Some of these practices are measures to assist complying with legislation, for example the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, and otherwise they can help prevent misunderstandings and unintended representations or having an agreement set aside.

Truthful Statements
Ensure any statements or representations made are true and capable of being substantiated. Clear up any obvious misunderstandings or incorrect statements.

Only Say What You Can Put In Writing
Do not say something if you are not prepared to put it in writing.

Silence May Constitute A Representation
Note that silence may constitute a representation, do not leave people to make assumptions by your silence.

Listen
Be prepared and listen carefully to what the other side has to say and properly understand their position.

Keeping Records
Keep accurate and full records of your conversations including date, time and parties present. An accurate account of what was discussed could prove to be very useful as the discussions continue, particularly if the matter turns litigious.

Do Not Talk Price
Be careful to avoid talking price with competitors or agree pricing to limit competition.

Avoid Threats
Avoid pressure tactics, cajoling or threats.

Witness
Have another person from your business present at meetings. There is practical benefit in having another person witness what was discussed.

Understand Your Level Of Authority
Be aware of your level of authority and of what you can and cannot commit to.

Act Conscionably
Do not engage in unconscionable conduct for example, taking advantage of a weaker party.

Confidentiality
Agree, in writing preferably, to make your discussions “confidential” where you would like the content to remain confidential.

Legal Advice & Without Prejudice
If you have obtained legal advice on a matter, talk to your solicitor about how to manage and protect that advice. You should also talk to your solicitor about ‘without prejudice’ settlement negotiations.

Author Bio: Roger Wade is the Principal of the Brisbane property law firm Lease & Go Legal. Lease & Go Legal assist their clients with leasing matters, business sales/purchases and other property related issues. For more information on Roger Wade view his profile

Related posts:

1. 3 Steps to dealing with a challenging employee I met a friend recently who manages a small business....
2. 4 tips to help you compete with your big business competitors Business success never lies in the size of the enterprise,...
3. 7 Tips for better workplace communication Do you think communication is mostly done through words? What...

When you’re spending so much time on something, it must be important; you want to see a positive return from it. The trouble is, unlike a website, a human being is the most unpredictable thing on the planet and sometimes what we think we have clearly explained, may not have been as clear as we thought.

So how do you know if what has been interpreted does not match what you communicated?
• time is wasted
• explanations are given more than once
• you spend too much time correcting work

How does this impact on you, your business, your clients, your team?
• lower profits
• lower morale
• missed opportunities
• damaged reputation
• existing customers leave
• potential customers go elsewhere

If you don’t do something about it, your business will be on the critical list. How do you have super-efficient & effective communications in all your dealings? Here are 5 areas for improvement:

1. What’s really expected?
With technology evolving rapidly how many operational guidelines have you created about what you truly expect. Mobile devices, email, open plans… we assume so much. It’s important to get things clear. Do you really expect them to answer emails and texts within 6 seconds of receiving them? Being clear on what is expected helps your people have time to think, strategise and get on with important business as well answer enquires in a timely manner.

“People typically spend 60% of their time dealing with the effects of unclear expectations in their organisation”
Stephen Covey

2. Effective delegation
A major time-waster and cause of inefficiency in business is when people delegate but don’t communicate. The scope of the task, areas of responsibility, reporting and review arrangements, resources available…, good delegation needs thorough communication on a range of important factors. Often, too much is not communicated and too many wheels are reinvented because of that. Regular feedback is left to 6-monthly performance appraisals. When you brief them thoroughly and discuss any issues before and after the job, you give you and your people an opportunity to have success recognised. What’s more, good communication helps the person take responsibility, learn for themselves and improve quickly.

3. A boss who listens…not half listens
Be honest… when you are constantly interrupted do you give 100% of your attention… or do you half listen? Do you assume you know what the problem is without getting the full details. Stop low priority interruptions by being inaccessible for some of the day so you can get on with your work and so that others start to rely on other resources, BUT when you are accessible and open for discussions, listen more than you talk.

4. Minimised meetings
When was the last time you were in a meeting that dragged on too long, or shouldn’t even have taken place at all? Too often, a meeting turns into a talking shop with everyone trying to have their say. Keep to subject, keep to time, push for clear decisions wherever appropriate and above all, keep it short. Here’s a challenge for regular meetings (e.g. a weekly team meeting) – agree on a target that each meeting will be shorter yet more effective than the one before.

