Online Marketing Strategies for Generating Strong Sales

March 6, 2010

This is an article put together to help the average entrepreneur navigate the important journey of understanding what is required for effective online marketing. All too often, experts in SEO and even website developers will provide half the information required for business success to their clients, leaving entrepreneurs with little or no value for their money because they do not understand that effective online marketing must be supported by a number of strategies and systems.
In order for you to sell online effectively, here are my top tips to get you going. As a matter of principle you need:
1 A user friendly website with a well written and presentable sales letter that speaks to the target market in a way that influences them to take action. By the way this need not be expensive. Some expensive websites are ineffective and remember, website by itself does not earn you sales. You will find my recommended suppliers of website and SEO services on my blog site. Remember also to get your website hosted by a reputable host provider.

2 To optimise your website with keywords phrases that are searched on engines such as Google and Yahoo as well as include meta description and meta title on your site. Each webpage should be optimised with its own unique keyword phrases, meta description and title

3 To implement strategies for ongoing traffic generation such as website submission to major search engines and directories as well as writing and submitting articles via blogs and ezines.

4 To set competitive product prices with clear images and descriptions on the website. Products you want to sell online should not be too expensive except where they are well known brands which are in high demand.

5 A reliable customer support system to help you address issues quickly. This can be via phone or email.

6 A system for managing contact list and promoting services to contacts. Email marketing systems are critical tools for on-going relationship management and sales promotion.

7 A merchant account with PayPal and other payment gateway processor such as 2checkout or Nochex. Never rely on a single provider. You never know when you may have a dispute and the last thing you need is not to be able to receive payment from customers.

8 Details of contact names and business telephone number, as well as testimonials and success stories should be on your website and other marketing materials. All of this should be well laid out and presentable.

9 A domain name that is keyword rich and a reliable web host that provides 24/7 technical support 52 weeks in the year. Do not compromise your website hosting with a business that does not offer 24/7 support. Check out our recommended providers.

10 A landing page with a short sales letter carefully crafted to persuade leads to opt-in for your invaluable special report or gift to them.

These simple tips if utilised will make a big difference to your marketing activities over time.

Sheila Elliott is a business start-up and development expert offering group and one to one coaching as well as financial consultancy and training sessions. She is the founder of Business Services Support Limited and the author of My Business Is My Business- Learn How To Earn A Fortune. For more information about are free articles visit, http://www.businessservicessupport.com and http://www.sheilaelliott.com

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We help small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs grow

March 6, 2010

We help small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs grow their sales and profit by more than 20% each year – Our clients consistently achieve extraordinary increase a mind-blowing surge in sales income and profit ………read our superb testimonials & success stories

Dear Friends,

Whether you are looking for support to prepare a business plan, financial forecast, marketing plan, strategies, tenders for contracts and organisational policies, BSS is here to support your business.

Have you ever wondered why some businesses are growing significantly whilst others are lagging. Have you ever wondered where you can find well respected expert business advisors and business consultants with proven track record of helping clients to achieve extraordinary financial results. Here, at BSS Management Consultancy, we are proud to inform you that we can help you grow your income and profits so that you can achieve your business goals. Whether you are just starting in business or have been running a small or medium sized business, we can support you to improve your sales revenue and bottom line results.

If you are currently dissatisfied with the results of your business and need a high quality consultancy support from a business with a proven record inorder to achieve your desired results then read on………….

BSS Management Consultancy is a company that cares about its customers and proactively seek to understand clients’ needs so that support can be tailored to accomplish the outcomes clients are looking for. We only work with businesses that are committed to make the changes required to accomplish their goals. We employ unique approaches in the delivery of our services which accounts for our numerous successes. Our success is tied in directly to your success. In other words, we measure our success to extent that we can help your business to accomplish its desired outcomes. For that reason, there may be times when we will decline working with a business, although we anticipate this to be the exception as opposed to the norm.

Our consultancy services can be summarised under two broad headings.

