by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Oct 22, 2014 | Business Values, Communication, Customer Service
Successful relationships are launched with open and honest communications generating not only trust but a comfortable safety zone for conversation.
You can’t build a foundation with silence or filtered information. It doesn’t work.
Of course, you don’t want to harm feelings or be politically incorrect but if you choose to zip the lips, then you are doing a tremendous disservice to both yourself and the other party.
Misinformation, resentment, or incorrect assumptions may end up taking a leading role because you did not voice your opinion. In valued relationships, whether professional or personal, make sure you ask questions, maintain an open mind, listen, foster feedback, act, don’t react to the responses, and follow up with a summation and action steps of the discussion.
Knowing, tips, tools, and skillset to successfully perform your job is vital to your success but more important is your instinct and soft skills to help nurture your partnership. If your interpersonal communication skills need a little polish or you’re only in it for financial gain, then you may suffer the consequences.
It is so important to uncover what IS working as well as what ISN’T working otherwise the relationship could dissolve.
Confidence in Communications
Thriving vendor – client partnerships prosper with ongoing conversations that don’t merely revolve around sales or projects but also the dynamics of the process as a whole. Initiate the dialog with the desire to listen and communicate clearly. It is a two-way street and you each have something important to say. Encourage a secure, non-judgmental environment.
“Too many business owners and sales people try to sell their product or service, neglecting the fact that their customer is a person. In fact, the customer is a person who has feelings, influences and a mind of their own. They want to be connected with, and to trust and believe the person from which they are buying.” Rebecca Wilson
Honestly, how many times have you thought?
“I wonder when Mr. Park N. Later will send me the files to finish the project?”
“I don’t believe Ms. Jan C. Never followed up on my email last week?”
“Wow! Mr. Bee Frankly is right on top of my feedback survey. This is a great day.”
Do you know what runs through your client’s mind? Are they 100% satisfied with your products AND service?
Recognize there is a vast difference between service and services. Create the ultimate customer experience with unsurpassed service and they will continue to buy your services.
ASK! Don’t assume things are fine simply because you have a contract.
Don’t wait for issues to arise.
Outline your CHIPS™ for Effective 2-Way Communications
CHIPS™: Client Handbook: Ignite Partner Success is your company framework or platform that shapes systems, processes, communications, and strategies for your everyday service and solutions. Let it be a guidepost of how you effectively relate to your stakeholders, creating detailed segments for each facet of your business, like a policy manual.
- Schedule periodic calls to check in to discuss what is working and what isn’t; where can you both improve
- Don’t rely on an email or text message. Things get lost in translation. Making the investment is a values-based opportunity to demonstrate your respect and interest in not just the sale but your client and relationship
- Jot down a few notes highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly
- Give each party plenty of time to speak, vent or otherwise share their thoughts regarding your partnership
- Understand YOUR role is to provide the best customer experience
- Be flexible and willing to compromise
- Understand your client’s point of view
- Clearly and kindly articulate your viewpoints
- Cultivate continuous improvement and dialog
- Summarize the call, reiterating what you heard
- Create action steps
- Ask for feedback about the call
- Before you hang up, commit to the next conversation
Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing. Rollo May
Embrace every relationship you have by investing in authentic conversations because you care enough to want it to succeed.
Because you want to build empowered, valued partnerships.
Because it feels good. It is fulfilling.
Never shy away from asking the real questions, the most difficult questions of what is working and what isn’t working.
Who will you call today?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Oct 15, 2014 | Delegation, Entrepreneur, Productivity, Time Management, Virtual Assistant
Do more –achieve more is a recipe for exhaustion and collapse. And you are probably tired of being tired right? Doing more does not make you more productive or efficient. In fact, the more that you heap onto your plate, the less you are able to effectively manage. Your proficiency decreases.
Identify the essential and eliminate the unnecessary.
Learn to think creatively to find more effective ways of getting things done is nothing new- work smarter, not harder. Putting in laborious hours into your day doesn’t necessarily equate to powerful payoffs of valued activities. Just think of the wasted hours surfing the net or scrolling through social media updates. That is time used. Time wasted. Get the things done that add value and impact to your life and your business.
1. Do LESS – ACHIEVE more
How is that possible?
It sounds pretty silly doesn’t it?
