Month: August 2012

Categories
Communication Skills

A Cure for Stage Fright?

In the moments before, you could hear a pin drop.

My heartbeat was thunderous in my ears; I could have sworn everyone could hear it.

My knees actually felt weak and my stomach was churning.

The little voice in my head and the devil on my shoulder were laughing really hard…at me.

They were saying that I was going to stutter, forget my words, sound really stupid and trip over.

They were telling me that everyone was so smart in that room that nothing I could say would be of interest.

They were asking me, who do you think you are anyway?

Sound familiar?

Have you felt like this?

It could be just before you wanted to say something to a group of friends…or before you get on stage to address a thousand people.

Stage-fright is one of the most common fears out there.  I think next to death, we fear speaking in public more than anything else.

So what can you do?

Here’s a suggestion you may not have heard of before.

Tell a Story.

You might be saying, whatya’ mean tell a story? Who wants to hear a story? Well, the funny thing is, everyone loves to hear stories.

And when you have a great story to tell (and you know how to tell it!) then it’s a brilliant way to break down your fears and your nervousness about opening your mouth in the first place!

And you don’t have to be an actor.

You don’t have to be a professional Storyteller.

You just have to be human. You see, we are all Storytellers and we are constantly telling our stories but most of the time we don’t even notice.

Once you start paying attention to your own stories and to the stories that are being told all around you, you’ll be amazed!

You can simply choose a story that caught your attention; a story that means something to you and tell it.

You’ll be astounded how it lands for your audience, whether it’s one person or a hundred.

When you tell a story, you will instantly create interest and engagement.

It gives you time to catch your breath and then deliver the information you are there to deliver.   The story is the perfect answer to those nerves, to that anxiety before you speak.

And the little voice, the pesky devil – they hate stories! Once you tell a good story, they can’t whisper their poisonous words anymore.

You feel confident and secure, you know your worth and you can say and do anything!

Isn’t it worth it to tell a story?

What helps you get rid of those pre-speaking nerves?

Categories
Starting Up

Alternative Ways to Fuel a Startup Business

Article Contributed by Samantha Peters

While cash obviously helps a business pay for a lot of resources, it isn’t the only thing that can help fuel a startup. Below are ten alternative ideas for how a business can grow, expand, do work better, or protect what it already has:

1. Go to the Cloud – cloud services, software and related systems are now providing tools, storage and collaborative environments that once were just the domain of large companies with enterprise network systems. Now, for just a small subscription fee per user, a business can enjoy the same tools at far less cost and no internal IT support.

2. Bartering – Believe it or not, one of the oldest ways of doing business is to trade goods and services with other businesses. This is a localized, easy way of obtaining needed resources by simply trading what one is already selling. Businesses can get equipment, professional help, and even technical assistance by bartering regularly with other local companies.

3. Take Advantage of Tax Deductions and Credits – Taxes are all-too-often ignored and left to a hired accountant to worry about. However, smart startups take advantage of every deduction and tax credit available to both reduce tax liabilities as well as bring in some extra cash in a tax refund at the end of the year.

4. Seeking Government Help – both state and the federal government offer multiple small business loans to help startups financially expand and grow if they met certain requirements. With a business plan, a good strategy and some experience already, a startup could secure needed financing at very favorable rates.

5. Diversify, Diversify, Diversify – Small businesses frequently suffer starting out because they make their service or produce too unique. To catch the most customers for recurring revenue early on, startups need to diversify what they offer so that one product or service brings in sales when another side is not doing so well.

6. Run the Business From Home – One of the biggest expenses for a business is office space and property. If a business can be run from home, which already paid for by a day job or similar, or it can be run as a virtual entity, a significant amount of cost can be avoided. Converting a spare room into a simple home office can do the trick as well as score a valuable tax deduction. Just make sure the room isn’t used for anything else.

7. Buy Used Equipment – A startup doesn’t need to lose valuable funds buying the newest equipment available. Desks, chairs, cabinets and shelves all exist in used form at office surplus depots as well as government surplus. Many of the furniture items are in great condition with plenty of years of life left, and they can be bought at one-fourth the cost.

8. Participate in Charity – non-profit charity work provides a great meeting point with lots of other business leaders and potential customers, especially at fund-raisers. Providing help for such events puts a small business in direct contact with potential networking opportunities while helping out a good cause.

9. Donate Unused Equipment – Towards the end of the calendar year a startup should always inventory physical assets and donate whatever isn’t needed to a recognized charity. This can then be used as a tax deduction to generate a larger tax refund at tax time. That in turn adds to cash flow.