· Business Start Up Consultancy

· Business Growth Consultancy

We offer support in the development and implementation of :

· Strategic business plans

· Marketing plans

· Marketing and sales strategies

· Financial plans- including cash flow forecasts

· Financial management systems including budgeting and management accounts and financial statements

· Business finance

· Tendering for public sector contracts

· People management

· Personal development and leadership

Whether you are looking for support in writing a business plan or you need expert templates on how to write a business plan, BSS is here to support your needs. The key to your business success with us lies in you implementing our recommendations with our support as appropriate. Here are some of our success stories.

Success Stories

Happy Days Club (a childcare provider) increased their cash taking by 100% per month following the re-designing of their financial management systems, as well as accessing quality training from BSS Management Consultancy designed to support the smooth implementation of the new system. This result was achieved in less than two months of our intervention
Pro Plasterer Limited (a construction business trading for more than 5 years) achieved a growth in their sales turnover of more than 25% following significant improvement in its business management processes and systems. BSS helped the company to put in place adequate policies (equal opportunity, health and safety, environmental, quality assurance) and systems all of which boost customers’ satisfaction, confidence and demand for the company’s services.
Weaver Hairdressing Salon, achieved an increase in sales income of more than 10% following our consultancy services. BSS helped the owner of the salon developed a marketing strategy to attract new clients and strengthen customer retention rate.
Early Start Late Finish has been trying to secure finance for its business expansion with no success for some time. The business needed support with writing its business plan. In addition the business needed support in strengthening its financial management systems. Through the services of BSS Management Consultancy, the business secured finance successfully. Furthermore, the new financial systems designed and implemented for the business resulted in an increase in cash taking of 20% -25% in less than two months of implementation. Additional improvement is anticipated going forward.

As part of our consultancy services, we execute a thorough diagnostic review and produce an action plan for improvement, within one week of the review. We work with expert consultants, who are all qualified and have substantial experience in this area of work.

As part of our services, we offer clients templates for putting together their business plans, marketing plans, marketing strategies, policies for tendering for contracts and much more. We support our clients in every way we can to ensure they accomplish their desired goals. We expect that clients will implement plans agreed with us because all of the success stories mentioned above were only achieved when clients implemented our recommendations.

Here are some of the benefits you accomplish when you choose to work with BSS Management Consultancy.

· Your customer satisfaction rate will increase

· As customer satisfaction rate and retention rate increase, so will their demand for your services, as well as word of mouth referrals

· Strategies for product and market diversification plan will inevitably lead to increase in sales, as better marketing plans are developed and implemented.

· A surge in sales income and profitability is ultimately the end game for our clients and this is the key outcome you will gain

· Improved staff satisfaction rate and staff retention rate

· Improved income collection rate as monies owed to the business are managed efficiently due to better credit control systems

· Boost in the financial efficiency rate

When it comes down to it, what you need is all of the above benefits and more. Our promise to you is that we will seek to understand the best outcomes you are looking for and then develop strategies and implementation plan for the accomplishment.

Testimonials

Business Services Support Limited has provided my business with consultancy services in business and financial planning as well as most aspects of financial management systems. I have always found the business professional in their approach and I am absolutely satisfied with the services received to date.

Samantha Bissonette- Manager of Happy Days Afterschool Club

I was lucky enough to have been given the contact details of Sheila Elliott for assistance with my business. I can honestly say that working with Sheila has been a great help to my business. I found her to be efficient and extremely supportive of my vision. It was Sheila’s encouragement and support that has helped me to develop my business so far. I would not hesitate to recommend anyone to her in the future.

Natasha Dennis AIT-Business Owner

Now you know how we can help your business. Pick up your phone now and Contact us today on 0845 226 4315 and you will get a free 15 minutes consultation with one of our consultants.

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Funding A business- how to get a ‘YES’- Part 2

February 25, 2010

Most businesses owners and aspiring entrepreneurs are to find out how they can fund their business but they have limited understanding of the psychological dimension of investors and the banks. Funding a business, traditionally have been led by accountants who in their roles will normally handle financial matters in business. As a result entrepreneurs who are not financially savvy will tend to rely on finance experts to handle matters relating to funding their business. This is not a bad thing but it is always wise to learn a bit about money matters because it is the life blood of a business. Get this wrong and you will be doomed. In this article I am going to share two top tips you need to know about funding your business. I am assuming you need third party funding which can take the form of grants, business loans or equity finance. To find out about the pros and cons of the different financing options, you simply need to download a free copy of my book where you will get as much information on this subject. For now, lets turn our attention to my tips.

