Tag: business mistakes

Don’t Ask for a Meeting or Reply!

SITUATION: YOU ARE NOT GETTING REPLIES TO EMAILS OR REQUESTS FOR MEETINGS.

This can be due to several reasons, but here is one that you may not have thought of or considered.
A client today had a lightbulb moment regarding their issue of prospects not returning their calls or replying to emails.

It highlighted how easy it is to be more in OUR world instead of being more in THEIRS. And as a result we get ignored.

My client was telling me:

“I’ve asked them many times to meet so we can explain our service, I’ve even invited them to come to one of our sites and see our work firsthand! And I’ve given them names of clients they can call to confirm we are good.”

I translated this for him so he could understand what the prospect may be hearing:

“So you want me to interrupt my day and give you time I don’t have in my overloaded schedule, to help you, a stranger, make money?”

The penny dropped. Yes he’s got a good service but everyone is busy. And he was approaching his business development from the perspective of himself. So every email or phone message was asking the prospect to agree to an action and add yet another task to their already overflowing to-do list. Even replying to an email is an extra task they don’t need.

The solution was to brainstorm a range of ways he can remind them he exists and how he can ‘give’  value before asking for something from them.

businessdevelopmenttips, prospecting, businesstips, salestips, businessdevelopment

 

Are You Making These Mistakes Chef Ramsey Often Finds?

Chef Ramsey is horrified by these mistakes

YOU MAY NOT BE RUNNING A RESTAURANT, BUT YOU COULD STILL BE MAKING THE SAME MISTAKES.

I love watching Kitchen Nightmares.

There are several common issues Chef Ramsey deals with that are applicable to all businesses.

1. Too many items on the menu.

Are you making yourself inefficient and unprofitable because you are trying to offer too many things?

Are you scared to drop items or believe you have to offer a lot of options?

Red flags. You might want to reconsider and rationalise your offerings. Why? Because you can save time and deliver a better service for less if you streamline your offerings. And significantly reduce your stress levels.

 

2. You think the food is great, but no one else does.

Customer feedback systems, secret shoppers or audits by consultants such as myself are often required to get honest feedback. It can be very hard for a business owner or Director to have an accurate measure of service.

 

3. The head chef has lost their passion.

Has your manager or sales person lost their passion or is doing the bare minimum?

Are you micro-managing or failing to act on their suggestions?

Have you stopped doing the regular meetings or BBQ?

Is it your way or the highway?

Red flags!

 

These are the common issues I see. All easy to fix. Turning a business around can be actually quite easy, when you know what needs fixing and how to fix it.

Video: Stop Doing This! :)

If you are looking to get better results in any aspect of your business, don’t overlook this simple issue. Are you doing the same thing and expecting different results? Be honest.

Personally I suffer from being a bit stubborn on some things and believe the way I think it should be done is THE best way. But sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes all we need to do to make big changes is let go and accept there might be a better way.

So…is there something in your business not working? Analyse how you (or your team) are approaching it or doing it, and write a list of other ways to do it and just give them a go. Try it for a day or a week. Action creates clarity. Take action and you will have the feedback you need to decide if it works better or not.

I’m here if you need to bounce some ideas around and get external opinion. It can save a lot of time.

 

Monday madness 🤓 doing same thing and expecting a different result !

Posted by David Lennon Business Development Coach & Mentor on Sunday, 21 October 2018