightseeing at a non-offensive natural setting is relaxing and is accessible for everyone, regardless of their physical limitations.
Engage a knowledgable speaker about your business. Have an expert in your field present an informative talk about their work. This will involve everyone and require nothing that will make your guests uncomfortable.

Filed Under: General Business Codes Tagged With: Business, Business partner, Small business

Fake it Until you Make It

Honesty is everything in running a business. There is no question that dishonest behavior leads to drastic consequences and is just plain wrong. Business men and women should be courteous enough to be honest with each other.

While taking this in to consideration, one must remember though that having good presentation and etiquette is important for a business’s success. For example, if a customer approaches a sales representative and asks where a product is in the store, the sales representative’s response is important. If they do not know, it is not necessarily the best response to take the most forward approach, “Uh, I don’t know. Go ask someone else.”

Rather the person should say politely, “I’m not sure off-hand where that is, but I can show you the general area where it might be.” Then the sales person should make every effort to be sure that the customer locates what they are trying to find. Go and get another representative to help, or take time to look with the customer. While you don’t want to hover, showing interest in the customer’s needs will strengthen the customer’s good impressions of the business.

When employees are first starting, it is typical to not know everything or to feel unsure about one’s self. It is important to fake it until you make it. This means to have confidence in what skills you have and to do just the best you can. Customers appreciate confident sales persons who are willing to help and serve them rather than someone who radiates insecurity or a lack of knowledge. While this does not mean to lie when you don’t know something, it does mean to do everything you can to present yourself and the business well.

Sound confident about a product. Lean on other reports if you have not as yet had a chance to use the product yourself. As you act more confident, you will find it comes more naturally. You will become what you are trying to be—a polished sales representative who can successfully conduct business.

Filed Under: Guidance Tagged With: Business, Fake it till you make it, Sales

Staff Make the First Impression

When you walk into a business, what is one of the first people you deal with? Usually it is not the manager or owner.

If you are one of the supervisors or a boss, taking this in to account will help you understand the importance of recruiting well-polished staff. Often the first person a customer encounters is a front desk receptionist or a sales person.

Be sure this person is friendly, polite, and well-versed with the store or the business. If you have a new employee, consider having a second person with them to train and coach them through the sales process or helping the customer get checked in.

Friendliness is essential. Customers, even if they are having a bad day, have higher expectations for receptionists. They expect them to smile, ask polite questions, and present a feeling of welcome and warmth.

This also carries over to answering phones. Bad phone skills are actually a huge turn-off. If your customer’s first encounter with you and your business is through a phone call, make that call count. If the customers speak another language, than be sure that your receptionist can speak that language. This is very appealing to foreign customers since they know right off that they will have someone with whom they can communicate with when they come to your business. This will be a positive draw for them to come do business with you rather than others who may not have the necessary language skills.

Be sure your business staff knows how to deal politely with foreign customers and can properly display appropriate culture etiquette. Often times other cultures do business over meals or a sign of hospitality is offering food or drinks. Understand what will make your specified customers feel the most welcome in your business.

While it may seem over the top to bend over backwards for just a brief encounter, lasting impressions can be made. Even if one particular customer does not buy, if they like what they see in your business, they will recommend it to their friends, neighbors, and family.

Filed Under: General Business Codes Tagged With: Business, Customer, Grammatical person

Giving Your Customers Bad News

At some point in any business, things go wrong. Maybe an automotive part is delayed, a home project is delayed or information may be lost. Regardless of the situation, giving customers bad news is rarely a pleasant task. Many businesses use the strategy of avoiding the customer in the hopes that the situation will be rectified before having to contact the customer. This is the worst strategy a business can use. Deceiving the customer and not being truthful is another strategy that a business should not use. This often creates a more difficult situation.

If you have to give a customer bad news, the best thing you can do is to be honest. Provide the customer with all the information you can. The customer will feel better knowing what caused the problem and why it happened.

Always put yourself in your customer’s shoes. They may become angry and frustrated with the situation. They may worry it may cause additional problems. Give them the facts and let them know how the situation will affect them.

Understand that the customer may react negatively. Allow your customer to vent and avoid attempts at humor. Acknowledge their feelings and do not attempt to minimize the situation. Once they have vented their feelings, you can provide a plan to correct the situation.

Once you have established a plan to meet the customer’s needs, make sure you follow through with any promises made. Take the time to contact the customer to update him or her on the progress of the situation.

Giving a customer bad news is not easy. However, if you deliver on promises made and keep the customer informed, the result should be a happy customer. Misleading the customer or making promises that will not be kept will make the situation more difficult than it needs to be.

