What Business Problems Do You Have That A Few More Sales Would Not Cure

Writen by Dr. Gary S. Goodman

Twenty years ago, as a rookie consultant, I met a small business owner who seemed to have a great business philosophy.

He said, "Gary, there are very few problems that I've encountered in business that haven't been cured by a few more sales!"

Of course, it's an over-generalization. When my consultancy peaks, and I'm pressed to find a few hours to myself, the last thing I feel I can do is to add more clients, and more time responsibilities to my already impacted calendar.

Still, with more sales, you can justify a lot of things, and finally, you can afford to put systems into place that will enable you to accept and even to promote growth.

Since when, is an embarrassment of clients, like riches, something to be avoided?

Only business school professors, and people with a clerk's mentality, whose professional lives are neatly ordered for them by external forces, can construe growing sales as a problem.

I've heard customer service managers complain that they can't handle the number of issues and complaints that crop up from existing clients. Well, isn't that a signal that it's time to implement breakthroughs in productivity?

One of my mutual fund clients was in this situation, and I designed a training program that enabled CSR's to handle 25% higher call volumes with even better customer satisfaction.

Of course, I was paid for my efforts, and the money that funded my innovations came from, guess where?

From sales, of course.

There is an expression, well known to sales managers: Nothing in business can happen without a sale. Sales are the fuel that makes the entire engine run.

So, the next time you seem to be facing a business problem, instead of attacking the symptom, pause briefly to ask yourself, how could this be ameliorated with a few more sales?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

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Business Management Software Do You Really Need It

Writen by Warren Van Duesbury

As we all know, not all advances in technology are necessarily for the better. Some people swear that having a computer program to manage a business is a 'must have', but is this really true?

I have a friend, Chris, who runs a physiotherapy clinic. For the last ten years, he's used a paper diary and a pen. And it's not a small business either. Two receptionists, five practitioners and hundreds of clients every week. When I ask him why, he says it's totally reliable, never breaks down or crashes, doesn't require updates, no license fees and doesn't need any equipment to run it.

I must admit, those reasons sounded quite good to me too!

Before finally committing his business to paper, Chris hired a developer who wrote a custom application for him. Unfortunately, the developer disappeared and after a short while Chris was left with software he couldn't use. This ultimately made the decision for Chris to stick with what he could comfortably manage himself.

Desperate not to repeat this bad experience, Chris carefully weighed up all the options that were available to him. Does he go for another paper based system? Or does he try his hand again with a computer?

He knows very well, that there are many disadvantages to his paper system, but he also feels there are many advantages too. And this is an important point. Whatever system you employ, you need to be happy that it's going to work well for you and that it's manageable. Chris says he sleeps well at night because he knows his books will always be working when he opens up shop in the morning.

Chris's business is situated in a very old, very grand, Georgian house. When you walk in, you're immediately filled with a sense of nostalgia. The massive leather bound appointment book on the secretary's desk, looks perfectly in keeping with the surroundings. It's a very warm feeling that would in some ways be spoilt with a modern computer.

Chris's thriving business is testament to the fact that it is possible to run a successful business without business software. There are many benefits for and against any system so what you must do, is weigh up all the options and then decide what is going to give your business the greatest benefit.

Don't automatically fall for the assumption that installing business software will be the great fix that everyone says it is.

About The Author Warren Van Duesbury is the CEO of KnockYourSocksOff.com, developers of The Monkey - The time and money organizational software for personal and small business use. Visit their website at: http://www.knockyoursocksoff.com

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Are You Leveraging Your Unpaid Sales Force Five Keys To Growing Your Business Through Referrals

Writen by Krishna De

You've honed your technical expertise, you've established your business and got your team in place, but why was it no one told you you'd also have to develop marketing and sales skills?

That's not what you were expecting when you established your professional services practice, be that as a lawyer, an accountant, a designer or consultant. In fact the idea of selling leaves your cold.

The reality is most of us dislike selling. Equally, we don't like being sold to. This simple fact is often overlooked, yet it has the potential to be the key that unlocks the growth of your business.

People do business with those they know, like, trust and respect. In other words they want to build a relationship with you before they invest their hard earned money in your solutions and services.

Referrals are often the most powerful way to expand your business requiring little marketing spend and providing you with immediate credibility through the reputation of the person referring you.

But how often do you miss the opportunity to ask for a referral? Do you have a specific strategy and action plan to manage your referral process? Are you leveraging the support of your unpaid sales force - your clients who already know, like, trust and respect you?

Here are five keys to growing your business through increasing your referrals.

How to ask for a referral

Review your current clients and identify three of them that you can contact this week about the potential of them referring you to others.

When you speak with them, thank them for their business and tell them you enjoy working with them. Advise them you are in the process of expanding your referral based business. Explain that you would like to partner with them to help you grow your business and ask if they could refer you to 2 or 3 of their contacts.

Make sure you advise them of the profile of your ideal client that you would like them to refer you to. If they are able to identify someone, ask if they would contact the person ahead of you reaching out to them to introduce yourself.

Make your clients proud to refer you

Most of us delight in great feedback and there is nothing better than having someone thrilled because of the results they have achieved through working with someone you referred to them.

When a client refers you, their personal reputation is on the line. They won't refer or recommend someone who they don't believe in. It's therefore paramount you deliver to your highest standards when working with the contact you have been referred to.

Connect with your potential new client

When you make contact with your potential new client, reference the person referring you and advise them that your mutual contact thought it would be a great idea if the two of you connected.

Make sure you don't overwhelm them with your great technical expertise. Actively listen to their challenges and concerns. Offer suggestions and be generous with your advice - make them feel you have their interests at heart.

Remember, you can't convince them to work with you; even though you have come highly recommended, they have to grow to know, like, trust and respect you on their own terms.

Keep your client in the loop

Don't forget to keep your original client informed of how things progress with the personal contact they referred you to. That is not to say you should disclose anything confidential – just make sure they know that you have made contact and whether you are going to work together.

Reward your referral partners

Consider rewarding your referral partners, perhaps by entertaining them to lunch or introduce a different service agreement or fee structure to formally reward your clients for their referrals. After all, they're helping you grow your business and are sure to remember to provide you with referrals more often if they know their support is appreciated.

Don't wait for your workload to quieten down before you implement a referral strategy. To grow a thriving professional practice, business development needs to be part of your ongoing agenda. Developing and implementing a referral strategy can help you propel the growth of your business without the anguish of feeling you have to sell and with little investment in overheads.

About the author: Krishna De is co-founder and Managing Director of Oneocean Ltd. Networking and Referral strategies are one of the foundations of their leading Biz Growth Academy programme where owners of professional services firms realise more profit and greater success with less stress.

Join Krishna at Biz Growth Live (http://www.bizgrowthlive.com), a free weekly tele-conference series where she is in conversation with experts on how to build your brand, grow your business and leave your competition on the starting blocks!

Copyright © 2006 Oneocean Ltd. All rights reserved. Oneocean Ltd is a leading business growth consultancy with a difference – focusing on the unique strengths of your organisation and your people to unlock extraordinary performance and growth.

TERMS OF REPRINT: You are welcome to publish this article in it's entirety as long as you leave it unedited and you include the copyright notice. Please forward a copy of the publication that contains the article to us at publications@oneoceangroup.com

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