The goal of my business is to have employees that are hired to work with our company and be both reliable and high quality individuals. If my organization is built with unorganized, or non-reliable people then it just drives me crazy. We all can be fooled and hire a polar opposite. Sometimes you have to thin the apples from the tree so you can spend your time working and tutoring the people that are worth harvesting as a part of my business. I don't have time to be dependent upon an employee or contractor with my business that doesn't share and agree with my philosophy. I am not in the business of running a adult day care. You must be able to understand the task at hand and be able to stay on schedule. If an employee is unable to communicate why they can't stay on schedule but just tell me how its almost done...or will be done today but never is...not even a month later.... then they will become the most disposable part of my business goals.
Our goal as a company is to be open minded. We are willing to grow and change with the times. But we will not wait or be forced to accept someone that is unwilling to change and accept our philosophy. We feel we have a great strategy and we realize great improvement is needed. We won't improve if we aren't able to associate and attain the kind of minds and pieces of our business puzzle that maximize our basic philosophy of reliable communication and direction.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Law of Success (interview with Mr. Carnegie) By Napoleon Hill
More than fourteen years ago I interviewed Mr. Carnegie for the purpose of writing a story about him. During the interview I asked him to what he attributed his success. With a merry little twinkle in his eyes he sad:
"Young man, before I answer your question will you please define your term 'success'?"
After waiting until he saw that I was somewhat embarrassed by his request he continued: "By success you have reference to my money, have you not?" I assured him that money was the term by which most people measured success, and he then said: "Oh, well - if you wish to know how I got my money - if that is what you call success - I will answer your question by saying that we have a master mind here in our business, and that mind is made up of more than a score of men who constitute my personal stall of superintendents and managers and accountants and chemist and other necessary types. No one person in this group is the master mind of which I speak, but the sum total of the minds in the group, coordinated, organized and directed to a definite end is risk the knowledge gained from ten years of subsequent contact with the business world to enable me to assimilate that which he said and clearly grasp and understand the principle back of it, which was nothing more nor less than the principle of organized effort upon which this course on the Law of Success is founded.
Carnegie's group of men constituted a "Master Mind" and that mind was so well organized, so powerful, that it could have accumulated millions of dollars for Mr. Carnegie in practically any sort of endeavor of a commercial or industrial nature. The steel business in which that mind was engaged was but an incident in the connection with the accumulation of the Carnegie wealth. The same wealth could have been accumulated had the "Master Mind" been directed in the coal business or the banking business or the grocery business, for the reason that back of the mind was power- that sort of power which you may have when you shall have organized the faculties of your own mind and allied yourself with other well organized minds for the attainment of a definite purpose in life.
"Young man, before I answer your question will you please define your term 'success'?"
After waiting until he saw that I was somewhat embarrassed by his request he continued: "By success you have reference to my money, have you not?" I assured him that money was the term by which most people measured success, and he then said: "Oh, well - if you wish to know how I got my money - if that is what you call success - I will answer your question by saying that we have a master mind here in our business, and that mind is made up of more than a score of men who constitute my personal stall of superintendents and managers and accountants and chemist and other necessary types. No one person in this group is the master mind of which I speak, but the sum total of the minds in the group, coordinated, organized and directed to a definite end is risk the knowledge gained from ten years of subsequent contact with the business world to enable me to assimilate that which he said and clearly grasp and understand the principle back of it, which was nothing more nor less than the principle of organized effort upon which this course on the Law of Success is founded.
Carnegie's group of men constituted a "Master Mind" and that mind was so well organized, so powerful, that it could have accumulated millions of dollars for Mr. Carnegie in practically any sort of endeavor of a commercial or industrial nature. The steel business in which that mind was engaged was but an incident in the connection with the accumulation of the Carnegie wealth. The same wealth could have been accumulated had the "Master Mind" been directed in the coal business or the banking business or the grocery business, for the reason that back of the mind was power- that sort of power which you may have when you shall have organized the faculties of your own mind and allied yourself with other well organized minds for the attainment of a definite purpose in life.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Customer Retention Program
It's important for every business to actively strive each day to maintain their current customer base. Successful retention can be found in the details of interaction and communication. Do you answer your phone in a timely manner? If not do you return their calls in a reasonable amount of time. If your customer sends you an email do you follow up and respond to the email that same day or at least within 24 hours. Each of these are just the basic ingredients to keeping your customers happy.
Customers truly are the lifeline of your business and the reason why you are in business in the first place. Can you remember back to the time when you were stressed because you didn't have enough or any customers? Now overwhelmed with to many customers it is often the tendency of businesses to neglect the consumer. Your competitor is always waiting at the door step to convince them of a better treatment. If you are a service business and are running 35 minutes late. Be sure to call them and let them know. It is my experience that customers never mind a courtesy call. They just don't like to be left out of the loop. Why would anyone want to spend their hard earned money on a unsatisfied end user experience.
Professional businesses are notorious for making customers or patients wait for an appointment. Some even are able to charge a $120 late fee charge. Sure would be nice to be able to charge my customers a payment when they don't show up or even call. I certainly know that these type of businesses never offer each patient a waver when they are 1 hour late! Have respect for your customer and be courteous to their busy schedule. Certain industries are fortunate to be able to charge if there is a no-show. Others have to drive all the way across the city only to learn that they have been stood up. Lost appointments are time killers for all business owners. Common courtesy can go a long ways and continue to grow the relationship with your end consumer. To something extra for them also can ease tension with a long standing customer.
Customers truly are the lifeline of your business and the reason why you are in business in the first place. Can you remember back to the time when you were stressed because you didn't have enough or any customers? Now overwhelmed with to many customers it is often the tendency of businesses to neglect the consumer. Your competitor is always waiting at the door step to convince them of a better treatment. If you are a service business and are running 35 minutes late. Be sure to call them and let them know. It is my experience that customers never mind a courtesy call. They just don't like to be left out of the loop. Why would anyone want to spend their hard earned money on a unsatisfied end user experience.
Professional businesses are notorious for making customers or patients wait for an appointment. Some even are able to charge a $120 late fee charge. Sure would be nice to be able to charge my customers a payment when they don't show up or even call. I certainly know that these type of businesses never offer each patient a waver when they are 1 hour late! Have respect for your customer and be courteous to their busy schedule. Certain industries are fortunate to be able to charge if there is a no-show. Others have to drive all the way across the city only to learn that they have been stood up. Lost appointments are time killers for all business owners. Common courtesy can go a long ways and continue to grow the relationship with your end consumer. To something extra for them also can ease tension with a long standing customer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)