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Posts Tagged ‘management’
The Priceless Business Mentor
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
This week, I’ve been thinking about how important it has been to me to have a mentor to guide me through un-chartered business territories or challenging situations. Having a person that you trust and that has dedicated their time to your success is priceless. I’ve been very blessed over the years to have multiple mentors in the many different areas of my life, including my Houston Courier Service, Hot Shot Delivery.
Think about the people in your life and try to come up with a mentor that will have the time and ability to meet your needs. Just keep in mind, a seasoned business mentor could be one of your most profitable efforts, but just getting a coach is only half the process. I have a few suggestions that may help you maximize the relationship for both you and your mentor.
Know what you need.
The worst thing that you can do after reading this is run out and get a business coach/mentor without knowing how you want them to help. Finding a blind spot or an area where you are weak will help you narrow in on what kind of expert you need. It will also help your mentor know exactly how they can help you, eliminating wasted hours for both of you.
Remember that they are human.
No one wants to be treated like a genie in a bottle only to appear when someone needs a miracle. While they are an expert in their field, they are also moms, dads, business owners and everything in between. Cultivate the personal and professional aspects of your relationship with them and I promise, you will will reap the dividends.
Make it a two-way street
Keep an eye out for articles or blogs that would help them in their business and send them along. Also, don’t be afraid to offer your help as well. Even if they never take you up on it, they will appreciate the offer.
Do you have any tips that have helped you and your business mentor? Share them with everyone in the comments below!
Until Next Time,
Eric
Through The Eyes Of Your Customer
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
If your workload looks anything like mine, you are usually so involved in the day-to-day tasks of running a small business that sometimes you forget to look through the eyes of your customer. To put it simply, you can’t afford to ignore this perspective for long. Because in this cluttered marketplace, an unhappy customer will usually take their business elsewhere.
So how do you make sure that this doesn’t happen? Here are 5 tricks to get the real skinny on your company’s customer service capabilities.
1. Call the 800 number – Try a couple of different tactics each time that you call. Angry, confused – throw everything at them including the kitchen sink!
2. E-mail Customer Service – Make sure you think about how a customer would write this e-mail because you don’t want to be obvious in your “mystery-shop Email”.
3. Answer the Phones – There is nothing better than just talking to your customers and seeing what kinds of needs they have. Make a trip to the call center a regular event.
4. Contact Random Customers – Pick a few customers that you never have interaction with and give them a call. Not only will they appreciate the time that you took to call them, I bet they will give you tons of great information.
5. Check Your Website – Visit your website and make sure that it is easy to get customer service contact information. Also, ask a family member or friend who has never been on your site to review it. You might be surprised what you are missing.
If you are at the top of the organization, this is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of your business. It is all too easy to get disconnected when you don’t talk to customers every day. And a little warning, this could have some personnel kick-back because no employee wants Big Brother breathing down their neck. So, I recommend sharing your findings with your top managers and brainstorm a way to reward your staff for the good findings and create an action plan for the areas that need improvement.
Remember – if it’s not perfect – fake it till you make it. Before you know it, that exceptional level of customer service will not be an act, it will be a genuine part of your company philosophy. Good luck!
Till Next Time,
Eric
Hot Shot Delivery, The Houston Courier Service
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