Determining if You Are a Finder, Minder, or Grinder

On Tuesday of this week I held the Alliance Success Group meeting. Instead of our normal format I had a guest speaker, Rick Arthur, present to my group of business owners. The topic of his presentation was Are you A Finder, Minder, or Grinder?

At a previous event I had seen his presentation and thought it was enlightening in helping small business owners to be aware of the different areas of business and to identify where there strengths and weaknesses are. I will try to recap what Rick shared with us but I am sure I will not do as good as job as he did at the time but I hope you will get the message.

A Finder is the idea maker of the organization. This person is very creative and is necessary to bring in the sales of the company. They are an entrepreneur thinking of ways to make more money.

A Minder thinks in the past. This person is more than likely your accountant or bookkeeper in the business. They are minding the numbers or the store. This person is necessary to ensure you are kept up-to-date on information necessary to succeed in business.

A Grinder is the worker. The busy little bee making sure the job is done. They only see what is in front of them today and what must be accomplished.

All organizations are in need of these three types of profiles in business but in most small businesses the owner tends to try to be all three. This model is based upon a book written by Jerry Mills called The Danger Zone. In some ways it reminds me of the Emyth Revisited theory only in different terminology.

I have read both books and find that the presentation brought about a clearer message than either book but then Rick did a fantastic job in relating it to business because he himself was a business owner who went bankrupt due to not allowing themselves to grow. Grow or die was his final statement to our group.

I can relate to that statement because it is the same within the mastermind group, my business, and my relationships. Isn't it true that any of those will die if we do not feed them or grow them?

Grow or Die...Let's all work on growing

New Design for your Cards?

Is your business card ready for a makeover? Perhaps you are designing your first card and need some suggestions. Below is an article that outlines some of the areas to work on when designing your card.

Business Card Tips

Networking is an invaluable opportunity, and one that should not be wasted. In order to maximize networking, it is strongly suggested that all business professionals carry business cards. The business cards can be exchanged during introductions, both as a convenience and as a memory aid. In other words, business cards allow networkers to further the relationship through future contact.

Business cards may include one or more aspects of striking visual design, but should also contain important contact information. Use this guide to make the most of your business cards:

1. What to Include
All of this information should be included on a professional business card:

Name - This does not have to be your given name, but should be what you expect people in business to refer to you as.
Position - This is really optional; many small business owners find themselves wearing many hats, and may find it beneficial and/or less confusing to leave their official title off the cards.
Address - Physical office location and/or mailing address.
Website - Adding a website address to business cards is now very common and expected.
Email - Email is also now a very common and popular communication channel.
Phone - Include your business phone number.
Instant Messaging/ICQ Address - Internet chat address.

2. Double Sided Cards
If your company is global, or your sales territory focus is in a region where your spoken language is not the predominant language, you might wish to consider using the backside of your business card to include your information in an alternate language. You can also use the back of the card to provide more extensive information and details about your products and services. Or, if you do a lot of local business, you might want to include a small street map to your office on the back of your card. There are lots of things you might be able to do with all that blank space on the back of your cards.

3. Conversation Starters
Savvy sales people often use their business cards as a conversation starter. Of course, the card needs to be unique or unusual in order to generate a dialogue. Some of the more interesting cards I've seen recently were printed on micro-CDs, on magnets, on translucent plastic, etc.

4. Standard Size
Even if you are aiming for something unique, you should still not diverge from the "standard" business card size. For managing their contacts, many people will create a business card rolodex, or may have a hand scanner specifically sized for business cards. So stick with the standard size -- otherwise you may be excluded from their contact databases simply because your card didn't fit!

5. Order Quantity
Quantity discounts apply to business cards. When pricing printed business cards, check to see where the price breaks occur; sometimes you can significantly increase the quantity of business cards for very little additional cost.

6. Quality Matters
Flimsy cards that are paper thin, and cards with ragged perforated edges, just scream "amateur". If you are going to print cards yourself, be sure to use heavy business card stock, and use stock that has "clean-edge" micro-perforations. And "glossy" finished stock can also help boost the quality perception of self-printed cards, especially if lots of color is used in the card design.

7. Brand Cards
Your business cards should be similar to all of your other printed promotional material. Business cards should contain your business or product logo. Double-check the colors with the printer to make sure the correct pantone colors are used. This will ensure that the logo is printed using the correct and matching color scheme.

