Some time ago, we ran a post on great customer service, listing the four most important things that customers look for in a business – the four things that keep them loyal and keep them coming back. In this post, we will dig a little deeper and explain a bit more just how you can apply these to your business.

Communication

While many businesses, particularly small businesses, now rely on social media as a method of communication with their customers, most are not looking ahead. Most likely, within five years, social media as we know it now, will no longer exist. Good communication means effective listening, and this is something that most people, not to mention businesses, don’t do much of anymore. Glued to their portable devices of one type or another, much is lost in sending and receiving messages on social media and automatic emails. Most customers admit that they still prefer the personal approach, either in person or by telephone, even if you leave a message on their answering machine.

Empathy

Never forget that a customer’s first point of contact with your business will prove to be the deciding factor in how they view not only your business, but you, as the owner, as well. If someone else is answering the phone at your business you are better off hiring an employee with experience and maturity. Customer service is not the place to cut costs within your business. It could end up costing you more than you think.

Originality

Not only should those answering the phone and dealing one on one with your customers be empathetic but also original. Spend a bit more time when you are hiring to search out those whose special quirks enhance your business. Yes, they should have impeccable manners and know how to dress respectably if you have a walk in business but in order to stand out, they’ll need a little extra something else.

Specialness

Following up with your customers and rewarding the most loyal of them is a practise that the best businesses have always taken advantage of. Having special offers and discounts that reward them makes them feel special and the best way to do this is with a phone call. Hire an outside team of virtual specialists who can spend time speaking with your customers and going over new products, their favorite products and any and all discounts available to only them. This is a great way to ensure your customers will speak highly of you. Word of mouth is always the best advertising you can get.

Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013

image courtesy of eloqua

• Intellitar, a company in Alabama, will digitally recreate your family members and preserve them. The avatars can then interact with each other as well as future generations of your family.
• Just in case you were thinking of opening up a business in Alberta, in that province businesses must provide rails for tying up horses.
• There is a furniture business based in Maryland that takes the hard work out of having pets, children and messy family members and friends. Slobproof! makes furniture for real life as their slogan says. Their custom built furniture has special fabric that can withstand the worst spills.
• The Cheese Lady, Sarah Kaufmann, is a professional cheese sculptor. She creates works of art from cheese to be used in grocery store advertising and at various events including state fairs.
• For those of you who sell peanuts in Lee Country, Alabama, remember to close up shop early on Wednesdays. It’s illegal to sell peanuts after sundown on Wednesday.

The following three have nothing to do with business but since all three had to do with moose and were so entertaining, they have been included in this list.

In Alaska:

…a moose may not be viewed from an airplane…

…it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a moose…

…it is an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane…

Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013

Images courtesy of themoosestore, entertainyamania

Job stress can have serious costs.  Our virtual team is here to help you reduce stress, have more free time and achieve results!

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Money isn’t your only goal or even your most important one.

Think of your business as a series of small steps that you are taking toward a specific goal. The goal may change and the steps to get there may sometimes lead you backward but having a vision of what succeeding in your business means, will help you keep focused on what you need to do to get there. Enjoying what you are doing and not just the outcome and results, makes for a higher quality business.

Keep it simple. You shouldn’t think of your business as complicated or a chore.

Sometimes people make things more complicated than they have to be and your business is the same way. By adding unnecessary chaos to the way you work, you are diverting your attention in too many directions and diluting your ability to focus on the most important items. Polish your business  skills and spend your time on what will bring you the best return for your efforts.

Learn enough about each part of your business that you don’t spend your time worrying.

If your business has expanded to the point where you can no longer keep an eye on everything, or you lack the ability to make informative decisions, it may be time to go back to school and take some business classes. This is also a good time to think about bringing in a virtual team, one that can handle the extra load while keeping you informed on various aspects of your business that you don’t have the time to take care of.

Make a plan that transforms your business into a part of your life, not your life into part of your business.

Too many business owners find that their business takes over their lives. When they first started their business and enthusiasm ran high, they were able to handle everything and wanted it that way. As their business grew and the responsibilities grew along with it, they lost the incentive to blend what they wanted to do with what had to be done to keep their business going. As you reach each small goal that you strive for, step back and take the time to go over your future plans. This will ensure that you are in line with what you really want to achieve, which is a successful business that doesn’t take over your life.

Always treat yourself with respect.

Just a final reminder, that while it is your customers that keep you going, if you fail to look after yourself and treat your time and health as important, you won’t have the energy to focus on your business properly. Defining your own business success means you are in charge, you make the rules and your life benefits from your decisions.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013

“The possibilities of thought training are infinite, its consequence eternal, and yet few take the pains to direct their thinking into channels that will do them good, but instead leave all to chance.” – Marden

Along with my Strategic Team here at DemGen, I’ve been reading the “Master Key System” by Charles Haanel written in 1912.  (*More notes about the author and work at the bottom of this post.)  We read books as a group that are relevant personally and professionally that enhance our ability to serve ourselves, team, clients and general entrepreneurial community.  We seem to have a knack at going deep, with works that are just right for the moment or cycle of our business.

And having the intention of being a heart-centred or conscious business, sets the bar high, which suits us just fine.  I’ve always seemed to be attracted to pursuing works by the researchers of the researchers or influencers of the influencers.  Charles Haanel is no exception to this as this work along with “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace D. Wattles (which we’ve also studied and made available to our community on our website) was referenced as a major influence to “The Secret”, a book our entire company read as a team when it first came out.

There have been many many aha’s throughout our reading this work and more so many validations that we are on the right track with our thinking and intention in business.

The quote I referenced is but one of many and I felt compelled to expand upon it.  I know I’ve referenced in a previous blog post about my experience with mediation.  Yet, it’s worth repeating as I feel it’s a foundational/essential skill equal to or even greater than that of reading and writing.  A lot of school work is essentially rote learning, while meditation is self learning.  And more importantly it teaches you to take control of your thinking, to train your mind.

To restate that quote once again, ” The possibilities of thought training are infinite, its consequence eternal, and yet few take the pains to direct their thinking into channels that will do them good, but instead leave all to chance.” – Marden.

I’ve had many lessons and re-awakened myself to be in charge of directing my thoughts.  I remember being with friends while playing the game “cashflow”, basically a more detailed and closer to life version of monopoly.  I wasn’t doing so good and was just basically playing along for the fun of it.  I was nearing bankruptcy, when one of my friends said “what are you thinking of when you roll?”  AHA, I woke up, set intentions and intentionally played the game and focused on every roll.  I made an exhilarating come-back to win that night.

I feel the same to be true for all of us…sometimes we just need some support, a nudge, a renewed intention and the taking back of control of our thoughts to win the game.

We look forward to sharing more about The Master Key System with you in the near future.

Get your game on!

Gary

*The Master Key System is a personal development book by Charles F. Haanel (1866-1949) that was originally published as a 24-week correspondence course in 1912. It was later published in book form in 1916 by Psychology Publishing, St. Louis and The Master Key Institute, New York.

Along with “The Science of Getting Rich“, by Wallace D. Wattles, the Master Key System is the source of Rhonda Byrne’s inspiration for the book and the film “The Secret” (2006).[1][2]

©  Gary Evans, DemGen Inc 2013

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These days, we’re all busy.  This fun infographic shows useful tips on how to stay focused in the age of distraction.