Build your business in a slow economy! Part 5

Part 5 focuses on boosting employee morale quickly & KEEP IT UP!

How's your morale? Are you getting the most out of yourself and your co-workers? Implement these quick and affordable tips today and watch morale increase instantly!

Morale Boosting Tips:
1. Celebrate! Reward! Recognize! Everyone wants to be appreciated. Catch your employees doing something right. Did they go the extra mile? Did they handle a difficult situation well? Did they make one of your customers feel special? As soon as it happens recognize it, celebrate it and reward it. Don't wait, acknowledge it in front of co-workers and it will be infectious. If you reward the act with an item that can be displayed everyone will get on board and it will become a competition. Everyone will want to "be caught" doing something right so they get the most awards. Go a step further and at the end of 6 months tally the number of awards that each person received and the employee with the most awards receives a grand prize.

2. Positive Motivation! Nothing is more contagious than the energy of a happy and upbeat person. Stay positive and those around you will become positive too. Motivate your employees to give their best. They are apart of your company and they do affect everyone's attitude around them. Your employees and customers want to work with energetic and positive people. Have a contest. Every month the office nominates a person to receive the "Happy Award" that they proudly display on their desk. On the last day of the month have an office lunch and present the award.

3. Honest Communication! Employees are worried about their jobs, their bills, their families. If they come to work everyday wondering "Will I be laid off today?" you won't get the most out of them. They are too stressed and distracted to give your company and your clients 110%. Tell your employees the truth and you will gain their respect and ease their minds. I believe everyone will agree that the unknown is the hardest to deal with. Don't let their minds make up situations that they will need to deal with. Lay the real picture out for them and get them on board with your vision and how you will continue to be successful during this new economy.

4. Exciting Workplace! Can you give your top performers a larger workplace? Can you expand their cubicles? Can you swap out their boring furniture for something nicer? If you've done layoffs you can probably say "YES!" to atleast one of these questions. You may already have the furniture at your office. Or you can save money and purchase used furniture. It will show your employees that you appreciate them and will get them excited to come to work.

5. Empower and Reward! Now is not the time to micro-manage your employees. It justs brings morale down. Instead tell them that you respect them and know they have the skills and critical thinking necessary to do the job. When they achieve the result you want, REWARD IT! Give them a gift certificate, paid time off, a cash bonus, etc. It doesn't have to be a large monetary value, just something that, that person will appreciate and use.

You lead by example. If you are passionate about your job, your employees will be too. If you are optimistic about your company's future so will your employees. Take the time to take care of your employees and they will take care of you. Try it and it will work.

Promotions that get results!
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Milpitas, Ca

Build your business in a slow economy! Part 4

This one is important whether you are in a good economy or bad, but it's vital during the bad. Guard and cater to your current customers! Everyone is looking to increase their client base for several reasons. Clients are cutting back their spending, going out of business, or they are price shopping and going with whomever will give them the best deal. Now is the time to make sure you are guarding your clients and catering to their needs!

Here are the top 5 ways to insure that you don't lose their business:

1. Find ways to constantly touch them without marketing to them. Send them a card on the holidays and their birthdays. Send them a "I've been thinking of you" e-mail, or an interesting article that relates to them or their business. Make it personal and show you truly care about them.

2. Talk to your clients. If you have a good relationship with them you will be able to ask them what you can do to help them. What you can do better and what you excel at. Then brainstorm and implement the ideas. Follow up the talk with a thank you card expressing your attitude for their honesty and openness.

3. Profit margins are going down and your clients are shopping around. What better way to entice them into spending some money.....implement a "24 hour customer appreciation" sale! Make sure the item(s) you put on sale are good quality and items that they want.

4. Always be available. If your clients normally call your office phone from 9am-5pm. Send your clients a personal note with your cell phone number and tell them that you want to be available when they need you so feel free to call at night or on the weekends. This will help build the relationship and loyalty with your clients.

5. Keep marketing to them. If you stop your marketing efforts you will be forgotten. Mix it up. An e-mail followed by a direct mail piece followed by a fax then a phone call. Keep it interesting. Do things that noone else is doing.

Keep things personal. It's your personal relationship with them that will keep them coming back to you and will prevent your competition from stealing your clients. Make your clients feel special because they are. Do things that noone else is doing. Your clients will notice and thank you for it.

If you would like help putting a promotion together to "touch" your clients contact me and I would love to help.

Promotions that get results!
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Milpitas, Ca

Build your business in a slow economy! Part 3

Have you started implementing the first 2 parts? How much of a difference has it made in your business? If you implement a little you will improve a little. If you implement a lot then you will get a lot.

This week's tip is to network and partner up. Join a networking group, chamber of commerce or volunteer in an organization that you will meet people who will need your services or partner up with another company that already sales to your potential clients.

It's very true that if you give without expecting anything in return you will receive back ten fold of what you gave. I do a lot of volunteer work and have found that with the relationships that I have built over the years, I have made some great contacts and made a lot of friends. It's a win-win all of the way around.

Have you thought of putting together your own networking group? What about a networking lunch? Would any of your clients or friends be able to work with each other? I bet they would. Just think of the "feel-good" feeling you will get knowing that you have helped your clients and friends out. Trust me. Do this unselfishly and it will come back ten fold.

Who can you partner with that already sales to your type of potential clients? Can you swap client lists? Will they endorse you? Do you feel comfortable endorsing them?

Check out this website for lots of information on networking groups. http://www.bni.com

Always remember to wear your company logo whenever you are going to be in a situation where your potential clients will be around. A creative tagline can entice people to ask questions about your business making it an easy marketing opportunity for you.

Promotions that get results!
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Milpitas, Ca

Build your business in a slow economy! Part 2

Now that you've had a week to start implementing the customer service ideas from Part 1 it's time to start on Part 2....focus on your bottom line. Start by reviewing all of your overhead. Is there any place you can cut back? Do you need all of your phone lines? Can the heater be turned down a few degrees? Are you optimizing your time and gas each day by grouping appointments and tasks outside of your office? Do you need that monthly subscription? Look in every nook and cranny to make sure you cutback every place you can.

Cash flow is king with the new economy. Review your Accounts Receivables. Get aggressive. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Companies are trying to keep their cash as long as they can which can mean 45, 60 even 90 days. Send statements, make phone calls and get aggressive with your collections. It may be time to change your policies so you aren't strapped for cash nor stuck when a company goes under.

Socking away funds in good times and bad are always important. Put it in your budget and stick to it. You'd be surprised at how fast a little money put in savings will add up by the end of the year. Commit to leaving it in savings.

Spend your advertising budget wisely. Businesses are closing daily and their customers are looking for another company to work with. If you sit quietly in the background, then quietly sitting in the background you will stay. You need to prospect and keep "touching" your existing clients so they know you are there when they need you. Instead of throwing money away on untargeted advertising make your money work smarter for you.

The results of a recent study showing the average cost per impression for each advertising vehicle is as follows:

* The average promotional products item is $0.004
* Advertisement in a National Magazine is $0.033
*In a Sports Radio is $0.005
*In a Newspaper ad (1/2 page BW) is $1.019

Review the results and ask yourself which of these marketing vehicles effectively targets the exact clients you want to "touch"? The only answer is promotional products. It's the only vehicle that delivers your messge to the exact person, in the exact company at the exact time you want to reach them.

Don't stop advertising in this new economy. Instead start advertising effectively so you get the most out of your advertising dollar.

If you have any questions or need help with your advertising feel free to contact me. Promotional products advertising is not just my job. It's my passion!

Promotions that get results!
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Milpitas, Ca