8. Keep Current
Information contained on the business card should always be kept current. Business cards with obsolete information crossed out are very unprofessional. If any information on the card changes or becomes obsolete, have new cards printed to reflect the change, and throw the old ones away.

9. Change It Up
Textured business cards, or cards with scalloped edges, stand out. Consider a wide variety of ways to make your card jump out of the pack. The texture or color of the card can also be utilized to ensure your card stands out.

10. Legible
Use a legible font that makes the text on the business card easy to read. Avoid making the fonts too small. Use contrasting colors, and avoid using porous paper that will allow the ink to bleed and the text to blend into the card.

11. Spelling
There is little more embarrassing than business cards that contain typographical errors. Proofread the cards multiple times. Let me say that again -- proofread your business cards! And have other people proofread them too, as they will often be able to spot mistakes that you've overlooked.

Maximize the power of your business cards. Whether you are networking, or just being personable, business cards are a must in the professional world, and crucial to business marketing.

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Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com/ software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com/ audio recording and editing software.

Searching for the best business books to display

I am the chair of the Small Business Resource Center Committee at our local Chamber of Commerce and we are in the process of purging the present materials and gathering business books for our chamber members to enjoy.



I have read many good business books and plan on donating some of them, but with time as sparce as it is for us I know I have not read all the good business books available.

Have you read any good business books lately? If so, would you post the title and author? Also if you want to share a review that would be appreciated also.

My donations so far are:

The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki
What I Learned on the Way to the Top by Zig Ziglar
Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
1001 Ways to Reward Employees by Bob Nelson

I look forward to reading what others are recommending.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Eat that Frog

Have you ever heard of the book by Brian Tracy called Eat That Frog? If not, it is an excellent read that gives you insight on how to become a better time manager. If you haven't guessed it, the frog is the project or problem you are putting off or facing at the time.

Today, I am working on my frog--the presentation material for tomorrow. So instead of writing my own material for this blog I will share one more article I thought was worthy.

Carole DeJarnatt


Copywriting Selling Secret #3 - Slash Your Expenses
Copyright © 2007 Scott Bywater


A few years ago, I analysed the statistics of where one of my clients, M & M Pest Control in Sydney, generated all their leads from. As a result of this, Ray Milton, the director of the company said:

"Scott measured the results we were getting from our advertising, and as a result, this confirmed my decision to eliminate over $42,000.00 in unnecessary expenses --- because it wasn't paying it's way."

$42,000 is a lot of money, in anyone's language!

What did I do? I simply analysed his advertising expenses, and identified whether or not the ads were generating a strong yield for his investment.

And I'm willing to bet you could do the same for your business.

Right now, you're probably thinking... in the words of Pauline Hanson...

"Please Explain"

Listen. I've met with hundreds of businesses that advertise in the Yellow Pages. And most of the time, I ask them "What return on investment do you receive as a result of your advertisement?"

To which 9 times out of 10, the answer is as good as a blank stare!

How much money are they burning? Investing $20,000 on an ad (or $1,000 or $5,000, or $100,000 --- the same principle applies) and not even know what their returns are!

Would you hire a salesperson and not "give a toss" about how much income he was generating.

No! No! No!

So why on earth would you do it with your advertising dollar?

Some people say it's too hard. Their staff won't find out for them. My advice. Fire those staff, because they are costing you BIG money!

Listen, all you need to do is:

1.Code all your ads with a reference code to identify the source of the inquiry
2.Train your staff to ask one simple question: "Where did you hear about us?"
3.Enter the details into your computer.
4.Analyse the statistics.

And you need to be as specific as possible. One of my clients, a spit-roast caterer in Sydney measured the results of a series of ads in the local yellow pages directory. You know what he discovered? Only one of the directories was generating a strong return on investment --- the rest were losing money!

Priceless knowledge. And in the world of advertising...

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

So unless you want to be like John Wannamaker, the "father of the modern department store" who once said "I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half it is" then grab the bull by the horns and start measuring the results of every ad you run. right now!

P.S. You.re going to be really excited when you see property tip #4 because I'm going to explain the one fatal mistake that will instantly ruin your response, even before you place the ad or send the letter, no matter how powerful the copy is!


About The Author:

Scott Bywater is well known for getting results as a professional direct mail copywriter. And also the author of Cash-Flow Advertising. To get a free subscription to his "Copywriting Selling Secrets" newsletter where you'll discover the truth about why most ads and sales letters don't work (And how to make yours different) scamper over to his web site at: http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au/

Small Businesses Don't Let this Happen To You

Here is an article I found that has good information to help small businesses. I work with several small businesses and some of what is listed below causes them to either have problems or have a need to get further funding. Don't let these happen to you.

