Mike Michalowicz's Blog, page 89

Are You a Workaholic? You’re In Trouble…Productivity Sucks!

Are you the type of person who works while on vacation, checks e-mails on your Smartphone while at dinner, and has to make one last phone call before walking away? Maybe you are a typical workaholic. You are not alone; millions of people are addicted to their work. And while you may think that is a good thing, there are several reasons why it actually is not.

Workaholic Tendencies

Typical workaholics have a difficult time walking away from their work or out of the office. They even tend to start neglecting other areas of their life, because they are so consumed by their work. In addition, they are the type of people who have a difficult time delegating work to others, and when they do delegate, they tend to micromanage the entire time.

Did you know that, in addition to the health problems due to stress that all that workaholic behavior can lead to, there is more to be concerned about? Studies have shown that 9-to-5ers are actually more productive, per hour, than those who are workaholics. (You, know, the 9-to-9ers.)

I used to be proud of how hard I worked. My typical chest pounding went: “Look! I work 12 hours a day, every day. I put in 80 hours a week, baby! I have a great work ethic!”

Turning Over a New Leaf

But then I realized that, by working those long hours, I had simply afforded myself an excuse. I didn’t need to be efficient anymore. I could just say to myself that, if I didn’t do it now, I could do it tonight, and stay up until 2 a.m. to get it done. Being a workaholic turned me into a procrastinator. I seriously had the ultimate micro-mañana syndrome!

Ironically, when I forced myself to leave work each day by 5 p.m., my whole scheduled changed. I started skipping the nonsense distractions, such as the constant checking of e-mail, or surfing (ahem – researching) the Internet. I actually got down to work during that time. My per-hour productivity skyrocketed! And I was getting more done in a 9-to-5 day than I used to in an entire “workaholic day.”

Road to Recovery

So if you label yourself a workaholic, recognize that you are really labeling yourself as woefully unproductive. It is time to start turning yourself into a productivity machine. And the trick to doing that is simple. Force yourself to leave at 5 p.m. every day. That is how I do it, and you can, too!

Each day, I schedule a 5 o’clock appointment with someone. Sometimes it is a workout at the gym with a friend. Other times, it is a doctor’s appointment. Still other times, it is a get-together with my wife. The key here is to force yourself to be physically out of your office by 5.

Increased Productivity

The forced break and change of location that you give yourself will work wonders for shutting off the workload for that day. And with that forced break at 5 p.m., you will learn that you must be productive from 9 to 5.

When you first make the switch, it will take some time to adjust. Just be patient with yourself. Before you know it, you will stop feeling guilty for not working during every free moment you have, and you can actually enjoy your vacation. Your personal relationships will improve, as others sense that you are giving them a higher priority. (Remember, you will no longer be texting or calling a client during your romantic dinners.) And if you have serious difficulty making the transition, find a Workaholics Anonymous meeting near you. (Seriously, they do exist!)

No longer be a workaholic. Instead, become a productivity-aholic.

The 8 Parts Of The Entrepreneurs Happiness Quotient

Many people go into business to make money, so they can use it to do things that make them happy. The problem is others go into the same line of business because it makes them happy, and yet they kick the crap out of the people who are just doing it just for the money. I’m not talking about kicking the crap out of them in a violent way. I mean they’re actually making more money than the money focused guys.

Happy guys just have it all over miserable, pissy guys because they’re happier. The key is this…. if it makes you happy, if it plays into your passion…. if it makes you want to get out of bed in the morning that’s what will keep you going in a good way, for a long time. Big money, huge, ball busting, cover of BusinessWeek and Forbes Magazine money is created by entrepreneurs who have a passion and drive for what they do, and who go about it smartly and with a smile on their face. Here’s how they get there:

1. Happiness first, money next. Stop focusing on the money. Focus on your business, your clients or customers, your employees and your systems. Make sure everything is running smooth and everybody is being treated well and feeling good. Then look at your money. Chances are very good when your happy ducks are in a row, so are your financial ducks. Quack, quack my friends. Quack, quack.

2. Turn off the news. That means news feeds, TV, radio, and whatever channels you are attached to daily that stream in fear, terror and the apocalypse. Leave the “if it leads it bleeds” media mentality. The more you feed that junk food crap to your mind, the more you’ll believe the world sucks and the more unhappy you’ll be. Remember, what you feed, grows. Stop feeding fear.