Tip No 1. You need a business plan and you need one that is robust with financial forecasts included in the form of profit and loss, balance sheet and cashflow. Your financial forecast should have key financial indicators which accountants call ratio analysis. I have seen business plans that only consist of financial figures. This is not a business plan it is merely a financial plan. Do not make the same mistake. Your business plan must provide details about your business, your vision, mission and strategic objectives. It must also provide details about your target market, marketing and sales strategy. You want to ensure the plan is compelling and by compelling I mean really persuasive and influential. My company helps entrepreneurs put together compelling business plan.

Tip No 2 . You certainly want to be able to explain your business plan to potential lenders and investors confidently. If you can’t do this, you will rapidly lose their trust. Lenders and investors want to know you have a team of experts in the business, that will support the delivery of the plan (this does not mean they are your staff) but equally if you own the business, they expect that you should be able to explain you business plan to them with confidence. You may call upon the professional accountant as many do to explain the figures at formal meetings. However, as the owner of the business, if you can explain the figures, you will even grasp their attention very quickly. Presenting to investors and lenders is all about influencing other people to do what you want them to do. Don’t forget this salient point. Do all you can to influence lenders or investors to part with their money by taking the necessary steps to be well informed about every aspects of your business plan. Stay clear from cheap plans that will ultimately lack in quality and don’t achieve your goals. Whether you are in business or starting a business, there are some expenses you will have to incur and if you fail to do so, your business dies. Sorry I am being blatantly honest with you as I want you to succeed.

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Funding A business- how to get a ‘YES’

February 25, 2010

This is part one of my tips for funding a business successfully. Having worked for so many years with businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking finance, it has come to my attention that there is one common problem that many find difficult to manage when faced with the subject of raising finance for business. Many are of the view that they should beg for the money when banks and investors are fully aware that their financial wealth is not dependent on the amount of cash hoarded in their bank account but rather the quality of investment they make with their money.

The bottom line is, investors and banks do not make money keeping it in their safe. They make money when it is invested in the right soil with high potential for growth in positive cash flow and profit. This means that banks and investors are perpetually seeking opportunities to invest in the form of business loans, equity or a blend of both. The question now is, what should an entrepreneur do to lay their hands on this cash?

The ability to influence and persuade lenders or investors to follow your vision calls for a respectable amount of insight and capacity to press the right emotional triggers during social intercourse with them, whether on a frequent basis or not. Wrong use of language or expressions can do a great deal of damage to a business trying to raise finance. It is therefore important to seek the help and support of experience and qualified advisors who frequently interact in the lingo of investors and the banks. To do otherwise will only expose you and your business to the risk of not securing the much needed finance for your business.

One of the biggest myths that I have come across many times, is the DIY mentality in the areas of writing a solid business plan for business start-up, improvement or expansion. Some entrepreneurs will say that they have read books and that qualifies them to right a solid plan. The first time reality hit them, is when they approached a potential investor or bank for finance, and then get quiz on their business plans, only to find that there are so many holes that have not been addressed. It is always a shame when this happens.

So here are some tips to help you raise finance for your business.

1. Be clear about the amount of finance you are looking for. There is nothing worst than being ambivalent about how much you need when faced with a potential investor or lender.

2. Be clear about what you want the money for. No wise investor or lender will hand over their cash when you are not sure what you want the money for. It is always advisable you have a clear breakdown of how you expect to use the money, with clear estimates of costs of resources you plan to purchase. It might be that your cost estimate may change with time, as inflation is outside the control of your business. Be ready to amend your estimates in your business plan if it changes before you meet with a potential investor.
Now watch out for part 2 where I will cover my remaining five top tips.

Funding A business- how to get a ‘YES’

In this article, you are going to find three top tips on funding a business. You may have read my earlier articles and you will see that this is just a continuation of others.

