Maintain a Success Circle in Direct Sales & Relationship Marketing

Archive for May, 2009

The nightly news often relates the latest natural disaster with its legacy of destruction – loss of property and loss of life. Businesses are disrupted, water supplies destroyed and people without electricity.

If you live in Hurricane country and are a small business owner, you probably have a plan for natural disasters. You know how you’ll operate your business after a natural disaster hits your place of business – how you’ll deal with lack of electricity, flooded data centers and other foreseeable events.

But few of us plan for the ultimate crisis – what to do when "we", the business owner, have a personal crisis and cannot attend to our business. This might happen with a death in the family, an illness, an injury. All of those things we don’t like to think will happen "to us."

Smart business owners will plan for this crisis – when you are not able to be there yourself. Here are five areas you need to plan for before the crisis.

Customer relations: You need someone who can call your clients, reschedule meetings, respond to emails and phone calls. This person needs to be trained in your business affairs and have access to all of that information before the crisis occurs. So you need to have an assistant, a customer service department, or someone like your CPA or attorney who can step in and take over your client relations.

Procedures: You need a procedures manual that an experienced administrator could step in and use to operate your business for a period of time. If you are your own webmaster, for example, you need the access information for each of your sites. You need the procedures for shipping products, refunding purchases, and other common tasks in a detailed printed or digital form. Keep it in a place where others can find it – either in your office or online in a secure site.

Backlog of issues: If you publish an ezine, you need to have several issues completed ahead of time. That way the ezine can continue to be distributed, even when you’re not able to write. Without it, client relationships can be lost or damaged. It only takes a few weeks of not hearing from you before subscribers forget who you are.

Residual income: When you’re in a crisis, the last thing you need to worry about is how you’re going to pay your bills. When you have established Online Oil Wells (sales sites that sell digital products and deliver them automatically) that continue to crank out income even when unattended, you can be assured you’ll have a steady income.

Accounts payable: You can’t afford to ruin your credit rating while you’re in crisis. So you’ll need someone to physically pick up the bills from the mail box. Plus you’ll need someone who has access to your checking account, online and offline, who can pay those bills for you, on time.

A word of caution about choosing people for these roles: Your first temptation may be to ask a close friend or family member to be your "back-up." The danger of that is that if you are in crisis because of a death in the family or your own illness, they will be involved in the same crisis or at least in helping you through it. So try to set up systems outside of your close relations.

Finally, be sure your loved ones know who to turn to should a crisis occur: There is no point in your having made all of the preparations if they are unaware of who to contact to put the plan into motion.

While we never plan to be sick or injured or have someone close to us fall into that category, things happen that are not in our control. That’s the definition of a crisis. But when we understand that such things can and do occur, we can take steps to ensure we have a business left after the crisis has passed. Don’t put off your crisis planning another day.

Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who helps Online Business owners become more profitable. Her reputation as a speaker and trainer has earned her the title of "The Technology Tamer." Jeanette shares her business systems at http://budurl.com/mm5q.

Today we focus on another cause of procrastination – waiting for the right time and coupled with that is perfectionism.  You may wonder how perfectionism could be viewed in a negative light and contribute to procrastination; but think about it!  For the perfectionist, everything has to be just right; the timing, the circumstance, the product, and so on.  In addition, these persons usually set extremely high standards for themselves and others that are difficult to meet. At the same time there is the fear that if they do not achieve these standards they will be viewed by others, but mostly themselves, as failures.  The result is that fear of failure paralyzes them. 

For many these are characteristics and personality traits are difficult to unlearn but the goal should be to avoid focusing on perfection and instead focus on performance and completing the tasks at hand. Very few things will ever align themselves perfectly therefore it's more important to decide that you will set a goal for a task to be completed in a specified time.

Procrastination also results from people thinking that they have to wait for just the right moment to do this or that.  For example, your desk may be cluttered with numerous receipts that you have to move every time you need to get to certain files.  It would be so much easier to file away the receipts immediately, but your thought is I'll wait until the middle of the month when… or I'll wait until I bring my gas receipts from the car…etc. Why wait for later?  I recently heard someone say that 'NOW is the new later.' Could you make it a habit to file away every receipt on a daily basis or at least remove it from your desk to a specific location? It would be one less item to touch every day and in our home-based business, every moment is valuable.

