Lynne Bullen Strategies

Issue 6 - February, 2004

Editor & Publisher: Lynne Bullen

Editorial

Well, here we are in the second month of 2004 ... where did January go? Hi, and welcome.

Have you been inspired lately? Think about your family and the friends who spent time with you with during the festive season. Think about the new friends you've made during the holidays. Did anyone inspire you to stretch yourself that little bit further?

It might have been during a movie or a stage show. The theme through the story may have inspired you to think about your relationships. A fabulous meal may have inspired you to release those expensive cookbooks from the darkness in your cupboard. Was there a word or a phrase that lit a small fire in you?

What about me? Yes, I have been inspired! The thing that did it for me was the stage show, "The Lion King". If you haven't seen it, seriously consider doing so. Whether you rent the DVD or Video, or choose to see the fabulous Stage Production, you won't regret it!

This story is really more for grown-ups than it is for children, so if you have children, ask them to take you along! Simba, the lion-cub who just can't wait to be king, his pals, Timon and Pumbaa and the horrid Uncle Scar will remind you of people you know. They'll also remind you of yourself; the you that was carefree with not a worry in the world; the you who sometimes forgot your responsibilities; the you who from time to time was envious of others and the you that knows, deep down, that your dreams can come true!

If you need inspiration, see "The Lion King". The music, the costumes, the characters and the lessons are all inspiring.

I know you're thinking, "What has all this to do with work?" Quite a lot, really. Not only is it an uplifting, inspiring journey, "The Lion King" deals with relationships.

You will have to deal with your relationships, both personal and professional. You might already have a gift for forging relationships which are mutually beneficial. If you don't, the following article may help you to find your way to establishing and nurturing your relationships.

Remember, every day will present you with a word, a phrase, a sight or a sound that will Inspire you. Grasp it, believe in it. Make it work for you, and most of all, pass it on. Not only will you help yourself, you will also help others to be Inspired to Succeed.

Lynne

Article

Cultivating Relationships

Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen

Building solid and mutually beneficial relationships with your clients or customers is the only way you'll keep them coming back.

People who come to you for your product or service are "shoppers" or a "samplers" of your product or service. They won't become your customers or clients unless they return.

Make each enquiry, whether personal or by phone, an experience your potential client will remember as a positive experience. If you do, you'll be rewarded with on-going business.

Take a little time on each occasion you see your customers to talk about things that interest them. There's always the odd individual who doesn't like to talk anything but business, but you'll find that most will offer information when engaged in conversation.

Little things like favourite their football team, whether they have become parents, first time grandparents, the latest movie or a great holiday experience, people love to talk about themselves and their families. Why not take advantage.

If you don't retain this type of information well, here's a clue. When your client has left, go to his/her file and jot down a few details or an outline of your conversation. You can use it to begin a conversation the next time he or she returns. You'll find this information invaluable!

Now, I hear you saying, "Conversation! I don't have time to think, let alone have a chat with my clients/ customers!" If you're serious about making sure you're clients stay with you instead of going elsewhere, then take note. If you treat your clients well, with respect, and engage them in a little personal conversation, it will let them know that you are genuinely interested in them.

Remember, you need to be open, too; but don't divulge too much, and never, never talk about your other clients or business contacts (unless it's to recommend or praise). As juicy as some stories can be, just begging to be told over and over again ... DON'T ... it could ruin your business.

Another thing you might like to try is sending a handwritten thank you if your client has steered business your way.

Look at your clients' accounts at the time of billing. If a client has given you a substantial increase this month, give him/her a discount on the next account, with a little note of appreciation.

On the subject of money; if some clients are late paying you, send them a friendly reminder. Next should be a personal telephone call to find out if your client is experiencing any major problems which will shortly be overcome.

Just as an example, I had a client who, after the initial invoice, a reminder and a phone call, the money had not been forthcoming. I asked the question, "If you're experiencing difficulty with your finances at the moment, is there some way I might be able to assist you ... say, having you pay in instalments until the debt is cleared?"

The answer was quite a surprise. My client's mother had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and he was trying to help the rest of his family come from the UK to see her before she died. His finances were definitely stretched. We were able to come to an agreement whereby he did pay in monthly instalments.

