Opportunities missed - inefficient web use

 

Nowadays, there's a constant refrain encouraging businesses to get online and utilize the internet to advance their businesses. What we have noticed as more entities do so is that they are unaware of what the internet can do for them and how it impacts their businesses in the eyes of their clients. 

The ideas are great, but they don't necessarily work as intended when the implementation is done. One of the best ways to illustrate this is to share some examples with you so that you can visualize what I mean. 

Recently, I interacted with an entity. When I called their phone line, there was an extensive period where the phone just rang. Then, it was answered by an automated system. It took the information and suggested that I speak with a human assistant. To do this, I was transferred to WhatsApp. 

The WhatsApp process told me I needed to speak with a human, which kicked me back to the phone lines. Long story short, the result was telecommunication ping-pong, where I was the "ball" being played with. The solution wasn't provided until about 90 minutes later. 

The challenge could not be resolved until 8 hours later. 

Another observation:

Many entities have not figured out how to use the tools of their web presence. The website is supposed to be more static, whereas social media is more dynamic. The website should carry information about the business, and social media should carry promotions, incentives, and special offers while still directing users back to the website for business information. 

Update the website often to keep viewers coming back. These practices facilitate the viewer's interaction with the business entity, allowing one to convert them from a prospect to a client. Both the website and the social media sites should have calls to action so that the viewer can go to the next step rather than just leave, provided they have a need you can fill from a business perspective. 

Do businesses have clear goals for visitors who visit them online? Do they have an idea of the interaction they require that will result in business opportunities being developed? 

The planning must be comprehensive to bring the prospect from being in the virtual environment to interacting with them. 

Many other examples can be cited. However, you have understood what I seek to convey. 

To be successful in business, the devil is in the details. You have to consider every detail to be truly successful. 

Can you build a team?

Nowadays, it seems that everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. It doesn't help that governments seem to be fuelling this trend in order to justify their employment statistics either. What's happening though is that entrepreneurs don't want to work with others in many instances since they want to be the boss and not be accountable to anyone else. It's a recipe for disaster and failure.

There's a need for accountability, and that doesn't mean giving up control; though it may mean you don't exercise full ownership any longer. Here are some of the common thoughts being touted by many entrepreneurs - in raw unpolished form:

• They want the investors money but not their input; so the investor should put their money in and just disappear until it's near repayment time. 
• Staff don't need to be paid well, their work is not that valuable as running a business. Who gets the headaches at night trying to keep this business afloat?
• Customer better take what we're offering since the research shows they're getting a deal. No one else offers this product/service at this kind of price and value. Is this really how you wish to treat a customer? They may not complain....
• Look we have people who'd figure out the details. Who's the visionary here? That word, visionary, irks me personally. They always want to pull one over on everyone they meet. Personally I seldom wish to deal with anyone who has such a title. 

You get the idea. No one recognizes that to truly succeed you have to work in teams. Though the information's there, very few look to see that the successful entities have learnt the value of team and how to work with the skills and strengths of their various team members. 

No successful entity really does so without understanding the importance of having skill with people. Can you provide the following?

1. Clear direction 
2. Sound communication 
3. Create positive environments 
4. Be helpful without making others feel weak or useless
5. Empower others to utilize their skills and abilities 
6. A solutions oriented environment that solves virtually all problems because of clarity of focus

The list can go on but the message is clear. To succeed you have to be able to build teams. Too many still tout the cliched if you want it done well do it yourself type of thinking. 

The result is stress! 

Can you build teams with accountabilities in place? Are you willing to be accountable as well? If you're willing to learn team building then there are solutions available that will help you in realizing the success that you require. 

Here's what you can do. Read the books for yourself, take a course, hire a professional; all the while understanding that the process will be as quick or slow as you determine. In the realm of your plans, what time do you have realistically? In the scope of things, time can be even more valuable than money; so be careful how you invest your time. 

One thing is certain, whatever your decision, you can determine if you want fragmented dribblings of results or if you wish to really experience that feeling of loving it when a plan comes together. 

The Potential in People

There's something about sharing business information with people that's exciting.  At least I find so. When participants arrive they have all kinds of expectations, their needs for information are quite varied and numerous.

Over the years, I have been rewarded with success stories from programs that we have conducted. In some cases the results were fast. Here are a few:

• Learning what I did from this program, I went out and implemented some of what I learnt with tremendous results. I'm here again to see what else I may have missed. 
• When you said what you did about handling objections in the sales process and that we should never allow the same answer to stump us more than once, you got me listening. When you suggested some of the responses, I tried them and got significant results. Thank you. 
• Treating my work colleagues as customers has made a difference to my work day. Our environment is so much more friendly and productive. We get more done in less time and with little stress. Please come again. 
• Richie B. I have done programs with you that included customer service, sales, business planning,  and they have all yielded fruit. Whatever you put on in the future, and I can make it, I'll be there. 

Comments like these warm the heart. I remember stopping the use of reviews in our training since I once got graded 11's with 10 being the top end of the scale outlining excellence. My reasoning was that it may have caused me to lose my edge by becoming complacent. 

Sometimes, we would be there to do just one training program. Especially having been told that there were budget constraints. When the organization realized the effectiveness of the program, the changes in the participants, and the speed with which they saw results (sometimes as quickly as 24 - 48 hours); we would be called back for further programs often within weeks of completion. 

There was one client in the early days that we prospected for five (5) years before we closed the deal for us to do one program. Within weeks of completing that program on customer service, we went back on multiple occasions within that said year to do sales, and then team building. We were then subsequently booked almost yearly since that time. 

Within the last couple of years we have been conducting training in business planning, complete with the final sessions being to have meetings with investors and financiers. The participants loved the process, so did those with the money. Since they were getting people who were at least prepared in so many ways to do business. 

There are too many stories to share in this short article. I would love to hear yours too. Perhaps we can do business sometime. Check us out. We just love to see other people realize their potential.