Saying Good-Bye To Customers The Right Way
As a cruise ship pulls away from a dock loaded with passengers setting off on a voyage, friends and family wave good-bye and cheer them on. When loved ones are departing from an airport, well wishes abound as family send them off on their journey. Even at funerals, a respectful adieu is bid by those who once knew the person who passed away. Ending any relationship with the proper words and demonstrations of good will are necessary for both parties in every situation in life.
In business, we must think about ending good – and even not so good – customer relationships with respect. Monday after having my e-mail service hosted by a local business for 19 years, who finally decided they were getting out of the business, I was turned down for assistance in the last forty eight hours when a major issue appeared as I tried to create a new email for my business. I was very disappointed this 19 year old business relationship ended this way. It produced some business wisdom and customer service thoughts to share with my readers today.
* Remember a client is a client until the final moment a contract, service agreement or relationship ends. No matter how soon you might want to get out of a connection to a customer, you should respect the business and the agreement and offer assistance until the moment the contract expires.
* With emotions set aside, review the work and money you collected from the customer analyzing the positive influence the business relationship had on your company and bottom line. Don’t let emotions influence the business association you had by ending the relationship or work for the client too early. One wrong decision can negatively influence this customer’s testimonies to others.
* Not every business affiliation works out perfectly. Every entrepreneur faces criticism and harsh judgment over their career. Make sure to always walk away from any good or bad relationship with lessons learned and ways to improve or change future business bonds with other customers or vendors.
It’s important to make sure when you say “good bye” to a customer you treat them with the same enthusiastic fanfare as the crowds near the cruise ship wishing them safe passage into their future. It’s the best thing to do for not only them, but you too.
Turning Time Into Money
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and small businesses
It seemed like a half hour of work had passed when I looked at the clock to see what time it was amd to my surprise the hands on its face read 3 p.m. Surprised at how fast the day had gone by, I reviewed what I had completed to ensure I spent my time wisely. The same situation can occur while on vacation and before we realize it’s Thursday with only two days left to enjoy the surf and sun. Time, time, time…where does it go and why is it so fleeting?
An important part of work for today’s woman entrepreneur is time spent on social media. I’m not sure what regular tasks we have dropped along the way to make up for the enormous amount of time we spend online. If you are like me, who uses social media for business more so than for personal reasons, you might wonder how your time spent online turns into customers, revenue or business development. What is the return on investment for socializing, posting and commenting on social media numerous times every day? It seems to be a question that comes up in conversations I have with other women entrepreneurs often. Time, time, time…where does it go and are we making money while it flies by?
Today’s blog post is to remind you that you do have control of time – your time and how you spend it. If you feel like you don’t have control of your work schedule, start a time log of activities you perform on a daily or weekly basis with a sales or revenue goal next to each task. You could also start your next work day by clearly defining what hours you’ll spend doing social media marketing so you control your entrepreneurial activities. You could also attend the Women TIES “Summer School” this Friday with one of my favorite sales experts Lynn Hidy of UpYourTelesales.com who will educate women on how to turn social media contacts and time into customers.
Remember if you commit to being more aware of time, you won’t feel like it is slipping away. We can stop the proverbial clock if we create a plan and work the plan every day making sure to stay on track and making every activity count towards our company’s bottom line.
Education Needed For Continued Business Success
Business advice for women entrepreneurs
I remember sitting at my desk in ninth grade smelling freshly cut grass listening to my literature teacher. The air coming through the window was humid yet fresh and enveloped me. Of all my memories of middle school, this one stands out. Was it because all my senses were being used, was it the subject matter, was it the way my teacher presented the material or because it was the beginning of summer?
Even farther back I remember at the end of every elementary school year, cautiously opening my report card to see if I had gotten A’s, B’s or C’s. I wanted to know if I passed the grade and who my next teacher was going to be. I had hoped I’d end up in class with my best friend. Do you remember the same memories?
After college, I enjoyed post graduate work as I worked towards a Masters of Business Management. This time school consisted of night classes worked around my professional career. I remember listening very “intently” to my Corporate Finance teacher who was from Cameroon, Africa. I wasn’t the only student who couldn’t understand anything he said due to his heavy accent and teaching style. Yet, I passed and another school memory was created.
