Business Training

"Manage or Be Managed"

BUSINESS TRAINING ARTICLES

Management Training- There are many skills and abilities that good managers ought to have. Here you'll find articles that will help you develop some of those skills including proper delegation, temperance, and honesty.

Business Training Courses- Discover what components are necessary to creating a thriving business. Also learn more about Entrepreneurial Success System- A great business training and consulting program.

Leadership Training- Leadership is an essential part of successful companies. Here are a few articles that will help you to become the leader your company needs. Don't miss our Success Patterns article that teaches vital principles of leadership and taking initiative.

Small Business Training- These articles hold the keys to success for new and/or small businesses from finding funding and launching your business to clarifying your goals and marketing your products.

Time Management- Your ability to accomplish your goals will improve dramatically when you learn to properly manage your time. These articles can help you in your efforts to become more organized and effective.

Effective Meetings- Business men and women can't avoid planning and conducting meetings. However, when you understand how to make meetings short and effective they can actually become enjoyable.

Here is a sample article:

AVOID CUSTOMER CONFLICT - FIVE PRINCIPLES TO CREATE CONSISTENTLY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
by Rod Alan Richardson

Customer satisfaction can be managed and controlled. Dissatisfaction is usually a result of a breakdown in your system (established procedure), or there is an inconsistency in the way you deliver your product or service. Here are five principles that will help you consistently satisfy those that buy from you.

1. Have your customers pre-establish the expectation - Imagine having a customer answer four simple questions for you before you make the transaction. Such as:

• Why are you purchasing from me?

• What do you hope to experience by purchasing from me?

• What would have to occur for you to conclude you had a high quality experience purchasing from me?

• What actions might you do that would keep you from being dissatisfied with your purchase from me?

Now actually strike up a conversation with a real customer by asking a question like, “So… what brought you to my store?” If the customer has an expectation that you cannot meet then you can clarify and come to an agreement about what the result will be, or say NEXT.

2. The Power of Expertise - What are you doing to be the absolute best at in your field? People want the best, because they want an excellent result. But, even more than a excellent result, customers want a predictable result. Why do you think McDonalds sells more hamburgers than anyone else? When I go into a strange town, I find that I am most inclined to go to McDonalds, not because I particularly like it, but because I know what to expect. I don't want to spend time anticipating my result. There are many places that make better tasting hamburgers than McDonalds, but no one is better at “making” hamburgers than McDonalds.

3. People only know what you tell them - We must keep an open line of communication with our customers. If a problem arises, handle it quickly and don't choose the Ostrich Management (Bury your head in the sand and hope they go away). Give them direct and immediate attention. Are your phone lines always open? Do you have enough people to respond to email queries? Can you respond to any request within 24 hours maximum? Do you do exactly what you say you will do in the time you said you would do it? A positive response to these questions will build customer confidence; a negative response to these questions will erode trust.

4. Eliminate annoyances and create winning performance patterns - what habits, or procedures, or actions do you have that are distracting your customers from having a consistently good experience? Are you always late, or don't bother showing up to meetings? Do you have annoying call hold music? Is your customer's point of contact with your company cooperative and friendly, or is it brash, cold and impersonal? Is your work sloppy and unorganized? Your customers may see distractions that are keeping them from recognizing the real value you bring to them. Take some time to ask a few of your customers how they feel about doing business with you. You may get some real positive reinforcement, or get some valuable insight on how to improve.

5. People respond to directness and clarity - Customers are busy. Nobody likes to leave an interaction without knowing what is next, or being clear on the solution. Making assumptions, being indirect, and not communicating clearly wastes time. Focus on creating more clarity in your communication. Ask direct questions and ask the customer to restate what they heard you say. Don't leave understanding to the imagination.

No one needs enemies-especially enemies that were a part of your paying customer base. Keep customer dissatisfaction at bay by following the principles we've discussed here and build consistency in your systems so that you achieve a predictable outcome every time. Everyone will be happier!