3. Sleep. Sleep isn’t just something you do so you can function. It’s a part of your business strategy, or it should be. Sleep is a need you have to refresh and energize you. Did you know you can actually DIE from lack of sleep? It is the only way to survive the marathon of growing a business… to be rested and ready. So see your business as a long marathon and allow yourself to move forward more slowly and more deliberately… and give yourself the sleep you need. Being well rested, by the way, makes you happier.

4. Relationships. As a general rule, people feed off of other people, in good ways as well as bad. Focus on the good feeders—the people who give you energy just by being around them. Pick the business relationships you surround yourself with – happy people will make you happy.

5. Share. Share whatever you have with at least one person (more is okay) every day. That might mean offering them a stick of gum, a piece of the several pieces of fruit you brought to work, or a ride somewhere. You’ll figure it out. Your parents and kindergarten teacher didn’t pound this skill set into you for naught.

6. Express your gratitude. You probably didn’t notice that people do stuff for you all day long right? There’s the old guy, or the young girl who held the door for you at some store or restaurant right? Or what about the guy at the grocery who let you cut in front of him because you only had one item and he had 27? Don’t just nod and say, “Thanks.” Stop and actually look the person in the eye and say, “Thank you, I appreciate that. I needed a kindness today.” You’ll not only wow them, but you’ll inspire them to repeat their kindness the rest of the day.

7. Random Act of Kindness. This is not me getting in touch with my feminine side. It’s me getting in touch with my practical side. Random acts of kindness not only make other people feel good, they actually make you feel good, empowered, in control, confident and happy. Studies show that giving and receiving causes our bodies to release endorphins—which are the body’s natural happy hormones.

8. Connect with friends. People, relationships and family are what make most of us truly happy. Take time to significantly connect with at least one friend a week. Go to lunch. Talk about something besides work. Send them a handwritten card expressing appreciation for something they did for you lately. Share a favorite book or audio book with them—gift them something through Kindle. Share something you know will make them smile—a photo, cartoon or video you’ve found.

Be happy. The success of your business depends on it.

You Don’t Sell What You Sell

Jeez, do people get this one wrong! The sooner entrepreneurs understand that their customers do not consume their product or service, the faster they can focus on taking more money to the bank. This is one that every successful entrepreneur must get right: people consume what your product or service delivers. They consume the benefits that it provides.

Lesson 1: Sell the benefit, not the product.

Just Do It

Case in point: Nike. When you think of Nike, you may think that they sell shoes and athletic wear. While that may be how it appears on the outside, dig a little deeper and you will find that there is a much larger and more profitable story. In all reality, they are selling something else – they are selling the idea of winning and athleticism. They sell the idea, hope and dream of being the next superstar basketball player, tennis player or golfer. They have sold the world on the fact that champion athletes are synonymous with their name.

One look inside the way Nike works makes it easy to see that they are selling a lifestyle. The lifestyle they are offering is one inhabited by world-class athletes, winners, and the champions of their respective fields. From Michael Jordan to Lebron James and Tiger Woods, the face of Nike is literally that of a champion. And Nike has tapped into every corner of the athletic world, including swimming, skateboarding, soccer, and snowboarding.

Did you see that? They are in snowboarding. Snowboarders don’t even use sneakers! Yet, Nike is there in a big way. Nike gets it, and hopefully you will too, by the end of my blog post.

Lesson 2: Nike doesn’t sell shoes, it sells winning.

Speak To What People Buy

When people view the Nike website they see success, and the shoes are simply the way the success is delivered. Whether you are viewing the leaders in the field of football, or of running or of snowboarding, just viewing those pages makes you think you can succeed. It speaks to consumers who feel they are winners or are aspiring to be winners. It is a no brainer; if you want to win you must own Nike stuff!

When people purchase a pair of Nike shoes, they are not just buying a pair of shoes; they could do that from any company out there. They chose Nike because of the winning advantage that Nike seemingly provides. Yes, they are also comfortable and stylish, but everything is secondary to stellar performance.

Lesson 3: The benefit is WHAT people buy. The “shoe” is simply HOW it’s delivered.

Winning Everywhere

Could you imagine Nike selling orthopedic comfort shoes? They would go out of business faster than Hussein Bolt can sprint the 40. Nike knows it’s not selling shoes, it sells winning. If Nike simply sold shoes, they would obviously carry a good set of orthopedics. But, are comfort shoes for winners? No! So Nike doesn’t carry them.

