Tag: business tips

Hiring Tips: to take your business to the next level

HIRE FOR THE FUTURE, NOT WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW
Writing this as it came up yesterday in a session with a client that was asking me who they should hire to take them from $2m/yr to $5m/yr. When they started with me they were turning over $50K/mo and are now doing $200K/mo and 680 5-star reviews. They are at their next growth point and time for new skilled and experienced team members to take them to the next level.

Tip for environmental startups/scaleups looking for team members and interested in growth:

1. Make sure you hire someone that will help take you to your 1, 2, 3 yr vision. Always keep your vision front of mind when writing your job ads and interviewing candidates. Use your vision to excite the right person and use it to check each candidate against. Hire slow, fire quick. Too many businesses hire quick and fire slow and as a result lose valuable time (and money!) by going in the wrong direction or not achieving growth targets. Take time in hiring and testing candidates and get good at letting them go in a trial period as soon as your gut tells you they are not a good fit.

2. Hire for the tasks, skills and experience you need in 1, 2 or 3 years. Don’t just have the mindset you are hiring to fill the immediate role with the business in its current position and turnover. Think of the future especially if its a leadership role. What will your business need in 1 year? 2 years? 3 years?

Some candidates will be looking to just be doing the same tasks in 1, 2 or 3 years and nothing wrong with that but are they what you need? Will the requirements of the role change as you grow? What additional tasks will be added to the role? Additional pressures? Additional KPI’s? Additional skills? Are they motivated to help a business grow? Or are they adverse to change?

It takes time and money to get any team member up to speed and you can’t get more time in life so the lost time in not growing or going in the wrong direction can’t be regained – so don’t waste this by hiring someone that is not going to cut it after 1-2 years of growth.

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Hope this helps. Shoot me a message if you have any questions.

#businesstips #hiringstrongcandidates #businessstrategy #businessstrategies #hiringtips

Cross Promotion – Specsavers Do It Well!

Cross promotion and selling…Specsavers do it well!
 
Merry Xmas, I trust you had a good one and I did my annual Specsaver shopping to get a new pair of reading glasses. Their system always impresses me but this time, without even knowing it was going to happen, I was ushered into a little room for a hearing test prior to my eye test!!
 
How’s that for cross promotion!
 
It’s free and since I have industrial deafness in one ear due to my commercial diving days, I thought it time to have a test. The test is quick and they booked me in for an expert consult.
 
Eyes and ears…whoever thought they could be connected in a business?! 🙂
 
Is there a business you can partner with to cross promote each other’s business? Is it time to look into this and see what you can offer in 2020 to add value (and wow factor) to your customers?
 
For example, I include a complimentary SEO audit for all new clients that start with me. I also offer, via another trusted partner, financial health checks to confirm if the tax structure is the most suitable for the business – often a small business starts with the family accountant but as the business grows and obtains assets etc, this accountant is no longer suitable.
 
To succeed in business is a team effort. Everything in life is connected – from the cells in our bodies to our network of customers, social media and other businesses.
 
We can achieve more (for less) when we recognise this universal law and work with it.
 
Who might you partner with in 2020 to add value to your customers and increase your ‘wow’ factor?
 
As always, if you need help with this, simply get in touch: david@davidlennon.com.au | 0400 520 471

6 Core Needs of Staff that We Need to Satisfy

Use these six core needs to help understand employee behaviour (good and bad) and how to create a motivated workplace. Based on the six core needs made popular by Tony Robbins. In a nutshell, we all strive to fulfil these core needs in either a resourceful way or unresourceful way (not good for us, not good for others). As a result, they are drivers of our actions and can help explain an employee’s actions. When one or more of the core needs aren’t met, negative effects can occur as listed in the table in addition to common problems such as increased sick days, decreased productivity, and increased contribution to a negative workplace culture.

How to use? When you are frustrated by a behaviour, think about whether there is a core need not being met in a resourceful way. Can be many small situations or one big one. You may not always figure it out until you talk to them and notice the wording they use.

CORE NEED DESCRIPTION EFFECT WHEN NOT SATISFIED SOME WAYS TO SATISFY IT
1.   Certainty Certainty of what is expected of them, the tasks, their future in the company, where the company is going, how they can move up (if they want to), certainty of who to take direction from, certainty about safety, salary, entitlements. –       Unmotivated staff that don’t hit targets, don’t seem to be ‘on board’

–       Staff looking for other work

–       No loyalty, leaves as soon as something better shows up

–       No desire to put in extra hours or effort, leave right on the dot

–       Bad mouthing the boss or company

–       Complaining

 –       Clear instructions – clearly articulated, written down, manuals, good training programs

–       Regular opportunity to ask questions or hear what is expected, e.g. Weekly or daily production meetings

–       Career plan mapped out

–       Explain the company vision and mission, have it on display, refer to it, live it

–       OH&S procedures clearly explained, documented and followed
2.   Variety Opportunity to do different tasks, break up monotony, take on a new challenge, mix things up a bit, work with different people, customers, locations,

production, services.

 

 –       Reduced motivation for the job

–       Poor performance, mistakes, can’t stay focused and moves around (with or without permission) within the workplace to provide variety

–       May actually create problems to create some variety

 –       Discuss what they really enjoy doing and want to do more of and workout how this might be achieved

–       Mix up the workload. Recognise the signs when it is time to change

–       Change work location/division
3.   Connection Feeling connected to teammates, the company. Feeling part of the team. Connected to other divisions. Feeling loved.

