Is Good Customer Service Hurting Your Business?
April 26, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
You know what annoys me? Text book customer service. It comes across as fake, as if the person serving has been told to go through the motions or is being “nice” just to make me come back and buy more.
Now that’s an abrupt way to start a blog post! Each month, however, I choose a topic that’s close to heart, and lately well-intended customer service, the kind experts propound, is not just leaving me cold, it’s stopping me purchasing from some businesses.
It’s not that good customer service has no merit; it’s just that the all too common practise of reducing human interactions to a policy, a set of instructions to be followed for the sake of sales performance doesn’t work for me. I’m not denying that I’m in small business to earn money, especially repeat purchases… I just don’t think a one-size-fits-all formula works. It takes the soul out of what it means to be alive!
Apart from this, the notion of an a-b-c guide to creating customer satisfaction has two inherent flaws.
First, very few of the experts who advocate it have hands-on experience at the coal face. When did they last have a stream of frazzled callers in a telephone queue for a help desk? How often have they stood behind a cash register, legs aching, on a Friday night when their friends are out having fun? Without this experience, their advice is simply… well, a theory.
Second, people are savvy. We see through rote customer service, which is usually half-hearted, like singing out your times tables in primary school. It insults me because I am a unique person and I want to be treated as such. In a society like ours, where people are so often insecure or lonely, we crave interactions that make us feel special.
How do you feel when the person serving you says “Hello,” but is already looking through you to the next customer or recites, “Have a nice day” with the same enthusiasm they’d apply to pulling chewing gum off a bus seat?
On bad days, I want to scream. On good ones, I think of the larger-than-life characters from the classic TV show Are You Being Served?, who do everything by the book, but leave every single customer completely unsatisfied!
So what’s the solution… how do you provide customer service that is fresh and relevant?
- Start seeing customers as individuals instead of in terms of a service policy. Just like you, they have dreams and loved ones, heartaches and problems, but each person is unique, which means they may need a slightly different approach.
- Be real. Never fake a smile or compliment, and make your conversations genuine. If you’re having a bad day, admit it because customers appreciate honesty and may surprise you by offering a listening ear, good advice or a much-needed laugh.
- Be friendly and helpful because you can, not just in the name of customer service. Relating to people is a skill that can be learned, one that becomes far easier when you give them a little slack, and realise that personalities come in all shapes and sizes. Start by trying to understand people, especially that previous hurt influence current behaviour, and practising both sympathy and empathy. If you have staff, motivate and inspire them to do the same, and encourage them to personally enjoy each interaction.
- Difficult people still deserve kindness — as the saying goes, “two wrongs don’t make a right”, so I choose to take the moral high ground. Besides, being rude or mean is usually a sure sign that a person has a miserable life and, thus, needs my support.
- Make someone’s day by acknowledging they’re special. This could be remembering a small detail or taste, throwing in a dash of light humour, adding an unexpected ribbon on packaging or throwing in a discount or freebie. The best extras are spontaneous and random, given simply because you can.
What I’m really suggesting is that we make our interactions as enjoyable as possible. At the end of the day, I believe our human relationships are the only things that truly make us happy, so I want to make the most of each one. It’s important to remember that every encounter is an “exchange”… you are both “giving” a service and “receiving” a response. This is what creates community, which, ultimately, is what makes running your own business enjoyable and rewarding.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- How to Pull Your Small Business Out of a Slump
- A Facebook Case Study: Craft Makes Me Happy
- Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
|
|
Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
How to Pull Your Small Business Out of a Slump
March 28, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
Small business so often comprises highs and lows. Sometimes I’m rushed with adrenaline and feel invincible, yet other times, well, I wonder why I bother.
The hardest thing is that slow times, officially called “slumps”, frequently have no rhyme, nor reason, or occur just when I need to make a large financial outlay.
This makes it all too easy to fall into a pattern of helpless thinking, which, of course, is the exact opposite of what we need to be do … and that’s to stay cool and deal with what’s happening.
Take a deep breath
First, we need to accept that small business is unpredictable, and slow times arepart of the deal. Unfortunately, you can’t always be in control, so choose to remain focused and not give up,nor lay blame. Sometimes, I think what we do is more about patience and persistence than anything else.
The temptation is to ditch your strategic plans and hunt for quick fixes. Instead, take a step back and brainstorm reasons for the lull:
- Does it reflect the stage of your business? For example, are you a start-up on a learning curve or an established business on the plateau, waiting to explode?
- Have you recently made significant changes? Good or bad, they may take time to take effect.
- Do you need to take your business education or understanding of your market to the next level?
- Has a competitor had a major publicity coup, such as big sale, an award or a lot of free press?
- Is it an awkward time of year for your industry? For example, winter or when the post-Christmas credit card bills are due are often tough.
- Has something substantial happened in your industry overall?
- What’s the state of the economy?
- Has a world event occurred to make consumers tighten their belts or shop conservatively?
Whether or not you uncover a reason for the lull, an action plan will lessen its impact and keep you motivated.
Connect with people
During tough times, it’s easy to go into hiding or indulge in a self-pity party. Forget that… right now, you need people more than ever!
Start with providing excellent service to your existing and potential customers. And I don’t just mean the usual definition, the one business consultants propound that’s all about sales technique. Instead, be a real and genuine person, and treat others as individual human beings.
