It’s OK to be friendly

by Jason France

In today’s bustling work environment, we are all stretched to the max with the work on our plates. But it’s OK to pause for a moment and learn about your co-workers. Ask them about their weekend plans or where they are going on vacation. How are the kids? Get that deck finished yet? Learning about their lives is a good way to strengthen working relationships and feel more comfortable when asked to work together on that large project down the road.

Not only will you communicate better, you will trust each other more and be more confident with them as a teammate.

I don’t know…but I’ll find out

by Kris Matz

Is it okay to tell a customer you don’t know the answer to a question they ask? 

ABSOLUTELY! 

Most customers will be able to sense if you’re unsure of your or fibbing. Nobody can know everything, so admit it if you can’t answer a customer question with a high level of confidence that you’re right. Follow by letting the customer know that you’re going to find out, and when you expect to have an answer. Your customers will respect your honesty.

E-book sales reach milestone

by Pete Kennedy

It’s not news that e-books are popular. But did you expect the sales would grow as quickly as reported by the Wall Street Journal? The newspaper reported Monday that e-book sales on Amazon.com are outpacing hardcovers.  Maybe it’s time to rethink the start-up of that e-newsletter. Of course we can help.

Seven smart reasons to get to know your customers better

by Kris Matz

Taking the time to get to know your customers provides value for the customer and for you. Here are seven reasons you should make the effort to know your clients.

1. You can coach your customer service staff to exceed expectations, resulting in higher customer retention.

2. Customers are the ones actually using your products or services—frequently they have great ideas and are willing to share.

3. Word-of-mouth recommendations (or complaints) are considered credible by many. A satisfied customer is likely to share their positive experience—more potential customers for you. A dissatisfied customer will spread the word far and wide.

4. Customers that feel well cared for are more likely to contact you with a small problem when it is easy to resolve. These situations can actually strengthen customer satisfaction if handled well.

5. Based on the experience with one customer, you can anticipate potential needs of other customers.

6. Its easier to identify and cross-sell other products when you know what your customer needs.

7. You’ll increase your success rate for new product and service offerings.

Are you listening?

by Kris Matz

Think back to your last conversation with a customer.

• Who did most of the talking?

• Were there a lot of distractions and interruptions? 

Great customer service is best achieved when you set aside the time to really listen. Whether your talking with a customer in person or on the phone, most people can tell if you’re really paying attention.  Customers will appreciate your undivided attention, relationships will be built and the information gained by taking the time to listen can be very valuable!

Be SMART!

by Kris Matz

Most of us are trying to achieve something. In business it might be increased brand awareness, improving market share, or a lower cost per unit of production. In our personal lives it might be finishing a degree, losing weight, or saving for a vacation. 

Using SMART objectives help us to measure our performance, make needed adjustments, and know when to celebrate success!

Specific: Exactly what do you want to achieve? The objective should not be vague, such as ‘increase sales.’ Depending upon your product and territory, a specific objective for an outside salesperson might be to ‘identify five new prospects each month.’

Measurable: How will you know if you’ve met your objective?  Knowing your starting point and desired ending point determine whether you’ve achieved success.  It also helps to measure progress along the way so adjustments can be made if needed. 

Attainable: Is your objective realistic? Be careful, a challenge can be a good thing, but setting impossible objectives is asking for failure and problems with morale. 

Relevant: Is the objective relevant to your overall mission? In other words, the desired outcome should be meaningful and contribute to the ‘big picture’ objectives.

Timely: What time frame is appropriate for your objective? Consider the size of the objective and the current workload.  Allow time to achieve, but not so much that the objective is likely to be forgotten.

Photography in the mid-day sun

by Jason France

Photographing subjects mid-day is some of the most challenging photography you might encounter. Even on the “auto” setting, most cameras won’t know how to compensate for the amount of light. 

If at all possible, try and schedule your shoots early in the day or later in the afternoon. If that isn’t possible, try to find some shade. Shooting in the shade can help you get better lighting overall and your subject won’t appear so spot-lit. 

Make sure you use a circular polarizing filter on your lens. This will allow you to control the polarizing effect. If you are shooting people, work with them so they don’t have to stare into the sun the entire time you are shooting. Have them close their eyes while you count down. Have them open their eyes for a moment for you to get the shot and then close them again. These are just a few tips to help you get a stellar shot even in the bright sun.