I love always loved learning. It’s one of the reasons I embrace educational opportunities whenever I can and create 40 educational opportunities annually for women entrepreneurs to learn business strategies from other successful females. It’s also the reason I created a special “Summer School on Sales and Social Media Marketing” next week. Attendees won’t walk away with a year’s worth of elementary education or a semester of night class, but its purpose is the same – to learn new knowledge, to embrace new thoughts, and to implement them to improve one’s life.
Today’s blog post is to inspire you to think back to your favorite educational moments in life and remember why they felt so important. It is also to motivate you to continue to educate yourself whether at business events, formal online business programs, or major industry conferences. You can find wisdom in books but there is something special about learning in person. It might be because of the memories that stick with us when we are learning.
I hope you continue to make education an important part of your entrepreneurial journey. If you’d like to experience “Summer School” as an adult, why not join me next Friday in Syracuse for a special program on converting social media contacts into customers. Just maybe you will end up creating another brilliant educational memory to savor forever.
The Gift of American Freedom for Women Entrepreneurs
Business Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
This blog post is a re-post of one of our popular past postings. We wanted to share it again for our new followers and friends.
The American flag has been a symbol of American freedom since July 4, 1776. According to historians, the recognizable colors and symbols have meaning. The white in the flag’s design signified purity and innocence, the red stripes represented hardiness and valor and the blue signified vigilance, perseverance and justice. The stars are a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which humankind was aspired from time immemorial; the stripes are symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun. As I pondered these colors and symbols, I feel they have meaning for women entrepreneurs as well.
Our entrepreneurial goal began as a pure light beam connecting our mind and heart. We are inspired to start something new, to take a fresh idea and breathe life into it. The red is the color that penetrates our entrepreneurial journey as we struggle through disappointments and setbacks. Blue is the shade we rest in when we have persevered to a new level of success for what we’ve accomplished.
Throughout our business journey we are led by the stars and divine goals to set the world on fire with our passion and purpose. Individually blessed and gifted we bring a significant meaning to what we do and who we help. The stripes of entrepreneurship are the rays of hope we rest our eyes on knowing with hard work and valiant effort we will achieve the financial rewards we seek.
Today’s blog post is to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit within you that was created from a pure light and purpose, which has stood the test of time and tribulation and has been rewarded for perseverance and vigilance. On July 4th in 1776, not only did we gain independence from the British, we ultimately gained freedom of choice.
I hope you look at the beautiful symbol of freedom flying high everywhere during Independence Day celebrations and see how it reflects on the career path you have chosen for your life. May you remember the purity of your deepest goals, the hardships you’ve been through and the peace that comes from all the big and small success you have achieved over the years. We are blessed to be Americans and we are blessed to be women entrepreneurs.
Business Wisdom: Step Back in Time
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and small businesses
As the cool pool waters enveloped my head and hair, I knew I was back in the heart of something I once loved. For seven years, I haven’t allowed my head to go under water when swimming in a pool after suffering two drastic bouts of hair loss. I wasn’t willing to let pool chemicals cause more damage. I realized this morning I forgot what it felt like to really enjoy swimming. As the happiness spilled over me as I returned to this familiar place, I thought of other things left behind the past ten years.
As someone who loves owning a business, I realized after the morning swim that I also tend to forget the pure pleasure I had starting my business ten years ago. If you’re an experienced woman entrepreneur you know what I’m talking about. It’s not that much different than being in a long relationship or at the end of an elongated road trip – enthusiasm can wane over time. Once in awhile to refresh ourselves, we need to plunge back into our original thoughts and feelings.
As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, I hope you take time to enjoy a cool swim to refresh yourself while thinking back to the excitement you had when you created your business. What drove you to start your company? What motivated you in the early days? What has changed over time that has sapped your energy? I bet if you stop to reminisce you’ll discover it again.
Today’s blog post is to remind you to step back in time for an hour to the beginning thoughts and plans for your company. Feel what you felt then. Find the same vivre you once had. Exalt your early successes. Relive your favorite client memories. Soak in the small and big celebrations. Let it fuel you today and for the rest of this year.
I also hope you will be grateful on the Fourth of July to the men who fought for our liberties so we could be women living with many freedoms – some freedoms that women in other countries still don’t have today. Celebrate who you are, what you have and how you are making your own contribution in this world by starting your business so many years ago.
