Obviously, as the business owner and leader, you have a unique stake in the success or failure of the business because it is tied to you as an individual. You therefore go though the tough times filled with the excitement of what is to be once your vision for the future is realised.

“Business Strategic Objective” is an entrepreneurial exercise that forces you to describe with conviction what your business is all about. You, as the leader, must be clear about where you want the business to go, and what it will look and feel like when your vision is realised. Why is this concept so important? That is because you are not alone on this journey. Your employees will also require this level of clarity if they are to commit to going there with you.

Your People Strategy

After developing your Business Strategic Objective, you are then faced with the task of taking it to the next level. This includes communicating your vision to, and getting buy-in from, all of your staff members. This is where it gets challenging. As employees of the business, they will not have the same relationship to the business as you do, and will therefore not have the inherent personal connection that drives you.

So how do you motivate them to take a personal interest in, and ownership of, the goals and objectives presented in the Business Strategic Objective? The answer is that you must strive to understand their needs, and then position the opportunities within your business so that it touches them on a personal level.

What Employees Want

Any company has the potential to be a source of personal satisfaction for the people that work there. And your business is not exempt from this important aspect, no matter what the product or service it provides, be it cleaning services, adventure travel or dentistry.

Take a step back and think about it from an employees’ perspective – would you want to work for your company? Wouldn’t you want to know such things as whether personal and professional growth opportunities were available; whether other employees were proud to work there; and how the business is known and understood by its competitors, customers, and suppliers?

Think back on your own work experiences: How did you feel when you worked for a company that you truly believed in? And what was it like to work in a company that simply provided you with a pay check? The bottom line for most employees is not just about the money, it’s also about personal fulfilment and achievement.

Fulfilling Needs, Reaching Goals

In order to engage your employees in your Business Strategic Objective, you must concentrate on their needs and find something about the business that will provide personal satisfaction for them. Maybe it will be in the customer focus systems that you have created, or your unique company culture, or the exciting projects they are assigned based on their individual skill sets. Take the opportunity to find out more about them as individuals, and what drives them, what turns them off. Then review your Business Strategic Objective and make sure you have created opportunities that will attract the right people.

Remember, the business must not only serve you. In order for it to be truly amazing, it also must serve those who work in it. Engaging employees in your Business Strategic Objective should be seen as an important, strategic, and necessary task to successfully reach your goals. Not only are fully engaged employees beneficial to the business, they will also be more actively involved with their families and community. These happy employees can certainly help the business with future referrals coming into the business.

1. An entrepreneur is an inventor. Not all inventors are entrepreneurs though. What do I mean exactly?, well entrepreneurs look at the world with open eyes and and asks “what’s missing?”. Once identified the entrepreneur thinks about how to fix this gap. What an Entrepreneur does next is to create a new business instead of new products.

2. Entrepreneurs do not buy business opportunities, they create them. Sorry guys, this includes franchises. You may be successful in a franchise, but your creative juices are stifled by the rules of the franchise. For the true entrepreneur who is creative he/she will be doomed to disappointment as the entrepreneurial passion is doused by the rigours of the franchisor. Franchises can become successful jobs for those that buy them.

3.Invention is contagious. People love the feel good factors involved when other people experience their invention (business). The more significant the invention the more likely it is to succeed.

4. An entrepreneur measures the success of the business by its growth. The faster it grows, the better the invention. It shows that people love to interact with this business. Those that do not experience this growth should not continue as less and less people will want to interact with it and will ultimately lead to financial ruin.

5. Everyone can become an entrepreneur. Everyone can create and develop an new invention if they follow their passion. In order to achieve this an entrepreneur needs to develop patience while developing the skill to drive the invention forward. This calls for the practice of developing new business ideas before actually implementing them. Entrepreneurs are made, not born.

From the above it is clear that many business owners are not entrepreneurs. Many business owners actually own a job that pays for their current lifestyle. It is important to realise that entrepreneurs create businesses for their clients and staff. They create a culture that everyone wants to be part of and are excited by it every day. When this happens the entrepreneur can stand aside and let his business boom with him/her only steering the business in the right direction.