10. Staying Healthy – while many startups can’t afford a luxury health plan, they can usually afford to provide a gym membership to all their people. Just 20 or 30 minutes of workout a day has a tremendous effect on health, energy and ability to fend of sickness. Additionally, providing good furniture and making sure people sitbetter at work avoids costly issues as well.

Finding sources of support and “fuel” for a startup takes as much creativity as what is needed to make the new business happen in the first place. It’s part survival, part optimism and a whole lot of taking advantage of opportunities where they exist. Combining everything available, a startup can leverage quite a bit of financial help in the aggregate.

About the Author

This Guest Post is written by Samantha Peters, an active blogger who enjoys writing about anything of interest to entrepreneurs and business start-ups.

Categories
Customer Service

5 Ways For A Website To Provide Customer Service

Article Contributed by Longhorn Leads

When you think of customer service, websites rarely come to mind. Instead you probably envision smiling faces and helpful staff guiding customers through the buying experience or handling a question or concern for an existing customer. However, the world is changing, and many consumers want a new kind of customer service; they want one that is accessible to them night and day, without having to talk to or interact with anyone in person. That is where the website can actually enhance customer service experience. Here are 5 examples:

  1. Product information. Consumers are more shopping savvy than ever, and do much of their purchasing online. This is largely because they want to shop around and research their purchases before actually committing to them without the annoyance of sales people pushing them to buy. Providing detailed product information on the site is the key to appealing to this type of consumer. Websites that provide extensive product information give customers first-rate service by letting them research the products in their own time and manner, whether it is on their smart phone or while on a conference call at work.
  2. Access to account information. Instead of waiting on hold to ask a question regarding an account, many consumers prefer to be able to look up their information on their own. The best customer service is often to actually let them serve themselves. Having billing statements and payment options available on a website allows these busy consumers to keep abreast of where their account is at on their own schedule. Make sure to offer ways for them to update their profile, which will save them the hassle of calling in just to change an address or phone number when they move.
  3. Live chat. A great way to combine traditional customer service with the web savvy consumer is to offer live chat on a website. Live chat services allow the customer to browse on their time, but still ask questions as they arise and receive instant feedback from a live representative. This allows the customer to multi-task without being tethered to a phone line, but also allows specific questions to be answered immediately.
  4. FAQ’s. Frequently asked questions and their answers are another way to give the customer what they want, right at their fingertips. All industries have common questions about their service or products that can be summed up in a convenient guide on a website. A great example of this is the IRS. As hard as it may be to get an actual IRS agent on the phone, the IRS website gives a huge amount of information to people through their FAQ section for all kinds of tax concerns.
  5. Provide personal incentives. Websites can be used to provide personal offers and incentives to consumers. Whether it is a first time customer or a returning shopper, websites can track preferences and offer suggestions based on the consumers purchasing habits. This allows a shopping experience that is geared toward the consumer’s individual wants and needs. Using the website interface to give the consumer better products or services, or to receive better discounts, leads to customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Although there are many industries that still require a face-to-face interaction, or at least a phone-to-phone conversation, many companies can enhance their customer service by having an interactive website for their customers. With more and more data being sent online and less actual conversations transpiring, it makes sense that even customer service should move onto the worldwide web. Ultimately, customer service is about providing the customer with what they need and want, so if what they want is online access and information, give it to them!

Categories
Work Life

3 Strategies to Work Positive in a Tragedy

As I left our home and drove around the mountain, fog enveloped me quickly. Unexpectedly. There was no sign of fog when I pulled out of our garage.

The business environment changes that quickly, also, particularly with what influences our customers’ and clients’ lives.

For example, the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. This tragedy suddenly dominates our conversations, news media, buying habits, and prayers. It fogs our perception.

So how do you do business when tragedy fogs over your business?

Here are 3 Strategies to Work Positive in a Tragedy.

Headlights On

I turned on my headlights that foggy morning to see and be seen, but not on bright as that blinds me from the reflection back.

Since the tragedy is on your customers’ minds, be seen as acknowledging it. Speak into their conversations. Organize an after-hours prayer vigil. Invite them to join you in giving to a foundation to provide relief. As you do business out of this “Receive” core practice, you evidence more of your Work Positive lifestyle.

Avoid the “bright lights”—“I’m not going to the movies”—as they reflect back and heighten anxiety. Your conversation is a step-down transformer, giving clients an activity that helps.

Slow Down

I slowed down my car that foggy morning to lengthen my reaction time to other vehicles…and give them more time, too.

For the weeks following a tragedy like the Aurora shooting, you may notice your customers slowing down their buying decisions. Of course, your cash flow needs feeding and it will get it as you continue to Work Positive. For now, understanding your business’ long-term relationships with clients is paramount. Urgency building, money back guarantees, and other buying enhancing benefits are still in place so work them.