Nike has the winning attitude everywhere. It is absolutely consistent. Only winning athletes represent the brand. Only winning lifestyles are represented in their materials. The slogans too are all about winning – “be unstoppable,” “built for speed,” and “run unleashed.” All of these tap into the core benefit that the consumer is seeking – winning.

Successful companies sell the benefit, simply using their product or service as the delivery vehicle. For example, think about Viagra. People are buying endless sex. They are not buying a blue pill. It’s all about the benefit. Flower shops around the country are not selling flowers. They are selling romance, wishes, hope, apologies, smiles, etc. Home cleaning services aren’t selling sparkling showers. They are selling the gift of free time.

Lesson 4: Know the benefit you sell and make every face of your business highlight that benefit.

Defining What You Sell

The most successful companies are those that have identified what they are truly selling, which is the benefit that the customer gets from using the product or service. So what exactly is the benefit that you are selling? If you can’t readily answer that question, you need to figure it out because, after all, that is all your customer wants anyway.

How Do I Know That My Employees Trust Me?

The fundamental underpinning for life itself is trust. If people didn’t have trust, they wouldn’t even get-up in the morning. Think about it. Your employee trusts the floor is going to hold them up when they get out of bed. They trust their car won’t explode as they drive to your building. And ultimately, your employee trusts you and your leadership of your company. Or do they? And how would you know either way?

The thing is, sometimes floors collapse (eating one too many boxes of Girl Scout cookies does not help), cars explode (The Pinto, people. The Pinto) and employees sometimes don’t trust a single, stinking word you say. That is a nasty problem that can end-up destroying your company.

If you want your company to achieve the greatest (or even a modicum) of success, you need people you can trust and who trust you. You can easily pick out the people you trust (simply listen to your gut), but how do you pick out the people who trust you? Here are 5 ways:

1. Do you trust them? – Trust is based upon reciprocity. Trust begets trust. If you can trust them, chances are they can and will trust you. Do you believe them when they talk? Are they honorable in the workplace and out? Can you see yourself telling them a secret and knowing they wouldn’t tell a soul? If so, they probably feel the same way about you.

2. Small demonstrations – Do they confide small things in you? If they confide in you the little things, they would ultimately move toward bigger things, too. This is a good hint that they trust you. We are often willing to tell people we trust details of our lives, especially if we know that person won’t tell others.

3. Personal stories – The most vulnerable part of a person is their personal life. Messing up in the workplace is not nearly as vulnerable of a story as messing up in a marriage. If they share their personal stories (even if just small ones), you can guarantee they trust you. People share their personal lives with those they trust.

4. Non-Replaceables – Do they give you control over things that can’t be replaced. Maybe they let you borrow their autographed CD, or some other one of a kind effect. Lending something that can’t be replaced is a major demonstration of trust. You wouldn’t let just anyone borrow your prized possessions, and neither would they.

5. Do they trust others? – People have natural, varying degrees of trust. Some people are naturally more trusting than others. If your employees clearly trust each other, they likely trust you, too.

Having employees who trust you and the leadership of your company are like treasure. They are important, priceless, and should be held onto. People often drop hints as to whether or not they trust you, so look for them. Find the people who trust you, and whom you can trust, and your company’s foundation will be strong!

And, perhaps the most important key of determining if employees trust you, is to simply know this: People trust those who are trustworthy. So, the question comes back to you- Are you trustworthy?

Episode 32: Marketing and Customer Service Noah Fleming and Gary Turner

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 Show Summary

Bestselling author Noah Fleming,  and UK Xero’s Managing Director, Gary Turner, join us for Episode 32 of the Profit First Podcast.

 

Our Guests

 

Noah Fleming (left)

Noah is a marketing expert. As a thought leader in strategic marketing and customer loyalty, Noah helps clients dramatically and rapidly increase sales, multiply profits, and maximize customer value.

He is the trusted source for coaching and consulting to thousands of owners, executives, and individuals. Noah is the author of the Amazon #1 bestselling book in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service – EVERGREEN: Cultivate The Enduring Customer Loyalty That Keeps Your Business Thriving.

Gary Turner (right)

Gary subscribed to Personal Computer World magazine at the age of 12 in 1981 and taught himself BASIC in his parents’ attic when he should have been chasing girls. He has been messing around with technology for more than 30 years and writing about it online for ten.

Now a 20-year veteran of the UK accounting software industry, Gary was Product Group Director for Microsoft Dynamics before joining Xero, beautiful accounting software, to lead its UK operations in 2008. He has sat on the IT Faculty Technical Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales since 2005.