Tip No 1

Make sure that you present yourself well, when you meet with investors and lenders. The way you dress and speak matters. Every step of the way you are being observed. Your presentation must be compelling. This is why we provide training seminars in financing your business to help you develop the right knowledge base so that you give yourself the added advantage when you are faced with potential investors and lenders.

Tip No 2

Think correctly and positively. Your mental life is one you have to take control over. One of the secret of success is the ability to take control of your mind and direct it to what you want to see happen in your life. If you want to raise finance, you can’t be talking about defeat and doubting your ability to do so successfully. I covered this aspect of “Mind Power” in my book “My Business Is My Business- Learn How to Earn a Fortune” and I have produced audio CDs on the subject of the power of the mind. Remember, you have something to offer the investor or lenders. Investors and lenders of money make their money through your ideas. They sell money for interest or dividend to those with great ideas that will generate profits. So the relationship is two ways. All you have to demonstrate is that your deal will help them realise their dreams. They have to see it clearly and so it is up to you to show them how it will work. Stay clear from fuzzy language and terminology that will only serve to distract from raising finance when faced with the opportunity to do so. Do not use jargons familiar in your industry but not outside your industry.

Tip No 3
Solicit the support of experts. You do not want to be “Jack of all trade and master of none”. Remember, the money you pay for expert services is not an expense; it is an investment in your business. Change your perception of money. This is one of the causes of success. Successful people always pay for good advice. The opposite is equally true for people who repeatedly fail in business and life generally.

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Hidden Contract Opportunities Exposed-Call These Local Authorities Today

October 8, 2009

How would you like to know about contract
opportunities before they hit the public domain? How
would you like to know about local authorities and
framework arrangement so that you can stealthily
approach first tier suppliers for subcontracting
opportunities before they start finding partners?

These first tiers suppliers don’t like to be exposed
in public, but you can now find out about them easily
and effortlessly.

With the current drain in demand for services in the
private sector, many businesses are now turning to the
public sector as a safe haven to grow their business,
but they are all looking in the wrong direction. They
are all chasing few contracts that hit portals such as
Competefor, Supply2gov.uk, and many of the tender
portals, leaving the big money in the hands of the
smart cookies.

The bad news is 80% of businesses are chasing 20% of
the contract opportunities. Are you one of them? The
good news is 20% of the business community are chasing
80% of the contract opportunities and you can be one
of the 20%.

You may want to dismiss this, but I am going to prove
this to you right away. How would you like to know
about catering, health and safety as well as building
and construction opportunities before they become
public knowledge?

How would you like to get in the face of local
authorities contract managers or procurement teams
before new contracts are put out to tender? Let me
give you examples of few contracts that are about to
expire so that you can call the local authorities
yourself and check the accuracy of the information
yourself.

Call these local authorities today and find out about
these contract opportunities.

Examples of Contract Opportunities:

1. Catering Sector – Contact London Borough of
Havering. The contract is for the delivery of breads,
rolls and morning goods on a weekly basis for up to 63
school kitchens, social services homes and staff
catering sites. The contract expires on 31 August
2010, and you can reach the manager in charge on 01708
43942.

2. Health and Safety Sector – contact London
Borough of Bexley. The opportunity is for water
hygiene testing and the contract expires on 20 April
2010. The contact office is on 0208 294 6840.

3. Building and Maintenance – contact the London borough
of Greenwich. The contract opportunity is for building
and construction and in this case for Kitchen
installation. The existing contract expires on 1
August 2010 and the department in charge is the
Strategic Procurement service on 0208 9241 5605.

What are you waiting for? Call these local authorities
today and find out for yourself. When you have done
so, contact us and we will start helping you source
leads for your public sector contract opportunities.

We will put together a bespoke report of all the
contracts that you are interested in that are coming
up for renewal in the next six to eighteen months. We
will also give you names of suppliers that are holding
big contracts with local authorities so that you can
approach them for subcontracting opportunity.

By using our service, you will immediately have a
competitive advantage over those singularly relying on
public portals for sourcing contract opportunities as
you will have first hand information, well before the
tenders go out.

