Free Business Tips

A little enthusiasm can go a long way….

Here’s a short video from Tom Peters, if ever you wondered what comes first passion or skills, here’s Tom’s answer…
Thanks to Tom and the team at Skill Soft.

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Really? That’s the BEST you can do?

I received an e-mail from a supplier yesterday. They sent me a proof to approve and fax back to them.
First thing I noticed was that my Purchase Order (PO) number was wrong. The next thing I DIDN’T notice, was the fax number to which the supplier wanted me to fax the approval back. […]

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Carnival of Australia - February 27, 2008

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Welcome to the February 27, 2008 edition of Carnival of Australia.
 Thanks to all the contributors, some great stuff there, enjoy your reading! 
Elias presents The day we said “sorry”! posted at Ramblings of an Australian teacher, saying, “I hope I can still squeeze in the current carnival.” - Yes and No Elias! I […]

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Improve Customer Service: Turn Employees Into Customers.

I was sitting in the eye doctor’s chair. Only moments earlier I had been traumatized by that stupid glaucoma test where they shoot a puff of air in your eye. Well, they try anyway, because with me it’s more like testing the resistance of the surface of my eyelid. On the upside, apparently, my reflexes […]

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How to train to Win/Win

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Training to win/win
You and your staff should be trained to make the whole show win, then the customers can win too. A great position to get to and stay in.  For some the idea […]

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How to create a business where the overheads are easily covered

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Covering overheads easily…
Overheads are often the thing that break the camels back, so make it easy for the camel and take the pressure off, in this case keeping the turnover and cash flow up so […]

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How to create an easy saleable range

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Creating easily saleable products and services
You want people to buy, not to um and err then walk away, so it should be easy for them to select what they want and then make the purchase […]

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How to make your business readily understood.

From an original article on various business success pointers, here are the individual “how to” possible options for you to explore.
Is it readily understood?
If your business produces widgets for the trucking industry it’s important for the target market (trucking companies in this case), to readily understand what it is you are providing. If you are […]

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Is it Christmas?

In a local shopping Mall last Sunday, 4 pm a number of the shops were closed! shutters pulled down, lights off teh whole shebang… What Gives!!!!
It’s Christmas a time when people want to shop…
In our area we have another shopping mall being added to so we will have more retail outlets, probably more than we […]

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Hello?! Are You LISTENING?

I’m on the phone with a salesman from one of my suppliers. He asks me, “So, do you sell to any medical practices?”
“Yeah I do”, I replied. “I have some dentists and a periodontist.”
“Great!” he exclaimed. “You’ll be interested in our new stethoscope covers!”
Really, I think to myself. Let’s see, when was the last time […]

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Bad Acting Is Bad For Your Business

I called my stockbroker a couple weeks a go. I had a question. I wasn’t sure who to ask for because it’s been about a year or so since I actually talked to anyone there. Anyway, I finally get “my guy” on the phone. What a phoney!
This guy doesn’t know me from a fence post […]

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My Article Could Have Prevented A $53 Million Dollar Lawsuit

Back in September of 2006 I posted an article here warning business people to only guarantee that over which they have control. I advocated only guaranteeing such things as, “Your Money Back” or “Replacement”. I specifically warned against guaranteeing a customer’s satisfaction because you have no idea what will satisfy a customer.
Better than 9 […]

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The people service continuum

In the service stakes there are those that connect with the people they need to serve and those that quite frankly wish the customers would go away. There are of course levels within that and as always I would like you to focus for a moment on the top end.
People that serve in those lofty […]

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Excellence is a state of mind…

I don’t mind stating I feel less than excellent. I have some quotes to do, some work to do, some people to chase, some calls to make, bills to pay, $$ to chase and frankly I don’t care if it all gets washed away in a great flood (or any other disaster for that matter.)
We […]

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7 Steps to finding your most profitable target market by Emma Rhoades (Guest Blogger)

So often people delve into advertising their business, without much thought to the process. This not only a huge waste or precious $$, but it leaves your business vulnerable to cashflow problems. Taking the time to research exactly who your most profitable customer is, will ensure you receive a higher return on your advertising investment. […]

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See something, do something…

Earlier in 2007 I did a post on Trademarks not what you think… It gave some starting points and some background to an idea that is really all about values and beliefs but does so in a more street smart way.
I thought it was time to pull out a few more and explore how they […]

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You do NOT have my needs!

