Letting Go: How to Move from Micromanager to Small Business Leader Posted on November 6, 2015June 27, 2016 by Jonathan Herrick You started your business, so who could possibly know more about your business than you? Right? After all my dad used to say all the time, “If you want something done, you need to do it yourself.” But as your business grows, you need to hire, train and retain great employees. Leading your employees and keeping them accountable is a huge part of running a thriving small business. However, the difference between “Leadership” and “Micromanagement” is often a murky one. As an owner, you want to focus on the vision and mission of your business. So you strive to encourage your team to run with day-to-day tasks and projects. But when it comes to actually handing over the reins to your employees, it can be tough to let go of control. In Scott Berkin’s Open Letter to Micromanangers he shares a great analogy on owners and leaders who are a bit too controlling: “But if you are in fact a micromanager, you started over-managing the first day others worked for you. You have no idea what they are capable of. You’re probably treating at least one potential Seabiscuit as if he were a toy pony at the county fair.” The term “micromanagement” carries a lot of baggage with it, and for good reason. It is estimated nearly 80% off employees have suffered from being micromanaged (aka having to complete the dreaded TPS Reports). 1/3 have changed jobs because of being under the thumb. After all, people don’t leave their job, they leave bad owners and leaders. Are You a Micromanager? If you don’t fully trust the opinions and skill of your top employees, then you are probably micromanaging them. Here are a few rock-solid signs you might be overdoing it: Hovering Are you lingering to see which employees are checking Facebook or waiting to see how your employee adjusts to the new project? Shoulder monkeys never make good leaders. Constant Feedback Yes, it’s good to give regular feedback, but if you are not waiting for the project to be completed, then you are probably too close to the process. What if your significant other was “helping” you cook in the same way you are helping guide the project? Would the level of suggestions make you want to hand over the spatula or would you have room to feel you were still the chef in the kitchen? Becoming the “Client” You know those pesky clients that keep asking for little changes, often ending up miles away from their initial direction? Well, sometimes owners do this too. If you are pushing for small changes and then find the project ends up in a completely different direction, then you probably took the helm and drove the bus off-course. Yes, that’s micromanaging. You’re the Bottleneck Do all decisions or approvals have to go through you? Are your employees constantly waiting on you before they can respond to your customers? Do you take back delegated work before it’s finished or ready for review? By making daily processes completely dependent upon one person, your employees are stifled and can’t fully develop their potential. Also, while you’re jumping into projects, you lose valuable time you should be spending looking ahead, working on the big picture items needed to fuel growth. Letting Go “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” General Patton Micromanagement kills creativity and innovation, ruins employee retention, and hinders the customer experience. The reality is, when your people feel like “Big Brother” is watching their every move, they are less likely to think or step outside the box to deliver a memorable experience to your customers for fear of reprimand. So if you find you have good intentions, but are a bit too overzealous when it comes to leading the troops, here are 5 simple ways to move from dreaded micromanager to respected leader: Know Your Style First, it is important to understand that there is not a ”One-size-fits All” kind of leader, but a variety of them. According to the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory, there are four different kinds of leadership styles: S1: Telling (relying on a unidirectional flow of information to the group) S2: Selling (convincing the group the leader is worth following) S3: Participating (the leader shares decision-making tasks for a more democratic approach) S4: Delegating (the leader parcels out tasks to qualified team members) To be a great leader you need to adapt your leadership style to your team to get the most out of them, in every situation. Hire Smart If you don’t trust the people working for you then you will be more inclined to micromanage them. So when it comes to adding new team members, hire 9’s and 10’s don’t settle for 3’s and 4’s. Find employees that are problem solvers and can run with initiatives. To quote the great Theodore Roosevelt: “The best executive is one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Coach and Teach Most small businesses owners wear a ton of hats and employee training is delegated to baptism by fire. While there’s a lot that can be learned from on the job experience, it’s hard to hold your employees accountable for results if they lack the proper training and support. A solid training program starts with the proper new hire training and continues with ongoing coaching and mentorship. By investing in your people personally and professionally, you’ll spend less time doing their work and more time equipping them to excel. Leverage Technology Often, owners and leaders micromanage because they don’t have a clear picture of the process and how it is producing results. The right tools give you data and insights into each employee and what you can do to best support them for success without becoming BIG brother. Learn to Delegate Think about all of the items on your plate. Prioritize key projects you should be involved in and decide what tactical items you could move to you team. Once you decide to delegate, give them the autonomy to complete the project and deliver results. Let your employees know you fully trust them and step in only in an emergency or when asked to. There is a good chance they won’t do things exactly the same way you would do it, but if you are looking to grow your small business you hold the key: Moving from a micromanager to a leader. And everyone wants to follow the leader. I know there will be tendency to want to do everything yourself, but remember: Teams, when allowed to flourish, will always deliver greater innovation and productivity than a single individual. Learn to let go of any tendencies to micromanage, and you’ll be rewarded by increased productivity, more engaged employees, and happier customers.