Consider this service as a useful lead to help you get
infront you your buyers and stop wasting invaluable
time and resources in so called, “Meet The Buyers
Event” where many of the decision makers hardly
appear. To boost your bottom-line you need to sell
more. This is your opportunity to get quality leads
for your public sector tendering effort.

By the way, if you are not happy with the information
we provide you with, simply come back to us and
request your money back. We guarantee every bit of
information given to you and you are taking no risk
using our services. If you are serious about growing
your business, contact us today. For more information
email Sheila@businessservicessupport.com or call our
main office at 0845 226 4315.

Sincerely,

Sheila Elliott
FCCA, MBA, LPNLP
Managing Director & Author of My Business Is My Business
BSS Management Consultancy Limited
Dedicated In Helping Entrepreneurs Grow Their Business

Business Services Support Ltd
2nd Floor, 145 – 157
St John Street, London EC1V 4PY
Phone: 0845 226 4315 or 0208 310 4101
Fax: 0208 310 4101
Enquiries@businessservicessupport.com

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The secrets of successful businesses

December 2, 2008

Minority owned businesses in the UK are on the rise with recent statistics showing women playing a significant role in the business community. In my local area (London Borough of Greenwich), one cannot help but to notice a steady increase in the number of ethnic businesses springing up on the high street and this trend is expected to continue into the future.

Whilst this trend is a step in the right direction, new businesses, and to a large extent existing ones, will need to be sensitive to the challenges of building a successful business. Business support services can play a significant role in the nurturing and development stages of businesses. Equally important are opportunities for sharing best practices.

This article reveals what well known and respected business veterans say about the sources of their success. I am sure we can all learn from them.

Successful businesses take their customers’ perception about their products and services very seriously. They generally focus on quality, innovation and profitability. Under promising and over delivering is a guided principle that underpins their ethos. In addition they understand that their business is as good as the people who work for them. Consequently, cultivating a culture that values, respects and develops staff is a common strategy employed by successful businesses to gain the support and commitment of their staff. As a result, they are able to stem the cancer of high staff turnover that is prevalent in unsuccessful businesses.

It is a well-established fact that people will make or break a business and successful businesses understand this philosophy all too well. Successful businesses have retention strategies, which could take on various forms. One such strategy includes involving their staff in decision making through focus groups aimed at innovating, creating new products and encouraging a strong listening culture right across the organisation. In the final analysis, one cannot underplay the importance of strong leadership, competent managers and staff, integrity and honesty in the formula for business success.

Sheila Elliott is the managing director of Business Services Support Limited

http://www.businessservicessupport.com

email sheila@businessservicessupport.com

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Getting the best from your staff

December 2, 2008

Many businesses purport that their greatest asset is their staff. On the other side many claim that their greatest headache is their staff. Whatever camp you belong to, be rest assured that people are vital to every business no matter what the technocrats may like us to believe. It is true that we live in the age of technological advancement and evolution with many businesses queuing to take advantage of the next automated system that comes into the market with a promised tag to streamline business processes, improve quality of services and products, deliver added value to customers and, to top it all, increase profitability for investors. Your staff are invaluable assets to your business but sadly there are very few managers that are adequately skilled to deal with staffing issues efficiently and effectively. Some even believe that staff are assets that must be controlled, until they are threatened with a resignation or strike action.

This article seeks to provide information on strategies successful managers use to get the best out of their staff. It is hoped that readers will benefit from this article and ensure their businesses improve their approach to managing staff in the future.

To start of with, you need to know that people are different in many respect and successful managers generally strive to know their people well enough to ensure they receive the necessary support to effectively undertake their jobs within the standards set by the business. Some of the differences in people include their learning styles, which can sometimes miss the radar of managers. You will be surprised to know that people take in information differently, with some learning through reading books, others through observations and reflection and others through practical hands on approach. Equally, some people are thinkers and learn best using their auditory senses, others are more visionary and learn better through images whereas others are kinaesthetic and learn best through their emotions. In the light of all of these differences, successful managers generally provide support using mediums that are most appropriate to the learning style of their staff, as opposed to using as “One-Size-Fit-All” Approach.