5. Shut down the grapevine.
If you don’t give your people information, they’ll find it from somewhere else; and it won’t necessarily be true or helpful; especially in times of recession when they might worry about the future of your business and their jobs. Good communication means informing your people of what your plans are, where the business is going, and involving them in getting there. People find it hard to hear the positives if the negatives are being smothered. Rather than have these fester (now that’s an ugly word) get concerns out into the open and once out, strategise how to manage/reduce the impact of these concerns. This gets people back in control and gets their focus on what they can do to manage what is happening.

Taking 5 minutes per day, 5 days per week to improve one’s job will create 1,200 little improvements to a job over a 5 year period- Maybe it’s time we got started?

Author Bio Angie ‘Speedy’ Spiteri is the creator of Time Equals Money. She worked for the government for over 17 years and gained the nickname ‘speedy’ for time management skills. For more information on Angie Spiteri view her profile.

Related posts:

1. 10 Things to do when business goes quiet How do you react when business goes quiet? Many businesses,...
2. A communication guide when dealing with opposing parties and competitors There are some good practices to follow when communicating with...
3. 7 Tips for better workplace communication Do you think communication is mostly done through words? What...

1. Have Clear Priorities

Know precisely what you’re trying to achieve in your business. Decide your business focus and your target market. Make a list of the most important objectives to be achieved and prioritise them. Deal with the most important first.

2. Stop Doing Others’ Work

“If you want something done properly you have to do it yourself” is an old saying. It’s also a copout for small business managers. Avoid finishing others’ work. Delegate tasks and responsibility for them. Insist that employees meet agreed deadlines and make recommendations to you about proposed action.

3. Never Say “Leave It With Me”

This is a serious time killer. Every time you say it you add to your work load and time pressures. You also absolve your staff from further responsibility for whatever it is they’ve left with you. If you can’t handle quickly something a staff member brings to you, arrange a mutually suitable time to discuss it with the employee. If more work is needed, get the employee to do it.

4. Fix Problems As They Occur

This assumes that you have clear priorities. When you do, you’ll know whether something is a genuine problem or a pinprick masquerading as a problem. Fix genuine problems as soon as possible. Delegate or postpone pinpricks.

5. Avoid Distractions

You’ll be encouraged to do all sorts of things by all sorts of people. Stick to your knitting. Concentrate on the focus of your business. Let your staff evaluate ideas in their areas of expertise. Stop chasing “fads and fashions”.

6. Crosstrain

It’s often hard to make time for training in small business. But it’s important. Prioritise the tasks that must be done daily. Crosstrain so that more than one person can handle the priority tasks. It develops the staff and saves you from being distracted by “helping out”.

7. Select Staff With Great Care

Selection’s an expensive business. That’s a good reason to take care. But in a small business you want people who’ll share your enthusiasm for what you’re trying to achieve. You want competent people who also enjoy the “cut and thrust” of small business. And you want people you can trust and who share your professional values.

Small business is by nature, unpredictable. That alone creates time pressures. But you don’t have to do everything yourself. And you must have a clear business focus. That way you’ll be able to set clear priorities and find the staff to help you achieve them. You’ll probably never have “enough” time. But you’ll have more than most small business managers.

Author Bio: Leon Noone helps managers in small-medium business to improve on job staff performance without training courses. He’s an independent consultant, author and staff performance improvement specialist. For more information on Leon Noone view his profile

Related posts:

1. 5 Simple marketing tips perfect for small business Here are five simple principles I pass on to my...
2. How do you gain market share in a competitive industry Since the 1950s, there has been an explosion in the...
3. Five top tips for improving business efficiency The expression ‘time is money’ has never been more accurate...

When I began my career as a professional sales person in the early 1980s, sales professionals were trained product benefits and communication skills which focussed mainly on handling objections. Our tool kit was simple. We were armed with a business card, product brochure and a geographic territory of clients to manage and grow and a car to get around in. The end goal? Make sales.

