“Five Ways to Engage with your Customers”
The president of Harley-Davidson got it right when he said “The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing”.
It’s become very easy for your customers to ignore you. These days, if you don’t engage with them, they’ll by-pass you. They’ll turn off the TV, delete your email and fast-forward your podcast. It is all about them. They choose. They determine your brand value, they listen to their friends on twitter talking about a bad experience and they research new products by visiting user forums.
So where does this leave the small business? With some valuable opportunities for customer engagement. Here are a handful of ideas to get you started.
Listen
Start connecting with your customers by listening. This means acting like a customer. Ring your own phone number. Stand in your own queue. Understand them. Invite them to participate in improving your product or service. Educate them and inspire them, but mostly join their conversation. Observe conversations in your sphere. Listen to your target market and the experts in your industry on blogs, tweets and other social media forums.
Look
Look at your communications. For example, does your website talk about the customer and their problems and how you solve them or does it talk about YOU? Remember no one cares about you, nor do they care about anybody else. They care about themselves. So don’t try to be all things to all people. Just communicate to your select target market and explain how you can help them.
Act
Act on all feedback, good or bad. Show you care. A blog is a good way to join the conversation with your customers, but there’s no point if you don’t act on the information you receive. You have to show that you’re invested and that you care.
Create
Create opportunities for your customers and team to communicate and build an extended online community. They’re going to have the conversation with or without you, so you may as well be listening and providing input. Marketing is now a dialogue and two-way conversation that requires listening. If you are good at creating these opportunities, you’ll empower your customers to create their own ideal products and services, review yours, provide feedback and nurture your business.
They’ll tell you how they want their information, and what they want. You just have to listen and be willing to share the process.
Evaluate
Evaluate your on-line community and strategy and make sure it suits your customer needs. There are many ways to join or start a conversation and you can’t give your attention to all of them. Pick the medium and style that best suits your customers and make a start today.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Develop a Clear Vision
The one quality that all leaders have in common is that they have a clear and exciting vision for the future. This is something that only the leader can do. Only the leader can think about the future and plan for the future each day.
Take the Time to Think
Excellent leaders take the time to think through and develop a clear picture of where they want the organization to be in one, three and five years. Leaders have the ability to communicate this vision in such a way that others “buy in” and eventually see the vision as belonging to them.
Motivate People to Give of Their Best
It is the vision of the future possibilities, of what can be, that arouses emotion and motivates people to give of their best. The most powerful vision is always qualitative, aimed at and described in terms of values and mission, rather than quantitative, which is described in terms of money and numbers.
Money Is Important
Of course, money is important, but the decision and commitment to “be the best in the business” is far more exciting.
Keep Your Cool
Another key to leadership success is for you to “keep your cool.” A study at Stanford Business School examined the qualities that companies look for in promoting young managers toward senior executive positions, especially the position of Chief Executive Officer. The study concluded that the two most important qualities required for great success were, first, the ability to put together and function as part of a team. Since all work is ultimately done by teams, and the managers’ output is the output of the team, the ability to select team members, set objectives, delegate responsibility and finally, get the job done, was central to success in management.
Practice Patience Is Everything
The second quality required for rapid promotion was found to be the ability to function well under pressure, and especially in a crisis. Keeping your cool in a crisis means to practice patience and self-control under difficult or disappointing circumstances.
People Are Watching
The character and quality of a leader is often demonstrated in these critical moments under fire, when everyone is watching, observing and privately taking notes. As Rudyard Kipling once said, “If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that’s in it.”
Your job as a leader is to have a clear vision of where you want to go and then to keep your cool when things go wrong, as they surely will.
By Brian Tracy
Take the Time to Think
Excellent leaders take the time to think through and develop a clear picture of where they want the organization to be in one, three and five years. Leaders have the ability to communicate this vision in such a way that others “buy in” and eventually see the vision as belonging to them.
Motivate People to Give of Their Best
It is the vision of the future possibilities, of what can be, that arouses emotion and motivates people to give of their best. The most powerful vision is always qualitative, aimed at and described in terms of values and mission, rather than quantitative, which is described in terms of money and numbers.
Money Is Important
Of course, money is important, but the decision and commitment to “be the best in the business” is far more exciting.
