Six Habits That Will Help Multiply Your Success

Whether you have been in business 10 weeks or 10 years, being successful is what we all strive for. Success is not something that is handed to you. Most of us have to earn it through hard work and dedication. The following are six habits that will multiply your success if you include them in your business plan and use them often.

Setting goals and objectives for both you and your business are key factors to success. Both short term and long term goals are needed to ensure the business continually moves forward and remains profitable. Short term goals set a time line to follow that guarantees the long term goals will eventually be realized. As each short term goal is reached and surpassed, new goals continue to take their place like stepping stones that lead up to the prize. Short term goals normally range from six months to 2 years, while long term goals can extend as far out as 5 or 10 years. The objectives that make up the structure of the goals, define what is needed to be done to accomplish each step. Setting objectives clarify what the details are and in what order they need to be performed so that each goal can be reached as efficiently and as quickly as possible.

Making lists is another habit that can lead to success. Lists for daily, monthly and weekly tasks will ensure that everything that needs to be done is accomplished on time. Each person should know their duties and what is expected of them at all times. Providing each employee with a list of things to do on a daily and weekly basis will keep employees on task and reduce the risk of things being forgotten. Lists such as office or warehouse inventories are also beneficial in letting staff know how much of any given item is on hand at any given time. This reduces overspending on unneeded items and keeps inventory taxes low at the end of the year. Maintaining a list of active employees, temps and applications on hand shows management who is productive and who is not. These lists also show who is entitled to benefits and who is absent or tardy on a regular basis. Lists of applications on hand can make the hiring process efficient and quick.

Smiling is one of the most important habits anyone can employ. Smiling inside the workplace reduces stress and lifts the mood of the office or work environment. When employees feel at ease, they are more likely to work harder and be more productive. They enjoy their job and take pride in the work they do. Helping others within the office is a pleasure and not a chore.Smiling outside the office is also very beneficial. It portrays your business and company as friendly and sociable. Greeting customers or clients with a smile and a handshake shows that you are willing to listen and provide the best service possible. When customers are greeted with a smile, they feel more at ease and can remain within their comfort zone. If a customer is comfortable with your business and feels that you are trying your best to meet their needs, they will refer others to you. This increases your business and solidifies your ties with your customers. Trust and respect is earned and customers will return to your business time after time.

A habit this is vital to the success of any business is responding quickly to each and every communication. Communications include phone calls, memos, letters and emails. Any communication should be answered promptly. Phone calls, are especially time sensitive. If a person has taken the time to call you, they expect an immediate response, either by phone or email. Even if a communication’s only purpose is to provide information, confirmation of its receipt should be given in a timely manner so the sender knows the message was received. Sending a reply is a common courtesy that will build trust and good faith between the parties.

Giving back to the community is a habit that should be placed first and foremost within the structure of a company’s business plan. Building a positive rapport with the community offers many benefits to a growing company. While the business provides jobs to the residents of the community, the community supports the business in several ways. Small business depends on the patronage of the community and the surrounding area. Factories and manufacturing facilities support charities like the United Way or Salvation Army. These organizations, in turn, provide services to the community and its residents. Larger companies may hold corporate challenge sporting events that draw competitors from neighboring towns and cities. These teams come into the community and spend money, boosting the town’s economy.

Being organized is the key to success in any business. Improving organization is a habit that is learned and must be practiced continually. Making sure a company’s finances are organized is important to determine whether or not the business is making a profit or taking a loss. Keeping the office organized provides a structure that supports the rest of the business. The office is where inventory records, employee histories and contact information for both clients and business associates are kept. Organization within the workforce establishes and maintains productivity levels. An organized workplace leaves little room for mistakes. When a company is organized on all levels of the business platform, the daily operations run smoothly, the staff is productive and the workers are comfortable in the respect that they are meeting expectations on a regular basis. Organization can make or break a business and is an important component in any successful operation.

These six habits that will multiply your success are just a few of the more important ones that should be learned and implemented in your business. Being a success takes hard work and dedication. Incorporating habits like these into the daily routine of a business will help you become a success not only with your employees, but with your customers and your community as well.

Systemize the Routine, Humanize the Exception

If taking a day off is a long-forgotten concept and your business is working you to the bone, you may be in need of business systemization. Business systemization can give you freedom from tedious tasks and extensive hours by helping to ensure your business runs like a well-oiled machine with the least amount of effort. Think of a business system as a little cog in the great machine of your business, a cog that churns around doing its job regardless if you’re watching it or not.

A business system is a small, organized sub-set of the business that functions seamlessly, easily and with neither prompting from outside forces nor nagging from the boss. A business system can be likened to any other system within a whole, such as your body’s endocrine system or nervous system, both which function on their own while contributing to the overall functioning of your body. Business systems can be simple or more complex, but they should all share the same trait of consistency. Once a task or duty is systemized, it should be performed in the same habitual way by everyone who performs it.

How to Choose What You Systemize

Routine tasks that all people can complete in a consistent manner are the best choices for functions you can systemize. You don’t want to start systemizing business functions that need a human touch, such as responding to a very specific complaint, strange request or creating a personalized order. Filing paperwork, reading emails, sending out routine correspondence or even answering the phone are ideal choices for systemization.

How You Implement a System

Implementing a system requires coming up with instructions on how to properly implement a given task. Let’s say you’re going to systemize answering the phone. Your instructions should include implicit instructions on the entire process, right down to the last detail of how many times the phone is allowed to ring before someone picks it up.