People fell for the Product trap where we waited for the latest gadget or gismo from the vaults of business who could afford to produce ‘stuff’ that was supposed to satisfy our needs. In most cases, those ‘needs’ were created by clever ideas and marketing people looking for ways to make money. So welcome to the world of mass consumerism.

In the 70’ it was all about Product Features – if your product was distinctly different from your competitors, and it met these so called needs and you could get first to market, you were then granted lead time to make hay while the sun shone.

However in the 80’s, technology produced by these great ideas, sped up the manufacturing process allowing competitors to copy products quickly. Now we were talking about product benefits. You can still see that we are still stuck in a product monologue; with the client still treated as a passive by-stander.

Welcome to the 90’s; solving problems and productivity drives. Now we start to talk to clients about what they are trying to address; what problems they want to solve, what efficiencies they want to achieve. Yet in some way problems were created so we had products to sell. Instead they were sold as an aggregation of products which when combined solved problems and brought efficiencies and other benefits.

But now the margins are being eroded in this space. We are seeing more and more packaged solution offerings such as print solutions, financial planning, education and car leasing, like products before them, become commoditised. Selling packaged/aggregated solutions is at risk of losing its profitable edge. So, where to from here?

Unless you want to stay in the world of low margin commodity selling, you need to recognise that the Product is only part of the sale. Smart sales people and their businesses know the real value and what clients are prepared to pay for lies in the collaboration and production of real ideas and results. This requires thinking outside the product and solution boxes, dealing with variables and ambiguities which, by nature, are messier and less defined. Working together to achieve real results will bring with it whole new partnership arrangements.

This brings with it a whole new skill set. Think of the types of conversations you now need to have with your prospective customers where listening, questioning, resolving problems, collaboration, empathy and understanding are encouraged.

For the better part of the last 50 years of selling especially in the heady days of the 80’s and 90’s the emphasis on B2B selling had a distinct aggressive ring to it.

Customers were ‘Targets’ and getting a sale was referred to as ‘the Kill’. Customers were regarded as objects to be possessed or trophies to be placed in their cabinet.

It cannot be denied that selling requires a proactive, focused, go-out-into-the-world and find opportunity approach (prospecting). However, selling must now be balanced with the ability to genuinely listen and respond to the subtleties of more complex relationships which involves patience, nurturing, and dealing with ambiguity.

2011 and beyond is about really understanding this fact and remembering that at best, customers can be our finest sales team, advocating our products, services, people and brand with their endorsements.

Author Bio: Sue Barrett is one of the leading female voices commenting on sales today. Sue is an experienced business speaker and adviser, facilitator, sales coach, training provider and entrepreneur and founded Barrett Consulting, an end-to-end consulting practice with a reputation in the Australian market as trusted experts and advisors in creating high performing, sustainable sales people, teams and leaders. Barrett are thought leaders in 21st century sales training, sales coaching and sales consulting. For more information on Sue Barrett view her profile.

Related posts:

1. Hiring the right salesperson Let’s be clear from the outset. I find it somewhat...
2. Sales letters – 5 tactics to bring in a pile of customers to your business If you own a small business, you are going to...
3. 3 Steps to increase sales Research. Some of us hate doing it, others find it...

Often business owners say they want creativity in their marketing communications, yet they are the very ones that suppress it. Great creative comes from a very clear brief but then time allowed for the creative person to spend researching and bringing the creative idea to life.

Delivering a 10 minute brief over the phone and expecting top class results the next day at the cheapest possible price is not the way. Like anything, the result directly correlates with the time and effort put in. Often the best way is to hold a creative workshop to get everyone’s input, as one idea can quickly spark another. Involve everyone, as the quietest member of the team can ignite a chain of thought that takes everyone into new territory.

Sometimes a great creative idea is born within minutes yet at other times can take days. What fuels great creative is the process of exploring multiple possibilities and approaches instead of dogmatically pursuing a single line of thought to reach a solution. To effectively do this, one has to brainstorm with the creative team and then develop the best two or three concepts. Sometimes it is not until the stage of visual exploration, of an idea coming to life in pictures, that one can see if it fully meets a brief, if it really does generate the emotional reaction you want it to.