Sell Them with a Story: How to Use Storytelling to Grow your Small Business Posted on October 28, 2015June 27, 2016 by Jonathan Herrick One of the most effective marketing strategies for your small business has been around since the beginning of time. Storytelling. Even before the modern digital era storytelling was used by ancient leaders to move crowds to action, preserve history and change nations. Storytelling is a powerful tool that you can use to market your brand and connect in a more real and personal way with your audience. The Power of Storytelling “We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories.” – Jonathan Gottschall (@jonathangottsch), The Storytelling As a small business, cutting through the noise and getting more of your audience talking about you can leave you feeling like David in a match against Goliath. Lots of companies create content, and it’s getting crowded out there. Getting attention is tough, unless you can connect with people on a human level and tap into their emotions. Crafting a compelling, memorable story that shows why your business is unique is a powerful way to stamp your brand on the hearts and minds of your audience. Create a story worth sharing, and your audience will reward you by passing it on to their family, friends and colleagues. But does storytelling really work? The answer: It sure does. The reason storytelling is so effective is because the buying process is not just a rational decision backed by data points for your customers; it’s also an emotional one. In Chip and Dan Heath’s Book, “Made to Stick” they describe why some ideas stick and others don’t. Overwhelmingly the stats show that people remember a powerful story over cited statistics. Stats like the often regurgitated: “We grew revenue by 200 percent.” In fact, in one example, students at Stanford were asked to share facts with their classmates: 63% remembered the stories and only 5% remembered the actual statistics that were cited. I know what you’re thinking…if you’re anything like those Stanford students, you probably won’t remember that stat. So to illustrate, here is a great example of a business using storytelling. Subaru, as you know, is in the car business and like everyone else they could have talked about safety, gas mileage, etc. Instead they connected with their potential buyers and customers with a powerful story, Making Memories: Now I have to tell you I don’t own a Subaru, but as a dad (their ideal buyer) this pulled on my heartstrings in a way that no other car company has. I have shared this video and nearly 340K people have as well. But you are probably asking, so what? Is it driving results? Subaru is outpacing their competitors in growth and recent sales have been up as much as 28% as a result of their focus on leveraging storytelling to connect in a more human way. That’s huge. The Art of Storytelling You’re probably thinking, I don’t have a Subaru-sized budget. So how do you craft your own compelling story that captivates the attention of your small business audience? Start with the 6 Elements of a great story: Understand Your Purpose: Whether you sell a product or a service, don’t make the story about what you do, make it about “WHY” you do it. It is often said if you are in the shovel business you don’t sell shovels, you “Give them a better hole”. People gravitate towards the “why” not the “how” or “what.” Create the Conflict: If everything is running smoothly for your ideal buyer, what do they need you for? It’s human nature to be slow to embrace change, but a pain-point or point of conflict for your ideal buyer can be the catalyst they need to make a buying decision. Show your readers what problem your product/solution solves and what tension it relieves. Create the Character: Develop a character that your reader or audience can relate to and cheer for. Someone that experiences the same challenges and struggles your ideal customer goes through every day. Focus on WIFT: Your prospects and customers want to know what’s in it for them. The fact is, no one cares about your business’s sales and marketing goals. Believe it or not, your audience doesn’t wake up every day waiting to be a lead in your sales pipeline. They do, however love hearing and sharing a remarkable story about themselves! Keep it simple: We all suffer from overstimulation produced by too much content. Attention spans are short, and everyone reads in 140 character, bit-sized chunks. So, keep your story short, easy to digest and impactful. A great example of simplicity is Apple. Deliver a great ending-With a great story, you’ve got readers in the palm of your hand. While you have them