Printed on the sign were these words, “We have your plumbing needs.”
No they don’t. You see, they can’t have my needs. Only I can have my needs.
If I need a sink-stopper thingy, I seek out someone who has a sink-stopper thingy. I don’t need someone who has my sink-stopper thingy needs. Because if […]

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Customer profiles

There are customers and there are CUSTOMERS! it can be very useful to know who you are deailing with so you can figure out the best way of working with them so they are influenced to purchase and deal with your organisation.
there are personality profiles, psyche profiles and marketing type profiles here is one we […]

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The “easy in” franchise start up.

For the Franchisor: How do you make the start up phase easy for the Franchisee?
For the Frachisee: How does the Franchisor make the start up phase easy for you.
This is the sort of question both parties should be asking themselves and for the Franchisor reviewing it often to make sure they have the best systems […]

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The one BIG thing

Experiences are everything, if you have any sort of business that sells to people then the experience the customer has is vital to your operation.
In a franchise the franchisor would then have a greater duty of care to ensure the prospective franchisee has customer service skills, is customer aware, is able to communicate effectively and […]

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Trash Talk & Delete Buttons: A candid letter from your prospective customer. By Jill Konrath (Guest Blogger)

Dear Seller,
I only have a few minutes, but I understand you’re interested in what you can do to capture my attention and entice me to want to set up a meeting with you.
Let me say this loud and clear right now - you have no idea what my day is like. You may think you […]

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The attitude or the money?

In business there are many things to consider, but one of the most overlooked is the fact that you have to deal with people, staff, customers, suppliers, partners and support teams (accountants coaches and the like). The factor that makes or breaks the relationship that’s built is your attitude. But what is it, and specifically […]

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Your magic business…

Today you are doing what SPECIFICALLY…
- to make your business more profitable?
- to cause the staff to LOVE you?
- to cause the customers to LOVE you and your team?
- to cause your suppliers to jump through hoops to give you great deals (and LOVE you)?
- to ensure your workplace is the best place […]

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Caring leads to loving… yes loving!

Caring for your staff can lead to respect, the word caring means showing positive and real interest towards each other. I am suggesting we take a caring approach to build the love we have so we can avoid, bullying in the workplace, foster greater connection with our customers and staff.
This article mixes well with “Your […]

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Your staff and great service… EASY!

Your staff and great service… EASY!
When it comes to service, practically all organisations I come across say they aim to have great service and if they don’t have it they will work on it. Problem is not many know how to make their service great, let alone good. Lets check out a bunch of points […]

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Working a crowded web market…

Every man and his dog seems to be creating web pages, so the question for those serious about things “webological” would be to say “how do I make an offering that can set my business apart fromt he rest?” Well thanks for asking… Here is an outline to get the ball rolling. sure […]

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Marketing Lessons From A Grade-School Lunch Box

Remember when you were a kid? Lunch time held a certain magic. What did mom pack? The anticipation … the apprehension … the delight — and sometimes the disappointment at finding your stupid apple had crushed your snack cake.
If you’ve been using the same approach with your customers and clients for very long … […]

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Using Promotional Products As Retail Babysitters

I almost laughed out loud. A clerk tried to explain the features and benefits of a hair dyer to a woman who had a small child with her. The clerk’s sales attempt was interrupted every 20 seconds with, “Mommy, look at this!”, followed by mommy’s horrified look as she foresaw three possible outcomes: 1) […]

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Strategy, tactics, methods? Which one???

I have fielded a few enquiries over the past few months on how to market products and services and have noted there are a number of organisations that have started a business but had no ideas about the sales side, what tactics, strategies and or methods they will use to get people to spend $$ […]

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Time For A Business “Forms Review”?

When was the last time you updated your business forms? This issue came to light recently as I sat in a doctor’s office filling out forms. While I wasn’t there because of a pain in my rear, I was quickly developing one.
For starters, there was barely enough room to write my first name, let […]

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Best Business Links on the Web

I was checking out our Technorati rank today and saw that Adam Brucker; Founder and Managing Director of Criterion Advisors, a training and consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado has named our site in his list of 143 Of The Best Business Links On The Web.
I thought that was fanatasic (of course) and headed over […]

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How to create raving fans of your business, in 5 easy steps!