The holy grail is the perfect fusion of the visual expression with the written word, which again takes a deep understanding of what the goal of the communication really is and then working creatively with multiple ideas to express a core theme.

So next time you want to develop a dynamic, cut through piece of marketing, give your team the time they need to really be creative.

Author Bio Pip McConnel-Oats is the founder and creative director of award-winning Brisbane brand consultancy, Lumino. In the 17 years since launching the business, Pip and her team have developed & managed more than 30 brand campaigns for a diverse range of clients and nationally recognisable brands – from free flow tolling system Go Via to international airline Strategic Airlines. With a trophy cabinet that boasts awards from the Design Institute of Australia, the Brisbane Advertising and Design Awards and the National Print Awards, it’s fair to say that Pip knows a thing or two about what constitutes a successful brand. For more information on Pip McConnel-Oats view her profile

Related posts:

1. Three creative ways to boost website traffic Increasing website traffic in return for leads or user action...
2. How to add a PDF document to a Facebook page Facebook provides users a lot of opportunities to customize their...
3. 4 tips to help you compete with your big business competitors Business success never lies in the size of the enterprise,...

One of the most common and immediate sources of revenue for your business is in converting more prospects into buyers. If you are only converting 1 in every 10 prospects, 9 prospects are giving their money to someone else. Realistically, a portion, say 30%, of these prospects have no intention of buying from you no matter what you do. So let’s assume you already convert 10% of prospects and 30% will never buy anyway. This means that you have an opportunity to obtain 60% more customers with no advertising or extra marketing initiatives!

So how do you convert this extra 60%?

There are several ways to increase your conversion rates, but in this article I’m going to discuss one approach that comes down to a very simple philosophy. It’s all in the long-term view!

To demonstrate this, imagine yourself in a nightclub eyeing off a possible suitor. You decide to walk over, meet this person and start a conversation. However, before you can even get your second sentence out the person turns to you and says: “Listen! If you would like to continue this conversation, you must marry me first!”. “In fact, you must marry me now, tonight, otherwise we’re through!”

Would you continue to talk to this person? No! There is too much risk, too much commitment on your part.

Ironically, that is how most of us talk to new prospects! Instead of making it easy for them to build a relationship we insist that they “marry” us first. Unknowingly, we raise barriers that deter them from becoming a client. One way we do this is by insisting prospects pay up big $$$ first before we get to prove ourselves and show our worth.

Consider that charging a high amount up front before someone really knows you or your offering is the equivalent of hitting them with the marriage proposal. Most of us do this because we take a short-term view of the customer, we don’t actually consider their lifetime value. The lifetime value is the total dollar amount a client is worth to us over the duration of being our client. Most of us treat a prospect as if the only money they will spend is in the first transaction. Here lies the opportunity for a change in philosophy.

The objective is to get prospects into the buying cycle of being one of your customers.

Lowering the price on the first transaction is one way to reduce the obstacles for new prospects and increase your conversion rate. If you know you’ll get decent repeat purchases then you may be able to comfortably remove your margin from the first sale. Many accountants, physiotherapists and chiropractors do this very well.

So, substantially more revenue can be accessed when you convert more prospects. Remove the barriers deterring prospects from entering into a relationship with you and you’ll have more customers. Your profit will be in the repeat purchases, so don’t jeopardise the lifetime value of a customer for just one transaction.

Think about the first transaction you frequently have with new customers. What barriers are in the way and how can you remove them to ease new customers into a long-term relationship with you?

Author Bio: Daniel Rechnitzer, founder of Ui Group – the Brain Upgrade and inventor of the ChildsPlay Marketing Cards.
Website

Related posts:

1. How educating your customers can help build a stronger brand I would like to share an incredibly powerful approach to...
2. Are you turning your prospects, leads and enquiries into customers? Would you like to have more customers, greater consistency in...
3. 7 Questions you need to ask your customers When you want to find out any information from your...

Difficult customers come in different shapes and sizes. They are difficult in a number of ways. Some are angry, some can be talkative, a fair share of them are indecisive, (don’t know what they want). There are plenty of people who are inpatient and demanding and this leads to them being downright intimidating. Nobody will respond favourably to most of these traits.