Filed Under: Guidance Tagged With: Business

Dealing with Unpleasant Customers

There are always a handful of customers that are constant complainers or are simply unpleasant. These customers call frequently to complain or will even stop by to make sure their complaints are heard. The constant complainers take up a great deal time and resources. If a customer becomes belligerent with employees, it is time to consider if their business is worth the time and effort.

When dealing with difficult customers, it is important to stay calm and speak with a soft voice. This proven technique will usually calm the customer enough to address this situation effectively. Hearing another person speak softly makes the customer aware of his or her tone. Responding negatively to the customer will only escalate the situation.

Once the customer is calm, let the customer know you are there to help and that you appreciate his or her continued business. Also, provide the customer with a subtle hint that you have resolved past issues and will continue to provide assistance to meet his or her needs.

Above all, remain professional during difficult encounters. Remain as polite as possible and continue to reassure the customer you are willing to work toward a solution.

It is important for businesses to review customer complaints. If a customer complains about the same mistake several times, there is a problem. You should only make a mistake once. Repeating the same mistakes is bad for business. Initiate measures to ensure mistakes are not repeated. You will receive fewer complaints and your customers will be happy.

There are some customers that you cannot please. These customers will find something to complain about no matter how spectacular your service is. These customers become a nuisance and often will verbally berate employees. You must evaluate this situation carefully. You have to consider if this is a customer worth keeping.

Filed Under: Human Resources Tagged With: Business, Customer

Investing in Your Front Line Employees

One of the best marketing tools is customer service. Whether this service is provided over the phone or in person, the first impression is a lasting one. Many companies fail to realize how important their front line employees are. You may have hired a counter clerk; however, this is the first person your customers may see.

You want to ensure any potential customer will have a positive experience the first time. If they do not have a positive experience, it is unlikely they will be a returning customer. It is difficult to overcome first impressions and you may not get a second chance. In today’s competitive market, many customers will simply move on to the next business to seek the services they need.

You want employees on the front line that are cheerful and polite. They should be thoroughly trained on how to treat customers and how to deal with difficult customers. You also want to ensure each employee maintains a professional demeanor. Sure, the employee may only be a cashier, clerk or sandwich maker, however this is the first representative of your company a customer may encounter.

If your employees are lacking in customer service, then you will want to invest in customer service training. Your front line employees are ambassadors of your company and you want to provide them the necessary tools to provide a good first impression to customers. You may also want to encourage these employees by acknowledging how important they are to the company.

Your front line employees are far more important than your sales and marketing staff. Even if your marketing team brings in hundreds of new customers, it is unlikely you will keep many of these potential customers if they encounter unprofessional or rude staff. If the first impression is not pleasant, most customers will not return.

Filed Under: Business Finance Tagged With: Business, Employment

How to Offer the Best Customer Service as an Entrepreneur

: Image by xcode via Flickr

Any established business owner will tell you that an essential part of success lies in customer service. An entrepreneur can have the most useful product or service available but if the support is terrible, the business suffers. Integrating quality customer service into your business plan will keep your customers happy and coming back for more. The following tips will help you optimize your customer service and, ultimately, increase your bottom line.

Smile

Smiling is one of the simplest and most effective customer service techniques. Smiling makes customers feel welcome, understood and valued. Anytime you are dealing with customers, make the effort to smile. Customers can hear a smile in your voice, so smile on the phone, too.

Mind your manners

Saying “please” and “thank you” is an important part of making customers feel appreciated. Remember to apologize for any mistakes, regardless of who is at fault.

Keep things personal

Instead of making your customers feel like nothing more than a potential sale, keep it personal. Address your customers by their name, send handwritten thank-you notes occasionally, and avoid canned email responses.

Encourage customer feedback

Customer feedback provides valuable insight into exactly what customers want. Mail out postage-paid feedback cards to customers and add a personal note to each card to encourage customers to return them. Use online survey software for your website to garner feedback. Just remember to keep the cards and surveys quick and easy.

Guarantee customer satisfaction

Offering satisfaction guarantees tells customers that you believe in the product or service you provide. Your confidence will gain their confidence.

Answer the phone

Customers avoid automated answering systems. If you are available, answer the phone. If necessary, hire someone to answer the phone for you. If an automated system is required, make it easy to understand.

Validate customer needs

When your customer is talking to you, repeat what they say back to them. This shows the customer that you listen and understand what they need.

Exceed the expectations

Instead of promising your customers the moon, promise them what you can reasonably deliver in a timely manner. Then, exceed their expectations by delivering early and/or delivering more than they expected.

Teach your employees

Make certain your employees understand the importance of customer service. Teach them everything you know about keeping customers happy. Insist on the highest level of customer service possible.

Be fast, friendly and efficient

Customers do not like to wait any longer than necessary. On the phone, avoid putting customers on hold unless necessary. Then, keep hold time under 30 seconds. In person, wait on each customer immediately. If you are busy with another customer, acknowledge their presence so they know you will assist them soon.