Keep Your Cool
Another key to leadership success is for you to “keep your cool.” A study at Stanford Business School examined the qualities that companies look for in promoting young managers toward senior executive positions, especially the position of Chief Executive Officer. The study concluded that the two most important qualities required for great success were, first, the ability to put together and function as part of a team. Since all work is ultimately done by teams, and the managers’ output is the output of the team, the ability to select team members, set objectives, delegate responsibility and finally, get the job done, was central to success in management.
Practice Patience Is Everything
The second quality required for rapid promotion was found to be the ability to function well under pressure, and especially in a crisis. Keeping your cool in a crisis means to practice patience and self-control under difficult or disappointing circumstances.
People Are Watching
The character and quality of a leader is often demonstrated in these critical moments under fire, when everyone is watching, observing and privately taking notes. As Rudyard Kipling once said, “If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, then the world is yours and all that’s in it.”
Your job as a leader is to have a clear vision of where you want to go and then to keep your cool when things go wrong, as they surely will.
By Brian Tracy
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Communication at work!
Increasing decibel levels is usually not the key to effective communications, but many managers still rely on dialing up "virtual volume" when dealing with subordinates or peers, says Harvard Business Review.
"You don't have to raise your voice to appear to be yelling. There are many ways to inaudibly be aggressive: sending nasty emails, enlisting others to exert pressure, and escalating disputes to your boss, to name a few.
Yelling, even when done quietly, betrays your frustration and anger, and certainly doesn't encourage real understanding or acceptance of your message.
If you find yourself in a silent shouting match, restart and reframe the discussion. Take a step back and ask the other party to as well.
Work backwards by asking questions like: What are our shared goals? What do we want to accomplish? From this defused spot, you have a much better chance of making progress."
-Today's management tip was adapted from "Turn Down the Volume on Yelling!" by Ron Ashkenas.
"You don't have to raise your voice to appear to be yelling. There are many ways to inaudibly be aggressive: sending nasty emails, enlisting others to exert pressure, and escalating disputes to your boss, to name a few.
Yelling, even when done quietly, betrays your frustration and anger, and certainly doesn't encourage real understanding or acceptance of your message.
If you find yourself in a silent shouting match, restart and reframe the discussion. Take a step back and ask the other party to as well.
Work backwards by asking questions like: What are our shared goals? What do we want to accomplish? From this defused spot, you have a much better chance of making progress."
-Today's management tip was adapted from "Turn Down the Volume on Yelling!" by Ron Ashkenas.
Priorities for a Leader
Priorities are things that are most important. Successful people identify their priorities and spend the bulk of their time working on them. As the leader of a real estate office, do you know your most important priorities?
Most leaders immediately jump onto some urgency in their rental or sales departments. If low on sales, they say that making sales is the most important priority. In the short term this is correct. Survival is a most important priority.
In the long term, however, we need to set priorities that go way beyond survival. It is a given that we need to make sales, but how you make those sales is the difference between effective and ineffective leaders.
Many leaders were once great salespeople, but as leaders they make great salespeople. What do great salespeople do when the sales department is low on sales? They go and make sales. In the short term your company will survive if you do this, but in the long term you will build a company that is dependent on your effort. This is not a business; it is a job. Make your company dependent on you and you have created a job for yourself, not a business.
For the typical leader, the top priority is to try and wring as many sales out of the sales team as possible. Despite that fact that their sales teams are quite often filled with mediocre performers, these leaders seem to feel that this is as good as it's going to get and so they persist in trying to get non-performers to perform. When that fails, as it most often does, these leaders go and make sales themselves. They then complain that they cannot find good people.
This is true: if you won't go out and look for good people you will never find them.
Ask most leaders if they are hiring at the moment and most will say 'No'. But ask these same leaders if they need more listings and sales and they will say 'Yes'. If you want more sales, it stands to reason that you need more salespeople. This is why effective leaders put hiring at the top of their priorities list.
It takes time to design, implement and test a marketing program designed to attract winners to your company. It takes time to qualify applicants to sort out those who have a chance of becoming winners. It takes much more time to train those people so that they become winners, and even more time working with them so that they produce CONSISTENT results.
Yes, it's time consuming, but the rewards are great - a team of winners who each produce fees in excess of $250,000 per annum regardless of market conditions. These people are a joy to work with.
Compare this to the outcome of not putting these actions high on your priorities list: by default you develop a team of mediocre performers who shirk doing the actions that will make them winners. They won't train - "Been there, done that!" - they complain, they don't think YOU are doing enough to bring listings into the agency.