As it turned out, I met two of his relatives while they were visiting, and one of them is now a client. Yes, he lives in the UK and I live in Australia. I transcribe audio files for him. He emails them as .dss files and I email back the finished transcriptions! Isn't technology a wonderful thing? [Read my article "What is digital recording and/or digital transcription?"]

Never be afraid to ask for your money. If you've sold an item or provided a service, you have the right to ask that the account be settled. Just remember, there is usually a genuine reason that a debt has not been cleared. Your clients will appreciate your concern and your understanding.

Now, I know there are people who are unscrupulous and will "rob you blind", but as you continue in your business, depending on the relationships you cultivate and maintain, you'll soon be able to tell the bad from the good. Not always, but most of the time.

Your suppliers are also people with whom you need to build a good rapport and maintain mutually beneficial relationships.

If you're happy with your supplier (say, your stationery supplier, your courier service, the person who maintains your computer and other office equipment) recommend them to your clients. Tell your supplier that you have recommended him/her.

There are all sorts of personal subjects about which you can talk with your clients and your suppliers. Most would not be considered overstepping the mark. Keep your regular "chats" short and interesting. Never get too personal. You always have the opportunity to end the conversation by saying that you have a deadline to meet for another client.

Running a successful business is much more than providing a product or a service. You must cultivate relationships. Show that you are interested. Deliver on your word. If you follow these simple strategies, your customers will see the value of their business relationships with you, and they'll keep coming back!

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, Mentoring Services and Secretarial and Administrative support
She is a specialist in Digital Transcription

Contact Lynne via email:
or visit her website at http://www.lynnebullenstrategies.com.au

Sweet Inspiration

A Fire of the Mind

Be an explorer...read, surf the internet, visit customers, enjoy arts, watch children play...do anything to prevent yourself from becoming a prisoner of your knowledge, experience, and current view of the world. Charles 'Chic' Thompson (What a Great Idea)

The Golden Storehouse of the Subconscious Mind

Infinite riches are all around you if you will open your mental eyes and behold the treasure house of infinity within you. There is a gold mine within you from which you can extract everything you need to live life gloriously, joyously, and abundantly. — Joseph Murph

Article

Beware The Difficult Client

Copyright © 2002 Angela Booth

Into each life a little rain must fall, and into each business life waltzes the occasional difficult client. Luckily, most clients are a pleasure to work with. The pains in the derriere are also, when you have enough experience to recognize the type.

I've listed several "difficult" types below, so that you can arm yourself against them.

The major weapon in your armory is THE CONTRACT. Always have a contract, no exceptions. Be especially wary of the prospective client who says: "A contract? This will take you what, an hour? Surely you don't expect a contract for an hour's work?" (See "The Spider" below.)

The Convivial

You can recognize her by her cry: "Let's have a meeting before I sign off on this!" The Convivial client:

always has an office which is half a day's drive from you;
rarely shows up for any meetings she's scheduled, and if she does, is always at least an hour late; and
never has an agenda for any meeting, and therefore never remembers why she wanted to see you, indeed she'll convince herself that YOU asked for the meeting.

Your weapon: a signed contract with a paragraph which states that all meetings except the first are chargeable at your usual daily rate, which is $X.

Note: if you don't have a schedule of fees, develop one. By the close of business today. It's vital. Contact your professional association or ring local practitioners to discover what the standard rates are, and use these as a basis to calculate your own fee schedule.

The Extremely Cautious

Her cry is: "I need to get input from Sales and Marketing, and then Legal wants to look it over". The Extremely Cautious client:

has trouble with decisions, so rarely sees a project through to completion; and
micro-manages, so expect five phone calls a week while you work on the project.

Your weapon: a signed contract which specifies your billing cycle. This depends on the project, but always get at least a third up front, and invoice monthly. Make sure that your contract specifies that all revisions after the final draft are chargeable. When you hear "Legal" think: "revision, revision, revision".

The Bargain Bazaar

Her cry: "It came up that we really need X and Y and Z to make the package complete. You won't mind including them, will you?"