We live in an extremely privileged society, but the more we apparently “advance”, the lonelier and more isolated people get. We crave interaction … cheerful banter, questions the asker really wants to hear the answer to, and a bit of fun. Provide this — in person or through social media — and you’ll truly get to know people. Share generously from deep within and you’ll get more joy from your business and people will come back again and again.
Sometimes, of course, you’re the one who needs perking up. This is when you turn to your mentors and business associates. Shout a small and trusted group to coffee or lunch, share your frustrations and brainstorm solutions. Then put them into action!
You don’t have to tell everyone your woes to get help, though. Chat to your suppliers, contacts and best customers to get referrals and ideas, not to mention keep up-to-date with your industry. This can be as simple as asking questions, such as:
- Do you know anyone who needs…?
- Where else are customers buying…?
- What are other businesses doing to have success with…?
- What are the latest techniques or trends to achieving…?
Kick-Start your marketing
No, I’m not talking about mammoth campaigns that require famous faces, a lot of paper or a second mortgage … I’m talking about quick boosts for sales and morale.
Here are some ideas:
- Distribute a short-term special offer to existing customers through free channels, such as email or Facebook.
- Run a competition that people want to win and use the opportunity to add to your mailing list.
- Hold a free seminar or webinar. Either invite existing customers and contacts or work with a local organization, service club or charity.
- Demonstrate your products or services: make a video, do a podcast, write a blog post, host an event.
- Build relationships and have fun at the same time: hold a party with a wacky theme, take your team out to lunch, drop afternoon tea to a helpful supplier.
And if you still have extra time
If you’re still twiddling your thumbs after all of the above, I have even more ideas to make sure you’re well-and-truly exhausted by bed time!
- Tackle those jobs you’ve been putting off, such as organising your office, doing the accounts, reviewing your strategic plans, creating a website or starting a newsletter.
- Write an e-book and distribute it as a gift.
- Hit the business section of your local library (and buy yourself a coffee at the same time!).
- Check out what your competition is doing and “borrow” their best ideas.
- Find out what your customers really want and need by conducting a survey, offering a prize draw as an incentive.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- A Facebook Case Study: Craft Makes Me Happy
- Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
- Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
|
|
Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
A Facebook Case Study: Craft Makes Me Happy
February 29, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
At four years old, Lizzie Randerson fondly remembers being “let loose” on the sewing machine for the first time while her mum sipped coffee with friends — “I just whipped up a little creation,” she laughs with wry humour, “And haven’t stopped since!”
Not surprisingly, a quarter of a century later, Lizzie runs Craft Makes Me Happy, a Facebook-based business specialising in vintage and imported embellishments, and her own handcrafted wares, including delightful cloth dolls and boutique pin cushions.
Initially, she aimed to establish a cottage industry as a post-baby alternative to her public service career as a graphic designer. However, in just over six months, Lizzie has gone from whoa to go, amassing over 1,600 fans and achieving a level of fan engagement and sales that simply make my eyes turn green with envy, which is no mean feat, considering Facebook is largely unchartered business territory.
My post last month on Facebook tips generated so much conversation, both on and off the herBusiness Blog, that I’m compelled to do a follow-up, this time a case study straight from the horse’s mouth or, in this case, the seamstress’s needle!
Why did you choose Facebook as a business medium?
Lizzie: I saw Facebook as a free entry into the market — there are no set up fees and the audience is easy to hunt down. There’s also a huge handmade movement on Facebook.
Have you tried other mediums, online or otherwise?
Lizzie: I used to sell on a website that hosts stores for Australian craft suppliers, but the fees were so high, it was getting out of hand. I also discovered that the only people buying from there were my Facebook fans.
Why have you stuck with Facebook?
Lizzie: I like Facebook because it’s personal. It’s an interactive market, so I’ve made a lot of friends. You can ask a seller direct questions about a product, rather than hoping information is written in the description and you get amazing feedback that I don’t think you would get with a straight-up online store.
What other advantages does Facebook have?
Lizzie: So many! The start up cost is only your time… it doesn’t get much better than that! For me, as a mum of young kids, Facebook was a “nothing gained, nothing lost” venture. I was also so glad to have a keyboard to hide behind as I built my confidence because selling is hard, and you sometimes have to shamelessly push your stock!
People are addicted to Facebook and they are voyeurs without knowing it. You can share as little or as much of your personal life on your page as you like, but I have discovered that most of my customers want to know about me. Then, when I have joked around, talked, taken the time to get to know them all, they trust me and my sales go up.
What are the disadvantages of Facebook for sales?
Lizzie: Keeping track of sales is a nightmare when you have as many products as I do. I sell by uploading images of my stock to a photo album and asking people to write, “Sold” in the comment box to buy an item, which is a very common sales method on Facebook. It means, however, that I have to continually check all my photos for comments, make sure I have a buyer’s email address, write invoices and muck around with payment options. This takes hours every day.
The solution to that would be a customised shopping cart tab, which I notice you don’t have, or any other customised tabs, for that matter. Is there a reason for this?
Lizzie: Only because I don’t really know how to! I just don’t think I need anything more confusing for my customers, who seem to just want to look at my pictures and buy. I leave my wall open for comments and that’s probably the best way for them to contact me. I am currently working on a website that will be linked to my Facebook fan page, though, so I’ll be more technical soon!