 

Show Quotes 

Too many people see the “closing of the deal” as the end – but in reality it’s just the beginning.

Some loyal customers may not be worth keeping. For example:

Hungry Hippos – they take advantage and ask for lower prices, more discounts, better deals.

Problem children – you can’t please them no matter what you do.

Ask yourself: Are these really the customers I want to deal with?

Our questions dictate what we see. Here’s question 2 of 4 you can ask your clients to become more profitable:

Meet with your best customer and ask “What’s wrong with my Industry?” This is the best way to get people to tell you what you can improve on (instead of asking “what am I doing wrong?”).

Talk to your customers to find out what they want!

App of the week: IFTTT – If This, Then That.

 

Show Links

Noah Fleming

Noah’s Book: Evergreen on Amazon.com

Website: http://noahfleming.com/

Twitter: @noahfleming

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flemingconsulting

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahfleming

Gary Turner

Website: https://xero.com/ 

Twitter: @garyturner

 

Corporate Partners

Nextiva – VOIP phone providers for small businesses.

Fundera – Single source online funding for entrepreneurs. Also offers an adviser program for CPAs, bookkeepers and business coaches.

TSheets – The #1 customer rated time tracking solution!

Profitable Pricing in Four Steps

A jewelry store at a busy cruise ship port had a store full of items, one of which wasn’t selling, despite its relatively modest price of $25.  Frustrated and worried about getting the inventory moving, the store manager told her employee to drop the price to $18 and just close the thing out.  The manager returned from a few days off and discovered that her employee had misunderstood her and raised the price to $80.  In a panic, the manager went looking for the back inventory to change the prices, only to discover that the one piece in the case was the last in the store.  Her employee had mistakenly raised the price and sold them out.

That’s a pricing lesson.

Pricing can be more complex than we realize, and we may end up shooting ourselves in the foot, trying to figure out how cheaply we need to sell our wares, when in fact, consumers are willing to pay more!  If you’re moving lots of product at unsustainably low prices, it’s bad for your business, and you must raise your prices or perish.  Here’s how to adjust your pricing without alienating your customers.

1. Get over yourself.  You are the biggest opponent to raising your prices because you’re scared that you will lose customers.  What you must realize is that no one else actually cares that much.  The biggest barrier to charging profitable prices in in your own mind.  Get over it, and keep this in your back pocket:  if you raise prices and it flops, then you can always lower them.  You’re the boss, and you get to raise and lower prices as you see fit.  If you have a range of offerings, try experimenting with raising the price on just one or two items and track the results.  I’m telling you now that you’ll likely see little effect on sales, and your increased margin makes your bottom line look much healthier.  Think about all of the products that you purchase on a regular basis, and think about how many times the prices have gone up.  You still continue to buy the things you need and want … and your customers will to.

2. Notify your existing customers and tell them why you’re raising the price.  Customers don’t like to be surprised by price increases.   Make an announcement, give them a date for the increase to go into effect, and briefly explain why you’re raising the price.  Are you hiring a new employee to serve them better?  Are you investing in a new line of products or buying better equipment in order to improve your service?  Let your customers know where their money is going, and they’ll be much more receptive to the change.  Now you might lose a few clients over your increase, but there are actually two additional benefits of raising prices.  First, the clients who leave are nearly always the folks who are difficult and costly to you in terms of the time and resources they require.  You probably won’t even miss them.  The other benefit is that raising prices – and asking yourself if you’re charging a fair price – means that you’re reflecting and making sure that you’re offering your best product, the very best service that’s truly worth a little more.  If you believe that your product is worth every penny you’re charging, then your customers are likely to agree with you.

3. Offer a lower priced alternative.  When you decide that you simply must raise prices to remain competitive, think about bumping the price of your existing product and creating a stripped-down version at a lower cost. Consider the computer industry – the highest margins are at the extremes in the pricing strategy.  Both the high end and the low end products are the most profitable, in part because the cost to the seller is so much less for the low end items.  Cut your costs and offer your clients a deal.

4. Make your money in the margins.  Your profit is the retail price less the cost of goods sold.  If you can find ways to reduce your costs, then even if you leave the retail price the same, you’ve instantly made that product more profitable.  Step back and evaluate your pricing and costs periodically to ensure that you’re as efficient and cost effective as possible.  You’ll find bonus dollars if you can raise your prices slightly and also cut your costs a bit.