Procrastination – Causes and Solutions

What is procrastination? Procrastination is the habit of putting off for later or tomorrow what you really should do now or at least today. It has also been described as the "thief of time."  Many people will acknowledge that procrastination is a character flaw, but most of us have been guilty of putting off something important we should be doing for our business today. 

The reasons for procrastination in your home-based business are many but interestingly we usually put off tasks that do not appeal to us.  It may be because we find them monotonous, they may be necessary to our business, but we wish we did not have to do them ourselves, or they may involve too much hard work.Today I'm starting a series on Procrastination – Causes and  Solutions.

Large, Overwhelming Tasks:

You know something is important to your business, online or offline, but it looms like a huge insurmountable mountain.  Just thinking about it overwhelms you to the point where you feel there is no way you can do this.  For example, you've started your online business and you've been told that one of the best activities to start with is Blogging.  You probably listened to a Teleseminar or read that Wordpress.org is the best blogging platform; however, your technical skills are limited and you've tried but can't seem to make any headway with setting it up.

Rather than giving up and decide that blogging is not for you, start with one of the free blogging platforms like blogger.com.  That's where I began but once my Mentor advised me to change to a paid platform she recommended Wordpress.org or TypePad.com and I found TypePad.com a lot less challenging. There's always going to be a learning curve, but break your task into small chunks of tasks and time.  In this case TypePad has an excellent Knowledge Base that you will need to take time to read.  As you accomplish each section you move to the next – one step at a time.  Keep in mind that even if it takes you a week to set up the blog at the end of the week you would have made huge strides in your online business.  When you make your first post you will get such a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of satisfaction that the challenges you had to overcome to get to that point will fade into the background.

On the other hand, if you really dislike doing something you are definitely more likely to procrastinate and your aim should be to stop procrasting, and break the cycle.  In this case it may be more advantageous to delegate this task to someone else or hire someone to do it. You likely will have to pay for the service but it will be a worthwhile expense.  Not only will you get it done quickly and efficiently, but your time can be spent doing the things you enjoy. 

There are some things I find challenging because they are not in my area of expertise, but find that when I make my Things to Do list the night before and schedule them for the early part of the day my day goes more smoothly and I'm more productive. They are out of the way and I can focus on the things I like to do the rest of the day. Perhaps that would work for you as well.

Please feel free to leave your comments of how you deal with handling large,overwhelming tasks in your home-based business.

Time Management could be said to be a misnomer because we
really cannot manage time, can
we?  Since we cannot manage what we
cannot control it’s important to determine how to use the time that we have in
the most efficient and effective way. 
For this reason it might be even more appropriate to speak of
Self-Management since that is what we can control.

·        
Set a
schedule:  Mary Kay Ash taught the
value of the 6 Most Important things to
Do list and the importance of making your list before you go to bed every night.
I found that over the years when I stuck to this principle I was focused the
next day and more organized as I knew exactly what I needed to do and the order
of priority.  Some persons promote just
focusing on three things as you’re more likely to complete 3 than 6 and when
you do you really experience a sense of accomplishment.

·        
Have a
fixed timetable:  There are “Things
to Do” or “Designing Your Day” pads that are divided into one hour time-frames
from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. which many persons find to be very useful as it
keeps them really organized.  On the
other hand, some persons may find this too restrictive, but you might surprise
yourself how much you could get done if you tried to stick to the allotted
time.  This is one very important aspect
of time management or more appropriately self-management.  And, oh yes; there are people who start their
day at 5:00 a.m.

·        
Write it
down:  Will writing everything down
make you appear to have a bad memory? 
Will it make you lose some of your ‘super-….’ status? Would you prefer
to miss an appointment, forget some important details, or forget an order from
one of your customers?  We are inundated
with so much information everyday and wear so many hats that it just makes
sense not to rely solely on memory, but to write things down.  Carry a notepad, your planner, or an electronic
pocket organizer; whichever works best for you. 
Also, if Article Marketing and a Blog are parts of your online Marketing
Strategy, your notepad will be a valuable asset because you can make quick
notes as you think of new ideas or hear a news item or perhaps just a
conversation that you can later use.

