For some, the meaning of the adage “the customer is always right” has evolved from “businesses should listen to consumers because they drive the market” to “businesses should always focus on giving customers exactly what they want—no matter the ask or the cost.” However, sometimes the customer isn’t actually right, and giving in to their demands isn’t the wise move. When a customer is angry or frustrated, it’s important for a business to listen to and empathize with their concerns. But if that customer is ultimately wrong, you shouldn’t make unreasonable sacrifices or do something that’s not really in their best interests just to get back into their good graces. Here, 10 Young Entrepreneur Council members share their thoughts on how to strike a balance between ensuring a customer feels well-treated and doing what’s right for your business. 1. Extract The Problem, Then Present Solutions As the famous saying goes, “To someone with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” The most important thing to remember when the “customer isn’t right” is that by the sheer fact of engaging you, they know they have a problem, but they most likely don’t know a good solution. When trying to explain, they often throw out ineffective ideas (often the exact “ideas” that got them where they are in the first place). It is our job to extract the true problem from them and then present solutions from our much larger toolkit. Once you show you truly understand a customer’s needs and how your solution fulfills them, they will almost always accept your solution. Throughout my career, I have seen that if we do this, the customers stop bringing ideas and just call us for solutions, and they are never wrong again. - Jason Azevedo, MRCA 2. Show Them You Hear Them Listening is key. We find that clients want to be heard. When you can repeat back what the client has said to you at the start, without suggesting anything or pushing back, it builds trust and they feel understood. This is key to eliminating any tension. We find that when we listen first and repeat a client’s request back to them, they are ten times more open to our suggestions for what we feel is best for their business. By simply showing them we understand their side, we find they are much more receptive to our side. We’ve done this when negotiating higher retainers or justifying price increases, and it almost always works. At the very least, it allows for a much more pleasant discussion. - Ethan Kramer, EK Creative 3. Validate Their Feelings I’ve found it’s more important for the customer to feel heard than to be right. Over the years, we’ve had many customer complaints, including some legitimate ones due to mistakes on our part. Once they realize they are talking to a real person who is empathetic and apologetic about their experiences, most customers become more reasonable in their demands. “I’m so sorry you had that experience! That’s not the experience we wanted for you. How can we make things better in the future?” goes so much further than, “Sorry you feel that way. Nothing we can do.” - Pokin Yeung, Big Box Labs 4. Stay True To Your Core Values In all my businesses, we have clearly defined core values that the whole team knows by heart, and we make sure that all actions are taken with those core values in mind. Two of the team’s favorites are “Love not Fear” and “Customer Success.” We always strive to do the best for our clients, and we do it with love. However, if a client is not behaving in line with our core values and the team is affected by that, we don’t hesitate to terminate the contract with that client. Our core values are our North Star, and by following those, we do what’s best for the business while providing the best possible service for our clients. - David Henzel, LTVplus 5. Get To The Bottom Of What The Client Really Wants First, leading a client relationship is key. The moment they are leading us, we are no longer a strategic partner, but a services vendor. Second, make sure you understand what the client truly wants—often, it’s not what they initially come asking for. What they really want may be top-line growth, or more SQLs, or even improved employee engagement. But what they may ask for is a “new website” or a “campaign” or something that’s just a tactic to get to the bigger want. Third, make sure you clearly help the client understand why you’re pushing the solutions that you are. When you explain the “why,” it’s easier for them to grasp the full picture and get on board with the work being done. - Andrew Howlett, Struck 6. Establish A Strong Company Culture It is definitely sometimes hard to establish a balance between what a customer asks for and what’s best for the business. What really helps is to predefine concrete business values and establish a strong company culture. The company values act as the unofficial regulator for your employees, while a strong culture is present in all business operations, including interactions with customers. Culture is there throughout the whole customer journey, ensuring smooth onboarding and the setting of clear expectations. - Dave Hengartner, ready 7. Determine Whether Making Changes Will Fit Into Your Business Plan While it is important to be adaptable and able to respond to clients’ needs, you also have to keep in mind whether making changes fits into your business plan. Although it’s tempting, we all know that being everything to everybody is unrealistic. If a client’s needs exceed what you are able to provide or fall outside your sphere of expertise, you may have to agree to part ways. However, many times, being flexible to accommodate a client’s needs can help take your business to the next level by compelling you to level up your service. The key to hitting the right balance is being confident in what does and doesn’t fit into your business model and whether or not changes can really improve your bottom line while still being worthwhile adaptations to your business in the long term. - Maria Thimothy, OneIMS 8. Know When To Hold And When To Fold I equate dealing with customers and what they want—or are complaining about—to playing poker. You have to know when to hold and when to fold. Customers who are left unhappy will talk about you on social media and/or will post a bad review, so you have to let them feel as though they’ve “won”—even if they didn’t actually “win.” This calls for some finesse and smooth-talking, as well as doing something that doesn’t hurt your business’ bottom line. I had one customer who complained there wasn’t enough of a product for everyone at an event. There was a second option, but she wanted “that” option, and five people didn’t get it. I gave her credit for the five people, which