Kick start doing less:
- Learn to say no
- Set boundaries and priorities
- Resist the urge to be busy
- Slow down – be fully present in whatever you are doing
- Stop multi-tasking. It’s counter productive
- Finish projects, don’t just check off a few To Do items
- Reduce distractions
2. Do LESS – ACHIEVE more
How could you give up tasks and projects yet increase your productivity and effectiveness? Here’s the little secret …
D E L E G A T I O N
Entrepreneurs are accustomed to doing it all from changing printer ink, uploading tweets, proofing blog posts and ordering supplies to curating content, creating images, retweeting and sharing content and testing the latest social media apps.
This is just the short list of every day, mundane To Dos that eat up time and energy. Have you ever truly kept track of the hours you spend on the low payoff routine activities? What is your tally? 20+ hours perhaps?
This is time you are not working ON your business. If you aren’t, then who will? With only one person at the helm, there is only so far that you can scale. While it isn’t easy to relinquish some of your daily demands, it is a tremendous benefit to free up your valuable time and avoid burnout.
VALUED FOCUS
As a business owner you need to focus on the items that are of the most value to you and your company. Simply put, the things that YOU and ONLY you are capable of doing. The core business activities that: generate income, build relationships, nurture clients, develop new leads or foster a positive customer experience. You get the idea. Structure your day around these key elements.
Remember that old 80/20 rule?
Apply it here. You know that 20% of your efforts yields 80% of favored results. The trick is to determine what represents that 20% and DO MORE OF IT! Live and breathe that as your core genius.
The Pareto Principle, or “80/20 Rule” as it is frequently called today, is an incredible tool for growing your business. For instance, if you can figure out which 20% of your time produces 80% of your business’ results, you can spend more time on those activities and less time on others. This doesn’t mean that the low payoff tasks and projects aren’t useful or worthwhile to your business – they are. BUT, they don’t exemplify the best use of YOUR time.
You’re the CEO not an employee. Of course it can be a challenge to step outside of that role, removing a few hats and grabbing the reins but as the President, you owe it to your company to take charge. You owe it to your clients and prospects.
If you buried deep in paperwork and social icons, how do you intend to shake hands and build long-lasting relationships? You all have a propensity to take on more work, do every task or project which leaves you overwhelmed and distracted. This cycle needs to stop before you do.
Don’t keep adding more work.
Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all. Peter Drucker
When you are able to focus on fewer things you increase your productivity and achieve better results. AND you want results. Every business owner does.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What are THE most important core business activities that you should be doing?
- What generates revenue?
- What leverage points produce the greatest results
You now have some key items or tasks that you have identified that do not need your focused attention. You have three options: do, dump or delegate. Make an executive decision on how you will manage or pass off these non-essentials. Consider what you will gain when you are no longer tied up doing some of the daily minutia.
Do less Achieve more!
What will you give up….. to gain?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Oct 8, 2014 | Content Marketing, Customer Service, Social Media
Online success isn’t just about generating rich, relevant content and being on social platforms. While all that creates the basic foundation for success, you need to build your relationships and nurture your network.
[Tweet “Your community is your greatest asset; your megaphone of social proof.”]
Social proof, also known as informational social influence, is a psychological phenomenon where people assume the actions of others in an attempt to reflect correct behavior for a given situation. This effect is prominent in ambiguous social situations where people are unable to determine the appropriate mode of behavior, and is driven by the assumption that surrounding people possess more knowledge about the situation. Wikipedia
The Internet is a social environment; a tremendous force for buying decisions. The information gathering process is performed online, everyday. 80-95% of purchases are made because of online reviews. You, as well as your customer base, are influenced by your peers and community. We listen for the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s the social way of doing business.
BrightLocal’s 2013 Local Consumer Review Survey found that:
These statistics alone are good enough reason to enhance and promote your own social proof in your digital environment. Build your digital reputation with authentic engagement, outstanding customer service and selfless connections. While there may be a method to your madness, ulterior motives are pretty transparent so don’t waste your time with disingenuous actions.
Be real.
Be the person you’d like to do business with.
Your service, not services is one of the key factors that can be your unique selling proposition. Your competitor may sell the same widgets, but it’s YOU who has the opportunity to rise above and offer something superb and personal.
Relationships are like muscle tissue… the more they are engaged, the stronger and more valuable they become. Ted Rubin
Truly connect and go the extra mile. 100 miles even. Don’t stop there. If you want something bad enough and believe you’ve got the best there is, then give it. You can’t go wrong.
What can Social Proof do for you?