The best place to start when you’re examining your pricing structure is with the quality of the product you produce.  If you’re offering exceptional value and convenience, then your product may be worth far more than you’re charging.   Charging a fair price for your product means that you can pay your staff (including yourself) fairly, and still give good value.

8 Suggestions to Improve Your Sales Team’s Performance

A sales team is the backbone of many companies. In order for your company to profit and grow, you need an effective sales team to bring in the big bucks! But figuring out how to go about having an effective sales team can be a job in and of itself. You need them to find ways to get the business, or at least a chance to give their pitch, and following established methods just doesn’t work the way it used to.

If you have a sales team that could use a little help, it may be time to think beyond the “smiling and dialing.” Instead, consider these eight unexpected ways to get sales booming:

1. Join a board. Have your sales team members join the board of a not-for-profit, as there are usually a lot of powerful decision-makers on the board. This will give them a chance to have at least the opportunity for an introduction and meeting.

2. Go for voicemail. You rarely get people live on the phone, so most of your competition is reverting to e-mail these days. Ironically, voicemail is the better option, as it is targeted to the person you want to talk to, and your voice message typically gets their individual attention. Plus, you can master your message (as long as it sounds personal) and leave the same message for a number of new prospects.

3. Focus on vendors. Have your team focus on calling on vendors, rather than prospects. This way, they can put their efforts into building referral networks.

4. Pitch outsourcing. Have the sales person scour the job ads of big companies. Once they locate the ads, have them place a call to the company that is looking to hire employees and suggest that perhaps your company could fill that need instead.

5. Lumpy mail. Have you ever noticed that bulky mail gets put on top of the stack? Take advantage of the fact that lumpy mail always gets noticed! Have your sales person send a piece of mail that is not a standard envelope. Maybe they can send a shoe and then include a note that says, “Now that I have one shoe in the door… let’s meet.”

6. Volunteer. Let your sales people volunteer for fundraisers or other events where your key prospects will also be in attendance. It is a great way for them to get some face time and build relationships.

7. Become a journalist. Have your sales person conduct interviews of prospects for your website or blog. The interviews must be genuine, and you should post them to your site. It will allow you to build a foundation for ongoing dialogue, which is exactly what sales people need.

8. Clip articles. When a prospect is highlighted in a newspaper or magazine, have your sales person clip the article, mail it to the prospect and congratulate them on the exposure. Have them include their business card; if nothing else, they will likely get a thank you, and it will start the dialog. Alternatively, send along an article that you think will be of interest to the prospect.

If you follow the old-school method of sales, you have your sales team making cold-calls or stopping by someone’s office. But that’s no longer the best route to take. Try using some of these other active routes. They may just bring your sale team that much need victory. Plus, if your old method of sales isn’t working, just doing more of it won’t fix things.

What Makes Great Marketing, Great?

Great marketing generates educated, filtered prospects who are convinced you have the right solution for them. Your sales team gets inquiries from qualified, knowledgeable prospects. Their job is simply to ask for the order.

Bad marketing generates general prospects that need to both be educated and filtered by your sales team.  The sales team’s job becomes a complex (and time consuming process) of both qualifying and educating random prospects. Their job is now twofold – be a marketer and a sales person.

Great marketing is efficient and results in scalable companies.  Bad marketing is sloppy and results in an ever ending quest for “rainmakers.” And, as I suspect you already know, there aren’t too many that exist and the ones that do cost more than you could ever afford.

The Deathbed Thoughts of an Entrepreneur

So you are one of those hard-core, hard-driving, workaholic entrepreneurs, right? You’re a winner! I get it. And I applaud you, or at least I would have applauded you years ago. In fact, I would have done the “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy” hand wave dance for you back then. I might even have tried to kiss your feet. But today? None of that. Today, in fact, I feel sorry for you.

You see, I was that guy. Years ago, I was dead set on winning the entrepreneurial game. I wore the title ‘workaholic’ like a badge of courage. But one day, on a very nondescript day, I had an epiphany. It all clicked for me. On the day I die, I won’t be saying I should have worked harder. I will be asking myself if I lived life to the fullest. I will ask myself if I fulfilled my life’s purpose. I will wonder whether I loved my family and friends unabashedly.

Perhaps it was the Sam Walton story that helped me to see the error of my ways. He was a guy that I idolized for his business success, and today I still aspire to learn from the final words that he spoke on his deathbed.

Sam Walton, by any measure, is considered to be the ultimate entrepreneur. He took a small general store, revolutionized the retail industry, and built his business into the world mega-corporation that Walmart is today. During his lifetime, he was in regular contention for being the richest man in the world. I mean, the man made a five-and-dime into a world power. Yet it is what he said on his deathbed that should give us all pause.