·        
Organize
Business Cards Received:  You meet
people in everyday activities as well as networking events and get their
business card.  It is so easy to misplace
the cards.  Have a specific location in
your office that you will store cards keeping in mind that you should work at
following-up within 24-48 hours on contacts you made.  If you promise to send the person some
information, whether online or offline, make a note of it and do so promptly as
this helps to develop the know, like and trust factor.

·        
Use
Memory Joggers:  It’s a good idea to
make a note on the back of the card where you met the person, brief description
of what they were wearing or anything that may jog your memory in the
future.  If the person had a child or pet
with them, write down those bits of information.  People want to know you care about them and
not just interested in furthering your cause, therefore, if in your next
conversation you are able to ask about their child by name or make a comment or
share some useful information on their pet, they will be more likely to be
receptive to you.

c) Setting a Schedule: A basic schedule is essential.
Where babies and very small children are involved it can be challenging to
adhere to that schedule; that's a concept that they have not grasped yet but can
be trained as they get older. You, though, need to know what your goals are on a
given day because without a plan the day goes by and you've accomplished very
little in your business. It's been said that if you fail to set goals, you'll
reach them every time.

d) Managing yourself not just your
time: A proper diet and exercise are essential to function
properly in any situation. Many solo-professionals who have a home-based business I've spoken with find this a
challenge, and I often do as well. I'll get so caught up in what I'm doing that
I forget to eat, which leads to headaches. Unfortunately, this will only add to
your stress level and may result in health issues. Exercise engenders a feeling
of accomplishment and satisfaction and can create a sense of well-being that
allows you to find humor even in stressful situations.

e)
Isolation: Many people love working alone. Others hate
it! They miss the rapport with co-workers, the water cooler chit-chats and jokes,
and face-to-face interactions with people. Depending on the type of home-based business
you're pursuing, you may not have regular interaction with people. Regardless of
how much we love our children, most of us crave adult conversation. If you work
with clients/customers mainly on the telephone, why not arrange to meet them in
person from time to time? If there are networking events in your area, why not
make arrangements so you can attend one or two each month?

Working from
home does not mean you have to control every situation instead learn the art of
delegation. Share responsibilities with other family members. You may also have
to learn to say 'no' especially when family members and relatives fail to
respect your time or appreciate that you have a business to run. Do not rely
only on just yourself and maintain a sense of humor.

I would love to hear
what you've found works best for you. How do you cope with stress as a
work-at-home professional? Please share your thoughts

A growing number of men are pursuing successful businesses from home; however, it would appear that the majority of home-based businesses are managed by women. Many of these women are mothers, especially of small children; wives; caregivers for elderly parent/s; involved in social and volunteer activities, and the list goes on. 'These are normal activities for many people,' you may say. True, but these same responsibilities can create tremendous stress for solo-professionals working from home.

Maintain a proper balance between personal and professional life

a) Location: Your office building is your home. Your office may be a desk and chair in an already occupied room. Or you may have a room designated as your office. Can you make and receive phone calls without interruption or background noise? At the start of your day, do you dress as if you were expecting a client in your home, or as if you were leaving for a job outside the home? Nothing excessive, but doing whatever is necessary to make you personally feel you're going to YOUR office to work?

b) Setting Parameters: One of the reasons many mothers with small children choose to work from home is the desire and preference to raise their children themselves while others with older children desire to home-school their children. Does your family understand that once you are at your desk you should not be disturbed unless it's very important? Do they understand that tools (pens, pencils, notebooks, etc.) on your desk are for business purposes only so that you don't waste your time finding them when you need them?

My next post will cover 3 other areas to help reduce stress in your home-based business.

All of us who own and manage our small businesses from home became business owners for various reasons and as a result of varying circumstances. Many did so after carefully making a thorough assessment of their personal and financial situation, others launched a business because they were laid off from their jobs and needed to find another avenue to make money, while others did so because they wanted to be home with their children and needed to have an income.