Carole DeJarnatt

Small Businesses - Don't Let this Happen to You
By Deepak Dutta

About 500,000 new businesses will start over the next 12 months. About 400,000 of them will fail. Want to know the top 10 reasons why? Here they are:

1. Inadequate Accounting Records -

In other words, failure to properly manage cash flow. Think about it. Most new entrepreneurs start their businesses because of a love for a product or service. They start it because they love what they've created and think others will love it too. Or they love working on certain kinds of problems, from wedding planning to building design. What they don't love is numbers. Unfortunately cash-flow is the blood of any business. When you're out of it, you're dead.

2. Disregarding or Misinterpreting Financial Records -

This is related to reason number one. There's plenty of inexpensive software that can do a good job of counting cash in and cash out for even the most mathematically challenged of us, but you also have to know what the numbers mean. The numbers tell a clear story. If you disregard that story or misinterpret it, surprises are not just likely, they're a virtual certainty. And they're probably not going to be pleasant surprises.

3. Not Controlling Costs -

Starting to notice a pattern here? Again, a cash issue. There's an old business saying that goes "if you can't measure it, you can't manage it". It's applicable to almost all business activities but certainly is important in controlling your costs. Unless you are one of the fortunate few who have more than enough financial capital to launch and run your business and can run in a negative cash flow situation while you build your business, you absolutely must be obsessed with cost control. As stated earlier when you run out of cash you're dead.

4. Inviting Fraud Through Poor Internal Controls -

You may be surprised to see this one on the list. But remember what we're talking about here, small businesses. Companies like Dell, Microsoft and Home Depot, to name just a few, have both the deep pockets and usually the financial controls in place to survive or completely avoid any serious harm through fraud. Joe's Electric, or Mom and Pop's Corner Deli, or Smith Brother's Tool and Die usually don't have that luxury. Cash is almost always an issue from week to week or even day to day and one dishonest employee can wreak havoc. It happens all the time. For example, small tool theft is a huge problem for most small contractors, It's not that they don't remedy the situation if it happens, the problem comes when they don't prevent thefts in the first place. It's your money. Keep a close watch on it.

5. Improper or Inadequate Planning -

Where do you want your business to be a month from now? How about a year from now? It's always surprising how many small business owners treat what is probably their first or second most valuable asset with such a casual attitude. Consider the case of the owner of a small (10 employee) auto body shop. The owner had absolutely no idea what his sales were on a daily basis. When asked how he can do any sort of planning or exercise any sort of control over his business without that most basic of daily reports, he simply said that his accountant takes care of that. A classic case of the small business owner who started his own shop because he liked what he did (auto body work in this example) but didn't have a clue when it came to the "business of his business". That alone is sad enough. But very often, even when the help they need is readily available, planning for the future, retirement, their family's well-being, the attitude is simply "Hey, I've succeeded so far. What could anyone possibly teach me?" A classic case of the "my business is unique syndrome."

6. Failure To Sell Aggressively -

There's a saying in business that goes "nothing happens until somebody buys something". Perhaps more appropriate from the small business owners point of view is to say "nothing happens until somebody sells something". Many business owners look on competition as a good thing in general (i.e. when they're the customer) but a bad thing for their business. That's short-sighted thinking. Competition makes an individual business better. The trick is to be more aggressive than the competition. Consumers have a lot of choices; more now than ever before. The next "store" is just a mouse click away. Whether the selling is face to face, over the phone, direct response or on-line, aggressiveness is required. And aggressive doesn't mean pushy or obnoxious. That just drives people away. Aggressive is being where the customer is with what the customer wants at a price the customer finds acceptable.

7. Insufficient Working Capital -

Working capital is defined as current assets minus current liabilities. For most small businesses it simply means your bank account balance. Working capital is what lets you run your business day-to-day. If a business fails to control costs effectively (see #3 above), it can quickly run out of working capital and would more than likely have to find alternative means of financing business operations through a cash infusion. This usually means a bank loan, but it could mean cash advances on credit cards, or personal loans from friends or family. It is very important, however, that business owners fully understand the reasons behind the shortage of working capital and address those root causes. A small business can only borrow so much before it becomes a case of throwing good money after bad.