- Build credibility
- Foster trust
- Grow loyalty
- Increase brand exposure
- Substantiate your products and services
- Empower your prospects
- Cultivate a community of influencers
Typical forms of Social Proof
- Social mentions, shares and likes
- Case studies
- Testimonials
- Online reviews
- User generated content
The Crazy Egg: social proof in the marketing community simply refers to using these crowds and their input to create positive connections with a brand or business.
How can YOU use social proof in your marketing?
- Share client case studies
- Embed tweets and mentions in your posts and social channels
- Add customer testimonials to your website and newsletter
- Show social endorsements from industry influencers
- Engage with interested online influencers who may help to promote you
- Add the Facebook “like” box to your blog
- Incorporate “As Seen In” logo boxes
- Save shout outs in your Twitter Favorites
When someone lands on your landing page, they don’t know whether your offer is any good — which gives you the opportunity to sway them using quotes from customers, embedded tweets, and so on. HubSpot
“The proof is in the pudding.” People can buy followers and likes so don’t depend on numbers to build your credibility or to make your own buying decisions. Unfortunately, just because you saw it on the Internet does not mean it’s real. Large numbers don’t equate to authenticity, dedicated fans or genuine relationships. Stir up real relationships.
Too many websites only talk about their products and services. Blah! Blah! Blah! While it may be important to talk about your company, offerings and services, it isn’t enough to sway your buyers. They showed up on your site for a reason. They have a need. You have a service. Make the decision process a little more comfortable and create the confidence and trust they are seeking.
Social Proof is your key to more magnetic marketing [KISSmetrics]
Showcase your undeniable true network of connections and clients with valid social proof that you produced with honest hard work.
You earned it.
Demonstrate it.
If you want to elevate your sway, develop strategies to put social proof to work in your online communications. Barry Feldman
What are your tips to foster and share your social proof?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Oct 1, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Small Business
Starting and growing your business is an exciting and at times, an overwhelming endeavor. The entrepreneurial spirit is a driving force to hang your shingle and as you know, it requires a specific mindset and continued effort to sustain and expand in your marketplace.
Break away: There may be several other businesses like yours and it is up to you to set yourself apart from the competition. It isn’t your widgets that generate the business. It’s you. Your service. Your commitment to your stakeholders.
Business ownership can be a 24/7 job and necessitates forward thinking and as Michael Port says, “thinking big.” Just because you opened your doors and provide a product or service, your job doesn’t end here. Build it and they will come is not enough. You must live in it, on it and breathe it.
Small business isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the brave, the patient and the persistent. It’s for the overcomer. Unknown
There is no room for stagnation or complacency if you intend to experience the full benefits of your company, aspiring greater revenues, satisfied customers, WOM marketing, new products/services and success. Embrace your business, your skills and your team on your journey as an entrepreneur.
Small Business Success Tips
- Have a passion for your business, service and product
- Solve an issue or problem, don’t just sell a widget
- Create blueprints to outline your goals, vision and action steps
- Set up systems for components of your business: i.e. marketing, sales channels, customer support, project management, social media and use them consistently. There is too much time and money lost searching for information or testing new tools and systems. Find one and use it
- Provide the service you expect from your own vendors
- Understand that response time to inquiries is very important. Don’t keep the prospect or customer waiting because your competitor is on your heels
- Stay connected and be available
- Never stop learning or reading for ways to help your business, network, customers or prospects
- Learn from failures and push forward, making new inroads
- Underpromise and overdeliver
- Be open to change and new directions based upon the market and your customers
- Know the difference between working ON your business, rather than IN it
- Why are you making yourself busy? All of the back end, low payoff, admin activities do not represent your core genius or generate income. It is important to allow delegation to become a strength, in order to grow and expand a business
- Social media and online marketing are here to stay – create a strong presence, understand the medium, know where your customers are
- Authenticity wins. If you aren’t true to yourself and your prospects, it is easily visible or soon to be discovered. Be real or don’t play at all
- Maintainable and consistent growth results from doing more of what produces progression and less of what seizes your time in the name of growth
- You must define the most profitable use of your working hours
- Focus your valuable time on the high payoff activities
- Limit distractions and stay centered on the task – you will be much more productive.