engaged, don’t forget to include a clear call to action to help them take the next steps to happily ever after. Describe how doing business with you will improve their lives and emphasize why it’s worth the tradeoff of changing their behavior. Bonus-6.1 Share your story: Now, more than ever, you have a platform to spread your story. Social tools like Facebook, Twitter, Slideshare, and Instagram make it easy to connect with your prospects in customers in real-time and share an engaging story. Social media is also a great place to find elements to craft a great story for case studies, your blog and your website. We are moving into an era where “Personal” Brands will separate themselves from the pack by delivering on authentic and real messages. By using storytelling in your marketing, you give your prospects and customers a reason to care about your business. And to quote the great Mark Cuban: “When you’ve got 10,000 people trying to do the same thing, why would you want to be number 10,001?”
The Difference Between “Selling” and “Nurturing” Posted on October 15, 2015October 21, 2022 by Jonathan Herrick Rushing Right In: Is It Only For Fools? The Difference Between “Selling” and “Nurturing” The song, “Fools Rush In,” offers a sentiment that can sometimes be applied to small business sales and marketing strategies. While some products and services can be sold with a bold, brash approach, many larger investments need a more subtle, nurturing sales technique. The inbound marketing trend actually plays well in the areas that require a nurturing type of sales. How do you know the difference between selling and nurturing and when should you apply either strategy? Assumption vs. Reality We tend to make assumptions regarding the positive or negative connotation of a situation. For instance, we often view “selling” as an image of the stereotypical car salesman: In your face, and slightly annoying. In contrast, the common image of “nurturing” may be a mother cradling her child. It is clear that selling, in this context, has a negative connotation, while nurturing has positive one. The truth is that both selling and nurturing can have positive and negative aspects, but it is the job of the sales representative to determine which approach is the best fit. Most people take their time making what they consider a major purchase for their home or family such as a car, house, large appliance or vacation. Smaller purchases are made more quickly. Therefore, logic dictates that smaller purchases should be handled with a sales approach and major purchases with a nurturing approach. Like many assumptions, this one is only partially true. A person’s upbringing, cultural background and income level all influence what they consider is a small or large purchase. Other influencing factors are whether the purchase has emotional value to the buyer. A gift for a significant other can be cause for much deliberation even if the price is low. As a salesman, you need to know which type of sale this one is for your customer. Selling The art and science of selling has been studied from time immemorial. What we know now is that the better you know your prospect or customer, the better you can find the best fit for them. Happy customers refer their friends, and return for future business. Finding the right fit for small purchases is the matter of matching the value of the product or service with the customer’s needs. If you can show your customer why your product is the best choice, and it fits in their budget, they will buy it from you. Therefore, the buying cycle is short and you need to answer their value-based questions before they walk in your store. While price is a large factor, there are other reasons that people will select your product including superior customer service, convenience and relationships. Nurturing When we consider the word “nurture,” we associate it with our first experience of nurturing, our memory of growing up with a nurturing mother. However, marketing strategies for small business require a different kind of nurturing. Because of the easy access to the Internet, prospects are searching for information on their major purchases long before they contact a salesperson. You can provide them with the information they request in return for contact information in order to add them to your drip email campaign. Marketing automation is an ideal tool for this type of selling. You can feed the information you have about your prospect into the system and it will determine how to nurture them. As you slowly offer your expertise to your client, you will be building relationship that will pay off with a major purchase in the end.