The Bargain Bazaar client is always pleasant. She gets on your wavelength. She asks about your children, your hamster and your garden. She sends a box of mangos or a hand-tooled leather portfolio with your initials in gold when the project is complete. Unfortunately, neither the mangos nor the portfolio cover the unpaid extra work you did.

Weapon: your reply: "I'd love to do that for you, I'll fax you my rates and the amended contract later this afternoon."

The Artiste

Her cry varies. Variations on the theme include:

"This didn't grab me as it should have";
"I expected more from you"; and
" I was disappointed that _______"

The Artiste has a vision of the completed project in her head. Unfortunately, she can't articulate her vision so that you can execute it adequately.

Your weapon: a signed contract which specifies that you will complete one revision. All further revisions are chargeable at your hourly rate, which is $X.

The Spider, aka Quicksand

Her cry is: "I'm sorry to spring this on you at the last minute, but we need it for a lunch meeting. It won't take you long". The Spider is the most dangerous of the difficult clients.

Here's how a scenario with The Spider plays out:

she dictates the brief over the phone because she's in a meeting/in her car/late for a plane;
the project must be completed within an hour or a couple of hours; hence
no time for a contract;
you can't reach her when you realize you don't have enough information to complete the project;
you'll complete the project knowing you've done a less than adequate job; and
you won't get paid.

Your weapon: your mantra, which is "no contract, no deal". You will be tempted. The Spider is plausible, and offers you candy in the form of promises of future work.

Don't succumb. Remember: you won't get paid. This is because you won't submit an invoice, because you know you did a poor job. You know this because The Spider takes delight in calling you to say: "We couldn't use the work you sent. It wasn't up to our standard."

The Spider is dangerous because she will bad-mouth you in your industry. After doing her best to ruin your reputation, she will call you again within a few months, using the same tactics.

At times in your business journey, you'll work with so many difficult clients that you'll begin to wonder whether you're wearing an invisible "Kick Me" sign. Always remember that The Contract is your primary weapon. It turns the most ferocious difficult clients into purring kittens.

Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business — words to sell, educate or persuade. E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers and small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/

Resources

Have you ever considered that a Franchise might be the business for you? What sort of business would you choose? A bakery, cosmetics, office supplies? How does a franchise business work? Are you a suitable person and will you enjoy it? Check this site for some very helpful information. http://www.franchisechoices.com/Program.htm

Are you a Mom whose children are now teenagers, a Mom who has time on her hands and would like to go back to work? How about working from home? If you answered yes to any of these questions, go to www.internetbasedmoms.com/newsletter_subscription.htm

The Positive Path Network NetRing is a community of websites, united by a common interest in positive ideas to aid personal productivity, success and happiness. It is an independent network of authors, speakers, consultants and life coaches, and it has no political or religious affiliations. There is no joining fee and membership is free. Worth checking out! http://www.positivepath.net/ringjoin.htm

Google Alert - a great service if you want to keep an eye on the latest news on a particular topic http://www.googlealert.com/

Article

The Power Of Word Of Mouth

Most of us remember the commercial that said, "I told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on, and...", well you get the picture. This commercial, which represented Breck Hair Shampoo, ran so many times that even I remember who the commercial represented.

The reason I mention this particular commercial is not because of the number of times it was aired but rather because of the message it was sending. This company knew the importance of potential clients hearing something about their product or service that impressed someone else.

It's called Word of Mouth and it can make or break the success of almost every aspect of our lives, especially our business lives. In our personal lives, if we like something, we will talk positively about it to others. This, in turn, will show them that this is something good and that they should check it out.

It could be anything from a favourite plant that flowers throughout the growing season, to a fabulous doctor who has the bedside manner of an angel. If we are happy about something, we will likely talk about it to others.

In our business lives, positive word of mouth generates referrals and referrals generate business. So, word of mouth is one of the most important marketing tools that can contribute to our success. What could be better than a customer mentioning how pleased they were with a service you provided to others who may need this service? Free advertising... that's what word of mouth is.

Not only do we love to be the recipient of positive word of mouth, we should also realize that others are in the same boat as us and rely on word of mouth to help them succeed as well. So, if you like something, be sure to tell others about it, especially if they are in need of something you had a great experience with.