Your instructions will cover the greeting, the tone of voice, and a script that outlines how employees should ask questions to ensure the phone call is handled in a professional manner. Instructions for answering the phone should also include a system on how to take messages, how to transfer calls, how and when to place a caller on hold and the proper way to end the call. Include a consistent policy that dictates how and when phone calls are returned and any other tangential tasks that may stem from an incoming phone call.

Once the instructions are set, it’s time to train your employees. Offering handouts of any scripts is a good idea, as is producing a text version of all the instructions in a manual and in the company handbook. When it comes to actually learning the process, employees may fare better if they actually see the process in action, which you can easily do by creating a video on your flip phone and posting it on the company’s website. Make it required viewing. Posting photos of specific systems is also a good idea for tasks that need visual aids.

How to Get Employees to Work the Systems

Breaking each part of the system into even smaller parts is the best way to introduce employees to the new system without overwhelming them. Have them learn and master each specific portion of the overall task in small doses. Also make it very clear that following each system is company policy, including it any employee handbook.

Engaging them in the creation of the system can further enhance their participation. Ask them to keep notes on how the system is working and suggest any changes that may be beneficial. Then amend the system as necessary. Hold regular meetings where employees are encouraged to provide feedback and constructive criticism on the systems, both from themselves and from customers or clients who may have commented on the way a certain system is functioning.

How to Know the Systems Work

Once you systemize your business, you’ll know it’s working when you end up with loads of free time, employees happily buzzing along like worker bees and mounds of profits rolling in. At least that could be the end result in the best case scenario. Since most changes take a bit of time to show results, the free time, buzzing bees and profits may be slow and steady – but still exist.

You may have to monitor your employees in the early days of a system to ensure they are following instructions and to answer any questions or address concerns they may have. Watching what works and what doesn’t gives you further insight on amendments that could be made to better streamline your systemization.

Business Systemization Benefits

Systemizing your business can eliminate the tedious tasks from your daily plate, a move that comes with a host of benefits. For starters, you won’t have to worry about performing each and every task on your own just to ensure it is being done properly, as an established system will ensure that it is. Training employees to successfully work a number of the established systems also makes them more valuable by placing them where they are most needed at the moment.

There’s little downtime in a systemized business since trained employees can always jump in to pick up a task that needs to be done. Rather than being trained in one or just a few specific tasks that only a particularly employee performs, all of your employees will be trained in all the systems. Instead of scrambling to hire someone to answer the phone when your front desk person leaves, phone duties are being taken care of by the system. Your staff members become individual jack-of-all-trades that work together for a cohesive and profitable whole.

The consistency of your systems contributes to the consistency of your business. Customers and clients will be pleased to find your business runs in a steady, expected fashion so they are never at a loss at what to expect in terms of quality and service. Training your employees in each system also means each system is being done how you want it to be done. There’s no more guessing why a phone call was answered with a “Yo” instead of a “Hello” or one employee decided to suddenly file the paperwork from Z to A instead of A to Z.

Systems take care of the little things that may seem less significant than larger tasks but can still help sink your business if they are ignored, forgotten or done carelessly. Ever call a company only to have the phone answered by someone who was chomping gum and didn’t even know how to put you on hold? If so, you are probably not calling back.

The grandest reward for systemizing your business is the freedom you’ll find. You will no longer need to focus large amounts of time on small tasks or scramble to do everything yourself just to ensure it is being done your way. You can then pick and choose to perform only the work you truly enjoy doing or, in the best case scenario, actually take that long-forgotten day off.

If you want to learn more about how to systemize your business read – a great jumping off point is Brad Sugars’ book Instant Systems. Better yet, hire an ActionCOACH Business Coach (if you want a free coaching session let me know!)

What Every Business Needs

Studies show that business coaching can make or break your business during this recession–or any recession. We’re not just saying this. Studies performed by Cogent Research (with more facts and figures here) show that businesses don’t just survive, but actually thrive during a recession–at least they do when they are coached to follow the kinds of procedures that ActionCOACH teaches its clients.

Today, I’d like to share with you, and share more than just statistics. As we go over these statistics, I’d like to share with you some of the things we recommend to our coaching clients. That way, even if you don’t employ our services, you can help your business thrive in this recession.

After all, while it’s the point of any business to turn a profit, we’re also interested in helping people (we’d have to find new jobs, if we weren’t). Anything I can share with others on this blog, is likely to help the nation get back on its feet that much more quickly.

But first, it will help to take a good look at the situation we’re in. You can’t effectively deal with the world around you if you don’t know how it’s effecting you. And how it is effecting us is not pretty.

The Crushing Truth about the Great Recession and Uncoached Businesses

You don’t have to be told that many businesses have literally crumbled from the inside during this recession. Chances are, you’ve seen some close friends or associates go through some pretty tough times because of the economy.

So you shouldn’t feel bad if you’ve felt the chill creeping up your own spine, when you wonder if you could be next. Even the best and bravest among us are subject to the worry imposed on us by a coughing economy.

After all, statistics are less than encouraging for uncoached businesses. Dun & Bradstreet reports that the U.S. economy has stalled after what started off as a healthy comeback in 2010.

Small business owners have been hit particularly hard. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the number of “incorporated self-employed” (i.e. business owners, entrepreneurs, etc.) is down nearly 600,000 form what it was pre-recession–a number that otherwise should have gone up.