Is Facebook more suited to certain types of businesses or business owners?
Lizzie: I know it works fantastically well for businesses in the handmade, second hand, book and arts industries. I think you could adapt any business style to work well on Facebook; you just have to tap into the right audience.
What are your secrets to getting and engaging fans?
Lizzie: Facebook businesses work the same as any business does — you need to get
your name out there, and interact and promote as much as you can without being annoying.
In the beginning, I joined many online sewing and craft groups to get to know what customers actually want to buy. I also made friends with a few successful Facebook business owners who sell the same style of products I wanted to sell, although not specifically the same ones. I told these online friends that I was going to open up a business, and built a little hype. When I did open, I literally only had a handful of fans, but they were business owners with huge followings that I aspired to. These people gave me a “shout out” from their pages to announce my opening sale, which helped me gain over 120 fans within my first week.
I have networked my little heart out! I comment on clever work on other pages, give my opinion, join conversations and make suggestions. This gets my name in the loop, which opens an opportunity for me to introduce my business name. I’ve also run competitions and promotions, and recently had an “open wall night” where I invited fans to showcase their own businesses and craft activities. It’s all about interacting and engaging with people, whether a large group or an individual.
And how do you convert all those fans into buyers?
Lizzie: All of the above! Plus good products, good prices, good service, good communication and a trusting audience. It all takes hard work and perseverance.
One of your initial goals was for the business to cover your childcare costs, which you recently met. Have you set new goals?
Lizzie: Yes, I wanted to pay for childcare so I could justify spending more time working on Craft Makes Me Happy. I’ve achieved that, but still have to work hard to meet it each week. The next goal is to steadily increase my income to pay for boring household and living expenses! My immediate plan is to finish my website and then look at expanding my range, perhaps even catering for paper crafters. In the long-term, I have big dreams to open a real bricks and mortar craft shop in my local town and to sell on my website. I would also love to expand my range to cater for more and more craft types, to run workshops and establish a community of people who find happiness in creating.
Have you ever thought, “Ugh! I’m giving up?”
Lizzie: Yes, quite a few times, but I always look back and think how far I have come in such a short time!
What 5 tips would you give someone who is about the start a fan page?
Lizzie: Overall, I’d say have fun and give it a try because you really have nothing to lose. Specifically:
- Watch and learn because every page is different. Follow the fan pages you aspire to be like.
- If you’re ever envious of a page you are following, just stop following them. Only compete with yourself!
- Always be ready to change and adapt to your audience or what Facebook allows you to do.
- Develop personal relationships with your fans. Show an interest in their lives, find free information for them and help them out like a friend. Even if you don’t get a sale, you will get good feedback.
- Update your status at least once a day. Don’t do too many general off-topic posts each day, but always post. The more people interact with your posts or page, the more your post appears in everyone’s news feeds.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
- Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
- Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
|
|
Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
Conquering the Facebook Frontier for Small Business
February 1, 2012
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
If social networking is the new frontier of small business, then Facebook must surely be the wagon that gets us there. However, showing up and staking a claim isn’t enough; you’ve got to work that claim to unearth any riches.
I’ve been optimising my own Admin Bandit fan page over the last few months and here’s what I’m learning.
Use applications to make your page different
“Customisation” is the Facebook buzz word right now. What it means is that you can modify the look and functionality of your fan page… and you don’t need to be an IT geek to do it. All you need is one of the many templates available online (the basic ones are free, while the more advanced attract a monthly fee) — setting it up is like painting by numbers.
For example, I used Lujure to create my “welcome” tab, which is the first thing non-fans see when they go to my page. I’ve added a banner, photograph, Twitter feed, testimonials and a link to a 55-day free trial of my accounting software.
A friend who runs a small saddlery on Facebook used Pagemodo to create her “welcome” tab. Compare the two to see just how flexible customisation applications are; the same basic technology has created two “welcome” tabs that are chalk and cheese.
Of course, you don’t need to stick to a single application. Horse Feathers Saddlery used Payvment to create a Facebook store, complete with an inventory function and a check-out linked to Paypal.
Just as exciting is how easy customisation applications are to find. The best ways are to check out the fan pages of other businesses in your industry, especially your competitors or do a Google search.
How to attract fans
Ah, this is where the rubber hits the road for fan pages… getting people to “like” you.
Let me say upfront that attracting fans is not a popularity contest — all fans, whether they purchase or not, have the potential to share quality content and boost your social proof; that is, your credibility and influence.
Start with the marketing basics:
- Add your Facebook address to your stationery, including your email signature, blog and website
- Regularly link to your fan page in electronic communications, especially blog posts and e-newsletters
- Give people reasons to “like” you. Make the benefits clear, such as special offers, free resources or sneak previews
- Ask. It sounds too good to be true, but “plugs” and requests through your personal Facebook page really work!
Apart from buying fans (yes, believe it or not, you can!), a competition or giveaway is the best way to get a sudden influx of fans, up to a couple of hundred at a time, especially the more elusive kind that you don’t personally know. However, Facebook has specific guidelines on hosting anything that comes under the “promotion” banner, so make sure you’re familiar with what you can and can’t do, and toe the line because I know people who have been unwittingly caught and temporarily suspended!
Viral marketing requires more work and doesn’t bring the same instant fix, but it does offer a sustained trickle for steady, long-term growth of fans genuinely interested in your business, not just the lure of a freebie.