If you think finding and developing winners is time consuming, try getting great results from mediocre performers. It saps your energy. It tires you. You lose faith in the possibility of developing winners. You give up, as has most of the industry.
Why do you think many real estate business owners believe that their rental departments pay the bills - they are the 'bread and butter' - while sales are the 'cream'? They say such things because they have given up on developing sales departments full of winners producing consistent levels of sales.
It's not that you can't find good people, but to do so requires time. You must also elevate finding and developing winners to the top of your list of priorities.
It's rewarding work. Let's do it!
Gary Pittard
Most leaders immediately jump onto some urgency in their rental or sales departments. If low on sales, they say that making sales is the most important priority. In the short term this is correct. Survival is a most important priority.
In the long term, however, we need to set priorities that go way beyond survival. It is a given that we need to make sales, but how you make those sales is the difference between effective and ineffective leaders.
Many leaders were once great salespeople, but as leaders they make great salespeople. What do great salespeople do when the sales department is low on sales? They go and make sales. In the short term your company will survive if you do this, but in the long term you will build a company that is dependent on your effort. This is not a business; it is a job. Make your company dependent on you and you have created a job for yourself, not a business.
For the typical leader, the top priority is to try and wring as many sales out of the sales team as possible. Despite that fact that their sales teams are quite often filled with mediocre performers, these leaders seem to feel that this is as good as it's going to get and so they persist in trying to get non-performers to perform. When that fails, as it most often does, these leaders go and make sales themselves. They then complain that they cannot find good people.
This is true: if you won't go out and look for good people you will never find them.
Ask most leaders if they are hiring at the moment and most will say 'No'. But ask these same leaders if they need more listings and sales and they will say 'Yes'. If you want more sales, it stands to reason that you need more salespeople. This is why effective leaders put hiring at the top of their priorities list.
It takes time to design, implement and test a marketing program designed to attract winners to your company. It takes time to qualify applicants to sort out those who have a chance of becoming winners. It takes much more time to train those people so that they become winners, and even more time working with them so that they produce CONSISTENT results.
Yes, it's time consuming, but the rewards are great - a team of winners who each produce fees in excess of $250,000 per annum regardless of market conditions. These people are a joy to work with.
Compare this to the outcome of not putting these actions high on your priorities list: by default you develop a team of mediocre performers who shirk doing the actions that will make them winners. They won't train - "Been there, done that!" - they complain, they don't think YOU are doing enough to bring listings into the agency.
If you think finding and developing winners is time consuming, try getting great results from mediocre performers. It saps your energy. It tires you. You lose faith in the possibility of developing winners. You give up, as has most of the industry.
Why do you think many real estate business owners believe that their rental departments pay the bills - they are the 'bread and butter' - while sales are the 'cream'? They say such things because they have given up on developing sales departments full of winners producing consistent levels of sales.
It's not that you can't find good people, but to do so requires time. You must also elevate finding and developing winners to the top of your list of priorities.
It's rewarding work. Let's do it!
Gary Pittard
Friday, April 15, 2011
Goals.
What is the most common New Years Eve resolution? To lose weight.
Each Year millions of people make a commitment that starting January 1st, not only will they eat better but they will also exercise on a regular basis. And the first week, they do!
But then one day it rains and instead of running they sleep in (I know, it has happened to me!)
When someone really gets serious, they go out and hire a personal trainer – someone to hold them accountable to achieve the goals they set for themselves while teaching the techniques needed to get the best results.
What are you doing to make sure your business is in shape for the new year?
Right now, people are starting to look at 2011 and set goals for their business’ growth and success.
If you are getting ready to set the same goals you did last year- without changing the way you are going to implement the steps needed to achieve those goals - why would the results be any different? And if the results are not going to be different, won’t you just relive last year? (As opposed to a year of growth?)
Keep in mind, being in business for five years should be five different years, not the same year five times!
Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.
- Paul J Meyer (American Author and Goal setting expert)
Each Year millions of people make a commitment that starting January 1st, not only will they eat better but they will also exercise on a regular basis. And the first week, they do!
But then one day it rains and instead of running they sleep in (I know, it has happened to me!)
When someone really gets serious, they go out and hire a personal trainer – someone to hold them accountable to achieve the goals they set for themselves while teaching the techniques needed to get the best results.