The figures look even worse when you take into account the “unincorporated self-employed”–many of whom run their local businesses as a single proprietorship or partnerships. This nearly doubles the figure above, to almost 1.2 million fewer American business owners than there were before the recession.

These figures are overall figures; when you take into account the number of new businesses that start up every year, the number of businesses destroyed by The Great Recession leaps into the staggering millions.

Statistics Show Hope for Those Who Take Advantage of Coaching

Fortunately, recession doesn’t mean the end of every business–and it doesn’t have to spell the end for yours, either. Businesses that learn how to become more internally sound and outwardly competitive won’t just survive a recession better. They can actually increase their growth during a recession more than they would be able to during easier times!

This is in part due to the fact that other businesses will be struggling–and dying–while you are thriving. The Cogent Research study shows that:

74% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased sales last year, nearly twice the number of the 43% of non-coached businesses who increased sales.

What about our coaching helped businesses increase their sales. We help executives and business owners learn to look at where their marketing and ad dollars are paying off–and where they’re just throwing money away. This kind of knowledge can literally make or break a business.

Of course there are other factors. One thing we’ve noticed is the kind of confidence that spreads through a company when the top level executives are confident in their path. All other things being equal, a confident sales force is the most effective type of sales force.

After all, you’ve probably deal with sales agents who practically reeked of desperation. You’ve also met a few who seem relaxed, confident, happy. Who are you more likely to buy from?

53% of ActionCOACH coached businesses increased their profits–compared with 35% of non-coached businesses.

Again, there are many factors that play a part in this. All those factors mentioned above, plus a better eye for internal spending (coached executives are often surprised to find out where money has been “leaking” from!), working through a sturdy business plan, more realistic budgets, and more efficient workflow procedures all play a part.

A good business coach won’t just help you implement all of these things. He or she will teach you how to do them for yourself!

Profit increases averaged $160,000 per company–with an average ROI of $10.80 in net profit for every $1 spent!

Of course, this is only the average. Individual profit increases can vary with the size and type of your business. But an ROI of nearly 11:1 should look good to just about any business!

97% of coached businesses would recommend coaching to other small and medium-sized enterprises.

We think this statistic speaks for itself!

What Will a Good Coach Do for Your Business?

A good coach will guide you through the processes to make your business more profitable, more efficient–even more enjoyable.

Steps like 12-month budgets and written business plans can help you survive and even thrive during a recession. These are two things we help clients create, if they haven’t already (and many have not). They help any business maintain stability and focus during tough times.

We also teach executives and business owners to pay more attention to workflow procedures that may be costing time and money. Another focus is learning how to spot and pay the right kind of attention to KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators). This helps executives decide where to best spend every dollar (among other things).

ActionCOACH is the world’s number one coaching firm, with over 1,000 offices in 39 countries. Contact us to learn how we can help you thrive in 2012.

Guerrilla Prospecting: Getting Your Marketing Foot into the Client’s Door

It’s a seller’s market. The more clients you have, the more sales you make. The more sales you make, the more your business grows.

It doesn’t matter what you are selling. Whether its real estate, electronics, toilet brushes, you need to sell your products to eager customers. But first you have to find where those customers are, understand what it is that they need, and see if you can supply them with that product.

Sales tactics come and go. The days are over where you walked door-to-door, gave a knock and started with the same speech of, “Hello, ma’am! I am selling… insert your product/service here… and would like to know if you may be interested in making a purchase.”

Today, you’ll get the not-interested look and the slam of the door in your face. Other methods need to be taken to get that product into the hands of the customers.

What is guerrilla prospecting? Guerrilla tactics means doing the unexpected to reach your objective. Prospecting means locating those clients and customers who may be interested in your product or services. Combine both these methods as you create unusual ways to find people who would make the perfect customer.

The method of guerrilla prospecting involves planning and prospecting for clients. You have to go out and find the client, not have the client come to you by some off-chance on seeing your ad in the newspaper or online. But to do this, you have to have a clear plan on who your specific client is, the best places where you can locate them, and the best way in engaging their interest where they are scrambling to pick up the phone to buy your products or services.

1: Planning

Every entrepreneur knows that planning is the most important technique you use to reach your business goals. You plan out how to create your business, plan how to sell your product and plan out the budget so that you can bring in a profit.

Planning for guerrilla prospecting involves knowing the best market where your product or service will do well. You must know the benefits of the product and the niche buyers who would be the most interested in buying it.

Seriously, would you sell a BMW luxury car to a person who is a Ford truck fan? Of course not. Knowing who your clients are will help in your prospecting efforts in locating where to find your clients and how to make them interested in your product or service. If you don’t do this, then you will simply be wasting your selling time that can be better spent.

2: Prospecting

Once you understand your marketing niche, now is the time to do some prospecting. You must search for where your clients can come from, and the necessary information on how your product and service will fit that particular client’s budget and requirements. By collecting all the data you can about the prospective client, you can create the best approach for getting the client to make a deal with you for the product or service.

Clients can be found everywhere. Never limit yourself strictly to your company’s existing client list and referrals. You can find clients on the bus, in the grocery store or at the beach. Keep your eyes open and a notepad handy to jot down any information. Since you know who your ideal prospects are through the planning stage, you should be able to immediately identify them within the crowd. Hone in on them and collect your data.