In case you don’t know, viral marketing is about increasing awareness of your brand using pre-existing social networks. In the case of Facebook, it means regularly and actively participating in other fan pages, where you’ll meet and attract like-minded people. The really cool part is that every time you leave a comment or tag another user in a comment, you appear in at least one person’s news feeds, which puts you in view of that person’s entire network. Now, that offers possibilities!
So, which fan pages do you head to? The easy answer is to start with those related to your industry and expertise. For example, my business is part of the non-profit, accounting and IT industries, so you’ll see a stack of community, non-profit, philanthropy, IT and small business groups and peak bodies in my list of “likes”.
How to engage your fans
Getting conversations started is probably the biggest Facebook struggle for any small business. And it seems no expert or study has a fool-proof solution… yet.
Until anyone knows for sure, here are some ideas to try:
- Be human: share the bad with good, post photos of your office, life and day
- Don’t over-think your posts; say whatever pops into your head (within reason!)
- Ask for opinions and experiences, but make your questions quick and easy to answer
- Appeal to the emotions… people often respond to humour or injustice
- Thank people for simply being your fans
- Mix business and fun: I posted a photo of my dog at Christmas and my team at a convention with a spy theme
- Post regularly, BUT….
- Post quality over quantity: useful links, information, advice, famous quotes
- Tag people when you post about them or respond to comments
- Host Facebook events, such as sales, workshops, Q and A sessions
- Finally, look at super popular fan pages… what do they do?
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
- Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
- Entrepreneurial Qualities: Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs
|
|
Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
Energise Your Business with Easy New Year’s Resolutions
December 13, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
I’m tempted to add “New Year’s resolutions” to my list of dirty words. The phrase is just too steeped with failure — it doesn’t help, of course, that the media loves to bombard us with abysmal statistics.
Apparently 25% of us can’t even stick to a resolution for a week and 88% fall by the wayside within a year.
There’s even an industry that analyses the top reasons we fail!
Are we really that pathetic?
No.
I think we fail because no-one has taught us to make effective resolutions — our resolutions are too vague and focus on the negative, which means we either have no plan of attack or have to deprive ourselves of something we love, such as chocolate.
So I’m not going to give up making New Year’s resolutions just yet… I’m just going to make ones that are specific and optimistic. I’ve brainstormed a list of bite-sized things we can all do to boost our businesses and refresh our enthusiasm in 2012.
Best of all, they’re (mostly) free and take less than five minutes to start!
Learn and grow
Professional development is a breeze, not to mention fun and inspiring when you:
- Join an association (and later take on a role)
- Get familiar with your local library’s business section
- Hire a consultant
- Attend a workshop or conference
- Learn how to write a press release
Get organised
A few simple strategies will transform the way you work. To get more done in less time and with fewer hassles:
- Set three to five specific goals at the beginning of each week
- Write a daily to-do list, tackling the most important tasks first
- Divide your time into blocks of related activities to reduce distractions and interruptions. For example, make your phone calls or answer your emails in a single sitting
- If you catch yourself procrastinating, ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?”
- Set a time limit on meetings and stick to it
- Spend 10 minutes a day doing those tasks you avoid… it quickly adds up.
Develop your business relationships
Networking doesn’t have to be scary; in fact, it can be surprisingly effortless:
- Join or friend business-related Facebook pages and regularly leave comments
- Say “thank you” more often: acknowledge everyone from your team members to the speaker at a seminar
- Decide to be cheerful: smile, compliment or chat to your customers, suppliers and associates, even if they’re grumpy or difficult
- Give people something for nothing: your time, advice, free samples or even small gifts
Attract more customers
Don’t have a marketing and promotions budget? A little creativity and Internet savvy go a long way:
- Join social networks. Get on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Flickr
- Start a blog or guest post on a related blog
- Create a new email signature with all your contact details, including address, phone numbers, email, website and social networking links
- Engage with small business forums: ask questions, leave comments and share your experiences
- Invite customers, suppliers and associates to join your mailing list
- Develop partnerships with complementary businesses
- Share your expertise: run free workshops, make videos for Youtube or write an e-book to download from your website
- Run a competition or donate prizes to an event
- Start an incentive/rewards program
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
- Entrepreneurial Qualities: Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs
- Keeping Up With Your Brand: A Reality Lesson from the Kardashians
|
|
Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
Ho Ho Ho, A’ Christmas Networking We Go
November 14, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
Image by Pixomar*
“’Tis the season to be jolly,” goes the famous carol and I suggest the same applies to our small business activities at this time of year.
No, I’m not suggesting we turn Christmas into a cold, commercial transaction, but I do believe the many parties over the coming weeks give us the opportunity to celebrate our strong relationships and build new ones.
I’m well aware, of course, that many people think the words “work” and “party” are an oxymoron. Or, in fact, just a plain “moron” — we’ve all witnessed those awkward moments of silence or, worse, alcohol-fuelled liberation!
However, it doesn’t have to be that way. I have some ideas to make sure the Christmas parties you go to this year are fun, full of good cheer and networking successes.
When you’re the guest
My number one tip is probably the last one you’re expecting — it’s okay to decline an invitation.
You see, it’s about quality, not quantity.
And by that I mean attending a handful of Christmas parties with a networking strategy in hand is better than blindly chasing every balloon and streamer in town.