8. Not Carrying Adequate Insurance -

Every business needs to carry insurance. Depending on the type of business, the type of insurance will vary. For most businesses liability insurance is enough. For brick-and-mortar type businesses, other types of insurance will be necessary. But the point here is that one incident without adequate insurance coverage can easily destroy or do serious damage to a small business. This also goes to the structure of the business. A sole proprietorship leaves your personal assets wide open to lawsuits. The type and amount of insurance is beyond the scope of this article. The small business owner should seek professional help from accountants and lawyers when making these decisions. Some time and money invested up front will more than pay for itself should the need for insurance arise.

9. Failing to Adequately Train Employees -

When it comes to hiring employees, a typical scenario is for the small business owner to hire the person he or she thinks is best qualified, and turn them loose on the job. While this can work, it's not the best way of going about running a business. Again the amount and type of training will vary from business to business. Employees who deal with customers face-to-face will require much different training than employees who are in the back room. The point is, you expect your employees to perform and to carry out the job they were hired to do. Give them the training they need and the tools they need to reach those goals. While failing to train employees usually a failure that can be overcome and usually won't kill a business by itself, your business will not be running at optimal levels.

10. Not Seeking Professional Help or Advice When Needed -

At the beginning of this article we talked about the typical small business being started by a person who loves what they do or by a person who has a product that they have developed. It's not usually the case that the small business owner has all the skills necessary to run a small business right from the start. This is particularly true as the small business grows. The complexity of running the business grows with it. This is not at all a deficiency in the small businessman. It is simply a matter of him or her needing a new skill set to match the new demands of the business. The smart business owner will seek out those who have expertise and get training, coaching, or mentoring in those areas. Unfortunately, most small business owners are hesitant to admit that they are wrong and even more hesitant to admit that they lack some skill needed to run the business. Seeking help is a good thing. It's not a sign of weakness. It's not a sign of lack of intelligence. It is simply a sign that the business is growing and the owner must grow with it.

So that's the top 10 list. The more aware the business owner is of these problems, the better position he or she will be in to address them early before they become critical.

Dr Deepak Dutta, creator of oldest online free classified site, has launched Million$Dig to help users increase traffic to their websites using a unique method. Users also get a chance to win one million dollar. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deepak_Dutta
http://EzineArticles.com/?Small-Businesses---Dont-Let-this-Happen-to-You&id=733215

Top 7 of What Not to do in A Business Meeting.

I cannot believe the number of times I have been to meetings and some individuals in the room show so much unprofessional and/or courtesy. It is not just the cellphone thing that is a constant interruption; it is the unprofessionalism of showing up late, interrupting the meeting, and then causing such a commotion that you cannot go on until they sit down.

This entry has been going through my head a few days and now I want to share. I am the organizer of a leads group and we meet on a bi-monthly basis. Due to the actions of the people in this group it brings forth thoughts of meeting etiquette to the forefront. Here is my list of what not to do in a business meeting:

1. Do not put your Blackberry, Treo, or other email organizer on the table. What does this do? It causes it to vibrate for the whole room to see and causes as much a distraction as if the phone had rang. Turn it off!
2. Do not arrive late, make excuses to everyone while the presenter is speaking, and then go in search of coffee. If you arrive late, step in quickly and quietly while taking our seat. The less interruption the better.
3. Do not leave your cell phone on. This goes along with #1. We all know what an interruption this can cause.
4. Do not answer your phone. Just in case you forgot to turn it off, do not answer the phone in the middle of a meeting.
5. Do not carry on a conversation while someone else is talking. I cannot believe the number of times I have seen someone in front of a group presenting while someone beside me is trying to carry on a conversation with another.
6. Do not forget to be prepared. Prepared means in the way of carrying a pen, pencil, paper, notepad; whatever it takes for you to be ready if someone wants to give you information.
7. Do not make your presence known by making noises. Noises being pen or pencil tapping, paper shuffling, coughing continuously. If necessary, leave the room.

I could probably go on but the list would be way too long. If you want to comment and add your pet peeves to the list, please do so.

Thanks for reading,
Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

12 Creative Uses for Autoresponders

In an earlier entry, I shared a list of autoresponders and their pricing that was created by a LinkedIn member. So to follow up, I recently came across this article about autoresponders and some uses. I plan on utilizing some of these tips and I hope my readers enjoy them also. Thanks for sharing your ideas and suggestions, Debbie.