Successful managers are acutely aware that it is not sufficient for their staff to know the overall objectives of the team, as well as the roles and responsibilities of individuals in the team. They take steps to communicate clearly to their staff and make time to deal with matters affecting their wellbeing. Whilst doing all of this, they simultaneously ensure that the overall objectives and goals of the business are kept well in focus. Getting the best from staff is a balancing act between the managing the needs of the business and the needs of staff. Both needs should be given careful attention to avoid management paralysis, staff apathy and demotivation. This brings me to yet another point.

People are special types of resources in a business; they provide services to the business and must be treated with respect and value. Managers who consistently get the best out of their staff do not demean their staff and certainly avoid situations that will lead to humiliating staff. Remember this simple formula:

“Getting the best from your staff = motivating staff + providing them with skills and knowledge required to do the job effectively”.

To motivate staff and train them effectively, a manager must know their staff well enough to ensure their proposal for performance improvement and motivation strategy is appropriate.

Over the next few weeks, we will be giving free consultation advice to businesses that need help in financial and human resource management. If you would like to take advantage of this do send me an email. For advice and support on this subject, contact sheila@businessservicessupport.com

Sheila Elliott is an expert in business and personal development strategies. She is the founder of Business Services Support Limited and the author of My Business Is My Business- Learn How To Earn A Fortune. For more information about are free articles visit, http://www.businessservicessupport.com and http://www.sheilaelliott.com

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A Profitable Bankrupt Business

December 2, 2008

Some of you may be asking if it is possible for a business to be profitable and bankrupt at the same time. Well the simple answer to this question is “Yes it is”. A business can be profitable and be cash-strapped all at the same time. In practice, there are many businesses that precariously operate in this way. Some of them are under the misguided belief that their business is financially healthy just because they are generating strong profits. The connection between profit and cash is hardly made by such businesses until their bank informs them that their cheques can no longer be paid due to lack of cash.

Understanding the rudimentary principles of interpreting and evaluating financial statements accurately can help businesses identify whether their business is profitable and liquid. In reality is cash is king, whereas profit is fantasy. A business with no cash will soon become insolvent regardless of whether it is profitable or not. In this article we will explore strategies businesses can implement to ensure they generate healthy cash and profits at the same time.

The first strategy is to set up a clear policy on credit sales. Such strategy can include approving customers’ credit lines based on their credit ratings. To do this you must have a system in place to determine customers’ credit worthiness before approving credit lines. The next stage is to determine how much credit period to extend to customers. In determining the credit period, it is always advisable to find out what the normal practice in the industry is (e.g. 15 days, 30 days or more) and what credit period you can expect from your suppliers and bankers to cushion you over this period. All too often, small businesses in particular, give very long credit periods to large businesses only to run into cash flow problems owing to its inability to make timely collections from these customers. One way to get around this problem is to stipulate the payment terms clearly on the invoice before issuing it to the customer, as well as to charge interest on outstanding invoices after the approved credit period. But remember, the policy of charging interest on outstanding invoices after the credit period must be clearly communicated before it is enforced. Failure to communicate terms in advance could result in damaging the business’ relationship with its customers. Most successful businesses operate this policy and as a business owner you can do the same.

Other strategies you can use include using factoring agents, insuring against the risks of bad debts, negotiating competitive credit terms with suppliers and giving discounts to customers for prompt payments. For advice and support on this subject, contact sheila@businessservicessupport.com

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Unlocking the gem in business planning

December 2, 2008

Why do some businesses believe they have no need for a business plan until they run into financial difficulties, whilst others spend colossal sums of money preparing a business plan exclusively for their shelves. These are questions I have asked very often as I work with SMEs, who consistently fall fowl of this practice. It may appear that the benefits of business planning are not quite understood by these businesses and hopefully this article will help shed some light on the subject.

From a practical perspective, it is inconceivable to find any reliable products in the market including our homes that was developed without any planning time set aside for the determination of the design, development and implementation process. One cannot deny that the process of planning can be time consuming and tedious, particularly as the benefits of the process is not immediate and often far from sight. However, lurked within the planning process is the opportunity to discover flaws in original ideas which in return provides opportunities to improve them?