Just know that when tragedy dominates our conversations, our buying decision process slows down. Fear trickles in. Life-and-death issues move upfront. Be patient and understanding with your customers. Slow down for now.

Stay Off the Road

Perhaps I should have checked the local news that foggy morning to stay off of the road for a bit until it cleared. But I avoid media news in the mornings.

I hope as a Work Positive business person you stay off the road of morning media news. It is by design a negative influence.

Limit your media exposure especially in times of tragedy. Be informed, yet know that your business succeeds as you “Perceive,” i.e., focus on the positive and filter out the negative. Your negative filter clogs quickly in a 24/7 news cycle of repetitive sound bites and trivialized points of view. Access “pull media” like websites and exclude “push media” like TV/radio. Exercise your editorial license as a consumer of information. Stay off the road until it clears.

Tragedies like the Aurora shooting affect us all. Use these 3 strategies to build your customer relationships while the fog clears so you Work Positive in this negative world.

About the Author:

Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 Amazon best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press), coach, and speaker who help professionals discover success in the silver lining of their business and achieve their dreams. Discover more at www.ListentoLife.org/speaking.

Categories
Customer Service

3 Ways to Give Positive Customer Service

Article Contributed by Joey Faucette 

The relationships we have with our customers are the most important assets we possess.

Easy to understand and take care of, right?

Nope.

As I travel, I encounter a great deal of customer service and disservice. Last week, I learned 3 Ways to Give Positive Customer Service from some positive and negative experiences. Here they are:

Listen

As my assistant made reservations for my stay, the Marriott property had obviously listened to previous patrons and anticipated my needs. They asked,

–“May we pick him up at the airport?”

–“Will he want a ride to his meeting?”

–“May we return him to the airport?”

–“What dinner recommendations would be best?”

It was if they anticipated my every need. “We care” was the message.

My experience with the airline was totally different. Four out of five flights changed schedule. There were only two notifications. One was about a delay due to weather, but then it was cancelled. Another the flight attendant was late. The reasons for the rest are unknown to me. I heard, “We don’t care. Get over it.”

There are patterns to your customers’ preferences. Listen carefully, and you discover them, anticipate them, and can ask based on the common ones. What you do with the answers makes the difference in whether or not they return and boost profitability.

If you, like this airline, consume yourself with your needs only, your business’ backdoor is larger than the front. Go ahead and install a revolving door. They’re not coming back.

Listen. Anticipate. Ask.

Mutual Benefit

I discovered the cancelled flight at the ticket counter. There were no more flights that night. When I asked, “What can you do to help me?” the response was, “Let me get my supervisor.”

Me:  “What can you do to help me?”

Him: “Nothing. It’s weather-related.”

Me:  “No vouchers?”

Him: “Nothing. It’s weather-related.”

Me:  “Do you have a hotel that gives discounts?”

Him: “No.”

Me:  “Is there anything you can do to help me?”

Him: “Nothing. It’s weather-related.”

Me:  “Do you realize I fly a lot, but will not fly this airline ever again?” (Every flight this year has had a problem.)

Him: “It’s weather-related.”

Contrast that with the Marriott, whom I called from the airport. She recognized my name immediately, and asked if I made it to the airport fine. When I told her my situation, she moved into action.

Her: “I have a room for you. Let me take care of this, okay? I’ll turn Ronda around on the van to come back to get you.”

Me: “Thanks so much.”

She then discounted my room rate below the previous night’s stay without my asking and said she was sorry for my inconvenience.

When you work with your customers, helping them benefit even when you obviously will, you narrow the backdoor and widen the front door. You prompt them to tell their friends about the stellar experience.

Work for mutual benefit with your customers and grow your business.

Golden Rule

Returning to the Marriott, I was greeted by name, received empathy for my situation, and asked if I’d like the same room I had the night before. It wasn’t available, but she asked what I liked about the room and found a similar one on another floor. A complimentary glass of wine helped, also.

The airline booked my flight for the next day at their convenience which meant I set a 5:00 a.m. alarm. My assigned seat was on the last row—the loudest—and next to the lavatory. Had they simply asked about my flight or seating preferences, the engines would have seemed quieter and the lavatory smelled better.

The Golden Rule works. Work the Golden Rule.

I instructed my assistant to avoid booking this airline ever again, even if it means paying more.

I asked her to choose Marriott properties whenever available.

Which business model do you follow—the airline’s or Marriott’s?

Be positive with your customer service and grow your business’ profitability.

About the Author

Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 Amazon best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (Entrepreneur Press), coach, and speaker who help professionals discover success in the silver lining of their business and achieve their dreams. Discover more atwww.ListentoLife.org/speaking.