The other day we talked about the need to take “risks” in your business. As always we got a couple of great posts to the blog, so be sure to check it out.
The very next day I came across this quote by William Shedd that I absolutely LOVE!“A ship is safe in harbor,
but that’s not what ships are for.”
but that’s not what ships are for.”
It is a PERFECT reminder that we need to be doing what we are here FOR - not just sitting in a harbor. This quote is going up on my wall!
So what are YOU here FOR? What are you supposed to be doing and sharing with the world? Sometimes you may know exactly what that is, but knowing how to get it out there so you can actually share it is a bigger problem. And then, it is just quite possible that you are getting in the way of yourself. I know I can identify with a lot of “getting in the way of myself” – and maybe just maybe identifying when we do it will help us move it on over and get on with it already!
Here are a few things that I notice:
Here are a few things that I notice:
- Not being clear on what we can do for the client. This is STILL the easiest place to confuse a client, which then leads to the easiest way to LOSE a client. Yes, of course, you know what you can do for the client – but when someone wants to work with you and asks what you can do for them, saying “I can do anything” (even if true!) is way too vague, causes the client’s eyes to glaze over, and suddenly they don’t know if you can do anything that THEY need at all. Really, they want to know what you can do for THEM. So your response to them about what you can do for them should be about THEM. And I am pretty sure they have already told you what they are looking for….. which brings us to
- Not listening to what your client wants. My sister is currently going through the process of getting bids to do a kitchen renovation and addition. If I didn’t live 500 miles away you can guarantee I would be managing it. Instead, she is going through the pain of talking to people who really don’t seem to be listening to what she said. And this is simple and obvious – but her number one focus is storage. She needs storage. And the designer comes back with an absolutely gorgeous kitchen design and when my sister counts up the cabinets - guess what – LESS cabinets than she has today. So what about you? Are YOU listening?
- Not following up. You network, you meet people, you have great conversations, you have great intentions. But it is not that often that you meet someone and in the same conversation they say “you’re hired!” What are YOU doing to be in front of the people you meet? For that matter, what are you doing to be in touch with the people you already KNOW? What is your plan and system?
- Taking too long to get back in touch with people/potential clients. It is amazing to me how many of us take more than a day to get back to people who are inquiring about our services. When I ask how long it takes for people to get back to their clients when I am teaching at conferences, I am shocked by how many people have a process for themselves that says 2 or 3 days! In this day and age? In this world? It is just TOO easy for that client to find someone else who…. cares, quite frankly.
- Not caring enough. So you SAY you want to grow your business. You SAY you want more clients and to make more money and to help more people. But do you? Do you care enough to do the things you need to do – even when you don’t feel like it? Clients can tell when you care. Are you showing that you do?
I’d love to know what things stand in your way! Comment below!Hope you have a great week!
-Mary Larsen
3 Responses
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Paperwork! Paperwork and MORE paperwork! If it’s not keeping up with the finances, it’s scanning magazines for info or articles that can go in my “tips” file, Email is another hazard–it’s easy to get bogged down with the responses. I’ve decided that I need to know just enough about Quickbooks to keep someone else honest with my finances–DELEGATE those things you don’t like to do that slow you down. I check email once in the morning as I begin work to see if there’s anything I need to take care of immediately and again at the end of my workday to respond/read all the rest. I’ve turned off the automatic notification for my emails so I don’t get distracted by them while I’m working on a project. As for the magazines and tips file, I’m not filing anymore. I’m now tearing the pages out of the magazines (and recycling them), putting them in a binder with a simple numbering system and keeping track of them on a spreadsheet rather than a multitude of file folders. I can sort the spreadsheet on either of the two category fields I’ve included on it and go right to the appropriate articles for inspiration on ezines, references for the decorating/staging classes I teach or help with a dilemma at a client’s home. I wait until I have a dozen or more articles before I even add them to the spreadsheet. Through these tactics, I’m finding I have more time to market my business, which is what I really need to be doing to increase my business! Who else has some good ideas I can clone?
Another great post, Mary! Sandy Hare had a couple of good ideas for tracking tips, ideas, etc. too. Not sure it would work for me, since creating a spreadsheet is just another additional step.
I do my best to follow up with new client inquiries within 1-2 days at the most. Either by phone or email, depending on the time of day. If I am working on a project, and away from my office, I do my best to check messages at least a couple times a day just in case another client is trying to reach me.
Existing clients always take priority over new clients! If I’m working on a job, especially at a job site or client’s home, then that is what I focus on! I do not want to be distracted with phone calls from potential new clients while I’m working on a current project. For that reason, I don’t give out my cell phone number to “just anyone.”
I keep in touch with former & current clients by email, newsletter, notes, cards, etc. The occasional phone call as well.
Filing is the one thing that is sometimes a challenge to keep up with. Even though certain things get filed as soon as they’re done, other things are not so critical. So I set aside a specific block of time each week to make sure my client files are up-to-date and any new information and/or paperwork is put away.
Emails are generally checked first thing in the morning so I can respond to anything that requires my immediate attention. Then I leave non-critical emails for later. Depending on my schedule, I may check emails during the day to see what needs an immediate response. Otherwise, I take some time at the end of the day to respond.
Many of my clients are second home owners who do not live nearby. I use email to keep in touch with updates, pictures, etc. because it is easier than phone calls. Phone calls are for “emergency” situations only – if I really need to get an answer right away. Also, emails provide a written record of the work I’m performing for clients.
If I meet someone at some type of “event,” whether this person is a potential client, a trade rep, a business associate, etc. I try to follow up within 48 hours with an email, phone call, or note.
I also have packets of promotional materials put together in advance, so all I have to do is add a personal note, and drop the packet in the mail. I have some notecards designed specifically for my business which I use for informal correspondence.
Since I work from a home office, I try to keep distractions to a minimum on the days that I am working from home. I try to get emails, paperwork, filing, etc. done as early as possible so I can focus on other things the rest of the day.
I try to schedule time each week to read and keep on top of new technologies, new products, new ideas, etc. Whether the “reading” is a magazine, book, websites, newsletters, etc. I often set aside some “quiet time” with a cup of coffee or tea, light a candle (vanilla, apple/cinnamon, or orange/vanilla are favorites), then use that time to peruse magazines, books, websites in a relaxed way, rather than be in a rush.
If I’m going through magazines or catalogs and spot something, I tag it with a small post it. I have a bunch of post-it flags or the highlighter/post-it pens always at hand. In fact, wherever I do my reading, I keep a supply at hand tucked away in a box, a drawer, or a pencil cup.
I am trying to get away from multi-tasking too much!! When I am doing something, I do my best to just focus on that one thing! Sometimes, if we try to do too much at one time, we get distracted and we end up making mistakes, missing something important, or just don’t give something the right attention. So, that’s become important to me lately.
Actually, that may be a good topic for another post !
Thanks Sandy and Ceil! Readers can pick and choose from your smorgasbord of tips and really make a difference in their businesses! I really appreciate your sharing – and I hope you are “getting” as much as you are “giving” these days!