There's no better way to market your company or to add some "pow!" to your credibility than to have your satisfied customers do the work for you.  When you give these happy customers the power to make a difference in your business, they automatically become more emotionally invested in the relationship and your company's success.  Everyone likes to know that their voice has been heard and that they have made a positive impact, so why wouldn't you capitalize on your biggest marketing asset- your current customers- by empowering them to help you to be better and to earn more business?

A LOT!  For those of you who don't know, K.I.S.S. stands for "Keep it simple, stupid" (not calling you stupid; just don't want you to act stupid).  According to Wikipedia, the meaning of K.I.S.S. is: "The KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated; therefore simplicity should be a key goal in design and unnecessary complexity should be avoided."  Now applying this principle to customer service makes a lot of sense, right?  Businesses often neglect to uphold customer service standards since they don't want to put in the work required to train on and maintain them.  This is where businesses go wrong- implementing good, basic customer service practices is not hard, and for many people, it comes naturally once they are given a gentle nudge to embrace these skills. 

We have all experienced the frustration of ineffective communication. There are so many reasons why this happens, and I certainly could stand to challenge and improve my own communication skills. Limited vocabulary or the inability to convey what you are thinking plays into this. Think about a person in your life that you feel is a great communicator, what do they say or do that puts them in this category for you? Conversely, think of that person that is only interested in what they can get out of the conversation. Their self-serving intentions become manipulative and exhausting. Creating the form of communication called "win-win" you must take each other's goals into account and work towards mutual understanding. Everyone benefits in win-win communication.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  The Golden Rule concept exists through hundreds of cultures and is known by millions; therefore, it should come as no surprise that it intersects with your business practices and behavior.  It should be your ethical pillar upon which your business sits.

Do you consciously consider with each business move that is made what impact will be felt, how will your decisions and actions show up, and what chain of events/emotions will occur because of them?  If not, you should.  For your business to earn the respect it deserves, you should carefully choose which steps to take and which words to speak.  You should handle the business and treat your employees, coworkers, vendors, and customers with the same regard that you would like for them to handle their work and treatment of you.  What, in the least, should we consider as we put the Golden Rule into practice in our businesses? 

 

We may think we know what someone is trying to say, particularly if we make assumptions about them and their motives or agendas.  But generally speaking, we are not learning when our mouths are moving.  We are also not learning when we become too focused on what we want to say, the points we want to make, or when we spend time judging whether or not the person speaking is right or wrong.  Pay attention to what is being said.  When people in business fail to hear and understand each other, the results can be disastrous.

- Brown, Haygood, and McLean, The Little Black Book of Success

Ringing in a new year is exciting.  You have renewed energy and have a positive outlook on what you plan to accomplish, and your sense of anticipation for what's ahead is further fueled by all of the uplifting messages from the important people in your life.  Like, "Here's to a healthy and happy 2014!" and "May 2014 be your most successful yet!" 

How do you maintain this elevated sense of excitement and desire to succeed?  You don't want to be like the vast majority who sets clear visions, but then loses steam within 1-2 weeks.  Commit now to setting your 2014 goals (if you have not done so already), and then throughout the year, constantly work on them and set weekly/monthly reminders to ensure that you're on track with successfully fulfilling your resolutions.  Determining goals can sometimes feel daunting, but keep most simple.  We can help you get your list of goals started, or we can help you by adding some additional helpful strategies.