The key to success is to answer all of the questions in enough depth that if a friend asked you to invest in this business, you’d say yes. Most importantly, make sure you record your business plan somehow…whether you write it by hand, type it into your computer, or put it on sticky notes on your wall. Keep it some place handy where you can refer to it when you are making important business decisions. And, make sure you review it monthly–or, even better, weekly–and update it at least annually.

1. Your Dreams: What do you want your business to provide for you? (think time, money, freedom, who you work with) Be specific–how much money, how many hours, when do you want to “retire”.
2. Customers: Who are your customers and what do they want/need?
3. Your Products and Services: What products/services will you provide to meet customer’s needs?
4. Markets: Where are your customers and what do you know about them as a group? “Where” might be geographic, it might be what kind of places they hang out, or where they go to find products or services like yours. What is their age, income, gender, hobbies, family structure, etc?
5. Your Style: How will you reach customers and what will you say? Your method of reaching customers needs to match with where your customers are–and with a message that they can relate to.
6. Competitors: Where else are your customers likely to get this need met? Find out all you can about how your competitors price, market, and provide service.
7. Your Uniqueness: How will your product/service meet customer’s needs differently than your competitors? Consider how your personal uniqueness impacts that.
8. Your Abilities: Of the skills necessary to run your business, what do you do well, and what do you need help with?
9. External Resources: What people/technology/services will support you in the skills you need help with?
10. Fulfilling your Dreams: How will your business provide the kind of working environment you desire, both in how much time you spend, how you perform your work, and how much money you make? Here’s where the rubber meets the road–make sure you can show how you will sell X amount of product or service at Y price, cover your expenses, and reach the goals you set in 1. Above.

Once you can answer all these questions, have it reviewed by some trusted, experienced professionals who will give you objective feedback. Consider a business coach, as one such resource

1. All businesses need a vision. This is vitally important because who will follow you if you cannot clearly tell your employees, financiers and significant others where the business is headed?

2. All visions are both personal and impersonal. These visions are both of the owner and the business itself. If these are not aligned and in harmony with each other there will be problems for one or the other down the road.

3. Every business is an organisation. An organisation means that you have interactions with people both outside the business (customers and suppliers) as well as within the business (staff and contractors). It is important to remember that it takes organisation to make sure that you get the best from all people involved.

4. Every organisation is an organisation of systems. In order to create a synergy between all the aspects of business there should be systems in place that makes it easier for your people to deal with the day to day issues and interaction with customers and suppliers.

5. There is a commitment to the customer. Customer service is not necessarily the most important part but making sure that you keep you word on what you would do in the time frame agreed will keep that customer coming back for more. Keeping your word becomes your brand. If your systems are not set up to ensure that you keep your word then what are you going to do about it?

6. Become a master of the money. Everyone in your business must understand the dynamics that money has on the business. How do sales or lack of it impact on the business?, how efficiently are we making these sales?, what are the implications of spending too much on items that don’t produce those sales? If money is not measured regularly then your business will be facing a crisis over the short to medium term.

7. Your people are not your business. Conversely this is true too. The business has its own reality. It has to have a philosophy whereby its people can get what they want and provide the services that the business needs from them, which is to keep the promise to its customers every single time. The people need to understand this rule and be measured against standards and expectations set.

8. Your business is an idea. It is either a good idea or a bad one. If the latter then you need to get out as soon as possible as there is no point in continuing. This will gradually wear you down and put a strain on your relationships both in and out of business.

9. No-one knows your business like you do. If you can find people who do then you are in the wrong business! You need to inspire, train and coach your people so that they want to know what you know about your business. When your people know as much about your business then only will they be able to improve your business. Until that time they are a negative influence on your business.

10. A business must mean something if it is to make a difference in the world it serves. A business means something when the results it produces makes a difference to the lives of its customers and its people. Therefore businesses are set up so that the results help people achieve their goals and in doing so the business will realise its goals.

These vital sapects of any business will ensure that a business will continue in the long run.

Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their businesses by adding new customers.  In today’s competitive world of business, it is more important than ever to aim for more transactions with existing customers by using the power of customer follow-up and attention to good service.