Autoresponders and a Few Creative Usesby Debbie Ray

If you've been online for any period of time and have been trying to do everything on your web site all by yourself I'm sure at one time or another that you've reached a point of exhaustion just trying to keep up. Just how do those other companies keep up? The regular amount of email alone can threaten to bury you alive every single day - not to mention take away your important time to do all those other important internet "chores" that you need to do.

People expect prompt replies to their email inquiries from your internet business. This poses a major problem for you. Unless you can hire plenty of people to constantly monitor and manage your incoming emails or have figured out how to work continual twenty-four hour shifts (with no sleep) things don't look good.

Email is an essential part of your business. That can't be disputed. Email is an excellent marketing tool - it is inexpensive and it is fast. It can also be a major time waster. If you spend all your working hours answering that mountain of email, when will you have the time to complete your other business activities?

So, is there a way to overcome this huge time waster of basic email maintenance? I do have one major suggestion for you - how about the use of autoresponders responding to your emails? Basically, autoresponders are programs that automatically respond to your emails without you having to do anything (once they've been set up). Autoresponders are often inexpensive, and sometimes free. What these programs do is automatically respond to incoming emails as soon as they are received by the system.

Autoresponders can do so much more than just answer your email. They can also send information about your services, products and price lists to your customers. You could also set up an autoresponder to do more than simply send out standardized messages - such as an unlimited number of follow-up messages sent at predetermined intervals of time.

There are many companies that offer autoresponder services free of charge. Go to Google, look for autoresponders, and you will find a long list of companies offering autoresponder services for you to choose from. Autoresponders are very versatile programs that do a lot of work in no time at all. Below I'll list a few ideas that will teach you to use your autoresponders and to transform a casual visitor into a profitable customer.

1. Create various mailing lists. Tip: Inform subscribers about your new articles when you've written them.

2. Write your own reviews. You could review software, books, music, e-books or movies and put each review in an individual autoresponder. Tip: You could also review your own affiliate program if you have one.

3. Publish your own newsletter. Many autoresponders can manage your subscriptions and follow-up with interested prospects. Tip: Your newsletter can keep your visitors informed about your services or products and build your reputation as an expert in your particular field.

4. Publish an affiliates only newsletter. Inform them of current sales, promotional materials, etc. Tip: Include advice or techniques that they could use to successfully promote your business.

5. Distribute your own valuable articles. Tip: Writing and distributing your own targeted articles is a very powerful tool to build your business online credibility, increase your sales potential and bring a lot more traffic to your site.

6. Distribute your own free reports. Tip: This could give your visitor an idea of the type of information you provide as well as the quality of your products and services.

7. Distribute your own email course. Tip: Each day your autoresponder could send out another new lesson, full of quality content - not just a sales pitch.

8. Once a visitor has completed your email course, automate a reminder about your products and services. Tip: You could also use these reminders to promote new products or services.

9. Automate your own sales process. Tip: Create an ad filled with numerous marketing materials which will increase the chances of converting visitors into customers.

10. Distribute your own advertising to future clients. Tip: If you sell advertising on your website, newsletter or e-zine, set your autoresponder to send the advertising rates (and how to place an ad) automatically to all your prospects' email addresses.

11. Create your own trivia quizzes or contest. Tip: Place the answers and confirmation of their contest entry in an autoresponder.

12. Offer a sample version of your own products. Tip: Give your customers a sample of your own ebooks, courses, software, etc.

Autoresponser allow you to automate many parts of your marketing campaign. Autoresponders are potentially a very powerful marketing tool and allow you to make contact with thousands of potential customers with no work on your end - past the initial autoresponder setup.

This could be an invaluable asset considering how many potential customers you usually have contact with BEFORE you make an actual sale. Now that you have a few new ideas about autoresponders, see if you can come up with some brilliant and creative autoresponder methods of your own!


Copyright 2007 • Debbie Ray. All Rights Reserved

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Debbie Ray, owner of http://www.the-website-doctor.com/ , http://www.cheap-legal-help.com/ , http://www.profitwithinternetbusiness.com/ and http://www.total-german-shepherd.com/ is a lifelong dog owner, teacher and internet business owner. Want to learn more about internet business? Purebred dogs? Let me teach you.

Email Campaign Providers--Take your pick!

I am in the beginnings of starting an email newsletter and was researching the best autoresponder to go with. I got this information off of LinkedIn. I was so awed by his details that I thought it was a definite plus for my readers. He even lists the cost of each provider. Thanks, Ethan, for detailing this for someone searching for an Email Campaign provider.