totaled around $50, and apologized. That was a small price to pay for her walking away satisfied. - Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure 9. Be Transparent During The Conversation Find out what the customer really wants. Believe it or not, a lot of the time they just want to be heard and don’t necessarily want a discount, freebie or refund. But when they do, be honest and upfront and offer them something of value while also protecting your assets or revenues. As long as you’re transparent during the conversation, you can usually come to a mutually agreeable outcome. - Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance 10. Keep In Constant Communication With Customers And Employees When it comes to customer experience, every situation is unique. Most of the time, you can make customers happy or offer them something to make their day and alleviate any issues. But when it comes to striking a balance between the customer being right and your business, you need to use your best judgment. Again, it depends on the situation. Finding a happy medium between elevating your business and keeping customers happy means you need to constantly check in with your customers as well as your employees to gauge how everything is going. Keeping in constant communication is key to running a business smoothly and successfully so that both the customers and employees are happy. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms Source: Forbes.com Image Credit: Pexels.com - Photo by Adrienn
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There is a direct correlation between company culture and business success. In today’s competitive business world, having a solid company culture is paramount for success. In fact, 72% of companies that engaged with PwC's Global Culture Survey 2021 "report that culture helps successful change initiatives happen." To create a successful business, you must focus not only on the task at hand but also on the environment and people in which those tasks are being created. That said, here's how great company culture can drive business success. 1. Enhances Productivity One of the most significant benefits of excellent company culture is fostering teamwork. Collaboration and cooperation are essential for any team or organization to succeed, even in competitive industries. A strong company culture encourages everyone to contribute ideas, offer feedback and improve processes. This can lead to increased efficiency, new ideas and innovation, which can help your business grow and thrive in an increasingly competitive market. When you have a good company culture, your employees will trust each other and the management team. This will make it easier for everyone to work together on projects and improve the overall productivity of your business. 2. Improves Employee Engagement And Makes Work More Fun Happier employees are more engaged, and more engaged employees are more productive, creative and committed to excellence. This combination leads to more satisfied customers, a stronger brand and better business results. The workplace can be a highly stressful environment for many employees often due to the pressure to perform and be recognized for their achievements. However, companies and HR professionals should not underestimate the power of employee engagement and happiness. People who enjoy going to work are happier and more productive, which is good for both employees and employers. Great company culture doesn’t mean you constantly have parties or ignore hard work; instead, it focuses on creating a positive environment where employees feel appreciated. Happy employees are more likely to be loyal and stay with the company longer, which means reducing turnover rates and lowering recruitment costs. This can also lead to higher productivity, better customer service and higher profits. 3. Attracts Top Talent And Helps Retain Them Companies need to engage in some aggressive recruiting tactics or risk being left with unfilled positions, or worse, hiring people who aren’t suitable for the job. A company with a good reputation as an employer will also have more success in retaining its existing staff. In today’s job market, people are more likely than ever to change jobs regularly, and employers need to keep their workers motivated enough to stay with the company long-term. Employees who enjoy working at a business will stay longer than those who don’t like the environment they are working in. Building a good company culture where employees feel valued and appreciated is essential if you want to retain your employees. 4. Enhances Brand Reputation Company culture is the foundation of your organization. It encompasses where and how people work, the values that guide their behavior and the systems that reinforce those values. A strong company culture enhances your brand reputation. Prospects can quickly see how your company operates and whether you invest in your people. It’s hard to hide because it’s an integral part of the company and a key driver of your success. A great company culture is a powerful tool for setting yourself apart from the competition. The most successful companies make their team members their number one priority and provide them with a positive, supportive working environment. 5. Heightens Customer Satisfaction Your company culture should be a genuine reflection of what your brand stands for and what matters most to your business and customers. When you create a culture that is true to these values, people will see through it and recognize your sincerity. Influenced by a great business culture, a business’s reputation is vital in attracting and retaining customers. This is because customers need to trust the company they are doing business with. If a company has a bad reputation, it will find it hard to attract customers as customers are more likely to purchase products or services from organizations they respect and admire. Building your reputation through your culture can give you an edge over your competitors. Bottom Line Ultimately, it would seem that having a great company culture is essential to business success. Everyone wants to work for a great company, and that’s something that every company—startup or otherwise—should strive toward. Whether it’s through employee appreciation or some other means of fostering a collaborative atmosphere, there are plenty of ways to improve on this, so why not get started today? Source: https://www.forbes.com Image credit: Getty