With all that information now in hand, you can begin your guerrilla prospecting. You must become knowledgeable about your prospective client. Target in on how to properly create your sales pitch through how the client works with others.

Never just begin with the worn-out old sales pitch. Use an unusual approach in selling your product or service. Engage the client concerning his business, asking how his operations are running and if there are any areas that he would love to change. Be creative in your conversation, and ask a lot of questions. Listen to what the client has to say and understand how his business works. Once the client becomes relaxed, you can begin telling him about how your product or service could help his business out to improve operations.

Take the unexpected approach. If you sell cameras, go into a photography studio and speak with the manager concerning any specials they are having.  Ask about the backgrounds they have. Then offer the photographers a free use of the cameras you are selling to see how beautiful the photos are when taken against the special backdrops.

Guerrilla prospecting. It’s the marketing tactic to use active techniques in locating clients and taking unusual methods to interest the client about every aspect of your product or service. Build your client list and keep expanding your business with this unique pitch.

Discounting Your Business Down the Drain

While getting customers through your front door is essential to staying in business, discounting prices can do more harm than good over the long run. Yes, it’s possible to get the word out about your business to thousands, perhaps millions of people using a service like Groupon or Living Social. And you may find customers that might otherwise be difficult to reach, but the discounts to your product or service will normally be 50% or greater.

The assumption is that buyers will be incentivized by the discount, try out your offer and keep coming back for more. On the surface, it may sound like a great way to snag customer and keep them coming back. However, digging a little deeper and analyzing the situation, you may find that discounted offerings work only for a small subset of businesses.

If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is

Coupon discounting campaigns often lure business owners in by giving the impression the campaign is free. It seems simple enough! Your product is bought and money is collected online from your customers by the hosting company. Coupons are mailed to your customers and you receive a check. What’s never explicitly spelled out up front is that 50% of your revenue is the fee for using their service. At best, you will only earn 25% off the original cost of your product or service. Is it worth it?

So the orders start coming in and for a short period you feel euphoria. It’s not until later that you begin realizing how much potential money is being lost by discounting prices. If your customers are one-off and simply one time buyers, there’s a risk of taking a loss on thousands of dollars worth of orders.

Make Your Business Memorable

In today’s world, keeping customers is about building memorable relationships. Sure, business owners must compete for the attention of the consumer. However, if what stands out in the mind of the consumer is how great a deal they got, as opposed to the product or service itself, there is no true business experience that gives the customer a reason or incentive to return. In fact, people will promote your business by word of mouth or through social channels about the killer deal they received. For these customers, it’s not about the quality of your product or service. It’s about the bargain itself.

Discounting your prices can take the spotlight away from your business and even slight loyal customers. Unfortunately, all the attention will go to companies like Groupon or Living Social. After all, they were the ones who made the purchasing experience exciting for your customers. Customers are more than likely to brag about Groupon and not your business.

Make Alternative Offers

There are other ways to build business. It may be old-school rhetoric, but service will always be king. Taking the time to build relationships increases the trust customers will have in your product or service. Present your product or service as a bundle offer where customers get a better price because services are combined. Or offer a two-for-one deal that gives customers more bang for the buck when you run special campaigns. Building relationships is the key to building business.

Boost Your Business Using a Unique Selling Proposition

A unique selling proposition, or USP, could skyrocket your business if done properly. No matter your business, you most likely have competition, even if it’s not local to you. Many people look for deals on the Internet to find the best deal on the product or service. A good USP sets you completely apart from the competition, which makes a person want to order from you, even though your price may be a bit higher — you have to be the best choice.

Look at your product or service. What makes it unique from others offering the same thing? Sometimes, there isn’t much, and, if that is the case, you must find something that makes yours better than theirs. Determine what your customers’ motivation may be. One way is to determine how your product or service can help someone in a way that no one else can, or has a trait that another product or service offers — even if the trait is something as small as free overnight shipping or 24-hour turn-around for services, along with exceptional, personalized customer service.

Once you figure out what makes you and your product special and what motivates your customers, you have found your unique selling position, and you need to implement it. Use it in all of your advertising. Flaunt it. Why should you do this and what does a Unique Selling Position do for you? It sets you apart from others offering the same product or service. Since this aspect of marketing sets you apart from everyone else, your unique selling position should be incorporated into or should be your brand. When you brand your business, you market with a logo or saying on post cards, letter head, signs, web site and other marketing avenues.

While geographic information is a help with selling, it is becoming obsolete if you have an online presence. For example, if your product or service of use to a certain age, but others outside of that age range may be interested or may benefit from the product, choose a unique selling position that appeals to all ages. All ages are influenced by peer pressure and convenience.

Samples of unique selling positions include:
~ Revlon: The founder said he sold hope, not makeup.
~ Coca Cola: “Have a Coke and a smile.”
~ Neiman Marcus: Luxury items
~ L’Eggs: First to sell hosiery in grocery stores.
~ Wal-Mart: Bargains

Each company found its niche and built sales upon a marketing campaign based on their unique selling positions. How can you find your own unique selling position? The first thing you must do is to put yourself on the other side of the counter. If you were purchasing your product or service, what would make you buy it over someone else’s that might cost less or be more convenient to gain access to? Forget about price. Price is not the only thing that makes people buy.

Figure out something about your product or service that would make customers want it more than like products or services. You may not be able to meet their price, especially if you are a small company and your competition is a large company.