3 Types of Mobile Payments Explained Posted on June 3, 2015March 8, 2023 by Travis Arnold By Kristen Gramigna, Chief Marketing Officer at BluePay Can accepting mobile payments give your business an edge with consumers? Mobile payments give both customers and business owners more flexibility in how transactions are handled. According to data from ChangeWave Research, consumer interest in mobile payments has increased over the last six months. In it, a quarter of respondents said that they are “very” or “somewhat” likely to give mobile payments a try within the next 90 days. According to experts at Accenture, one try may be it all it takes to convert curious customers into mobile payment devotees. Though “mobile payments” has become a buzzword of sorts, many consumers and businesses do not realize that the industry remains fragmented. In fact, there are three types of payment technologies with unique features and benefits, despite that they are often described under the generic term “mobile payments.” Can mobile payments work for your business? Here’s a look at how the three types of mobile payments work, and the conveniences they can offer both small businesses and their customers: Mobile payments with a credit card. Mobile payments that involve swiping or inputting credit card information into a mobile device (like a smartphone or tablet) or small card reader (called a dongle) that plugs into the headphone jack of a mobile device are particularly cost-efficient options for small-business owners. Not only might the business owner already own the mobile device required to process credit or debit card transactions (once he/she has established a merchant account with a payment provider), fees tend to be nominal, and flexible based on the business’s transaction frequency. The technology is simple to use, and doesn’t require an investment in point of sale terminals, or that a business have a sophisticated infrastructure. Businesses that choose a mobile payment processor that guarantees payment card industry (PCI) compliance can manage the risk associated with handling sensitive customer data to ensure it is appropriately encrypted during transaction processing. This form of mobile payment options also gives customers the added convenience of paying with a credit card at a business’s physical storefront, or at remote events like trade shows, festivals, or even, at the client’s home or place of business. Despite the point of sale conveniences, the customer must still carry a wallet or card in order to pay. Mobile wallets. Mobile wallets, by contrast, empower customers to leave their physical wallets and cards at home. Once the customer has established a mobile wallet and uploaded the forms of payment he/she wants to keep securely stored in it, the customer can access the mobile wallet’s app to pay at the point of sale, using a mobile device. While the merchants who are now equipped with the near-field communications (NFC) readers at point of sale terminal required to use the technology are on the rise (thanks in part to the recent launch of mobile wallet technologies like ApplePay), mobile wallet acceptance is still inconsistent. If a merchant isn’t equipped with a NFC terminal, consumers may not be able to use their mobile wallet to pay. Digital wallets. Similar to mobile wallets, digital wallets securely store a registered user’s financial and credit card information, negating the need to enter card information or present a physical card to a merchant. (PayPal was one of the first versions of digital wallet technology). Digital wallet technology could be considered the “forefather” of the mobile payments movement, however they are not inherently designed for use on mobile devices. However, some are now accessible on a mobile device, if the customer has downloaded the provider’s mobile app. Unlike a mobile payment transaction that involves the merchant entering the customer’s card information into a reader, both digital and mobile wallet transactions empower customers. Customers (not the merchant) initiate the transaction, and choose the payment processor. Subsequently, digital and mobile wallets lower the risk merchants absorb when customers use credit or debit cards to pay: Merchants do not handle any aspect of processing, handling or storing customer’s sensitive financial data when a mobile or digital wallet is used to pay. Though mobile payment technology can provide value to businesses and customers, there are subtle differences to the technology’s purpose and capabilities that can have significant impact on ease of use and benefits. By identifying the type of mobile payment that will best suit your business model and your customers, you can determine which type or types of mobile payment technology stand to deliver optimal results. About the Author Kristen Gramigna is Chief Marketing Officer for BluePay, a credit card processing firm. She has more than 20 years experience in the bankcard industry in direct sales, sales management and marketing. Check Kristen out on Twitter at @BluePay_CMO.