What are you doing to make sure your business is in shape for the new year?
Right now, people are starting to look at 2011 and set goals for their business’ growth and success.
If you are getting ready to set the same goals you did last year- without changing the way you are going to implement the steps needed to achieve those goals - why would the results be any different? And if the results are not going to be different, won’t you just relive last year? (As opposed to a year of growth?)
Keep in mind, being in business for five years should be five different years, not the same year five times!
Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire, sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.
- Paul J Meyer (American Author and Goal setting expert)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Business Quotes
Your memorable actions create a classic opportunity to examine how customers can make or break your business after a transaction has taken place. - Jeffrey Gitomer
Profit in business comes from repeat customers, customers that boast about your project or service, and that bring friends with them. - W. Edwards Deming
Wherever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision. - Peter F. Drucker
When everyone is looking for gold, it's a good time to be in the pick and shovel business. - Mark Twain
Imagine if your business burned down and you had to walk across the street and start again, what would you do differently? - Brian Tracy
When people ask each other for a referral, or a business reference -- it's given based on their past personal experience -- or what they 'heard' from others. What's the word out on you? - Jeffrey Gitomer
You create a customer by convincing him overwhelmingly that you are the lowest-risk, highest-value, easiest person and company to do business with. - Brian Tracy
Success or failure in business is caused more by mental attitude even than by mental capacities. - Walter D. Scott
In business, everything costs twice a much as you expect and takes three times longer than you planned. - Brian Tracy
Get Real... People hope for friendly, but rarely get it. You can capture business with friendship gestures. You can lose business without them. - Jeffrey Gitomer
A man to carry on a successful business must have imagination. He must see things as in a vision, a dream of the whole thing. - Charles M. Schwab
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Charismatic Leadership
William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli were two of the fiercest political rivals of the 19th century. Their epic battles for control of the British Empire were marked by intense animosity that spilled over from the public arena into their personal lives. Ambitious, powerful, and politically astute, both men were spirited competitors and masterful politicians.
Though each man achieved impressive accomplishments for Britain, the quality that separated them as leaders was their approach to people. The difference is best illustrated by the account of a young woman who dined with the men on consecutive nights. When asked about her impression of the rival statesmen, she said, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”
What distinguished Disraeli from Gladstone was charisma. Disraeli possessed a personal charm sorely lacking in the leadership style of his rival. His personal appeal attracted friends and created favorable impressions among acquaintances. Throughout his career, Disraeli’s charisma gave him an edge over Gladstone.
Understanding Charisma
Of all leadership attributes, charisma is perhaps the least understood. At first glance, charisma appears to be an invisible energy or magnetism. There’s no denying its presence, but it’s hard to put a finger on its source. Some mistakenly believe charisma is a birth trait—embedded in certain personalities, but completely absent in others.
I believe charisma is both explainable and learnable. I also believe charisma helps to boost a leader’s influence. I’d like to examine the causes of charisma and teach you how to increase the charisma you display as a leader.
The Qualities of a Charismatic Leader
Charisma is defined as, “The ability to inspire enthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal charm or influence.” Leaders who have this special ability share four things in common:
1) They Love Life
Leaders who attract a following are passionate about life. They are celebrators, not complainers. They’re characterized by joy and warmth. They’re energetic and radiant in an infectious way.
Look no further than the smile to illustrate the power of charisma. When people see a smile, they respond with a smile. If you’re skeptical, try it. Smile at cashiers, waiters, co-workers, etc. You’ll find your smile earns a reciprocate smile almost every time. We are hardwired to take on the energy of those around us. Leaders who love life have charisma because they fill the room with positive energy.
2) They Value the Potential in People
To become an attractive leader, expect the best from your people. I describe this behavior as “putting a 10 on everyone’s head.” Leaders see people not as they are, but as they could be. From this vantage point, they help others to build a bridge from the present to a preferred future.
Benjamin Disraeli understood and practiced this concept, and it was one of the secrets to his charisma. He once said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” When you invest in people and lift them toward their potential, they will love you for it.
3) They Give Hope
People have an inner longing to improve their future and their fortunes. Charismatic leaders connect with people by painting tomorrow brighter than today. To them, the future is full of amazing opportunities and unrealized dreams.
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” They infuse optimism into the culture around them, and they boost morale. While attentive to the current reality, they do not resign themselves to present circumstance.