Use psychological ploys as your unique selling position. For example, car, boat and motorcycle ads often feature sexy women. Department stores use family-oriented scenes. Restaurant ads often show a couple enjoying a romantic dinner. Sports bars show people having fun and enjoying good food and drink. Cosmetic companies show glamorous women. A psychological ploy digs to the root of why a person might purchase your product or service and reaches out to grab the prospective customer by the heartstrings.

To get some ideas about what your unique selling position should be, ask your customers how you should improve your business, products and services. If you are just starting the business, visit your competition and see how it presents its products and services. Pay attention to what the sales people tell customers about the product. You could even get into a conversation about your competitors’ products or services with their customers — outside of the establishment, of course.

You may come up with several ideas for a unique selling position. Weigh each idea and discard the idea that reaches the least people. Look at the pros and cons of each idea, if that idea reaches out to your biggest audience. Continue working the list, eliminating one idea at a time, until you are left with the best idea. The process does take some time. Since your unique selling position is going to be used in marketing, take your time and don’t get discouraged. Think everything through, as this one line or idea could make or break you.

Using Case Studies to Promote Your Business

Storytelling is an ancient cultural practice that persists, even today, in a variety of forms. People are drawn to good stories, and when they hear compelling stories that strike a chord in them, they go on to tell these stories to others as well. One way to harness the power of storytelling to generate new leads for your business is to create several case studies that tell the story of how your business helped a client in the past. If you tell the story well, it will resonate in those who read or hear it and lead them to be more likely to choose your business in the future. Plus, people who read the story might tell it to others they know who have not heard about your business before, making a great first impression and maybe generating new leads for you.

The process of creating and distributing case studies can require a significant effort on your part, but in most situations, this effort will pay off by increasing the amount of business you do in the future. You need to go through four major steps to effectively create and use case studies. You will identify a potential case study, gather information to create a big-picture story, write the case study itself, and include the case study in your marketing. Depending on how much depth you go into, this process can take anywhere from a day to several months to compile, write and effectively distribute the case study.

Identifying Potential Case Studies

Nobody likes to read a boring story, so you need to identify an interesting client to use as the subject for your case study. Rather than just a run-of-the-mill interaction, you want your work with the client to have resulted in a resounding story of success that will capture people’s attention and show your business in the best light possible. In addition, you want to choose a case study that accurately represents the usual work you do. Don’t choose a client who got a service that is not something you especially enjoy providing or something that you do not ordinarily do for your clients, but instead, choose a client who represents the typical person your business usually works with.

Clients who have given you glowing positive feedback are the best place to start for case studies, especially if you did not solicit the feedback. These people were obviously pleased with your services or products and feel that your business did a good job of meeting their needs. Therefore, any time a client calls or writes you with genuine thanks for your work, note down this client as a potential case study for future marketing efforts. If possible, choose a client for the case study who has worked with you recently. The details will be fresh in both of your minds, which will make it easier to create the case study.

Another option for finding a potential case study is to select a client who you are just beginning to work with. This will allow you to create the case study as you go, rather than having to think back after you are done with your work. Plus, you get a better report of the client’s feelings and experience at each step of the process, which is what you want to highlight so other potential clients will feel like they can relate to the story in your case study. The risk here is that the client won’t actually be satisfied, so if you take this route, choose a client with a need that you know you will be able to meet effectively. This will help you showcase your business well and attract more clients.

When you ask a client about participating in a case study, make sure the client understands that you want to publish this for marketing. The client needs to agree to release this information to the public, and you should find out whether the client would like to remain anonymous or if you can list the client’s name or business in the case study. The most believable case studies are those that the reader can connect to a real person or business. However, an anonymous case study can also be effective, as long as it is believable and is presented in a context that makes it clear that you are telling a true story.

Gathering Information

A case study needs to have information about three major stages of your work with the client. Gather this information by interviewing the client in person, over the phone or by email. If the interview is verbal, get an audio recording that you can use as a reference as you write the case study. Although you probably won’t include everything the client says in your case study, you want to have the audio available so you can quote the client directly when needed and so you can ensure that you are accurately representing what the client told you during the interview.

First, find out what the client’s situation was before working with you. Gather as much information as you can about what the client needed. Specifically, paint a picture of what the client’s life was like before contacting you and what problems he needed solved. If he tried other solutions before yours, describe what these were and why they did not work. However, do not mention the names of competing companies or products, which could cause legal issues if you publish negative information about them that is not completely accurate. Also gather information about how he discovered your business and why he thought you would be the best choice.

Second, detail the work that you performed for the client. This portion of the case study comes mostly from you, rather than from the client. Describe the steps that you went through to meet with the client, decide what work to perform, and go through the process of actually doing the work. Go into as much detail here as you think the potential audience for your case study would understand or be interested in. You want the information to be accessible and to show your business in the best light possible.

Third, describe the results of your work. As much as possible, present this section of the case study as a contrast to the beginning of the study. You want to show how your work solved the client’s specific problems and needs. Find out how your work changed the client’s life, business, family or other realm that your business was designed to help with. Your client can tell you about his initial reactions to your work or product, and also how he felt about it a few days, weeks or months later. This shows that working with your business has long-term impact.

Writing and Editing the Case Study

Unless you are an exceptional writer, do not compose the case study yourself. If you know someone at your business who is a good writer, delegate the task to that person. If nobody in-house can write the case study well, or if you have the budget for it, the best way to present it is to have a professional writer take the information you have gathered and turn it into a written case study of the length you want.