 

 –       Reduced motivation for the job, coming to work

–       Increased chance of leaving, increased sick days

–       Withdrawn from the team and contributing

 –       Give them a role that requires them to connect with the team

–       Discuss this topic with them

–       Don’t force them if they are naturally suited to working independently

–       Include them in text, emails, newsletter, company social media, meetings
4.   Significance Feeling important, useful, capable, acknowledged, recognised –       Can result in unresourceful methods to achieve it such as criticising others, stealing the limelight, not giving credit where credit is due, sabotaging others –       Acknowledgement via mention in meetings, newsletters, position title, increased responsibility, certificate/award/gift
5.   Growth Desire to feel we are moving forward, learning, growing in some way. Considered a spiritual need. –       Reduced motivation

–       May start looking to jump ship – seek greener pastures

 –       Discuss and understand their career plan, their personal goals and then workout with them what might be done within the workplace to help them achieve these if possible
6.   Contribution Second spiritual need within all of us. Desire to contribute to something greater than us. –       Reduced motivation

–       Reduced willingness to be a team player or belief they can be a team player

–       May implement changes without discussion or permission to satisfy the need to contribute

–       May start looking to jump ship – seek greener pastures

 –       Discuss and understand their career plan, their personal goals and then workout with them what might be done within the workplace to help them achieve these if possible

–       Acknowledge their contributionDLennon Business Development Packages_2018 6 Core Needs of Staff_Tipsheet

Business Owners Need a Shot of O2!

‘That was like a shot of O2!’

This was a comment from one of my clients last week after our one hour session. He was motivated and pumped about his business again and felt like he’d had a shot of O2.

So often we focus on the financial rewards or reducing long hours and stress…but passion, excitement, motivation, enthusiasm and love for the work is equally important. And something I definitely can bring back to your life and business.

How did this particular client get a shot of O2? He was in a common situation of not knowing how to attract more work.

Finding and winning work is my specialty.

In our one-hour session we did two key things that gave him his O2 shot:

1. Build a quick table of existing customer categories ranked by dollars they spend, ease of dealing with them (A, B, C types, A are awesome, B are bread and butter, C are complainers and challenging), how he won them in the first place, and growth potential.

2. He was then able to look at this table and confirm which type of customer he wants more of. Great – all I need is to know is what type of customer you want and I’ll tell you have to get more of them. And that is what I did. I gave him a clear plan on how to win more of his target customer.

He came into the session starved of oxygen due to confusion about how to get more business. And I totally understand and appreciate this. When we do laps in our heads we burn ‘oxygen’ and it’s draining. We all need external input, help, advice in business, ie oxygen shots. I have my coaches and mentors.

If you are feeling you need a shot of oxygen – I’m here, at your service. Bottles of O2 in abundant supply!

5 Essentials to Include in Your Business Development Plan

SITUATION: You feel you need to write a business development plan for 2018 but the thought of it bores you to death, or you can’t decide what to put in it, or you don’t have the time…or all of the above!

SOLUTION: Try my C-L-E-A-R business development plan format. It might be just the thing you need. It’s quick and simple but covers the absolute essentials that will make a difference.

C = customer.

What customers do you want in 2018? Most businesses have three main types, A, B and C.

‘A’ stands for awesome. They buy big, don’t mind paying and they love you.

‘B’ are bread and butter customers. They are the regulars, they just keep coming and provide the bulk of your revenue.

‘C’ are the complainers. Never happy, haggle on price and take the most time to serve.

You can’t buy more time in life. Don’t waste time chasing customers that aren’t going to take you to your goal. Do you need to change your mix of customers in 2018? Who will you focus on? Get real clear on this. Your marketing, your presentation, your strategies, your staff, your product, your pricing…everything, is dictated by who you want as a customer.

L = looking for?

What are your target customers looking for in 2018? Features, pricing, packages, service etc. Get clear on this. Brainstorm with your team, customers, partner, colleague, customers, suppliers, customers, coach, and customers. Hint: ask your customers what they want! 🙂 In order to win more of a particular customer you would like in 2018, what do you need to provide?

E = earnings.

How much do you want to earn in 2018? How much do you want to pay yourself? How many customers do you need to achieve this? Or how many sales of products XYZ?

There is immense power in writing this number down. It makes a very powerful statement to the universe and your subconscious. Our brains prioritise what they focus on and notice. They have to. Our brains are processing millions and millions of bits of info every second. If our brains didn’t filter this info they would bog down like a computer with too many programs running. By writing your goals down, you help your brain know what it should focus on. The result? You will ‘miraculously’ notice opportunities you didn’t before because your subconscious is showing them to you. It’s the red car effect. You buy a red car (or a particular model) and suddenly there seem to be hundreds on the road.

A = actions required?

What actions are required to achieve the above? You might want to break it down into monthly actions, quarterly actions. Or weekly. Just as you don’t plan a dream holiday and then do nothing about it, get clear on what actions need to be taken. And this can include what different actions you need to take. What type of person do you need to be?

Workshop the actions required with your team. Very important if you want them to be clear on your plans and vision for 2018.

R = roles and responsibilities?

Now you have your action list, put names and dates to each action. Who will do them? If your team is involved, it is best to workshop this with them so they are on board. Do you need an accountability buddy to keep you on track? Break actions down into bite size pieces so they get done rather than delayed.

If you have staff that are not doing the actions you want, I have a module on the 5 common reasons and what to do about it. Email me if you want to know.

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So there you go! Simple business planning with the essentials you need to kick goals.

Have fun with it. Here if you need help.

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