Remember, you can’t control the behaviour of others, but you can control your own. Your reactions to their behaviour, often has a large bearing on the difficult customers response.

It’s sometimes in the nature of the person to act like this, so here are a few helpful things you can do to help the situation.

• Stay controlled yourself. Don’t argue with the customer. It’s easy to let the customer or situations get on top of you, but if you believe you can handle it, you will. The customer will be lost if you show them contempt or displeasure. Don’t take this situation personally.
• Don’t be in a hurry to get off the phone. Your business is to customers, and customers are your business. You should be ready to talk to customers as long as is necessary to meet their problems or concerns.
• Really listen to customers to get at the heart of their issue.
• Learn non-confrontational language.
• Empathize with the customer’s issues and rephrase them to demonstrate that you’ve been paying attention, before trying to solve their problem or give an answer.
• Don’t get emotionally involved. Try not to take the situation personally—the customer is yelling because you’re there to yell at and they don’t feel heard, not because there is anything wrong with you.
• Take extensive notes so you can keep track of everything that’s been said. This will also keep you focused on the conversation.
• Don’t take a condescending tone, or a tired one. Adopt a calm, reasonable tone. Don’t speak too fast, or too slow.
• Try not to put a customer on hold. If you are going to put the customer on hold, let the customer know what you’ll be doing. For example, if you really need a supervisor to okay a solution, say, “Mary, I’m going to put you on hold for a second. I have to go speak to Tom about possible options.” Never say that you’re going to “get the supervisor to okay it,” as that will tend to make the customer feel like they’re jumping through hoops, even if you’re the one doing the jumping.
• If you’re dealing with the customer in person, stay aware of your body language. Avoid defensive, impatient, or angry body language.

Author Bio: Gary Jeffress, The M.A.D. Guy (Making A Difference).  The desire we at Garwen Education is to make a difference. That is to make a difference to the lives we touch, the people we meet, the community we live in the future of our youth and ultimately the world. As best we can our philosophy illustrates this desire and while others may not share our views, we will continue to do what we believe to be fundamentally right and good.
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Related posts:

1. How to keep your customers for life If there’s one advantage we small business owners have over...
2. 7 Questions you need to ask your customers When you want to find out any information from your...
3. Sales letters – 5 tactics to bring in a pile of customers to your business If you own a small business, you are going to...

When a sale is made it’s great to celebrate, but we all know things don’t always turn out ‘rosy’ down the track. One of the best ways to protect yourself and ensure you get paid is to have well prepared, clear and concise ‘Terms of Trade’ between your business and those you transact with. Verbal and ‘hand-shake’ agreements may be appropriate in some circumstances, but when things don’t go to plan you want to have something solid in writing to back you up.

For example – a manufacturer and purchaser worked well together for a year, but then a dispute arose over an overdue account. The manufacture claimed substantial interest and late payment fees. The case ended up in court, because it was unclear whose terms of trade applied, as there had been express agreement on who made and supplied the goods, but not as to the terms of payment. In this case the Court held that by going ahead and fulfilling the purchaser’s orders, the manufacture had effectively accepted the purchaser’s terms.

The expense and aggravation of having such a dispute resolved by a court is always stressful (and a distraction), so when you enter into an agreement, just make sure that your terms of trade are also signed by the other party.

To prevent a situation like that occurring in your business, it is important to have a clear and concise terms of trade.

Here is a list of topics you should cover in your terms of trade:

1. How will the goods be ordered?
2. How will the orders be confirmed?
3. Will buyer/seller be entitled to cancel orders?
4. How is the price to be paid?
5. Are there handling/admin fees?
6. Are there penalties for late delivery/late payment?
7. Can either party offset amounts owing against an order?
8. How are credit facilities to be assessed/granted?
9. What defines delivery/collection?
10. Can orders be cancelled if not delivered by a certain date?
11. Must seller notify purchaser if delivery date changes?
12. Can goods/services be delivered in instalments?
13. What are the consequences if purchaser fails to accept delivery?
14. Can seller retain title until paid?
15. Does retention of title outlive termination of agreement?
16. Is confidential information being imparted, and how is it protected?
17. Are there any Privacy issues?
18. Should either party have the right to terminate without cause?
19. What are the consequences of termination?
20. Have warranty and liability issues been adequately addressed?
21. Are there guarantors, and are the guarantee terms clear?
22. The laws of which State apply?

