A SPECIAL TIME FOR ENJOYMENT AND REFLECTION
The Christmas and New Year period is fast approaching and it gives us all quality time with family and friends. It also offers time to reflect on 2016, the highs and lows and to think about those 2017 challenges. It is of course the time to make a New Year’s resolution. Some of us make them to address personal behaviours, but we can also make them for business. You may not even make a new year’s resolution but that doesn’t matter as I am sure you will want to improve your business. So here are a few suggestions for you to consider, all of which will have a positive impact:
Put the customer first – lead by example and spend at least one day a week talking with your customers, understanding their issues and opportunities. Ensure your management colleagues have a plan to meet their counterparts in your key customers. Don’t do either in isolation, make sure your, and their actions are in line with your sales plans.
And on the subject of sales plans – do you have simple but structured plans for your best customers that are understood by everyone who is involved, or could possibly be involved with them?
Simplify your business – set an objective to reduce, or preferably eliminate the number of the inessential processes (See SalesPulse™ #132)
Your engine room of growth is your sales team, even if you are the sales team. Work on the basis that “you don’t have to be sick to get better”! Identify appropriate learning and implement it. Don’t waste it; if you don’t embed it, it will be lost in a very short period of time
Review your differentiation strategy and your USPs (Unique selling propositions). Are they as robust as you think they are? When did you last undertake a comprehensive review of your competitors? Early in 2017 might be a good time to do one
On an easy to implement sales initiative – how much of your new or enhancement business comes from referrals? Personal referrals are the best form of sales leads, and the most winnable. The SalesPulse Academy has an online learning module covering this subject. Why not have a look at it. It’s free so treat it as a Christmas present from us.
Business results, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction are all intrinsically linked. The key driver is employee satisfaction. Ask yourself, “how motivated are our people”? or “do they come to work because they want to or because they have to”? If they are low on motivation and work because they have to, there is either a risk or a big opportunity to improve business performance.
On behalf of us all at Koru, I would like to wish you a very happy Christmas and peaceful, prosperous and enjoyable 2017.