Your case study should be at least three paragraphs, but in many cases, it will be longer to give more details and make the story come alive. As long as the writing is compelling, people will be willing to read a case study of several thousand words. If you are worried about a case study being too long for some types of marketing, write two versions of the case study with different word counts. You can use the shorter one in settings where you don’t think the person would want to read the whole thing, and save the longer ones for times when it is more appropriate.

After completing a first draft of the case study, read it over and compare the case study with the raw information you gathered in the previous stage. You want to make sure that everything you write is 100 percent accurate. If you find any errors, fix them before moving on. Also proofread the case study thoroughly for grammar and spelling problems and fix these.

Show the case study to the client before using it in your marketing. Have the client identify any areas of the written report that do not fit with how he remembered his interaction with you. Also ask the client to think about anything else that should be included in the case study. Often, while reading the details, other things will come to his mind that you can add to make the final version of the case study even more compelling. Details add believability and make the story come alive so people who read it will be able to relate better.

If you edit the case study after the client reads it, let the client see the next version as well. You need to get the client’s approval on the version of the case study that you use in your marketing. Therefore, until you have the client return the case study with no changes needed, you need to continue the process of showing it to the client, getting feedback, editing it, and showing it to the client again.

Marketing with the Case Study

Once you have a compelling case study written, put it to work for you by distributing it in ways that will generate new leads or get additional business from returning customers. Of course, there are countless ways to market with your case study, but use these options as several ideas to get you started.

Post the case study in a testimonials section of your website. Most companies only offer short testimonials written by the client, but having a whole case study available makes a more compelling presentation to potential customers who visit your website. This is because a usual testimonial is not as detailed and might not describe all three steps of the problem, the service and the results. When you meet people who are considering doing business with you, point them to the testimonials section of your website so they can read about the experience of one of your past clients.

Link to the case study from your company’s Facebook, Twitter or other social media account. When people who are subscribed to you see and interact with the case study there, people who are connected to them will see it as well. This can get the word out about your business and the services you provide, which can help generate leads.

Distribute the case study to news outlets in the form of a press release. When it gets published, people might see it right away and contact you to find out if you can provide similar results. It also provides a stronger web presence for you because many press releases are published online. You will need to edit the case study slightly to use it in this way, adding an introductory paragraph that identifies your business and sets up the fact that you are reporting about an interaction with a past client. The whole press release should be 500 words or less.

Include the case study in your company newsletter. This might be a paper newsletter that you mail to past clients and prospects or an email newsletter that you send out to your mailing list and link to from your website. Even people who know what your business does are usually interested in reading a success story. When they do this, they might think of additional reasons to use your services. You can also ask them to pass the newsletter along to any other individuals or businesses who might be interested in reading the case study.

Give several hard copies of the case study to the client who you wrote the study about. This client can pass along the case study to anyone who might be interested in purchasing similar products or services from you. This is an easy way for the client to tell his story without having to repeat all of the details each time he wants to recommend your business to someone.

Use the case study in any presentations you give to potential new leads at meetings or conferences. Break it down into slides for the presentation and hand out a hard copy of the full case study to everyone so they can follow along as you tell the story and revisit it again after leaving your presentation. When telling the story, use vivid language and make sure that it is clear that you are presenting a real case study, not just a made-up scenario of what a client could achieve with the help of your business.

Create a colorful brochure with the text of the case study and, if possible, some photographs of the client or the work you performed. The photos bring credibility to the text and make it come alive. Make the brochure available at your business, include it in your mailings, and give it to people who can pass it along for you. Satisfied past clients can keep a few brochures on hand to give out as referrals, and any other businesses that have provided referrals for you can help distribute the brochures as well.

Gather mailing addresses for businesses or individuals who share essential characteristics with the business or individual you used as the subject for your case study. You want people or companies who you know will be able to relate to the story you tell in the case study. Mail each of these leads a case study and an invitation to get in touch with you to find out whether they could achieve similar results by using your company’s services or products.

Have the case study available as a handout whenever your company has a booth at a trade show. Give it to everyone who stops by as a way for them to picture what your business can do for them. One way to increase the impact of the case study in this setting is to create a video of you interviewing the person who is the subject of the case study. The video will catch people’s attention and you can give them the printed version of the case study as something to take with them so they remember you later.

How A Company e-Newsletter Establishes Your Expertise and Reminds Current and Potential Customers of Your Brand

Your company can be easily drowned out in all the internet noise out there unless you have a strategic way to remind customers you exist. E-newsletters are one of those ways. E-newsletters are the newfangled version of the traditional business newsletter that are sent through email rather than regular mail. Whether you normally send out traditional newsletters and need a change or are searching for a way to get your brand more exposure, e-newsletters can work for you. E-newsletters reinforce your expertise, brand — and very existence — to current and potential clients.

What They Do

Think of e-newsletters as friendly little reminders to people that your company is out there doing business. One of the goals of the e-newsletter is to let them know what that business can do for them, although you typically don’t want all content to read like an extended sales pitch.

Providing content that educates and enlightens readers is an earmark of e-newsletters that not only get read but also get passed on to family, friends and acquaintances, notes BeConnected.com. Word-of-mouth advertising remains a powerful force.

Include articles that outline advancements if your industry and how you are remaining on the cutting edge. Provide tips and insight on topics related to your field. Opt for informational articles related to your business’s specialties and expertise.