Celebrating the Customer this Small Business Week Posted on May 6, 2015June 1, 2016 by Jessica Lunk It’s National Small Business Week, and we wanted to focus on small business’s most powerful asset – their customer base. There are so many reasons to love small business, including the fact that more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and small businesses create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. Doing business with small business makes you feel like part of a friendly community – whether it’s the neighborhood small engine repair shop you visit each spring for your lawn mower tune up, or that online retailer in another state that creates the one-of-a-kind handmade collars Fido always gets for his birthday. You love that the repair shop owner knows you by name and that you always get a handwritten thank you note from the online retailer. It’s those personal relationships that drive repeat customers and small business success. According to a report by Manta and Dell, 37% of small business owners rank getting repeat customers as their most important business milestone. So, if you’re a small business owner, you may not have celebrated that first sale or the first profitable year as much as you celebrated that first repeat customer. Why Loyal Customers Rock Your World Loyal, repeat customers drive small businesses and help entrepreneurs to turn their small business dreams into reality. Here’s how: Customer Lifetime Value: The more repeat purchases customers make with your company, the more customer lifetime value will increase across your entire customer base. Built-In Referral System: Repeat customers have obviously had a good experience with your business, and you can bet that they’re sending new business your way. Predictable Revenue: Instead of starting from scratch each month to attract new customers, repeat buyers can help you maintain a more dependable revenue stream. Creating Loyal Customers and Repeat Buyers Leveraging marketing technology, like an integrated CRM and marketing automation system can help you create even more of those revenue-driving raving fans for your business. Send personalized content: Personalized email isn’t just for prospects in your sales funnel. You want to stay top of mind with your current customers as well. Use their purchase history, webpage tracking, and CRM activity to send super-relevant emails their way. Upsell: Returning customers spend on average 20% more than first time customers. With purchase history at hand in your CRM, you can connect with your current customers to offer an upgrade on their current product or service. Cross-sell: Do they love the red mittens? Then they’ll probably love the red hat. Make sure your customers know about products and services related to their past purchases. Use your customers’ purchase history to send email campaigns related to other products they may love. Offer perks: According to SumAll, a customer who has only purchased from you once has a 27% chance of returning, while a customer who has purchased from you three times has a 54% chance of returning. Want to keep good customers coming back? Offer a discount, perk or reward. Giving away a little can go a long way in earning customer loyalty. Ask for referrals: While your customers are likely sending referrals your way, it never hurts to ask. Offering an incentive, like swag, a gift card or a discount can further entice your happy customers to send you more business. Affiliate software, like LeadDyno, can help manage your referral program. Ask for reviews: It’s become second nature to do research online before making a purchase, whether you’re buying a new home, investing in business software, or just going out to eat. Positive reviews from your customers are the third-party validation your prospects need to take the next steps with your business. Give thanks: Your customers are the reason you get to come to work each day and build something amazing. Let them know that you love them back with a simple thank you every now and then. Are you dedicating enough marketing dollars to get repeat customers through the door? Research indicates that 25% of your marketing budget should go toward attracting returning customers. While small businesses get the spotlight this week, it’s the perfect time to look at how you’re marketing to your customers, because you can’t celebrate small businesses without celebrating the customers that grow small business dreams.