- Create collaborative teams within your company and industry
- Realize that every online action you take lasts a lifetime as your digital footprint. Your personal online brand represents you AND your company. Be cognizant of your posts and comments as your reputation may be determining your social impact
- Giving is better than receiving. Stop singing Me, Me, Me. Share the rich and relevant content of others in your network, industry, trusted circles, family, friends….. you know who. Reach out and ask how you can help. If you find a pertinent article to someone you know, email it. Go the extra mile
- Learn effective time management skills while you can’t manage time per say, you can manage yourself in terms of your priorities and scheduling. Never be late and don’t miss deadlines
- Maintain an organized office and life with productivity tools that work for you; whether it is a pen and paper, an online PM system or a spreadsheet, keep track of what you are doing, the milestones, results, action steps and To Do list
- Have some fun. Laugh a little and most of all, revel in your success as a business owner
Small business success doesn’t just happen overnight with a wish and a magic wand.
What is your secret weapon for success?
by Ace Concierge | Virtual Assistant | Sep 24, 2014 | Content Marketing, Organization, Productivity, Small Business, Time Management
Bleary eyed and reaching for your coffee, you boot up your computer and start your daily diet of content consumption. It is a filling nourishment of words, intel, fired up neurons and brain overload. Or at least it can be. Personally, I can spend hours reading all of the articles on social platforms, news aggregators, daily digests, emails and newsletters. Sometimes I think my head will explode.
Research demonstrates that we take in five times as much information as we did 30 years ago, raising huge challenges to organize it all.
We are drowning in data.
In a 2010 LexisNexis study, 62% of workers felt as though their quality of work suffered at times because they couldn’t sort through the information they needed fast enough.
There is so much to digest and learn. I could be bookmarking and saving content all day long. There are hundreds of talented bloggers and business owners sharing their incredible knowledge of tools, tips, recommendations and experiences. It can be overwhelming. Think of how many times you get sucked in to the black hole searching, clicking, and redirecting. It’s a vortex.
How do you manage all of the content? There are tools to organize your content or to help you search and save but you also need to decide what you are going to do with the information. Daniel Levitan, author of “The Organized Mind,” says “Whenever we feel overwhelmed by everything we need to keep track of in life, we talk about wanting to get organized.”
You’ve chosen your sources, thought leaders and industry favorites to follow and “study” in your own college auditorium of higher learning. That’s what it sometimes feels like for me and without the outrageous tuition costs.
What is the purpose? Business or personal? How does it apply to your business? Customers? Colleagues?
What are your content goals?
- Self-education
- Curation
- Repurposing
- Inspirational
- Research
- Love of reading
If you’re like most of us, you have a business to run and can’t spend every waking moment culling and sifting through information. It’s a full time job. Who has the time to sit and read all day when you are trying to live the entrepreneurial dream?
Use filters and keywords help to refine your searches.
This will help to save time and improve your overall content management. If you have some systems in place, it will be much easier to sort through all of the posts you want to read and combat your information hangover.
Researchers tend to agree that it’s not the volume of information that is the problem; it’s our inability to organize and process it all without experiencing “information overload, or what neuroscientists like to call “cognitive overload. Saga Briggs
| Research |
Organize |
| Social Media |
Evernote |
| BuzzSumo |
Readability |
| Scoop.it |
Spreadsheets |
| Tagboard |
Swipe files |
| RSS feeds |
Bookmarks |
| ContentGems |
Files and folders |
| Hootsuite Content Feature |
One Note |
| Flipboard |
Feedly |
| Alltop |
Google Drive |
| Inbound.org |
Dropbox |
| Biz Sugar |
Pocket |
| Topsy |
Ubernote |
| Feedly |
Powerpoint |
Design a system that works for you to enhance your time management and productivity as well as minimize on the extreme overload of data and what to do with it all. A method to your madness is guaranteed to keep you on track and focused. Systems and processes are the architectural structure of your success and productivity.
Establish some routines; otherwise you hit a wall, letting things go and opportunities are forfeited. The routines could be time limits or specific times you will be searching, saving and filing. Time block when you will surf. If you discover something important during the day, “save” it somewhere to revisit later. Don’t let it be a distraction and take you away from your current task at hand.
Decide what to keep or implement NOW based upon it’s perceived impact on your goals. Prioritize to your needs. Is it something you must have or must know? If so, how soon will you be needing it? Use your organizing tools to keep track of the data, being mindful of how you will use it and when. Some articles may have a more immediate use while others are purely for reference. You decide, but take action.
Declutter: remember to go through your folders or storage options so they haven’t blossomed into an overload of organized data. Purge the old to make room for the new. There’s no sense in just letting everything pile up and multiply as that will defeat the purpose of your systems.
How do you challenge your content zombie? What helpful tools can you suggest?