Creating A Successful Business Now
Advice for Women Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses
On Friday, I was saddened to learn of the closing of a company I have worked with and collaborated with for the past four years. The news was unexpected and disheartening. As someone who enjoys the excitement and optimism of hearing about other women’s business successes, it is difficult to hear about a company closing unexpectedly.
I remember years ago someone introduced me to Michael Gerber’s book, “The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It.” The book highlights why Gerber believes most businesses fail. Often it is because the entrepreneur believes their knowledge of the technical work of the business qualifies them to run and grow a business. But he discovered and exclaimed, “Knowing the technical work of a business becomes an entrepreneur’s greatest single liability.”
The book suggests women entrepreneurs look 10 years into the future to envision their company and then work backward through time to plan for that vision to become a reality. How many employees will you have? How many clients do you serve? What are your annual sales? What do you excel at? The point being if you envision your company in ten years to have 10 employees located in two locations with 100 clients, you “see” the end result and can then work backward creating specific plans to accomplish that vision.
Today’s blog is to encourage entrepreneurs, whether their business is weak or strong, to envision the growth of their company from this point forward. Realize you, and you alone, will not be able to achieve all the success you envision. Your company’s success requires staff, financing, resources and a solid and specific plan. You must continue to revise your business plan to support your current and anticipated success to stay vibrant, relevant and employed. It takes work but it will be time well spent.
Business Inspiration: The Quest for Fans
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and small businesses
6.5 million people watched the United States vs. Portugal World Cup soccer match on Sunday. Fans of the popular sport gathered in stands, in major city parks and in front of their televisions to witness the global game. My family has World Cup fever even though we have always loved Syracuse University lacrosse and Boston College basketball. Why are billions of people, like our family, intrigued by the World Cup? How does the fever build and spread?
I’m sure I’m not the only woman entrepreneur who wishes she had 6.5 million people tuning into my company’s happenings or wish every media channel was talking about my company’s latest achievement. I’m also positive I’m not the only business owner trying to cultivate corporate fans. Traditionally fans are people who like a sport, celebrities or music; but can’t an entrepreneur cultivate fans or create a fan following too? If having a strong fan base is what it takes to receive media headlines, adoration and business, then maybe all business owners should be trying harder to cultivate a fan culture around their enterprises.
As a 28 year event planner, I know events cultivate energy as people discuss and attend them. The closer an event gets the more energy it produces. Coupled with good media attention – both traditional and social – event fever can spread and create fans.
Today’s post is meant to inspire you to think about cultivating fans for your business. Think about your current fans – your customers, friends and associates – and revel in and share their testimonials then keep giving them what they love. Create an annual event where you can bring them together to educate, inspire or thank them. If you don’t feel like you have a fan base, start contemplating how to create one.
Remember we don’t have to be music icons, extreme athletes or talented actresses to gain a fan following. We can capture corporate fans by cultivating an environment of positive occasions, experiences and events that draws as much fanatical fever and fans as the World Cup. If you need some more inspiration, tune into the big USA vs. Germany World Cup game tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. Take your lunch break early and be inspired by the fans.
Lessons From Hiring a Good Vendor
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and small business
It was one month ago when the unexpectedness of our 14 year old pool lining broke. Like any major expenditure, we wanted to make sure we used a reputable company who could deliver a quality product within a reasonable budget and in a promised timeframe. As I watched the completion of the pool lining this week, I thought about some of the great business lessons gleaned from the experience to share with other entrepreneurs today.
* Always get a quote for a major service or product contract. Obtain at least three different estimates from three different companies. Compare apples to apples when asking about price, delivery, guarantees and product quality. If you can’t decide which company to use, check the Better Business Bureau for business ratings. The pool company we used did have the best rating of all 3 companies we met with. It showed in their work.
* Communicate frequently with the company you hire. Call to make sure they are staying within the promised schedule of delivery and completion. Be friendly, forthcoming and honest about what you expect. By treating vendors with care, you’ll have better service in the end. Companies want to work with people or other companies who are genuine and understanding.
* If they deliver as promised, pay as promised. If you are really pleased with their work, write a testimonial or tell them you’ll be a reference. Give back because they deserve the recommendations and because you want their company to service someone else in the same professional manner. It’s a small gesture but a valuable one to them and future customers.