4) They Share Themselves
Leaders with charisma add value to people by sharing wisdom, resources, and even special occasions. They embrace the power of inclusion, inviting others to join them for learning experiences, brainstorming sessions, or simply a cup of coffee. Such leaders embrace team spirit and value togetherness. As a result, charismatic leaders are not lonely at the top.
When it comes to charisma, the bottom line is other-mindedness. For leaders, the greatest satisfaction is found by serving. They find great pleasure celebrating the successes of those around them, and the victory they enjoy the most is a team triumph.
Summary
In closing, charisma has substance. It’s not manipulative energy or a magical gift endowed upon select personalities. Rather, it’s an attractive blend of learnable qualities.
Furthermore, charisma compounds a leader’s influence. Without it, leaders have trouble inspiring passion and energizing their teams. With it, leaders draw out the best in their people, give the best of themselves, and find the greatest fulfillment.
by John C. Maxwell
Though each man achieved impressive accomplishments for Britain, the quality that separated them as leaders was their approach to people. The difference is best illustrated by the account of a young woman who dined with the men on consecutive nights. When asked about her impression of the rival statesmen, she said, “When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I thought he was the cleverest man in England. But after sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I thought I was the cleverest woman in England.”
What distinguished Disraeli from Gladstone was charisma. Disraeli possessed a personal charm sorely lacking in the leadership style of his rival. His personal appeal attracted friends and created favorable impressions among acquaintances. Throughout his career, Disraeli’s charisma gave him an edge over Gladstone.
Understanding Charisma
Of all leadership attributes, charisma is perhaps the least understood. At first glance, charisma appears to be an invisible energy or magnetism. There’s no denying its presence, but it’s hard to put a finger on its source. Some mistakenly believe charisma is a birth trait—embedded in certain personalities, but completely absent in others.
I believe charisma is both explainable and learnable. I also believe charisma helps to boost a leader’s influence. I’d like to examine the causes of charisma and teach you how to increase the charisma you display as a leader.
The Qualities of a Charismatic Leader
Charisma is defined as, “The ability to inspire enthusiasm, interest, or affection in others by means of personal charm or influence.” Leaders who have this special ability share four things in common:
1) They Love Life
Leaders who attract a following are passionate about life. They are celebrators, not complainers. They’re characterized by joy and warmth. They’re energetic and radiant in an infectious way.
Look no further than the smile to illustrate the power of charisma. When people see a smile, they respond with a smile. If you’re skeptical, try it. Smile at cashiers, waiters, co-workers, etc. You’ll find your smile earns a reciprocate smile almost every time. We are hardwired to take on the energy of those around us. Leaders who love life have charisma because they fill the room with positive energy.
2) They Value the Potential in People
To become an attractive leader, expect the best from your people. I describe this behavior as “putting a 10 on everyone’s head.” Leaders see people not as they are, but as they could be. From this vantage point, they help others to build a bridge from the present to a preferred future.
Benjamin Disraeli understood and practiced this concept, and it was one of the secrets to his charisma. He once said, “The greatest good you can do for another is not to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” When you invest in people and lift them toward their potential, they will love you for it.
3) They Give Hope
People have an inner longing to improve their future and their fortunes. Charismatic leaders connect with people by painting tomorrow brighter than today. To them, the future is full of amazing opportunities and unrealized dreams.
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” They infuse optimism into the culture around them, and they boost morale. While attentive to the current reality, they do not resign themselves to present circumstance.
4) They Share Themselves
Leaders with charisma add value to people by sharing wisdom, resources, and even special occasions. They embrace the power of inclusion, inviting others to join them for learning experiences, brainstorming sessions, or simply a cup of coffee. Such leaders embrace team spirit and value togetherness. As a result, charismatic leaders are not lonely at the top.
When it comes to charisma, the bottom line is other-mindedness. For leaders, the greatest satisfaction is found by serving. They find great pleasure celebrating the successes of those around them, and the victory they enjoy the most is a team triumph.
Summary
In closing, charisma has substance. It’s not manipulative energy or a magical gift endowed upon select personalities. Rather, it’s an attractive blend of learnable qualities.
Furthermore, charisma compounds a leader’s influence. Without it, leaders have trouble inspiring passion and energizing their teams. With it, leaders draw out the best in their people, give the best of themselves, and find the greatest fulfillment.
by John C. Maxwell
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