So what are the benefits that can be derived from business planning and how can a business maximise their returns from the process. First thing first, business planning is a management tool that aids the delivery of strategic objectives. The strategic objectives set out what a business want to do and where. A business plan simply helps map the path to achieve corporate objectives. But it must be stated that just because an organisation prepares a business plan does not automatically mean it will maximise the potential benefits from the planning process. Getting the best results from business planning demands the management of the organisation possessing the right level of skills and competencies required to deliver a business plan as well as the motivation to do so. A business plan can look great on paper but unless someone rolls up their sleeves and get on with the work to bring the plan into reality, it will ultimately die with the business.

Therefore when an organisation prepares a business plan that is supported by a competent and motivated management team, as well as a competent workforce, here are some of the gems that can materialise:

Effective alignment of a business’ resources in markets that draw on their strengths
Effective development of marketing strategies born out of critical evaluation of operating market
Better resource planning for effective delivery of corporate goals and objectives.

For more information on this topic, contact sheila@businessservicessupport.com

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Dealing with customer complaints intelligently

December 2, 2008

This is part two of managing marketing risks. Many businesses underestimate the power of dealing with customers’ complaints intelligently, oblivious of it importance in the marketing equation of their business. Do remember that as long as you are in business, there is a risk that you may not satisfy your customers’ needs from time to time and when this happens, the degree to which you can handle the situation wisely will make all the difference in your ability to retain your existing customers. So let me start off by asking you a very serious question.

What is your attitude to customer complaints? Do you perceive a complaint as an unnecessary evil in the marketplace or do you see it as a platform for improving your business services or products. Whatever your disposition towards complaints, one thing is certain, you will ultimately see the results of the way you handle them in your business performance.

In this article, I will be sharing with you some strategies that can used to deal with complaints intelligently. Successful businesses have mastered the art of using these strategies and there is no reason why you can’t do the same. But before we begin to examine these strategies closely, there are a number of key points we must first establish.

How do you rate your customers in the scale of things that matters to you? Are they at the top of your priority list or is the desire for big profits the most important in your list. It is a well-known fact that businesses exist to service their customers. Without customers, businesses have no relevance in the marketplace. So why do some businesses forget such a salient point- something that is so fundamental to their very existence.

Businesses that understand the need to service their customers properly through effective resolution of their problems will ultimately thrive over those that do not. After all, it is the customers that pay the business’ bills. Your customers’ perception of your business is very crucial to its survival. Regardless of what your Board of Directors, Staff or Shareholders think about your products or services, if the customers think your products are good, then guess what, they are, and vice versa.

So how do successful businesses handle complaints intelligently? One strategy used is known as the “LAST Model”. Let me now summarise this model for you -L= Listen, A= Act, S=Solve and T= Thanks.

This may seem such a simple model, but in reality many businesses do not follow it. The “LAST model” simply advocates that customers must be treated with respect when they complain about your services or products. One way to show respect towards them is to listen to their complaints actively with genuine intention to resolve them amicably. Remember, customers have no obligation to give you any feedback in the first place. It is much easier for them to take their customs elsewhere than to spend their precious limited time providing you with feedback that can ultimately benefit you. The benefits of listening to your customers are tremendous. Firstly, it is an opportunity to find out what is wrong with your business, so that you can fix it and become a great business in the marketplace. Secondly, it is also an opportunity to engage in meaningful interaction with your customers, as part of your product and service development processes.

When it comes to listening, it is important that we do not confuse this with hearing. Active listening involves focus and attention to the information being communicated from the perspective of the customer. It is not an opportunity for you to defend your position but rather to understand the perspective of your customers so that you can solve their problems more effectively. Provided you listen very well, you can then act appropriately to solve the problems. After solving the problems, by all means show some gratitude and thank your customers for their time in sharing their concerns with you. Looking at this model carefully, I am sure you will agree that your customers will be more than happy to continue doing business with you if they are able to share their concerns openly without fear of being treated badly. Why don’t you try implementing these strategies today in your business? For more information on how you can develop your listening and problem solving skills, why don’t you send an email to sheila@businessservicessupport.com