A special thank you to Syracuse Pool and Spa for their excellent work in bringing our beautiful swimming pool back to life.
Focus is Key to Sales Success
Many times throughout the day I focus. I find myself focusing harder on small font sizes that keep getting smaller as I keep getting older. I focus on the quietness of a balmy summer morning when my college age sons are off to work. I focus intently when a woman calls me asking questions to aid her business. But the kind of focus I am trying to use more is the focus I gleaned from listening to a successful woman entrepreneur last week.
Creating a million dollar enterprise in less than a year is a feat many women don’t achieve. In fact, most businesses in America fail before their first anniversary. So when Jessica Sloma of Ultimate Arrival, spoke to our audience of women business owners about how she accomplished a million dollar sales goal in less than a year, I listened intently. What I heard her say was how important it is to “focus” on direct, targeted, persistent sales to achieve the goal. Not all women love sales, but Jessica admitted her love for sales and her focus in landing major sales contracts which where the catalyst behind her company’s fast track to success.
One of the definitions of focus is the “act of concentrating on a particular goal and not wasting time or energy on other things.” How often do we get so overwhelmed with business responsibilities – large and small – that we lose our focus, concentration and energy to accomplish the most essential goals in our daily business life? As much as we don’t want to admit it, conducting sales must be a priority, a focus, an ever present high ranking priority to keep our businesses surviving and thriving.
Today’s post is to inspire you, like Jessica did to our audience last week, to focus on sales. Make sales a priority. Know your target market. Go after your target market. Ask more times than you’d like to ask for the sale. Be confident. Be assertive. Keep reaching out for new customers. Secure new contracts. If you don’t, you can’t continue to prosper and achieve your largest revenue dreams. Those dreams don’t have to be million dollar sales goals, but you must have a sales goal and work diligently every day to achieve it.
Just like a blurry image becomes clear once we focus on it (with or without reading glasses), sales goals will be achieved with more direct, targeted action if we focus on making sales our number one priority.
Become a Female Trailblazer
Business advice for women entrepreneurs and businesswomen
As I sat in my office at the State Tower Building in July 2005, there was a knock at the door and in walked Karen DeCrow, American feminist attorney, author and activist. She had just heard about Women TIES from one of her friends. I knew about Karen, a past president of the National Organization for Women (NOW) during the transformative 1970s, when she championed the national movement for the Equal Rights Amendment and for greater opportunities for women and girls. I was honored she came to meet me.
After asking me to explain what Women TIES stood for, she invited me to a private dinner at her house with other members of the Syracuse NOW Chapter to share the vision for my new company. I gladly accepted and asked my brilliant friend Shannon Magari, who holds a Doctor of Science in Environmental Health from Harvard, to join me. As we arrived at Karen’s private residence nestled in the forest in an eastern suburb of Syracuse, I felt like I was on an adventure entering the house of this female trailblazer.
After dinner, piano music and singing, we went to her living room for the conversation. As I described to Karen and her guests my reasons for starting Women TIES, which was to help equal the financial playing field for women entrepreneurs by promoting, marketing and connecting them, Karen looked at me and said, ‘Don’t forget to invite men to the table too. It’s as much about men understanding the cause as women.” I told her I appreciated her sentiment and would consider it but I said, “Until the day women are earning the same as men, my events will be primarily for women so they can be the ones making money, getting business or gaining exposure until women earn as much as men do.” She looked at me with a sparkle in her eye approving of my strong personal mission.
Today’s blog post is to remind you that we must be trailblazers in some aspect of our lives. Life is too short to not be making a difference. We can contribute to society by living out a strong personal mission, creating a life-changing company that benefits others, rallying for injustice, or donating our time to worthy campaigns. No matter what moves you, make sure you are contributing to something; and if you have the extra conviction, become a trailblazer like Karen DeCrow.
I’ve always said, “If at the end of my life, I have helped as many women entrepreneurs as I could make more money and the ripple effects of them making money helps their family and others, I will know I have made the difference I wanted to make in this world.”
Karen passed away last week on a glorious New York State blue skied summer day having changed the world and inspiring a lot of women like me along the way. In honor of Karen, I hope you say “yes” more often to invitations to meet other amazing women who might just be changing history and inspiring you to do the same too.
Women TIES 