As you can see there is a lot involved in the delivery of a service or product. It just might save you a lot of money to have a clear understanding by all parties from the beginning, rather than having to go to court and incur a lot of unnecessary legal fees to sort out a problem later.

Author Bio: Sue Hirst is the director of CAD Partners (CFO on Call), Financial Controllers, who provide small/medium businesses with the opportunity to use the on-site skills of ex-corporate finance managers on an on-call basis, without the normal high cost of hiring one full time. To learn more about Sue or to get in contact, view her profile.

Related posts:

1. Buying a business? Some matters to consider… It is prudent to conduct proper due diligence of a...
2. How to eliminate toxic debt from your business It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. In the wake of...
3. The basics of how trademarks work Trade mark registration is not compulsory but it is advisable....

Emotional intelligence (EI), often measured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), is one of the most important ideas to hit the business world in recent years. It is based on the notion of the ability, capacity, skill or a self-perceived ability, to identify, assess and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups.

The most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way: they all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence (EI).

For managers and leaders this means understanding their own emotions, and those of the people they work with.

Many believe it is the key to better business performance.

It is not that IQ and technical skills are irrelevant.  They do matter but mainly as entry level requirements for executive positions.

Intellect is, of course, a driver of outstanding performance: cognitive skills such as big picture thinking and long-term vision are very important.  However, when the ratio between technical skills, IQ and EI, as components of outstanding performance, was calculated by in a recent study by Daniel Goleman (author of emotional intelligence (Bantam 1995) EI proved to be twice as important as the others.

So which elements of EI drive outstanding performance? What are the top 5? Do you have them and if not can you learn them?

1) Self Awareness

Self awareness means having a deep understanding of your emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs and drives.  If you have strong self awareness you are neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful, you are honest with yourself and with others.

A self aware person would know that tight deadlines bring out the worst in them and would therefore plan their time carefully to get the work done in advance.

The other aspect of a self-aware person is that they understand their values.

If you haven’t already spent time examining your own values can I suggest that now is a good time.

How can you recognise self awareness in yourself? It shows itself as candour and an ability to assess yourself realistically.  One of the hallmarks is a self deprecating sense of humour.

2) Self –Regulation

Biological impulses drive our emotions.  We cannot do away with them but we can manage them.  Think of self regulation as your inner voice, that ‘mini me’ inside you.  It is that component of EI that frees us from being prisoners of our own feelings.  If you have self-regulation you feel the moods and emotional impulses just the same as everyone else but you find ways to control them and even channel them more usefully.  You manage your ‘state’ effectively.

Why does self-regulation matter for leaders? Well, if you are able to control your feelings and impulses you are able to create an environment of trust and fairness.  Politics and infighting will be reduced and productivity will go up.  Who wouldn’t want to work for this kind of organisation?

3) Motivation

This is one trait that virtually all leaders have.  Are you driven to achieve beyond expectations?  The key word here is achieve.  Plenty of people are motivated by external factors such a money or status but by contrast those with real leadership potential are motivated by a deeply embedded desire to achieve for the sake of achievement.

Do you love to learn and take pride in a job well done? Do you constantly raise the performance bar? If the answers are yes then you have what it takes.

4) Empathy

Of all the dimensions of EI empathy is the most easily recognised.

Empathy means thoughtfully considering others feelings – along with other factors – in the process of making smart leadership decisions.

Unfortunately, we rarely hear people praised for empathy in business.  In my opinion, it should be.  It is particularly important today as a component of leadership for three reasons:

• Team Building
  As a leader of a team you must be able to sense and understand the viewpoint of everyone so you can manage them effectively. The role of a leader is to get work done through others.  This is almost impossible if you don’t understand what is important and of value to them.

• Globalisation
  Cross cultural dialogue can easily lead to miscues and misunderstandings.  Empathy is an antidote.  People who have it are attuned to subtleties in body language; they can hear the message beneath the words being spoken.  Beyond that they have an understanding of the existence and importance of cultural and ethical differences.