Consider these ideas:
- Look for parties hosted or attended by compatible businesses
- Find out who else is going to a party and create a list of people you’d like to meet, especially key decision-makers
- Always talk to your host and don’t be afraid to ask for introductions
- Aim to have quality conversations with 5-7 people
- Keep the conversation light and social — your aim is to meet people and have fun, not close a sale
- Don’t limit yourself to work parties — potential contacts have social lives too!
When you’re the host
Throwing a Christmas party is a great way to say “thank you” and reinforce existing relationships, not to mention reach out to new potential contacts.
One of the hardest things about organising an event is to provide guests with incentives to attend. Willingly. You want people to a come along feeling confident and relaxed… and I have three ways to achieve this.
First, entice them with a gift.
This could be:
- A Literal gift, such as a goodie bag, discount voucher or door prize
- A memorable location, such as a museum, chic café or charter boat
- A guest of honour, such as a personality or expert in your field
- An activity, which could be anything from a magician or string quartet to wine tasting or a cooking demonstration or even a guest lecture or workshop. Just make sure your activity doesn’t cause embarrassment or discomfort… not everyone wants to go paintballing or do karaoke!
Second, make sure your party is easy to attend…
…which means sending invites that let your guests know exactly what to expect.
Apart from the obvious, include:
- A finish time
- The purpose of your party; for example, to celebrate increasing sales by 15% over the year
- Who is attending; for example, a select group of loyal and supportive friends, customers and associates
- The names of guests of honour, MCs or entertainers
- A dress code
- What refreshments will be served; for example, a buffet dinner or coffee with sweet Christmas treats
- Any speeches or activities that will occur.
Third, create a comfortable atmosphere and make meeting new people painless.
Do this by:
- Allowing guests to bring their own guest, such as a colleague or family members
- Providing name badges with big, clear writing. Don’t just write a person’s name… add their business, association or link to give context and spark conversation
- Making something happen early… have a welcome speech or some entertainment 15 to 20 minutes into the party to create a sense of unity and open opportunities for interaction
- Having an MC to guide guests through your party
- Having people whose job is to greet guests, start conversations, introduce people and keen an eye out for anyone at a loose end
- Making sure your refreshments are top notch!
Consider an e-party
In these days of global workplaces, not to mention impossible parking, an e-party or, more formally, a virtual event is perfect if you want your Christmas party to be a learning-based event, such as a seminar, workshop or q and a.
A successful e-party has five aspects:
- Technology: while you can buy e-conferencing software, I recommend small business owners keep it simple and use Facebook, blogs or a forum on your website
- A compelling topic: grab interest by discussing a trend, an item currently in the news or a problem that needs solving
- Purpose and structure: know precisely what you want to achieve and have a chair to introduce experts and guide discussion
- Engage participants: create interest and facilitate discussion with videos, images and plenty of opportunities for questions
- Time: give a specific timeframe, ranging from an hour to a number of months.
To give you an idea just how successful even a simple virtual event can be, my friend has been following an ongoing thread on an Australian horse forum that allows horse owners to ask a snake expert questions. Seventeen pages and 3,683 views later, the thread is still on a hot topic on the front page!
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Entrepreneurial Qualities: Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs
- Keeping Up With Your Brand: A Reality Lesson from the Kardashians
- Are You Responsible? How Small Business Can Give Back
|
|
Nerida Gill – Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
Entrepreneurial Qualities: Lessons from the Life of Steve Jobs
October 17, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
© peitrozuco.com
The recent passing of Steve Jobs, the inventor and entrepreneur behind Apple and Pixar, at the tender age of 56 reminds us not just how young computer technology, but also how much an individual can change the world.
In 1984, when I was singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” into my hair brush, drooling over Tom Selleck in Magnum PI, and discovering lycra (aerobics with Jane Fonda, anyone?), Jobs and his pal Steve Wozniak had just released the first Apple Mac, the grandparent of all our IT gadgets today.
Jobs was a controversial figure, as seen in the dramatically mixed responses to his death — some obituaries have hailed his charismatic leadership and brilliant sales technique, while others have slammed his erratic personality and perfectionist tendencies.
Whichever you believe, Steve Jobs had powerful entrepreneurial qualities, which make a valuable lesson for those of us trying to make our mark in small business.
Seek knowledge
Jobs was still in high school when he started going to after-school lectures at Hewlett-Packard. He may have formally dropped out of college in 1972 after one semester, but continued taking non-assessment classes in subjects as diverse as calligraphy and from 1975, attended meetings of a hobbyist group called the Homebrew computer club.
These activities may seem minor, but they resulted in life-changing opportunities and relationships, including a summer job at Hewlett-Packard, where he met Steve Wozniak, as well as relationships with future Silicon Valley high rollers.
Even that calligraphy class proved useful — without it, Jobs once said, our computers would have only one typeface and font!
Think outside the square
You may not think the hippie era and IT have a lot in common, but Jobs’ desire to learn about life took him to India in 1974 at the age of 19, where new experiences gave him a fresh perspective and a new way of thinking. Apart from converting to Buddhism and developing a penchant for bare feet, he came home with:
- A desire to change the world
- A belief in simplicity, which meant focusing on what is important
- The ability to say “no” in order to maintain that focus
Choose your people
“Many hands make light work,” the saying goes and Jobs knew he needed specialists, people with skills beyond his own, to make Apple a success. He first showed a flair for putting his ego on hold and choosing a team to deliver results as an employee at Atari, not long after returning from India. Offered $100 for each chip he could remove from the arcade game “Breakout”, Jobs offered Wozniak half the reward to do the technical work.