If you provide high-quality customer service, you will increase your number of returning customers. Customers enjoy doing business with places that operate with kindness, respect and professionalism. One of the best forms of advertisement is word-of-mouth. Keep your level of customer service high and watch your customer base grow as your satisfied customers spread the word.

Filed Under: General Business Codes Tagged With: Business, Business Services, Consulting, Customer, Customer Management, Customer service, Customer Support, Education and Training

3 Tips to Help Keep Your Business from Losing Customers

The business market is highly competitive as consumers are tightening their budgets. Consumers are spending a great deal of time searching for the best services and products at the best price possible. The competitive market is fantastic for consumers but it is stressful for businesses. While many businesses invest time and money to gain new customers, many businesses have learned the value of keeping existing customers.

Here are three tips to help you reconnect with current customers to keep their business:

1. Most businesses track customer information particularly how much the customer has spent on services or products the business offers. If you do not know who your best customers are or do not track dollars spent by customers, it is essential that you do so. You can use this information to make tips two and three more effective.

2. Take the time to give your long time customers and your best customers a quick phone call. You can update them on new services and products and can take the time to thank them for their business. If you can discuss previous purchases or remember details of their previous needs, this will make the customer feel appreciated and valued.

3. A fantastic method of contacting your customers is through an email. You can develop separate email campaigns for different customer groups. The email should include a special coupon only for existing customers or a discount. You can include new information about the business and encourage customers to use the discount or coupon.

Obtaining new customers is critical to grow any business. However, maintaining your current customer base is just as critical. Spending some time reconnecting with long time customers will help you keep your customer base. Keeping current customers is far more cost effective than the efforts required gaining new customers.

Filed Under: General Business Codes Tagged With: Business, Customer

Does Your Business Need a Code of Ethics?

A code of ethics is common among large corporations. Many smaller businesses have realized the value of developing and establishing a code of ethics. In today’s competitive market place, potential customers will lean toward a company that displays its code of ethics over a company that does not have a code of ethics.

A code of ethics is a method of establishing an occupational or business identity. It is also an indication of business maturity and commitment to conduct business in an ethical manner. Many businesses use the established code of ethics on marketing material. This promotes the businesses commitment to provide and to adhere to ethical business practices.

A well-developed code of ethics will define behaviors a business deems as unacceptable and establishes a guideline of acceptable behavior. This provides employees with clear direction and guidance as far as what behavior is expected. This also conveys to your customers you are committed to honest and professional business practices. It will help a business establish trust with current and potential customers.

Establishing a code of ethics benefits the business and its employees. The ethics provide a benchmark for employees to use to ensure their conduct meets the needs and requirements of the organization. A strong code of ethics provides a structure for the responsibilities and professional behavior of a business and its employees. It also informs employees that misconduct is unacceptable and will not be tolerated within the organization.

Even the smallest of businesses can benefit by establishing a code of ethics. You do not have to hire a professional or spend money developing a code of ethics. It is an invaluable marketing tool as well a method to convey to potential customers the business is committed to exemplary business conduct. This simple tool will also help a business brand its services and establish its professional reputation.

Filed Under: Ethics Tagged With: Business, Ethics

The Digital Desktops of the Corporate World

You’d notice that over the century of the industrial age technology has especially benefited businesses enough to improve not only the quality of work but also the money and profit. Salaries have increased. Environments have improved as well. It’s no wonder more businesses have appeared since the old days; it’s because of technology! Computers and the Internet make it astoundingly easier to conduct business on a wide scale-much wider than ever before.

But why exactly? Why has Corporate America–nay, the Corporate World–excelled due to technology? Sure, it would make things somewhat more convenient. Fridges became available for workers to bring their food, thereby optimizing time and scheduling to a better degree. Better computers, yes. But still, why the substantial change in business models that really show technology had a hand in it? So what if the computers are faster? So what if the Internet is stronger now. What really made technology the ultimate factor in business excellence? Could it be due to computer puzzles and free bingo games?

The answer to the riddle is this: communication. When it comes to business, communication is key. Think about how transactions work, and you’d ultimately understand that how we communicate matters. It wouldn’t be called a ‘transaction’ if there wasn’t any communication. Now imagine a business that had no means to communicate with the world. Would that business prosper? Probably not. There would be no connecting with customers. There would be no coherent structure or method within the corporation. The building probably would drop to the ground–all because of the lack of communication.

The fact is the internet has drastically IMPROVED communication to the point where a CEO can sit in his or her office and conduct a meeting with Japan, Russia, and Los Angeles through the computer screen monitor via webcam. That’s not something that could’ve been done decades ago. Now if we could just get rid of those online games played on cubicle computers….

Filed Under: General Business Codes Tagged With: Business, Corporate America, Los Angeles