Why Are 98% of Buyers Seeking Marketing Automation? Posted on April 29, 2015June 18, 2018 by Jessica Lunk Even though small businesses have less capital to invest in marketing technology, marketing automation is a resource that can move the needle in a big way. Why small business can’t ignore marketing automation any longer… According to a recent Software Advice survey of small business owners looking for marketing technology products, 98% of buyers are looking for dedicated marketing automation software for the first time. Half of these buyers are still using manual methods to manage and email contacts. If you are still using these manual methods (pen and paper, spreadsheets, and one off emails), it’s time to learn how marketing technology can help you grow your business without growing your business footprint. Marketing Automation optimizes your sales and marketing process. Lead management is the number one reason small business owners are looking for marketing automation according to the Software Advice research. Marketing automation allows you to automatically and dynamically organize contacts and score sales leads. That’s a huge time saver for small businesses who have relied on manual methods to update their database in the past. Marketing automation places contacts in the right bucket automatically so that you can send more meaningful content to different segments of your audience. This tailored approach builds brand awareness and trust to move contacts down the sales funnel from prospect to customer. Core functionality is at the top of the marketing automation buyer’s list. 74% of buyers say that contact management is an important marketing automation feature. On the contrary, only 4% mentioned social media marketing features as important. When it comes to marketing automation, buyers are really looking for that core functionality that is central to their business. While social media marketing gets a lot of airtime, more traditional marketing methods like email marketing really drive results for small businesses. In fact, every $1 invested in email marketing yields a $44.25 return, according to Exact Target. Marketing automation makes running your business simpler and easier. Small businesses have shied away from marketing automation in the past – partly because the solutions were too robust, and partly because they were reluctant to automate and give up control of the very personal interactions they have with their audience. But as marketing automation adoption increases among small businesses, they’re realizing the benefit of maintaining their personal touch, while leveraging the ability to scale.
Do You Need to Update Your Website? Posted on April 14, 2015 by Jessica Lunk Your #1 sales rep may not be who you think. In fact, 9 out of 10 people will do online research long before coming into a sales conversation with you, making your website a key tool in your sales and marketing process. Is your website as effective as it can be in helping you to capture the attention of new business? Is it mobile responsive? Can you make quick content updates? Can you capture new leads from your site? If your online presence is just a digital version of your printed marketing material, you’re missing the boat. Static websites with content that never changes are offending to search engines as well as visitors to your site. Just because you’re a small business doesn’t mean that your website has to look amateur. An updated site with clean design is a reassuring sign to your prospects and customers that there’s great energy and activity behind your online calling card. Outsource Web Design When you’re ready to make the move to a new website, you can outsource the work to an agency or web developer. While this route is more of an investment, there are major benefits to your business: You’ll benefit from professional design that is inline with the latest trends. Your site will adhere to the more technical aspects of web design, like site structure, cross-browser compatibility, mobile responsiveness and search engine visibility. When you outsource development, you can also outsource ongoing technical support. So, when a new Google update comes out, or when WordPress releases a new version, or if you were to get hacked, you have a tech team on call who can take the issue off of your plate. Outsourcing web design is the least pain-free way to go. But it’s not the only way… DIY We know that you’re super ambitious because you struck out on your own to start your own business. So maybe you also want complete control over building your website…more power to you! If you’re the do-it-yourself type, you can tackle a new website on your own. Here are two paths you can take: Take a Templated Approach with a Website Builder You can create a website for your business without any coding experience or web design knowledge. Tools like Squarespace, Wix and Weebly let you customize pre-built templates to build your own website design. The benefit of taking a templated, drag & drop approach to your web design is a shorter learning curve. However, you may lose some of the design flexibility you’d get if you outsourced web design or built your site using an open source platform… Build on an Open Source Platform If you’re technically inclined, an open source content management platform like WordPress is a more powerful option for customizing your website design. The drawback to a DIY website through WordPress, however, is that there’s a fairly steep learning curve compared to a tool like Squarespace. WordPress is free to install on your web domain, and has an infinite library of help articles and forums you can address for support. There are a ton of WordPress templates available, both free and paid, so you don’t have to build a site from scratch, but can customize a template to suit your needs. A DIY site is definitely not the way to go for everyone, but it’s a great option if you love a challenge, enjoy piecing together a puzzle, and are an ace at problem solving. Doubts? Maybe you’re hesitant to invest in a new website because your business is built on highly personal relationships. But you can bet that no matter how solid your relationship is with a prospect or customer, they’ll be checking out your website before they decide to do business with you or refer you to a friend. There’s nothing worse than clicking on one of the top sites in the search results only to be directed to a site that looks like it hasn’t been touched in years, or even still has dummy text where there should be relevant copy. The beauty of a clean website design that you can update it with new information on the fly, making you look professional and at the top of your game no matter how small your business. Don’t repel potential business with an outdated site. Take time to revisit and invest in your website and create a better online experience for your prospects and customers.