In the end, Atari paid the pair just 14% of what they earned, but had inadvertently introduced them to the third founding member of Apple, Ronald Wayne, a fellow employee.
Wayne may have left Apple only two weeks after it started in 1976, but, 20 years older than Jobs, he gave the company the maturity to start up.
Become an innovator
Innovators have the unusual gift of foreseeing and setting trends — they can see what their market needs when the market itself sees no gap. And this was one of Jobs’ key skills.
Let me give you a bit of history….
Not that long ago, computers were command-driven; that is, the user sat in front of a screen and typed text-based instructions to get results. For example, you typed the words “erase” or “save” to get your computer to do these things. Talk about fussy and time-consuming… no wonder only “geeks” used computers!
Then a division of Xerox developed a system called “graphical user interface” (GUI) which allowed the user to tell the computer what to do by using a mouse to click on icons, navigate through windows, scroll through menus and check boxes.
Sound familiar?
Xerox didn’t see the potential of their innovation, but Jobs did and he was the first person to apply it to the personal computer, the Apple Mac.
So as you go to the next web page, send an email, write a report, play Solitaire or download photos from your camera, think of Steve Jobs… who made computers accessible to everyone and allowed us to get a lot more done with a simple click of the mouse.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Keeping Up With Your Brand: A Reality Lesson from the Kardashians
- Are You Responsible? How Small Business Can Give Back
- How to Dress to Communicate Skill and Success in Business
|
|
Nerida Gill – Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
Keeping Up With Your Brand: A Reality Lesson from the Kardashians
September 19, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
© Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com
I’m not normally a fan of reality TV, but Keeping Up with the Kardashians intrigues me — this family embodies the luxury Californian dream… A-list parties, private jets and shoes worth the average monthly mortgage repayment.
The show seems ridiculous… these people seem to spend their days doing nothing but pouting for photo shoots, shopping on Rodeo Drive, lounging by the pool and squabbling over dinner.
That, however, is just a surface appearance — the reality is that the Kardashians are a brand, cleverly designed by “momager” Kris Jenner, and their show is simply “a 30-minute commercial,” as daughter Khloé Kardashian Odom told the Hollywood Reporter.
Four years of “commercials” and three spin-offs earned the family $65 million last year, endorsing everything from perfume and incontinence pads to cupcakes and diet pills. Kim Kardashian, the most famous of the “klan” even earns up to $25,000 to mention a product or business in a tweet!
What is a brand?
Branding may be powerful, but it’s also one of the most confused “buzzwords” around. This is because brands are intangible — they’re not objects you can pick up — instead, they’re perceptions, reputations, personalities… and good ones are so pervasive that many people aren’t consciously aware they exist, let alone that they’ve been devised in a boardroom.
Think of Coca-Cola or denim jeans, for instance, which have represented “cool” for decades or Glad Wrap, which is so all-pervading that most of us use the name to refer to any type of plastic cling product.
A brand is simply how people perceive you (whether a business, product or service)… the characteristics or values that spring to mind when they think of you. It’s not to be confused with marketing or advertising, but it is one of the tools in the marketing toolbox and it is something you can compellingly influence.
Now that we know what a brand is, how do you create one? Three steps: research, define and build.
Research your brand?
Before you can create a brand, you need to know not just who you are, but also who your customers (current and ideal) are.
To work out who you are, ask yourself:
- What are the qualities of my company, product or service?
- What are my core values?
- What is my company’s mission?
- How do I want to be seen?
You find the answers in your business plan… this is a good time to put the kettle on, sit down for a couple of hours and read/revise this document.
Next, analyse your target market:
- Who is your target market?
- Where do they live?
- How do they currently perceive you?
- How can you attract them?
- Who else is competing for their attention?
Knowing your target market takes more than guesstimation… as the most successful businesses demonstrate, it’s often a matter of careful, formal research. Magazines are sticklers for surveying their readers and Vogue Australia is no exception. As you can see in their advertising specs here and here, the magazine has sourced externally audited circulation and readership statistics and has categorised their readers by the classic demographic indicators of income, education, occupation, age and sex.
A tip: give customers an incentive to do your survey… a “thank you” gift or entry into a prize draw.
Define your brand
Use your research to write two paragraphs, each a biography, as if you were creating a character for a TV show. Start with the easy one, the one about yourself.
Then write one for your target market, picturing the ideal person who buys your product or service. You may need to ask yourself a few more questions:
- What does this person need and want?
- How does he or she want to be seen?
- What drives them?
- What do they aspire to?
Getting back to Vogue Australia, I’d describe the magazine’s ideal reader as a professional female, aged 20-49, who loves fashion and appearance, is savvy and discerning, wants to keep up-to-date and has a high, disposable income.
You may find you actually end up with four biographies, two reflecting reality and two that outline your future ideals.
Build your brand
Aligning your “personality” with your customer’s is the cornerstone of a successful brand and that “personality” must be reflected in everything you do, own or produce.
