How to Succeed in Business

1. How to Succeed in Business Communication Customer Satisfaction Can Do Attitude

2. Communication • Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas or opinions by verbal or writtenmeans. • Effective communication builds customer satisfaction which increases the value of your business. • Communicating effectively with clients involves listening to customers to understand their needs then helping them solve their issues efficiently.

3. Verbal Communication • Listening to the customer is the first step in effective verbal communication. • After listening and asking questions to assess the customer’s issues, you can repeat back to them what you understand the issues to be. • Then you can outline the solution for them, communicate alternatives and help them solve the issue.

4. Customer Support Example • When a customer calls in to my company, we can log in to their system or start a WebEx meeting so we can see their computer. Then they can show us more efficiently what the issue is because the issue can sometimes be very complex. • After we understand their issue we can outline a solution for them and explain all about why the solution is necessary and how the problem came about which helps them better understand how to use the software. • Many times we can follow up with documentation via an email that further details the solution using our Knowledge Base articles or User Guide.

5. Office Manager Example • My sister is the office manager for an Orthodontist. Their office closes at 4:30 but if a patient comes in at 4:55 she wants the people in the office to go out of their way to say things like “Certainly we can get you in to see the Doctor! We understand that you are a busy mom. We love taking care of your child and would not want him to miss an appointment!” • Or, if there is a small balance left to pay on an account and the patient thinks they have paid it already she would tell them “You have been such a good client over the years. We really appreciate being able to take care of your child. I can write off this small balance and we hope that you will let us take care of your other children in the future!”

6. Basic Customer Support Principles • If you can start a friendly dialogue with the customer related to something as simple as the weather, that will help to establish a relationship with the person. • If you can offer to be helpfulwith some other issue they are having you should do so. • You should take the time to thank them for their business and let them know you appreciate them as a customer.

7. Dale Carnegie Principle • Dale Carnegie in his book “How to Win Friends and Influence People”talks about establishing relationships with people by effective communication. • He would carry a small notebook and every time he would meet someone, he would make some notes about them so he would remember what to talk to them about the next time they met. • For instance, he might make a note that you are coaching your daughter Abby’s soccer team and next weekend you are going to a tournament. He would review the notebook on occasion and the next time he saw you, he would ask how Abby did at the soccer tournament.

8. Don’t Talk about Yourself • Dale Carnegie said that most people are much more interested in talking about their self rather than listening to you talk about yourself. • By finding out what people are interested in, he could find the magic question that would get them to open up and keep talking. Then all he had to do was listen to them and people would think he was a very nice man even though they had done most of the talking. • In business we can apply these same principles of communication to help promote customer satisfaction. Building good relationships with customers is very important to building a successful business.

9. Written Communication • Knowledge Base Articles and Standard Emails help to multiply your communication. • Good Documentation helps customers understand which leads to customer satisfaction. • Client Relationship Management (CRM) software • Automated Emails • Website with links to more information. • Customer Portal, User Guide

10. Customer Satisfaction • When we started our business, the President called a meeting and we all sat around a board room table. The only thing he ever said to us was, “We will build this business on customer support. I don’t care if it is 8:00 on Saturday night, if a customer has a problem, you will stay until it is fixed!” He said that with a lot of conviction and I have never wanted to test his resolve on this issue. • We try to build client relationships by becoming a business partner, not just a software vendor.

11. Customer Training • Something else we have done with great success is to train all our new clients how to use the software. Formal Training documentation and taking time to train new clients has done wonders for our customer satisfaction. • If they know how to use the program then they do not make mistakes and become frustrated and waste their time.

12. Increased Value • Every year we lose an average of 2% of our business. Some of that is from mergers and acquisitions where one company that was using our software is purchased by another company that uses some other software. Our customers are increasingly switching to longer term contracts and also to using our hosted service. • The value of our business is much greater if we have longer term contracts and especially if the customers are using our software on our servers. If a customer installs our software locally on their computers then that increases the value of our business by about 3 times revenue. If the customer uses our software on our servers then that increases the value of our business by about 8 times revenue.

13. Can Do Attitude • Thomas Edison was once asked how to make a light bulb. He answered that he did not know how to make a light bulb but he could tell you 218 ways how not to make a light bulb! • Success is getting knocked down 99 times and getting up 100 times. • Your attitude and willingness to keep trying is key to your success. You cannot succeed if you fail to try. • Failure is merely an opportunity to try again, smarter than before.

14. Can Do Example • I have a cousin that never went to college but he has written several books about how to be a good salesman and he gives seminars on salesmanship all over the world. He told me a story once that demonstrates his can do attitude. • He said that he was trying to check into a hotel and the clerk told him that there were no more rooms left. He said, “You mean to tell me that if Elvis Presley walked in here right now that you would not have a room for him?” The clerk replied, “Well certainly if Elvis walked in here we would find a room for him.” My cousin said “Well Elvis is not coming so I’ll take his room!”

15. Doing Things Yourself • I know a couple guys in the lawn care/snow removal business. They are experts at small engine repair. They sharpen their own mower blades, they weld and repair their own equipment. • Farmers in America typically know how to do everything from electrical and plumbing to mechanic and construction worker. Part of their success lies in their willingness to try and learn new skills.

16. Combat Negative Attitudes • Some people tell themselves they can’t understand so they do not try. • Explaining the reasons behind the issue to them helps them understand. • Learn to focus all your attention on the task at hand. • Be inquisitive. Look at the problem in different ways to solve the problem. • Can Do Attitude will help you succeed in your own business. • Continuing Education – Never stop learning.

17. Can You Start Your Own Business? • Yes, with effective communication you can build a business with a loyal customer base which you can profit from and ultimately sell for many times earnings or revenue. • The key is to provide a product or service or both that saves people time and helps them do things more efficiently. • There is a trend towards service industries in America as people become too busy to do things themselves. • Franchising

18. Small Businesses in America • Lawncare and Landscaping businesses that shovel snow, cut, weed and fertilize grass, • Bicycle Repair, Computer Repair, Child Care, Home Repair, Chimney Sweep, Dog Sitting, Consultant, Ebay-Assistant, Home Inspection, Household Organizer, Garage Building, Interior Decorator, Jewelry Making, Home Staging, House/Room Painting, Roofing, Personal Trainer, Small Engine Repair, Welding, Residential Energy Auditor, Window/Door Replacement, Upholstering, Wedding Planner, Computer Software Training, Appliance Repair, Fence Installation, Graphic Designer, Desktop Publishing, Gift Basket Service, Hairstylist, Organic Gardening, Massage Therapist, Moving Service, Music Teacher, Personal Trainer, Photographer, Rug Cleaning, Cleanup after Fire and Water Damage, Tree Trimming, Personal Chef, Weight-loss consultant, Appraisal and Inspection Service, Pest Control.