Do you have trouble making money in your business

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The Business Growth Newsletter
By Dave Grooms - Business Transformation Consultant
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8th November 2005

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Do you have trouble making money in your business? Do you not seem to be able to get people to buy from you? And the few who do...do they rarely if ever make a repeat sale...much less demonstrate any deep loyalty to your business?

You've heard the business slang flying around the internet. You know, words like 'CRM' (Customer Relationship Management) that we're supposed to spend thousands of dollars on to learn how to develop wonderful customer loyalty...deepen trust...to get repeat business.
And yes...it is true. All of those things are important. But it is so easy to get caught up in the details that we often lose sight of the 'BIG' picture. We swallow the camel while straining at the gnat.

While I believe that CRM and all those other things are very important for running a business, we just need to use a little common sense. I know...I know...you're going to tell me that common sense isn't so common in most businesses this day and age. And you would be right.
But before I get to the point, let me try to illustrate what I mean with a short story. Maybe it will help clarify what I am getting at.

I had an employee I ended up firing due to some rather 'unloyal' actions on his part. He soon got a job with one of my competitors...which turned out to be a really beneficial thing for me as he kept me up-to-date on what was going on over there.
He lives just a few houses down the street from me and would come by every once in while to say 'hey' and shoot the breeze. Once he came by and told me about this big seminar that he was going to be attending.

His boss was paying for his 'ridiculously' priced ticket to some 'CRM' seminar. The idea was that they wanted everyone in the company to learn how to manage their customers. Right?
So anyway, after all is said and done, I asked him how it went. He said it went great. But the only problem they were having was that his boss wouldn't implement any of things they had learned there.

Listen! They had spent a lot of money to send the whole staff to this fantastic (expensive) seminar, but then wouldn't let the employees put anything they learned into practice. Can anyone say 'common sense'?

Sometimes, we (yes, I am included here) get so bogged down with all of the little things we need to do that we lose our focus. If you want to 'manage your customer relationships' just keep it simple.

Think 'Golden Rule' simple.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!"

Can you imagine how loyal your customers and clients would be if you treated them like you would want to be treated all of the time?

Uh huh!

So, take a few moments to sit down and imagine yourself walking into your business. How would you most likely be treated vs. the way you would want to be treated?

Think about ways to wow your customers and give them more than they bargained for. Do you really want loyal customers or not? You say you do...but your actions don't show it now. Do they?

So, simplify your life of all that 'fancy CRM' stuff you deal with...and get into your customer's shoes. Give them the experience of a lifetime. They will give you the lifetime of loyalty you seek in return.

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A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

by: Richard Branson

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Newsletter

By publishing a regular newsletter you are creating a high-powered selling and relationtions tool.

------ This Weeks Operations Advice ----------------

Preparation Will Win the Day

The business world is not unlike a courtroom. One of the marks of a successful litigation lawyer is preparation. Preparation is essential if you wish to receive a favorable result...


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I hope you enjoyed this weeks newsletter.Please feel free to pass this newsletter on.

Have a successful day!
Dave Grooms

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Business Improvement Consultant

www.davegrooms.co.uk
As a large proportion of my fee's are linked to

profit improvements nearly any business can afford to hire me

Please feel free to email me: mail@davegrooms.co.uk

Active Listening Skill Tips for Interviews

During a job interview, a potential employer asks, "Can you take on more than one project at a time?" If you respond, "Yes," you may want to rethink that answer. According to Dynamic Listening: Interview Skills, a computer based training module from Mindleaders in Columbus, Ohio, you should avoid one-word or one-sentence answers.

Be specific. And speak money-language. Here’s a preferred answer to the question above, "In general, depending upon the type and length of projects, I believe in efficiently handling more than one project at a time. This could save a company as much as 30%." Let’s check out the definition of "active listening skills" and learn more to help with your next interview.
Active Listening Skills

Just as everyday speaking is not the same as public speaking; listening is not the same as active listening. Active listening means two things: analysis and response to the message being communicated.

An active listener maintains eye contact and good posture with a slight lean towards the speaker. During the interview, the listener nods, smiles and takes notes. Be ware, however, that a daydreamer or pseudolistener, can adopt these behaviors. So a listener’s physical response does not necessarily mean good listening skills are at work.

Nonverbal communication, more than just the nod or smile, is important. Gestures, appearance, timing, voice responses, facial expressions, spatial distance all affect how the speaker (or interview) interprets the listener. So a person preparing for a job or work project interview should consider the cultural climate and norms of society of the interviewer. In short, perceived active listening based on nonverbal signals can vary from culture to culture.

Especially in this age of such great cultural diversity, be courteous of others regardless of cultural, sexual or societal backgrounds. If you are a woman and get to a door before a man, open it. If your interviewer doesn’t speak English very well and looks puzzled at your words, go back and explain yourself again in different words and re-establish a good communication exchange.

Note: a major part of active listening is paraphrasing. It’s not the same as summarizing. A summary is a shortened version of the original message, focusing on the main point. To paraphrase means to re-state the message in your own words.

Active listeners take notes by paraphrasing or restating what the speaker said in their own words, and summarizing main points. A good listener is not the same thing as a silent listener. Good listeners ask questions, even something like, "Is this an accurate paraphrase of you have said?" to let the speaker know that you understand the message being communicated.


Dave Grooms
www.davegrooms.co.uk
Business Growth Consultant