Appearance, or visual identity, is the most obvious way to communicate your brand to your target market. This includes:
- Logo
- Stationery
- Product packaging
- Website and email
- Marketing materials
- Dress code
- Signage
- Sound and smell (not visual, I know, but still part of appearance)
Actions, or customer service, are another way… this is the “human” part of your business and includes how you:
- Answer the phone
- Respond to queries
- Deal with stress and conflict
- Meet deadlines
- Run meetings
- Treat your staff
And finally, you need to engage with your target market and the community as a whole to get your brand “out there.” This includes:
- Using social media (including leaving comments)
- Blogging
- Writing press releases
- Search engine optimisation
- Networking
- Speaking at events
- Taking on roles with industry associations
- Giving back through philanthropy, sponsorship and volunteering
In all these things, if you want to gain loyalty and trust, you need to communicate your brand to your target market in a way that is honest and believable.
Back to the Kardashians
Some people scorn reality stars because they’re famous for doing nothing, but that’s actually not the case at all — the top echelon of reality stars, like the Kardashian family, are famous because they have water-tight branding strategies, which, as you know from the above, requires considerable effort.
So next time you’re caught watching a reality show, don’t feel guilty… these “personalities” and the people behind them have worked hard to gain your attention. Besides, you’re not watching trashy TV; you’re undertaking important branding research!
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Are You Responsible? How Small Business Can Give Back
- How to Dress to Communicate Skill and Success in Business
- Business Insurance: How to Prepare for the “What Ifs”
|
|
Nerida Gill – Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
Are You Responsible? How Small Business Can Give Back
August 22, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
Photo Credit: Justin Wasserman
The Gillard government’s recent carbon tax has tossed corporate social responsibility (CSR) under a glaring spotlight, forcing big business to be accountable for any environmental damage their industrial processes wreak.
However you feel about it, the initiative provides an eye-opening case study of what happens when CSR is enforced, instead of coming from the heart. It will be interesting to see how those companies in the firing line respond — will they really investigate more sustainable ways of operating or will they literally pass the buck onto consumers through hiked-up prices?
But that’s not the purpose of this blog post. Instead, I want to consider how CSR, often thought of as “giving back” or “being a good neighbour” applies to small business and how a genuine desire to “do the right thing” can benefit both the world and your business.
A brief history lesson
CSR became popular in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s when many of those household-name multinational companies, such as Nokia, Walmart and Nestlé, formed, incorporated or expanded. In a time of idealism and great change in the western world, a policy that encouraged companies to be answerable to their actions and make a positive impact on the community was appealing.
For individual businesses, CSR became an opportunity to develop an ethical framework, to say, “This is what we believe in and value.” At the same time, it signalled a change in how people perceived business — people swapped the idea of simply wanting to make stacks of cash for the idea that running a business is about choosing what kind of world we want to live in.
Let’s get cynical
It’s easy to feel skeptical when you hear the words “multinational companies” and “giving back” in the same sentence, especially when you read about the perks some CEOs enjoy — unfortunately, CSR can seem more like an empty publicity tool than genuine giving these days. However, a good written plan, a few benchmarks and solid review process will make sure your CSR plan walks the talk, instead of languishing at the back of a locked filing cabinet!
Why give back?
Let’s go back a step and explore seven benefits CSR can give your business:
- To give your business a moral framework in which to operate and communicate your core values to customers and suppliers.
- To build a reputation and corporate culture of “doing the right thing,” which makes it easier to recruit and retain employees and motivates your people to be more productive.
- To differentiate your brand… think of The Body Shop’s ground-breaking efforts in fair trade.
- To understand the wider impact of your business, which may lead to opportunities to develop new products and services.
- To appeal to increasingly savvy consumers, who consciously seek out businesses whose values match their own. The trends towards eco-friendly products and environmentally-sustainable ways of doing business are big examples.
- To generate positive media coverage… but, please, don’t negate the good you do by wasting your time bragging about it!
- Because you can. We live in an incredibly blessed country, where we take simple luxuries, such as soft beds, hot showers and delicious coffee, for granted. Giving back is a way of being thankful.
You’ll notice that most of these reasons are beneficial to your business. Let me be clear that you’re not selling out if your CSR strategy just happens to bring positive things your way — in fact, you’d be naïve to expect your activities to have no impact on your life. What is important, however, is the spirit in which you give — as long as your motivation is genuine and you’re giving not simply to get in return, I believe it’s okay to enjoy any rewards.
How to develop a CSR strategy
Most businesses make two big mistakes when developing their CSR strategy. The first one is not linking giving to core business. To avoid this trap:
- Choose CSR activities that match your top three business objectives — even better, make sure they contribute to the achievement of those objectives.
- Choose CSR activities that also match your core competencies; that is, what you do well.
Let me be so bold as to use myself and my company as an example. Admin Bandit is the developer of a self-named accounting software designed specifically for volunteer treasurers in community and non-profit groups. As such, our CSR activities focus on our target market — we have a partnership with the Canberra Preschool Society, I’m on the advisory board of the Multicultural Women’s Advocacy Employability Partnership Project and am a volunteer treasurer myself. Communication is one of our key strengths, so we also focus our voluntary efforts on tasks that involve public speaking, training and mentoring. I especially get a big kick out of sharing my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned either on the stage or by writing articles.
As you develop your CSR strategy, think about your business and strengths in the following nine areas:
- Non-profit partnerships
- Human rights
- Philanthropy
- Environmental management
- Fair employee treatment
- Community investment
- Employee volunteering
- Product giveaways
- Sponsorships.