This doesn’t mean e-newsletters have no room for self-promotion. You can still highlight special sales, discounts and new services and products you are offering as well as new developments throughout the firm. Customers that were planning to purchase the products or services you offer may be instantly inclined to do so when they have an e-newsletter right in front of them in their inbox.

Well-written e-newsletters should also entertain the reader to some degree. The e-newsletter need not be filled with jokes and comics, but should be written in such a way they are compelling to read. It is much too easy to hit the delete button, so focus on sending out missives that instead end up saved in your customers’ queues and forwarded to their own contacts.

How to Create and Send Them

Creating and sending out e-newsletters starts with determining the frequency. Since e-newsletters are meant to provide regular updates and information your business, being consistent is a must. The frequency depends on how much information you have to share and the amount of resources you have to put into creating a quality e-newsletter, with business usually opting for once a month or once a week.

Consistency is also vital when it comes to your e-newsletter’s format and style. Readers should realize at a glance that the e-newsletter came from your business, based on your brand’s consistent style business name and logo appearing prominently on the masthead.

Using a table of contents can be useful for lengthy e-newsletters while compelling graphics can quickly and easily capture the reader’s attention. Although html format gives you the biggest bang when it comes to impact since you can use images, video and audio, not every email recipient either enjoys or can receive it. Many large corporations, for instance, filter out html emails or automatically convert them to text.

Having your newsletter available in both text and html format covers your bases. If you’re going that route, allow readers to choose their preferred format when they sign up for your e-newsletter.

If you have the resources and time, creating and sending out e-newsletters on your own can be a feasible option. If you are pressed for both, a handful of companies that offer email newsletter services can do it for you. Although you still have to provide the content, many of the companies offer several different prepared formats to best suit your style. One caveat is making sure the company is reputable and will not turn around and sell your client email list.

Where to Send Them

Although certain companies still sell email address lists, the practice can often lead to recipients automatically deleting or marking as spam any messages from companies with which they are unfamiliar.

Good etiquette for gathering an e-newsletter mailing list is by making it an option for clients who want to receive it. Include a sign-up list prominently displayed on your website as well as an option at checkout during sales. Also make it easy for people to “unsubscribe” by including that option in every e-newsletter you send out.

Since people may forget they’ve signed up for your e-newsletter, PCProfile Trading recommends including the email address at the beginning of the message to remind them of the email address they used to sign up for it.

One of the ways customers get out receiving newsletters is setting up junk email accounts where all such correspondence is sent. Reminding them of the email address they used to sign up for your email reinforces the sign-up was valid and they opted for the service. This can mean the difference between your e-newsletter taking an immediate trip to junk mail and being read and passed on to their friends.

When you send e-newsletters to people who want to receive them, it also helps ensure you are reaching your target audience of those who could benefit from what you have to offer and buy what you have to sell.

Benefits over Traditional Newsletters

The topmost benefit of e-newsletters over traditional newsletters sent through the mail is the cost. You’ll no longer have to pay for printing services, materials and postage. Nor will you have to spend the time to trek down to the post office with a big batch of newsletters or clogging the office postage machine for extended periods.

Because you do not have to pay based on the colors and graphics you use, e-newsletters can be vibrant and filled with intriguing images without the high price. The colors and graphics will not appear in the text format of the e-newsletter, but it can still reach a wide audience.

Additional benefits over traditional newsletters include the ability to include direct links throughout the text that get customers to your website where they can learn more or make a purchase with a few clicks of the mouse.

E-newsletters can give your business a constant voice, one that is knowledgeable, consistent and is much too classy to yell over all that internet noise.

How a Small Business Can Expand Globally

Anyone who has ever owned a business knows the importance of expanding into new and exciting markets. For a small business to survive they must find ways to gain new clients and brand their name into the homes and minds of new customers. With all of the technology that is available for international expansion it has never been easier for a small business to expand globally.

There are tremendous advantages to small businesses who find a way to expand globally. One of the biggest advantages is access to a new customer base. When a business finds a new customer base there is usually a pickup in sales. This gives more money for the business to expand with. Another advantage is a new market to test new products with. A small company that has new products can test them in other countries to see if there is any interest in them.

In order for a small business to expand globally they should be set up to take on the challenge of global competition. The very first thing a company should do is to educate themselves on the market that they are expanding into. This includes knowing cultural concerns, language barriers, social structure and even religious beliefs. For instance, if a company goes into a market that prohibits certain things they will lose sales by not understanding why certain things are prohibited. Take surveys and perform market analysis tasks for new markets before expanding into the area. Therefore the company will know what works and what to stay away from in the new area.

A small business should also have the infrastructure to meet demand of the new customer base. This means that there should be adequate storage for items to be held before shipping. There should be computer systems to handle order placement. There also should be enough people to fill the orders and ship them out in a timely manner. There should also be a shipping service in place to take care of delivering the promise of the small business.

The internet has made expansion possible for just about every business. The difference between the ones who succeed and those who fail can rely on the connection that they have. Having a reliable connection to the world of the internet can make or break a business. For instance, if a company has outages and down website pages people will not ever want to do business with that company. People like to have easy and quick business interactions.

By respecting people’s time and ability to access internet information a company stands to attract more people just because of good customer service. To expand into the global market customer service has to a top priority. People have a need to be treated with respect and dignity. Why should they expect anything less? A good principle to run a business by is to serve others as you yourself like to be served. If you like to have a pleasant customer service experience, then a business should be able to provide that pleasant experience to their customer base. A small business may have to employee a couple of people to field calls and handle customer issues.