For decades, automating time-consuming, manual processes has been critical for making businesses more scalable, adaptable and efficient. Study after study shows that companies, especially at the enterprise level, continue to invest heavily in automation technologies to drive growth and gain an edge over the competition. Why is it, then, that so many companies still waste money and human work hours on manual sales and order management processes? McKinsey & Company research found that even though a third of sales and sales operations tasks can be easily automated with today’s technology, only one in four companies has automated at least one sales process. What’s happening here? To keep sales and orders flowing, company leadership can be understandably hesitant to interfere with this part of the organization. Too often, they make piecemeal changes as long as they can, achieving little or no improvement because the sales and customer care teams continue to be handcuffed by busy work. This leaves sales teams unable to focus 100% on selling—and customer support teams unable to focus 100% on ensuring quick and accurate product delivery. Bottom line: If you’re not using technology to automate your remaining manual, routine and recurring selling and order management processes, you’re leaving a massive opportunity on the table. The Sales and Order Management Challenge In any size company, sellers receive manual orders many ways: by phone, fax, email and during meetings with sales reps. For every manual order, a sales or customer support rep has to verify the order detail, calculate discounts and shipping fees, and re-enter information multiple times into tracking spreadsheets, accounting software and packing lists. The overall process results in wasted employee time spent correcting errors, incorrect or delayed deliveries, lost profits, billing errors, strained customer relationships and even lost business. Digital Integration A provider of digital B2B commerce and collaboration tools, SABX suggests that companies move towards “digitally integrated selling and buying.” In order to do this, create a shared environment for your company’s sales and customer support team where they can place and track orders. There are several cloud-based solutions out there. Look for ones that allow payment exchanges and offer two-way communication throughout the entire sales order process. A system with these abilities ensures order accuracy by giving sellers the ability to live-update product and pricing information. When buyers log in to place orders, they always have the most up-to-date information at their fingertips. When companies transition to a cloud-based, self-serve selling and buying environment, they and their customers experience a win-win. Both can realize efficiency as they:
A Competitive Imperative The Gartner Future of Sales 2025 report predicts that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales and order interactions will occur in digital channels. Companies and enterprises who hesitate to leave behind known processes and move away from their own legacy infrastructures risk being left behind. Automation is essential for giving organizations the ability to manage sales and orders with the speed and efficiency that today’s digital world demands. With automation, delivered by modern digital technology, everybody wins. Customers benefit from faster turnaround. Companies benefit from higher sales-force productivity. Sales reps experience greater job satisfaction because automation lets them focus on what they want most: deliver value to customers. The benefits go far beyond near-term efficiency gains and cost savings. Freed from the manual weight of doing business, companies can scale growth exponentially with limited to no increase in headcount, while providing first-class service to stakeholders. Source: https://www.forbes.com Image Credit: Getty
Your company’s branding encompasses so many elements, from your logo design to the voice used in marketing materials. Members of the online small business community have experience creating attention-grabbing yet consistent brand experiences. Learn how to do the same for your company below. Design Your Logo with These Trends in Mind The logo is one of the first things people generally notice about a brand. So make yours a good one. check out "The Top 10 Logo Design Trends Making Their Mark in 2022" to help you design a logo that appeals to today’s consumers. Learn the Principles of Logo Design However, logo design isn’t just about utilizing current trends. You also need to understand the elements that create an effective, long-term branding design. Regardless of whether you’re a graphic designer or a business owner, you should understand these 10 principles of logo design to connect with your audience. Improve Your Plain Language Writing Designing a brand isn’t just about visuals. You also need to create a brand voice, which is consistent throughout your written content. Writing in plain language is often beneficial for appealing to a wide audience. Bolster Website Success for Your Small Business Consistent branding and design elements can help your business website effectively communicate with customers. In fact, there are several elements that contribute to online success. Consider These Pinterest Statistics Pinterest is an incredibly visual platform. So the right design elements can help your content stand out. Determine Your Target Market Vs. Target Audience In order to design the perfect brand, you need to understand exactly who you’re designing for. Target market and target audience are two terms often used to describe this group. And though they’re sometimes used interchangeably, there are some key differences to know. The target market is a particular group of people your product or service is intended for and the target audience is a narrower group of people within your target market that you’re aiming to reach with specific advertising strategies. Find Customers Online You also need to actually find where your target customers are online in order to get your branding messages across. Consider the Customer Experience in Your Branding Efforts The customer experience should be a main consideration in every decision your company makes – including branding. Choose the Right Custom Software Development Team for Your Small Business If your business uses or produces software, the design of your programs can also impact your brand. If you don’t have an in-house development team, choosing the right professionals can help your projects succeed. Design the Perfect Business Cards Your branding design should also extend to physical materials – like business cards. You may hand these out at trade shows, client meetings, or just in your daily life. And the perfect design can help you make a positive impression. Source: smallbiztrends.com Image: Depositphotos
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