• Talent retention
  Empathy plays a key role in talent retention.  Leaders have always needed empathy to develop and keep good people but today the stakes are higher.  When good people leave they take the companies knowledge with them.

5) Social Skills

The first three components of EI are self-management skills.  The last two, empathy and social skills are about your ability to manage relationships with others.  As a component of EI social skills are not as simple as they sound.  It is not just a matter of friendliness.  If you have highly developed social skills you will tend to have a wide circle of acquaintances and a knack for finding common ground with people of all kinds and an ability to build rapport.

People with social skills build bonds widely because they know that success is built on the quality of the relationships they have.

Are social skills considered a key leadership capability in most organisations? YES, especially when compared to other EI components

In Summary

It would be foolish to assert that good old fashioned IQ and technical ability are not important ingredients in strong leadership.  However the recipe would not be complete without EI.  It was once thought that the components of EI were ‘nice to have’ in business leaders.  Now we know that for top performance they are ingredients that leaders ‘need to have’.

It is fortunate then that EI can be learned.  The process is not easy and it takes time and commitment. However, the benefits that come from having a well developed EI make it worth the effort.

Are you able to self analyse yourself, or motivate those around you? Share your experiences in the comments below.

Author Bio:Louise Carter – Specialises in career and professional development and is particularly passionate about the advancement of women in the corporate world.
Website

Related posts:

1. Common mistakes when selling your business The time may eventually come, when for one reason or...
2. How to create a more productive workforce with effective people management Could better people management skills in your organisation boost your...
3. 5 things you ought to know about efficient & effective communication As the boss or the owner or the manager (or...

If there’s one advantage we small business owners have over the big end of town, it’s the capacity to build quality relationships with our customers. We often do this by interacting with our customers on an authentic and personal level, taking the time to know their name, personal preferences and any issues they may need resolved. Most people respond well to this – it makes them feel connected.

Of course, the connected customer is more likely to be converted into a customer for life.

So, what’s the best way to build quality relationships, establish that strong connection and provide a great customer experience? Why not try these 7 steps:

1) Know thy customer

You must know who you’re marketing to. Precisely who is your target market or ideal customer? What do they want from you? Once you’ve identified this, tell them how you’re going to solve their problem. Tell them stories – give them something they can relate to (and something to pass on!). This also helps to build your brand.

2) Put your personality into your marketing

Express yourself in your marketing. People want to relate to other human beings, not an organisation or a product, so be yourself.

3) Be honest and authentic

There’s no point in bending the truth or lying to your customers – ‘cause they’re gonna find out eventually. If you make a mistake, admit it, apologise and move on. After all, we’re all human, aren’t we? Being honest is much more likely to endear you to customers than attempting to cover it up – and being found out.

4) How’s your customer service?

What kind of customer experience are they receiving? Is it world-class? Are you delivering quality service at every point of contact? If you’re failing to deliver in one particular area, it will affect the customer’s experience and may diminish your chances of retaining that customer for life.

5) What do they think?

Have you ASKED your customers for their valuable feedback? Don’t assume you know what they want or what they’re experiencing – ask them… then LISTEN and learn!

6) Fix it, upgrade it, improve it

Listen to the feedback your customers provide. If improvements can be made, put the suggestions into place as soon as possible.

7) Keep them informed

Being innovate is all the more effective if you let it be known that you’re acting on your customer’s request, recommendation or feedback. After you’ve fixed a problem or made an improvement, tell the customer who made the suggestion, as well as all your other customers about how you’re responding to customer feedback – and then ask for more. Your customers will love being involved and ‘listened to’.

Taking the above steps will set you on the road to establishing strong connections with your customers and the reward will be customers for life.

Author Bio: Lyndall Guinery-Smith is passionate about empowering you to grow your small business owners and become the envy of your competitors. Visit her blog, Kiss Your Competition Goodbye, to learn how to stand out, grow, prosper and succeed.
Website

Related posts:

1. 7 Questions you need to ask your customers When you want to find out any information from your...
2. How to deal with difficult customers Difficult customers come in different shapes and sizes. They are...
3. Sales letters – 5 tactics to bring in a pile of customers to your business If you own a small business, you are going to...