For example, for months I have been trying to find a backup software to use on my new computer. I tried several and was not impressed with how they performed or the extent of their customer service. It would sometimes take over a week to get a response. Well, I finally came across this little, cheapy program that said it would do what I wanted it to do. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. And... I was very happy with the outcome. At one point I had problems and in one afternoon, after several emails back and forth with the author of the software, I was up and running again... no problem. This tiny little company impressed me so much that I have recommended his software to as many people as possible...including you. Check out the Backup Assistant at http://www.graffman.net

Word of mouth is also known as a verbal testimonial. The words of praise literally come right from the horse's mouth. It's a very powerful recommendation to physically hear someone bestowing the virtues of a certain product or service, or the company behind this great find.

Vocalizing your satisfaction is not the only way to get the word out. With so many people using the Internet to find information, why not include your recommendations on your website. Having a Resources page on your website is a great way to let others know of different things that you would recommend.

Word of mouth can also be in the form of a written testimonial and can benefit both the company that gave you that great service and the recipient. Many companies like to present testimonials for others to see. And, why shouldn't they? It's a great way to show people how much others have liked their service. The benefit to you is that each time you say something nice about their service, they may in turn publicize your testimonial on their literature or website. And, they will usually include your name and your company. There you have it... your company's name is in front of the eyes of potential clients, just because you took the time to say a few nice words about something else.

Now, let's flip the coin here for a moment. We've mentioned about the benefits of positive word of mouth. But, what about the pitfalls of negative word of mouth? If someone spreads the word that your service is fabulous, new business will come your way. However, if you provide a service or product that someone is not happy with, they will either never recommend you or they will tell three times as many people about the negativities they have experienced. Providing an exceptional service or product, coupled with "beyond the call of duty" customer service, can have a positive effect on your business. But, not providing what you customers deserve can bring down the curtain faster than you can blink.

For example, I recently had a run in with a supplier who I would never recommend to anyone, not even my fiercest competitor. This company took over 3 months to provide me with the product I needed. Each time I called their office, I would either get an answering machine and have to wait days to get a reply or I would get the old " it will be ready by Friday" response. I was not impressed! In fact, when I did finally get the finished product, I was not at all happy with it. Oh, and I never even got an apology for the delay or the discount I requested because of my displeasure. In short, they seemed to not want my business now or in the future. I think I'll comply.

Word of mouth is very powerful, both positively and negatively. Of course, we should always strive to gain positive referrals... that's my goal. It can have a tremendous impact on our success. So... get out there and tell two friends about this article... and so on!

Janice Byer, owner of Docu-Type Administrative & Web Design Services (http://www.docutype.net) provides professional, creative and affordable virtual office assistance and small business website design. She is a Certified Canadian Virtual Assistant (CCVA) and Master Virtual Assistant (MVA). She is also the author of Surfin' The Net - Docu-Type's Virtual Collection of Links, (http://www.docutype.net/SurfinTheNet/linksebook.htm) which is filled with the secrets of her success. Visit her website for more information and to get your copy.

Inspired Tips

Quote of the month

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
- Herm Albright - 1876-1944, Author -

Business Tip of the month

At the end of each working day, put aside 15 minutes to plan for tomorrow.

Health Tip of the month

Walk, every day. Walk for 15 minutes in any direction, then turn around and walk back. After just a week you will notice it's worth.

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Issue 6 - February, 2004

Contents:

Editorial

Article

Cultivating Relationships

Copyright © 2004 Lynne Bullen

Sweet Inspiration

A Fire of the Mind

The Golden Storehouse of the Subconscious Mind

Article

Beware The Difficult Client

Copyright © 2002 Angela Booth

The Convivial

The Extremely Cautious

The Bargain Bazaar

The Artiste

The Spider, aka Quicksand

Resources

Article

The Power Of Word Of Mouth

Copyright © Janice Byer

Inspired Tips

Quote of the month

Business Tip of the month

Health Tip of the month

Sponsors

Feedback

Subscribe/Unsubscribe

Copyright & Privacy