How to Make your Small Biz Look Big (Without Growing Your Footprint) Posted on April 7, 2015July 25, 2016 by Jessica Lunk You’ve worked for corporate America, and know what big business feels like. You didn’t like it. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to grow revenue while staying true to your small business roots. While putting more boots on the ground can help your small business win more customers, hiring a bigger sales force increases payroll and requires more management on your part. Today, though, there are innovative ways your small business can live large, attracting the bigger fish with less work – and without growing your small biz footprint. Your Website If your online presence is still a static website that is more like an online brochure, it’s time to update. Building a CMS-based (content management system) website on a platform like WordPress can give you the power to update your website whenever you please. With frequent updates to your website – like a new blog post or timely homepage announcement – you’ll actually look like you’re in business. It’s reassuring to your prospects and customers knowing that there’s activity going on behind the scenes of your online calling card. Even if your business relies on highly personal relationships, you can bet that visiting your website online is one of the main steps prospects will take before they decide to do business with you. A modern, up-to-date website that clearly communicates who you are, what you do, and how you benefit your customers can make you look a lot larger – without adding a single person to your team. Social Media Social Media has been an excellent vehicle to help small businesses get their story across without making huge investments in traditional advertising like print, television and radio. But is your social media presence making you look smaller than you are, or larger than life? Keeping social media manageable and updating your small business profiles every day or two can make you look larger, while neglected profiles can sink your status. The golden rule of social media is to do a few channels very well instead of spreading yourself too thin. If most of your customers are on LinkedIn, but not active on Facebook, cut out your Facebook channel and focus your efforts on sharpening your LinkedIn presence. Do one or two social channels well to project a professional, polished image and to boost engagement with your social fans. CRM If an excel spreadsheet and business card collection are your main contact organization tools, it’s time to upgrade. A simple CRM can make your business look a lot bigger. For starters, you won’t be scrambling to find information. A small business CRM can track and organize your customer and prospects’ activity in real time. You’ll have the information you need at your fingertips to pick up hundreds of conversations right where you left off. You won’t lose your friendly small business vibe, but you will be able to handle more interactions with prospects and customers more effectively. That’s huge. When you’re driving business development and sales for your business, your time is much better spent building on relationships with customers who are ready to buy now than wasting time cold calling prospects. A small business CRM can track notes on a contact record, record email conversations, keep tabs on your contact’s interests, and let you know which prospects you should be in conversation with. A spreadsheet just can’t do that. Email Marketing As a small business owner, you’ve got your hands in sales and marketing, and your business is built on the personal relationships you’ve developed with your customers. With the right email marketing tools, you can continue to communicate in a personal, but scalable way. Instead of blasting the same message to everyone on your list, small business marketing automation tools allow you to reach many prospects and customers at a time with an individual message just for them. We like to think of it as personalized mail. Sending the right content to the right person at the right time makes them feel like you know them. It also lets you write emails that say exactly what you would say to a prospect or customer over lunch. But instead of sending hundreds of individual emails, small business marketing automation takes the administrative stuff off your plate,e giving you the freedom to get away from your machine. You don’t need lots of employees to help your business run smoothly. Invest in a few smart small business tools to build up your brand and pump up your profits.