As far as email service providers go, here's a breakdown:

AWeber: The industry leader in autoresponders and also one of the most reliable and economical email service providers. The interface is on the lo-fi side and there is less hand-holding than with Constant Contact, but if you don't require that, they are potentially the best option. They, like most of the options have a very high deliverability rate, plenty of templates and successful email marketing tutorials. $19.95 per month with no setup fee. This covers 10,000 subscribers and you can email them as much as you like. Each extra 10,000 subscribers is $9.95 per month.

Constant Contact: Very customer friendly and non-technically-oriented. Lots of templates and tools and online assistance to help you succeed with your email marketing. $15 per month gets you 0-500 subscribers with unlimited emails. The pricing scales from there, with 10,001 to 25,000 email addresses costing you $150 per month.

Get Response: Another non-techy option similar to Constant Contact. $17.95 per month for 10,000 addresses. $4.50 per month for each 5000 addresses over that. Unlimited emails and campaigns.

Campaign Monitor: A very polished, slick aesthetic earns this one all the kudos from the design crowd. Many good tools and templates to help with your email campaign's success. They use a price per email model instead of a total subscriber model. You pay $5 for each campaign and then 1¢ per recipient. You can get discounts of up to 50% by pre-purchasing email credit.

SparkList: This is the hosted service of Lyris, the makers of one of the more high profile email marketing software systems, ListManager. It is much more expensive than the others but carries the Lyris brand behind it and is much more suited to high volume emailers. It also offers a familiar interface if you are already using ListManager somewhere else. $175 setup, $100 per month for 5000 email messages up to $500 setup and $1000 per month for 500,000 messages.

A very important consideration given if you have an existing email list has to do with importing the list into their system and opt-in confirmation. In order to maintain the positive nature of their relationships with the ISPs, these email service providers want to make sure that you have obtained permission to send email to these addresses. If they require you to re-confirm the opt-in status for each email address, they will send a new request to the address. Since roughly 50 to 60% of email subscribers never confirm their subscriptions, this will erode a fair bit of your list. However, many of these people were probably not receiving/viewing your email anyway, given that they did not respond to the confirmation request.

AWeber: Re-confirmation is required. Each email address will receive a customized message asking them to re-confirm permission. Constant Contact requires you to state that the list is permission based and they will penalize you if your bounce/spam numbers get too high. They offer a free 60 day trial of up to 100 email addresses. Campaign Monitor requires you to state that the imported email addresses are 100% permission based, they were not purchased and they were not scraped from emails/websites. SparkList also requires that a re-confirmation email to be sent to each address. Get Response will also not require that you reconfirm each email's permission.

More info and vendor links at Ethan Pierse's website below.
http://www.advenir.com/internet-marketing/internet-marketing-resources.html...

The Cost of Poor Service

We have all been there at one time or another. You've experienced the poorest service you have ever received. We do not forget either. Today I still remember the episode referenced below as if it were yesterday.

Calculating the Cost of Poor Customer Service
By: Carole DeJarnatt, Alliance Advisors, Inc.
Have you ever thought about how much money has been lost due to poor customer service? Is it happening within the organization you are affiliated? Or perhaps you are the owner and are not aware of the practices of your employees.

A few months ago I had decided to purchase a new laptop. Being a business owner and from a small town, I try to frequent the local businesses if they have what meets my needs. This timeframe happened to be the week after Christmas so I am thinking there are lots of sales going on and I should be able to purchase something at a decent price. I tried the local store that claimed to have new computers and laptops.

I decided to call first so I could talk with someone on the telephone. An answering machine answered the telephone and informed “they were busy with a customer and would return the call.” I did not leave a message. I tried again an hour later and the same scenario. Finally on the third call I left a message stating “I wonder how many customers you have lost due to no response.” I did not leave any contact information. Later that day I decide to drive to the store since it was only a few miles from my home. When I arrived at the store, I find out the store is not open at all. It was closed for the week!

To say the least I did not purchase my laptop from this store, nor will I purchase from them in the future. I did send them a letter notifying them of situation that occurred and how I could help them improve on their services. I never heard from them.

What do you think this cost that company? I spent approximately $700 on my computer, but was I the only customer that tried to contact them that week? Probably not. Being the only local store to have the services and items they claim to carry, there were probably some inquiries.