The website http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/aboutsb/sbfacts.html notes that America's small businesses…account for 39% of the country's gross national product. However, "The Office of Advocacy defines a small business for research purposes as an independent business having fewer than 500 employees," so for the most part many home-based business may not be included in these statistics. Nonetheless, like any large organization we have challenges and arising out of these challenges we have stress.

Many of us left corporate jobs to start our own home-based businesses so we could reduce stress, or so we thought. Instead, the sad commentary is that we are confronted by different types of stress.As a result, the joy and satisfaction that were visualized have either not materialized or have diminished.

Tomorrow we will consider some of these challenges that are faced by home-based business owners and strategies that may help to reduce stress.

Networking events are great meeting places and provide venues to work within groups – usually of professionals. Like any other successful marketing strategy, there is an art to networking that involves many areas, but we'll focus on just one for now. Your Goal!  What is your goal when you attend networking events? Is it to quickly tell everyone who you are, what you do, hand out as many cards as possible, then leave?

Someone may say that if all they're to be concerned about is the other person, what's the point in attending these events? The point is that this is a marketing strategy that works! When you show that you care about others, they begin to build a measure of trust in you. People are so accustomed to being pitched to,  when you display the opposite behavior this breaks down some of the defensive wall they surround themselves with and will be more receptive to you.
Go with a mindset to GIVE, and you'll be pleasantly surprised how much you GET.

I invite you to click here to learn more about a web-based greeting card system that allows you to follow-up quickly after networking events with the people with whom you made a connection.

Please feel free to post your comments. 

Most business owners recognize the need to cultivate and maintain good relationships with their customers. At the same time, many overlook the need to follow-up after the sale or service. Here are three of the many reasons why they may be hurting themselves and being like the ostrich that sometimes waits for the danger to come to it.

1) AFRAID OF APPEARING "PUSHY": Persons involved in Direct Sales often seem to be overly-concerned about this. Keep in mind that there is a difference between being pushy and being proactive. I feel very appreciated when someone from whom I purchased an item calls to see how I liked the item, or sends me a Thank You card. Wouldn't you? And, if during the follow-up call she mentions that one of the ways she grows her business is by referrals, that in no way offends me because I would want to refer my friends or family to someone who cares enough to follow-up.

2) WORKLOAD – Admittedly small business owners and entrepreneurs often carry a weighty responsibility and have to multi-task as the CEO, the Salesperson, the Marketing Department, etc. However, customers are WHY they got into business and WHY they stay in business. It may be necessary to analyze if productivity would be enhanced by hiring someone to assist with less essential tasks so that the focus can be on where it's required most.

3) FEAR – There is an old saying that What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You. In business it's the opposite! What you Don't Know WILL Hurt You – your relationship with your customers and your bottom-line. Are you afraid to call your customers after a sale or service because you may get a negative response? Would it not be better to know what their concerns are right away so that these can be addressed? And if customers are happy, would this connection not be the perfect opportunity to ask for a testimonial or referral?

Our current economy dictates that entrepreneurs and owners of very small businesses implement whatever steps are necessary to attract and retain new clients and customers.

1) It’s been said that it costs five times as much to attract a new customer as it does to keep an established one. It would therefore be in our best interests to ensure that we are holding our clients and customers ‘close to our chest’ by making it easy and a delight to do business with us. This applies whether we are marketing online or offline.

2) A tested and true way to encourage customer loyalty is by being diligent in following-up with them.  In the past some business owners may have thought that was too simplistic, but it’s been recognized through opinion polls, surveys, etc. that this is what customers want. Customer dissatisfaction results when existing customers/clients feel that there is very little personal interest and that businesses see only the $sign. Mary Kay Ash, one of the greatest female entrepreneurs of the 20^th century taught that we – the service provider, the sales person, the coach – should view every person as wearing an invisible sign that says, "Make me Feel Important.”

3) Follow-up is not always easy because it takes time, but it is time well spent.  Now that many of us have clients and customers who are spending less, or hesitating to spend we need to ensure that we are doing the following:

4) We want happy customers who know that we care because this will build trust and they will keep doing business with us even when the buzz word is "recession." They will also be more willing to refer their friends and family to us.

I invite you to click here to try a service that allows you to follow-up with your clients and customers in an effective and efficient way.  Send one of your clients or customers a FREE unexpected greeting card today!