Ok, I admit it. I am a raving fan of one of my suppliers.
I tell my friends and colleagues about them.
I have referred dozens of people to them.
I have used them several times, and plan to use them again.
Ashop Commerce is a leading provider of hosted shopping cart software. They offer a complete solution for […]

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The Power of Storytelling

I’ll never forget the day I decided to quit my stable $50,000 a year job. Candy, the older assistant who really ran the company, had the radio on in her office. (She actually bossed me around sort of like the Meryl Streep character in “The Devil Wears Prada”. But most of the time she tolerated […]

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Know Your Customers – the 80/20 Rule

We all know our customers. We know their names and their businesses, and we often know something about their lives outside of work. Usually we have lists of who our customers are. However, what many small business owners usually don’t know is what’s happening in the mix of their customer base.
When you […]

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7 Surefire Tips to Make Your Order Page Work Harder

So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading your compelling sales letter. She’s convinced she needs your product. So she clicks on the order link, with her credit card next to the mouse. She’s taken to the order page. What she sees next makes her change her mind and click away. Can you […]

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Great Service Is Its Own Reward

Some times it’s too Easy to see the bad stuff in customer service, so now lets use this as motivation to get really good at customer service.
Ask…

What does our team do at the first greeting of a prospect? (imagine a retail environment).

What do they do BEFORE the first greeting (customer is looking in the window, […]

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Who Reviews Your Performance as Business Owner?

No-one. How is your performance measured then? By the performance of your business. If you don’t measure this, no-one else will. It’s all up to you.
A review of your business will identify any areas which are working really well, and any which may require you to take action. As we’ve […]

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Roger’s Magic Persuasion Technique

During the 1980’s I had the privilege of working with an American speaker by the name of Roger Dawson. Roger is the author of a number of excellent books on negotiating and persuasion and he lives in California. I used to bring Roger to Australia to conduct his seminars and we’ve been friends for over […]

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Frank’s top ten tips…

When I first got into sales there were three companies that absolutely lead the field in training their sales people.
They were IBM, The National Cash Register Company (NCR) and Xerox.
At age 17, I applied to each of them for my first sales job and got “knocked back” by all three of them. However persistence finally […]

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What are they saying?

Australia, Sunday the 15th April, travellers returning from Hawaii via one of our local airlines, the aircraft has technical issues so they were held up for up to three days. The overriding issue all travellers  interviewed on TV mentioned was, “They did not tell us what was going on…”
So they were frustrated, many saying they […]

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Things that go bump in the morning

It was one of those “lets go out for the weekend” weekends, Friday night see a show, stay in the city, have a late check out and the full on breakfast. That’s where the bump in the morning took place.
The hotel was fine, nicely refurbished room etc, the show was okay and then came […]

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Total Customer Satisfaction

This is it folks, the holy grail… Total Customer Satisfaction… TCS for short. Notice its not total customer excellence or any other nonesuch just plain old SATISFACTION.
It’s a part of the Six Sigma quality stuff and it makes sense, after all why would you want total customer DISsatiasfaction? does not compute right….
So making this work […]

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You’ve Got… Complaints! How to Turn Disgruntled Customers Into Raving Fans

Did you know that marketing isn’t only about getting your clients or customers? It’s also about KEEPING them, and keeping them happy. That’s a big key to growing your business, because not only will those customers themselves keep coming back to you for more, but they’ll send their friends and colleagues as well.
Studies done by […]

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Words that get noticed

As regular readers will know, in my coaching and speaking business I put considerable emphasis on who is an ‘ideal client’ for me.
It’s only by recognising who that person is and being certain that the services I have to offer are relevant and needed that I’m able to tailor my marketing messages and actions.
Soloists who […]

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Feed your self-confidence with knowledge

Self-confidence is the food that feeds our personal growth. It is an indispensable part of achievement. Self-confidence stems from the self-awareness of our intrinsic worth as individuals. We are blessed with an incredible amount of potential, most of which is untapped. George Santayana once wrote, “Man is as full of potentiality as he is of […]

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