In my opinion, this company could be more appealing than the Best Buys and Circuit City’s of the world. Being a local company, they have the opportunity to show their customer they are the one stop shop for all their computer needs with the home town appeal. I much prefer to buy from a local company than one of the bigger ones when their customer service is the personal touch. All of us want the personal touch when dealing with companies and I believe the smaller business has the greatest opportunity to apply and show they care.

The big companies also have the opportunity for personal touch but I have not come across one yet that does it well. Customer service is so important, no matter whether you are big or small. People want to buy from companies they know who will take care of them but also care about them. It is not about what they do but it is about what they do for you! Take care of your customers’ everyday as if it were their birthday! Do we not try to be nice to people on their birthdays if we are aware?

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff!

I know you have heard "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff". In this post I am not referring to the book of the same name, I am referring to happenings within your lives that happen and you have no control.

I am a supporter of a local Christian radio station, WAY Radio, 550AM. I have been running a spot with them for about a month and today I receive a call from the station manager. In my radio spot I direct the listening people to a website: http://www.thegenesisdvd.com/ that offers a no-obligation DVD about a workshop I facilitate. It seems the listeners only hear the phrase "genesisdvd.com". If you choose to check out the website, you will find out that it is a direct link to a non-Christian sight.

Fortunate for me, a couple of listeners tried to visit my site and called the station to alert them to the situation. The good thing is I am getting hits on my link due to the spot running, the bad thing was it was not clearly communicated.

Today I learned the meaning of "don't sweat the small stuff". For some people this could be a torrential downpour of bad news from a bad situation (how many people have tried to visit in the past month and reached the wrong website?); to me it is an opportunity for improvement. Upon receipt of the call, I went to the station and re-recorded the spot with a better defined, clearly communicated, radio spot.

My suggestion/tip/idea for you is to "don't sweat the small stuff" and if something does happen, create a better situation/environment. Take advantage of the opportunity before you. Instead of seeing the bad of the situation, bring out the good and utilize it to your fullest advantage!

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Be the Best You Can Be: Management Style

Are you a management candidate or in management presently? Here is an article I wrote on tips to be good at what you do.

Be the Best You Can Be Management Style
By: Carole DeJarnatt, Alliance Advisors, Inc.

What makes a good manager? If you are presently a manager you probably ask yourself this question frequently. If not and you are being considered for the position, take heed to the skills that are needed to be all you can be.

Why would someone who is presently a manager think or worry about what it takes to be a good manager? In all positions of life, whether work related or personal, we should want to put our best efforts forward for everyone to recognize. If you are recognized as a good manager, you have skills several people in the business world do not possess. Good skills lead to good referrals for promotions or opening doors for other positions of influence.

Not too long ago I had a Supervisor of a call center ask me for suggestions on how to improve in their position. At the time I was the Director of a department of 17 Regional Area Representatives. Here are some of the suggestions I gave:

1. Listen—Listen to everything your subordinates have to say. That does not mean you have to agree with them but have an ear for listening. I tried to keep an open ear to listen to everyone whether what was heard was good or bad.

2. Share—Keep everyone updated on department and company developments. If asked to keep confidentiality, you can share the department goals and progress the department is making on a weekly and/or monthly basis in their achievements. Sharing is communicating. You must communicate with your people on a daily basis. I emailed frequently and communicated via telephone weekly. I have to say I believe they preferred the telephone over the email. Everyone loves the personal touch!

3. Engage—Let the group be involved in the decision-making process. When it comes to working with department decisions, engage the team and let them share their thoughts and ideas with you. I recommend conference calls if people are in distant locations so everyone is able to have an input. Again, that does not mean you have to agree but you are listening to their suggestions. If you choose to overrule that is your decision as a manager.

4. Interact—As often as you feel necessary, schedule a time away from the office for lunch, after-hours social, retreat, or training. It is important that the department feel you are as much a part of them as you are their supervisor. I had worked with people in the past who felt it was not good to intermingle with the people they managed. I believe it helps you to know the persons work ethic, personality, integrity, and also made me more accessible to them. I believe almost everyone I supervised would tell you I treated them as an equal. I do not believe in the superiority complex.

I believe every person has something to offer. It is up to the manager/supervisor to find and reveal the qualities. If after finding the qualities and they do not fit what is necessary for success in the position, the manager has to do what is necessary to correct the mistake. Every good manager is willing to admit they make mistakes. The best manager is the one who corrects the mistakes!

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

This is an article I received and thought it was worth sharing. It has good information and suggestions on how to market thru your email signature. It is definitely worth trying.