These tips in part 1 will help you turn your existing customers into walking billboards for your business and loyal customers for a lifetime.  While we are not advocating that you do all ten, choosing your favourite five to ten and making sure they become a part of your marketing efforts will pay off handsomely.

1.  Call your clients every Monday morning just to say “Good Morning,” and to check in on how things are going. This extra ounce of attention will keep you forefront in the minds of your clients, and they will greatly appreciate your extended care and concern.

2.  Keep a list of birthdays, special days of celebration, and upcoming special events in the life of your clients and their families. On these special days, send a card or small gift to let your clients know you are thinking of them. On the same note, keep a detailed list of hobbies, interests, favourite foods, preferred music, and the like. As you travel or are out and about, and you see a small token which you know your client would appreciate, buy the item, and ship it with a note that says “I thought of you when I saw this! Enjoy!” One of the most desirable “client perks” is tickets to a favourite sporting event or concert. Many companies purchase packages of sporting event tickets strictly for the purpose of entertaining champion clients and for building a long lasting relationship with the individual.

3.  Be a Trend Setter. One of the best ways to develop loyal clients is to become a trendsetter, continue your own education and training, and to become a forward thinker. By attending training events and reading cutting edge magazines and related books, you will be able to follow trends which are current, allowing your clients to receive the newest and best information available on a variety of topics from business to fashion to design to travel to new foods on the market.

4.  Attend conferences for your clients. For clients who are too busy to attend a conference, you can offer to attend a conference in their place. The best approach is to choose a conference that will benefit both you and your clients, and you pick up the tab (you will be able to deduct your cost as a business expense, so keep records and receipts for all expenses.) While attending the event, collect a “goody bag” for each of your clients, which will include samples from the conference exhibit and any written materials, which you feel may be of benefit to your clients. When you return from the event, host a one-hour conference call to update your clients on the latest and greatest in their industry.

5.  Feature your clients or referral partners on your website or in your newsletter as your honoured man or woman of the month or week. Contact your clients or people you often refer others to one month prior to publication, and invite them to be interviewed as your “guest expert” for the month or week. Record the interview, transcribe the interview, and post the recorded interview and transcription, along the client’s photograph, biography, and contact information on your website or in your newsletter. The enhanced visibility will speak volumes to your clients about your support for their lives, and will show others that you are committed to the personal and professional improvement of others.

6.  Invite your clients for a “sneak peek” to test a new product, service before the general public is invited to participate. Make this “sneak peek” unforgettable. If you are offering the preview in a live setting, provide wonderful food and drink. If this is an online event, or virtual offering, make the sneak preview say “WOW” with fabulous graphics, distinct digital audios or videos, a dynamic power point presentation, and a copy of a multi page document which will add value to the life of your clients.

7.  One day each week, send your clients a special quote or a brief story of inspiration. A wonderful online free resource for quotes and stories of inspiration can be obtained through the www.cybernation.com. Cyber Nation is one of the largest online quote libraries celebrating the famous words of men and women from history, both past and present.

8.  Adopt the philosophy of Fed-Ex. Do you know what Fed Ex says? “When it’s a matter of hours, it’s a matter for FedEx. We can pick up and deliver door-to-door 24/7/365 including weekends and holidays and give you immediate confirmation. Just pick a service and pick up the phone.”
9.  Be highly accessible. Provide your clients with multiple ways to contact you, including e-mail, fax, mobile phone, business phone, and home phone. If you travel, contact your clients in advance to let them know you will be away from the office for a few days and let them know how they can reach you in the event of an emergency. Simply letting your clients know that you are always available is very reassuring and will send the client the message that you care enough to be there for them at any time.

10.  Open a private page on your website “For Clients only.” This special page on your website will be a private area which will include valuable resources not made available to the public at large. This page may include a free e-book, free audio course, free articles authored by you, or a growing list of resources you make available at no charge to those men and women who do business with you. The key to a successful private resource page is to continually update the page, adding new resources that are fresh and “cutting edge.”

Read the next 10 in Part 2.

If you wish to find out more then call us now.