Walk the talk and measure milestones
Getting back to those two big mistakes many businesses make in their CSR strategy… the second one is two-sided: failure to motivate compliance and measure results.
Motivating compliance is easy… keep CSR objectives fresh in the mind through signage and newsletters and make fulfilment a part of staff performance appraisals. As for measuring effectiveness, develop a set of key performance indicators, both internal and external, to assess your company’s reputation, brand perception, sales, customer and employee satisfaction and achievements in the community. Unsure how to get feedback? Try surveys (always offer an incentive, such as a discount or prize), testimonials or social media, such as Facebook.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- How to Dress to Communicate Skill and Success in Business
- Business Insurance: How to Prepare for the “What Ifs”
- Your Business Plan: The Best Road to Success
|
|
Nerida Gill – Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
How to Dress to Communicate Skill and Success in Business
July 25, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
Andy Warhol changed overnight. One day he was just like any other 1950s man — white business shirt, high-waisted pants and too much Brylcreem in his hair — and the next he was dressed in a black leather jacket, a “French” striped t-shirt and a wig that looked like straw.
Photo Credit: Justin Wasserman
What does Warhol have to do with small business? Plenty.
As a freelance illustrator in the 1950s, running his own business as the equivalent of a sole trader, he earned up to $700,000 a year in today’s money. Even when he became one of the most famous artists to ever live, he understood that he was primarily a businessman and worked hard to craft a professional image that matched his product.
Talking about physical appearance is extremely controversial, especially when most of my readers are women, so let me stress that I’m not telling you to be fake or to drastically change your spots. What I am saying, however, is that 55% of first impressions are based on non-verbal communication and we have the power to control how others perceive our skills and success as businesswomen.
Refine your look
In business, looking good has nothing to do with beauty… instead, it’s a simple matter of being neat and tidy. By this, I mean:
- Wear clothes that are not too tight nor baggy
- Maintain clean, regularly cut hair… go easy on the product and keep the roots retouched
- Polish and reheel your shoes
- Manicure your fingernails (and toenails if you wear sandals or peep toes)… pay attention to the cuticles, and avoid talons, chipped polish and chewing (ugh… think of all the muck you’re eating!)
- Pay attention to dental hygiene… make sure your teeth aren’t too yellow and keep mints handy on those days you desperately need to overload on coffee
- Throw out scruffy, stained or worn clothing — I will always remember the meeting I had with an events manager at an important government department who wore what looked like pilled track pants!
How to properly fit a suit
A flimsy and poorly fitted suit makes even the cleverest, most charming and capable person look like they’re working on a supermarket check-out for the summer!
And, unfortunately, look around and you’ll see most people are wearing the wrong one.
There are two ways to make sure a suit fits: one is to buy from a specialist shop with well-trained staff and the other is to watch Jamie Yasko-Mangum’s succinct tutorials on jackets, skirts and pants on eHow. You’ll also find these tips useful:
- Bring a pair of shoes and a shirt you’ll wear with your suit when shopping.
- Choose a fully lined jacket and skirt (pants rarely are).
- Chances are the pant and sleeve lengths will need to be adjusted. Specialist shops always provide this service… or visit an alterations shop.
- Don’t compromise your suit with shabby accessories — take care when choosing handbags, briefcases, jewellery and pens.
The best news is that a fabulous suit doesn’t need to be expensive — a friend recently attended an embassy function in a jacket, blouse and pants she picked up from a charity shop… and not a soul could have guessed!
Dress for your target audience
Of course, not everyone needs to wear a suit to work… there’s no point donning a Saville Row three-piece if you’re a fitness coach!
I personally don’t need a suit… but I do like to look smart, professional and creative, which is why I wear a beautifully tailored black leather jacket that I picked up in Florence (no, I’m not a fashion queen… I just had a wonderful visit with friends in Italy last year!)
You’ll also probably find that an elegant jacket of some kind in a neutral that flatters your colouring (black, chocolate, burgundy, grey or camel) is useful for everything from conferences and meetings to weddings and formal dinners.
Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it’s the right look for your industry and matches what customers or clients expect from someone in your position.
How to audit or revamp your appearance
Analyse your appearance by asking yourself:
- What would a skilled and successful woman in my industry wear? Apply this to various situations, such as meetings, conferences, day-to-day work or cocktail parties.
- If I was buying a product from or hiring the services of someone like me, how would I want them to look?
- What grabs my attention when I meet other businesswomen?
- Which five characteristics do I most want clients and associates to see in me? How well does my appearance communicate these? And what do I need to change?
- What do I, or could I, wear to create a signature look? For example, Katharine Hepburn always wore pants, Grace Kelly carried a Hermes bag and Jackie O donned those giant sunglasses.
Your second chance
When it comes to first impressions, contrary to popular opinion, you do get a second chance… even a third and a fourth, says Jerker Denrell, associate professor of organisational behaviour at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. While you may never see some people again, his research shows that you can definitely soften an initial bad impression with repeated contact and even reverse it for good.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Business Insurance: How to Prepare for the “What Ifs”
- Your Business Plan: The Best Road to Success
- How to Be an Inspiring Speaker (and Promote Your Business for Free)
|
|
Nerida Gill – Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
|