His final words, uttered prior to his death, were “I blew it.”

How could that be?, you ask. He was a full-time, always-there business man. But that is where the problem lies because, when it came to the rest of his life, he was never so dedicated or “there.” He was never there as a father, husband and friend. He had the wealthiest pockets, but he had the poorest soul. And, in the last minutes of his life, he realized where he had failed.

I wonder if the same would be true for a man or woman who dies, having lived the richest life with family and friends they loved, yet didn’t have a business success story. I suspect that they won’t say, “I blew it.”

Here’s the hard truth: you and I are on our deathbed. Of course, I hope I am being figurative here, not literal. I hope you and I still have time. But I can guarantee you that we will eventually experience it. We are all going to die. And for all of us it will happen sooner than we want, if we don’t start working on the life part way more than the entrepreneurial part.

Sam Walton left us with the greatest entrepreneurial lesson of all time. It is better to have an incomplete business life than an incomplete human life. Keep that in mind as you work on your business. It may be important to you to have business success and reach goals, but it is more important to build loving and meaningful relationships.

On your deathbed, it is the people you loved and with whom you built relationships that will be there, providing you comfort, not a business or a bank account. In the end, they are what will matter, not how big your company is, or how much money you have stashed away in the bank. And Sam Walton is proof of that.

Episode 31: Business Relationships and Profitability Scott Weintraub and Jennifer Dawn

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Show Summary

Business founders Scott Weintraub and Jennifer Dawn join us for Episode 31 of the Profit First Podcast. Scott shares his method of networking. Jennifer shares her coaching experience in helping business owners put their Profit First.

 

Our Guests

Scott Weintraub (left)

Scott is a founding principal of Healthcare Regional Marketing, playing a lead role in all aspects of the business, including product development, new business development, and HRM brand management. Since its launch in March 2007, HRM has enjoyed impressive revenue and profit growth.

Prior to HRM, Scott’s career began at Procter & Gamble, where he quickly excelled in brand management on national brands such as Cover Girl cosmetics, Coast and Safeguard bar soap, and Secret antiperspirant.

Scott joined Pfizer, where he was responsible for brand management, marketing and P&L for more than half of Pfizer’s over-the-counter brands, including Dramamine, Kaopectate, Cortaid, Micatin, Surfak, Doxidan, and Emetrol. After a successful run of managing these OTC brands, he transitioned to the company’s pharmaceutical division.

Scott has experience on all aspects of the prescription drug business, specializing in direct-to-physician marketing, KOL management, direct-to-consumer marketing, managed care, and sales force and customer relations. He has worked on billion-dollar, blockbuster brands (Lipitor, Norvasc, Zoloft, and Celebrex), along with smaller brands, and is a recognized expert in driving product performance in regional markets.

Scott earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati and is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University.

Jennifer Dawn (right)

Jennifer Dawn began her career working for IBM and the Governor of Florida. At age 23 she founded her first business, a software company providing Point of Sale systems to amusement parks. She grew it from nothing to seven figures while traveling the world. She went on to become the Software Division President for a $54M manufacturing firm and then led national accountability & mastermind groups for a network of women entrepreneurs. Now, Jennifer mentors business owners to grow healthy and profitable companies.  She is the proud mother of three beautiful children and married to Douglas Robbins, a fiction author.

 

Show Quotes 

Instead of cold calling, focus on networking and asking your clients for referrals.

Put the effort in to build a trust element with your clients.

If you do not have a sound financial system in place it does not matter how much money you are bringing in. It’s important to understand how to get your money working for you.

Our questions dictate what we see. Here’s question 1 of 4 you can ask your clients to become more profitable:

Meet with your best customer and ask “What am I doing right?” Your customer will give you feedback. Here is the key: they are not telling you are doing right – they are telling you what they are observing, the color that they are looking for. Now you know what you can improve on.

App of the week: KeePass Password Safe

 

Show Links

Scott Weintraub

Website: http://www.hrmexperts.com/ 

Jennifer Dawn

Website:  http://jenniferdawncoaching.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JenniferDawn8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferDawn8

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdawn

 

Corporate Partners

Nextiva – VOIP phone providers for small businesses.

Fundera – Single source online funding for entrepreneurs. Also offers an adviser program for CPAs, bookkeepers and business coaches.

TSheets – The #1 customer rated time tracking solution!