There are a few things every business owner should understand to face the challenges of the current day market situations. Following are the pointers that every small business entrepreneurs should consider if they want to move their business to the next higher level.
Training Is An Ongoing Process
Every business should integrate a continuous learning plan in its process. It can even be a peer to peer or collaborative learning where someone who is has the know how can impart the training. Many small businesses, train the newly acquired talents while the veteran staff are rarely trained on anything new. This could be because of two reasons – time and cost.
An easiest way to beat the time challenge is to include training program into the teams’ job descriptions. Once in 90 days, an employee should be given training on something that would add value to the business. He in turn should impart newly acquired skill to the team members. The training should be mainly in four main areas such as
- How to deliver superior customer service
- Sales – How to engage and listen
- Product knowledge -How to match solutions to needs
- Procedures and systems – to get things done effectively and efficiently
However, before you send you employees for the training set measurable standards and let them know what you expect of them. This way it will be easier for them to take ownership of theirs as well as their peer’s progress in the firm.
Marketing Is About Educating The Consumers
Use marketing as an effective tool to connect with the people. Effective marketing accomplishes educating the people, persuading them to make a decision, and finally take an action. As a small business owner, you need to learn to use the online, traditional, direct as well as service.
Online Marketing
Online marketing is the main tool for every website. Have a company blog that gives an insight into what your company is currently into. Also, consider adding videos that allow the browsers a peak into behind the scenes and also the community work your company is into. The other handlers are social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and so on. These tools can bring in large amount of traffic to your website.
Traditional Marketing
It’s a fact that the traditional marketing such as posting an ad in the newspaper is dying a slow death. But at times it’s also a viable option. Many local dailies offer a combination of physical paper as well as in the online edition.
Direct Marketing
Here you can create personalized emails to your customers as well the prospects.
Service
Delivering a great service consistently is a key to success. Remember, each time a new customer comes to your business it adds value because they tell you how they feel about your business.
Sales Is Not A Dirty Word
Today’s consumers are more informed than ever and they have more choices. It’s not necessary that they need to buy from your competitor next door. With a few mouse clicks. Today, companies are not looking out for sales people with a “gift of gab”, instead a sales person who can engage in a conversation with a customer to understand and gauge his needs and expectations. You also need to remember that with the advancement in the technology, it’s not necessary that a buyer has to buy from you. If he is returning to you, it simply because of the experience he must have had with you. That is, you need to connect with your customers and deliver on the promises that you made.
Last but not the least understand it’s okay to make mistakes. Mistakes indicates that you are pushing your business to move forward. However, do not confuse sloppiness for mistakes. Mistakes happen when you are trying out new ways to succeed while sloppiness is because you don’t do something in spite of know you should.