Expansion also has a certain cost to it that must be paid. It costs money to setup new systems and to hire new people to handle all the new business. In order to expand into the global market a business must be willing to spend money in order to reap the benefits of higher sales. In order to brand a name in the minds of people advertising with good content should precede the offer of certain services.

Expansion globally is done effectively by controlling costs. If a company is wasteful with its resources, then they will have fewer resources to direct to global expansion. Be efficient in the way business and advertisement is handled so saved resources can be used later on for business growth.

A small business owner should also have a vision and a plan to achieve the vision. A vision is a picture of where a person sees themselves or company within a certain amount of time. A vision is achieved by setting short and long term goals that are reasonable to meet. A small business should set goals for themselves as they expand in to the new global market.

Moving slowly is always a plus for new markets. Take the time and expand into one area at a time. Gain a foothold one day at a time so the roots of the business run deep and they will not find themselves retreating from the global market. The object is to gain ground and not lose it. Setup a system that works and modify that system into each new region to guarantee global success.

Consider setting up an office in the new market area. Sometimes a storefront puts the company name into the community. By having more locations to work from a business owner can effectively grow their business one customer at a time. A local presence also gives a personal touch to the community. People like to see the faces of the people they do business with.

Tips to Retain Employees at Your Small Business

Small businesses often have only a handful of employees, and when one leaves, it puts a strain on everyone. The owner or manager must worry about being able to provide enough service or product to the customers and the other employees must take up the slack for the person missing in action, often without additional pay.

Many small businesses cannot afford benefits such as health insurance, dental, retirement, paid vacations, paid holidays and sick days. So how do you keep employees when other companies offer these benefits, and often, more pay?

* Benefits: You may not be able to offer all benefits, but try to offer at least a paid one-week vacation each year. You are already paying the employees to work throughout the year, since they may not take a vacation if it’s not paid. Arrange the schedule so that each employee is off during a different month. If you have fewer than six employees, you can have the employees schedule vacations two months apart.

* Keep Lines of Communication Open: Keep an open-door policy. Your employees are more likely to come to you with problems relating to the job if they know you are approachable. If employees can come to you, you know what is going on with the business and can head larger problems off, thus saving money in the long run. An employee who would normally quit because she or he is unhappy may come to you to look for a solution. You may be able to keep the employee if the employee sees that you are looking out for his or her best interest.

* Define Job Duties: Define each employees job duties clearly. If your employees must cover for others occasionally, make sure it is in their job description. If each job’s duties are clearly outlined, there are no surprises for the employee performing that job, which means that the employee does not feel like you are taking advantage of him or her. This also prevents strife between employees, as each one knows what is expected of the other employees.

* Get Employee Ideas: If you are considering making a change to the business, adding a new product or service, or changing job duties, ask the employees for their input. Your employees are the ones that work with customers all day. They are the ones that hear the customers’ complaints and praises. Have a meeting so that everyone can discuss the new idea. Ask employees for ideas, too, to help bring in more customers or to garner more sales of a particular product or service. This makes your employees feel like they have a stake in the business. Further, your employees may come up with ideas or considerations that you haven’t thought of.

* Praise: Give lots of praise where it is deserved. Employees like to know they are appreciated. A word of praise every now and then shows the employee that you appreciate the work he or she is doing, and that the employee is doing the job to your satisfaction. This goes a long way in reducing employee stress.

* Holiday Benefits: Give the employees something during the holidays. A turkey at Thanksgiving shows the employees that you do care about their well-being, and they are not just someone to complete a job. A holiday party is another much appreciated gesture. You can have a holiday party at the shop/office, at a restaurant, or even at your home. Holding a holiday party at your home means that you do not have to splurge on what could turn into an expensive restaurant meal. You need only a couple trays of finger foods and desserts, which can be inexpensive to make, but much appreciated by your employees. Invite special customers to the holiday party. This shows the customers and employees that they are appreciated: the customers for their continued patronage, and the employees for their superior treatment that brings these customers in over and over again.

* Bonuses: If you must ask your employees to take up slack for an employee that left or that you had to fire, give the employees that are doing the extra work a small bonus. An extra $100 in one paycheck, buying lunch for all employees (pizza, wings or something that may be delivered) or having a dessert party in the afternoon are good, inexpensive ways to say, ¡§Thank you¡¨ and to let your employees know they are appreciated.

* Birthdays: When an employee has a birthday, hold a birthday party. You can either buy a cake in most any grocery store, or, if you are talented in the kitchen, you can make a cake. It’s a small token, but it shows the employees that you think of them, and it’s something to break up the day.

* Year-End Bonus: If you like to give year-end bonuses, put money aside throughout the year, so you have it. Give the bonus to the employee near the beginning of December, so that the employee has a little extra money for whichever holiday she or he celebrates. Consider giving the employees one or two paid holidays per year if you don’t normally provide paid holidays. You don’t have to pay for the entire time off, say for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but paying them for one day helps. This is also something you can put away for throughout the year.

With a little planning, you can effectively give your employees reasons to stay with you, instead of leaving for a better paying job or a job with benefits. Employees like getting attention, especially if you verbally express your appreciation. Small businesses often have money problems during certain times of the year, but that doesn’t have to stop you from showing employee appreciation, and employee appreciation doesn’t have to be expensive.