Small Business Leadership: 5 Lessons from the Basketball Court Posted on March 18, 2015June 27, 2016 by Jonathan Herrick Growing up, I always had a basketball in my hand. I remember shooting hoops in the driveway of my parents’ house late at night with the driveway flood light on. After the 10th time of my mom asking me to come in and go to bed on a school night, she would turn the light out. I continued to shoot. My drive, determination, and passions lead me to where I am today. A basketball coach, dad and business leader who loves to grow people and companies. So I thought with the NCAA tourney kicking off it was a great time to reflect on the lessons I have learned in my years of playing, coaching as well as studying some of the best coaches in the game. Here are my 5 leadership lessons for small business owners: Cast the Vision To go from where you are to where you want to be: you have to have a dream… – Jim Valvano Jimmy Valvano, the legendary coach for NC State, is known for his heroic battle with cancer and the legacy he has left behind: He was also an amazing leader. As a coach at NC State he took time out once a year to have a vision celebration with his team. They would celebrate what it would feel like to win the national championship. In 1983 his vision became reality and the Wolfpack pulled off one the biggest upsets and best finishes in NCAA tournament history.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l5N2eKdvL4 Jim knew a key leadership principal: Vision leaks. I speak to so many small business owners who get busy with the day to day operations of the business and forget to slow down and recast the vision. You and your team need to be reminded every 30 days why you get up out of bed every day and what great goal(s) you are pursuing. Build a Winning Culture More important than the scoreboard at the end of the game, great coaches build lasting cultures that drive the right behaviors, attitudes and values. When you look at a great basketball team, chances are that they’ve been great for a while. Why is that? Look at Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Michigan State, UCLA and Butler just to name a few. At the center of their success is a culture engrained so deep it permeates to the coaches, players, and fans of the schools. Butler University is a prime example. Like most small businesses competing against the corporate behemoth, Butler is a David among Goliath’s in the NCAA. However, year after year they continue to have success. Why? They have been intentional about creating a culture of success shaped by the following core values: Humility – Those who humble themselves will be exalted Passion – Do not be lukewarm, commit to excellence Unity – Do not divide our house, team first Servanthood – Make teammates better, lead by giving Thankfulness – Learn from every circumstance In your small business, what do you value? Do you live your values or are they just a few words in the “About Us” section of your website? If you want to lead a winning business, invest in building a culture dedicated to success. Infuse your core values into every aspect of your business from the messaging on your site to your customer experience. Recruit the RIGHT Teammates I haven’t always recruited for the best talent. I’ve taken a few guys who would fit for different reasons. Leadership. Toughness” – Tom Izzo There’s an old adage that talent wins championships. Not true – teammates do. The best teams I have been a part of and coached have had the best team chemistry. In basketball, just like in your small business, everyone needs to know their role. Success only happens when you’re laser focused on what you do well as a team and you understand the strengths of each and every player on the roster. A great tool to help you better discover where you and your team mates strengths lie is StrengthFinder 2.0. It is an interactive resource developed to hone in on your personal strengths while eliminating time wasted on trying to improve your weaknesses. StrengthFinder is also super helpful when it’s time to hire that new employee, assess their strengths and determine where they can fit in on your team. If you need help, you can always leverage a Gallup Certified Strengthfinder coach to help you implement Strengthfinder for your small business. Train to WIN So imagine you’re the head coach of a college team and entered into the NCAA tournament having never practiced a single day. How would your team fair in the tourney? Would you make it to the final four? Of course not. Not when you’re facing other teams that have practiced and prepared all year long. The greatest coaches in NCAA history put an emphasis on “Training” for success vs “Trying” for success. It’s not enough to just to show up and play. “Champion” small business owners commit to learning and educating themselves everyday. They are passionate about doing what it takes to develop into better leaders and grow healthier, more successful companies. If you’re looking for helpful resources you can check out SmallBusiness.com and National Federation of Independent Business. Be True to Your Game As you check out the games in the NCAA tourney this year, each team has a different style. Some will be run and gun fast paced, some will slow it down and get the ball in to their big man. One team, Gonzaga, has made their living and success in past tournaments from behind the 3 point line. This season they are a best 40% from 3 point range. The great thing about Gonzaga is they know what they are and what they are not. What if in this year’s tourney they decided to change up their style and get away from their 3 point shooting game? Well, it would be a disaster and their team would be watching the rest of the tournament from their homes on the big screen! Your small business not only has a style and identity, but it’s your secret weapon. You know who you are and who your best customers are – so take a stand. When you are true to your game it gives you the best shot to attract the right fans and team mates, supercharging your business. When it comes to running a small business making sure you have the right vision and a winning culture are catalysts to your success. Then when you bring in the right people, running the right plays, and stay true to your game that’s when the magic happens….. What are some of your best lessons from the basketball court or the small business arena?