Market With Every E-mail You Send

The best way to market yourself with every e-mail you send is to have your own e-mail address at your own domain name. It helps build your brand and reinforce the products and services you offer your clients. However, even if you don't have your own domain name, there are some innovative ways to market with every e-mail using signature files.

Signature Files

Signature files are a quick and easy way to send a marketing message with every e-mail you send, even if you don't have your own domain name. A signature file is set up within your e-mail package and is automatically attached to every outgoing message. Even if people know you well and call you often, they often go to a recent e-mail as the easiest, and fastest, way to access your phone number, street address, or even fax number.

The set-up window for signature files is usually in the Tools section of the window bar at the top of the screen when you're in your e-mail software. By clicking on Signature in the Tools window will open a new window and allow you to create a new signature file or edit the signature files you've already made.

Your standard signature file can include your name, company name, phone number, e-mail address, and web site. You can also include your street address, and a short, 10-15 word, marketing message.

Your signature file will give your reader all of your contact information and be reminded of the kind of services or products you offer. Most e-mail programs let you have a large number of signature files. Set up several to help automate the little tasks you need to do regularly.

Use a signature file when you regularly need to send out the same information to multiple people at different times. Simply open your Signature Tools file, click on New and write the information you want to relay.

Entourage and Outlook both allow very large signature files. This means you can include detailed instructions for a meeting announcement and arrangements, explain how to use the product you've sold, or explain what people need to do to get on your mailing list. Be sure to include your contact information at the bottom of these "information files."

Signature File Marketing Messages

Use the short marketing message of a signature file to encourage people to sign up for your ezine by offering a sign-up bonus. In later chapters we'll discuss how to use your one-page web site to deliver bonus items, products, audio files, client services, and even marketing packages. Many Internet-savvy one-person business owners have found combining your offer with a sign-up bonus can significantly increase the size of your database.

I've found signature files to be very effective in marketing my monthly complimentary teleseminars. Others have used them to announce their latest book or other products, direct readers to their blogs, and by using their affiliate links, profit from marketing other people's products or services.

Because signature files are forwarded with their messages, your marketing messages get forwarded when your recipients pass on the messages you send. This puts your message in front of people you would otherwise never reach, or even know.

Signature files are crucial for those professionals who haven't yet installed their own domain names as part of their e-mail system. When your e-mail comes through Yahoo, and your address is some version of yourfirstname732926@yahoo.com, you can clearly indicate who you are, how to contact you, and what you offer with a signature file.

The lesson is clear. Don't send naked e-mail!

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Should you Start Your Own Work At Home Business?

Check out this blog entry that I found while searching. I do not know the lady who wrote it but thought she put some excellent points that should be considered when thinking about taking the plunge.

Should You Start Your Own Work at Home Business?
http://lifelearningtoday.com/2007/07/17/should-you-start-your-own-work-at-home-business/

Hope you enjoyed her writing. I know I did!

Carole
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

The Snowball Effect

In my occupation as a business advisor, I see many business owners who struggle to make ends meet, try to do everything themselves, and ultimately they either lose business to the point they finally seek guidance or they end up out of business. Part of the problem is the inability to delegate but also lacking the knowledge to be aware that an investment now will reap greater rewards in the future if guidance is accepted and followed.

My husband and I have a friend who is in the automotive business. The rates are very good and the work ethic is great. We have been utilizing these services over two years and I promote it to all of our friends and business acquaintances. In the last few months, the business is very busy and they are having employee problems. Unfortunately, part of the outcome to the situation is the service has diminished to the point of no call backs on customer inquiries. This business is now affecting my credibility from a referral process. It has become a snowball effect:

1. Lack of service from business ~ Loss of customers
2. Complaints to me as the person referring ~ Affects my credibility
3. No more referrals from me ~ Loss of customers
4. Word of mouth on poor service ~ Loss of customers

From my point of view this business cycle is due to a lack of poor planning. At this point the business owner is grasping at anything possible to put a band-aid on the problem. With proper guidance and a plan for vision and goals, the steps to achieve success will become clearer.

The planning process is not easy but it is essential. There are several sources for business planning tools:

• Internet
• Small Business Development Centers
• Books
• Computer software
• Business advisor

There are numerous sources so choose the one that fits your needs best.

Do not become a statistic. The time and investment in your business today could mean greater success in the future if applied effectively. Seek the guidance you need to write a plan that will be your roadmap to a successful future.

Carole
Alliance Advisors, Inc.