Helping You Prosper With What You Have!
Marketing
Planned Action Breeds Success!
May 22nd
Action Breeds Success
It’s amazing that once people get off their butts and follow proven systems, all of a sudden they get results.
There is an old saying that goes something like this “the only time success comes before work is in the dictionary” which is true, but we also need to start with a plan.
Unfortunately most people just move “forward”, not knowing where they really are heading – do you.
Absolutely Amazing – NOT!
Apr 30th
You’d never guess. Just had a phone call from Telstra, my phone provider. I got an automated message saying it wasn’t a telemarketing call and asked me to hold.
After a couple of minutes, they hung up – must be their new level of customer service, show you how you will be treated if you dare ring them and complain.
It’s bad enough copping this sort of treatment from massive phone companies, but why does small business imitate the same stupidity.
Perhaps they don’t do exactly the same, but a lot of them come pretty close.
Maybe we all should run our businesses like that? I think not!
Hire Slow, Fire . . .
Dec 1st
I’m sure every business owner on the planet should have done this and still should be doing it.
I can’t count the number of times I have come across a business owner whinging and complaining about “that useless so and so I hired”.
After a quick bit of digging, I find the new employee was hastily hired or there was no recruitment structure in place to make hiring a deslection process where the applicants are made to jump through numerous hoops over a period of 3 weeks.
Personally, I have have times when no-one came through the process – “great”, I said, I didn’t hire the wrong person.
For detailed advice on how to hire slow & not have to fire fast, send me an email steve@stevebakers.com
Steve
Choice . . . It’s not just a magazine!
Nov 24th
I believe there are 2 key words in our lives.
Choice and knowledge.
We have a choice to take in knowledge and we have a choice what we do with that knowledge – that is, either take action or not.
It’s all just a choice – what’s your choice?
Steve
Why Do The Most Important Things Always Seem The Hardest?
Nov 20th
I just finished a coaching session with a client where we talked about the importance of keeping track of what is happening in their business.
We discussed figures, and she assured me she knew her profit & loss & balance sheet, but unfortunatly, she didn’t know the figures that actually dictate whether she made a profit or not.
The figures I meant were the ones she reckoned were too hard to gather, you know, how people found out about you, how many bought, what % of inquiries bought etc etc. because all of her staff and her would have to write the results down manually instead of relying on the computerised till -”oo hard and time consuming” she said!
These figures can make such a big difference on any business.
Lets look at another client I had. I asked him his conversion rate and he told me about 80%, however when we measured it, he was shocked to find it was only 37%.
Over the next 3 months we worked on improving their sale conversions and he ended up with nearly a 20% increase to 44%.
This virtually meant a 20% increase in profit without spending 1 extra single cent. It was just like turning on a money tap.
Is it time you really get to know your business.
Steve
It’s All About Communication . . .
Nov 9th
I have just attended my high school reunion, 37 years after leaving school.
When I arrived at the venue, I only recognised 2 class mates and then spent the next hour or so playing “guess who I am”.
During the night we talked about how so many of our class mates weren’t there and how nobody knew how to contact them.
The next day I was thinking about the previous evening and how my sons (22 & 24) are still in touch with nearly all of their class mates and then it dawned on me (duh!).
It’s All About Communication – when I left school we didn’t have email, mobile phones, sms, Skype, MSN or any of the other tools available to my children and their mates (and all of us today).
Business is the same. We now have all of these tools to keep in touch with prospects and clients – all you have to do is use them . . . all of them, because with the busy world we now live in, it’s so easy for you to be forgotten.
Garbage in garbage out!
Nov 5th
I have been visiting my elderly parents for a few days and sat down at my laptop to do some work.
The problem is that they have the radio on all day – they say it keeps them company which is fine, however when I wanted to do some creative writing, the crap that was on the radio destroyed my creative thought process.
I kicked myself for not placing myself in a quiet, creative atmosphere that allows the juices to flow.
When I am home in Hervey Bay and want to create, I go down to the beach on an incoming tide and the ideas flow in very freely.
It’s just like trying to make love with a dozen people in the room with you, not the right atmosphere.
If you want to create, be creative with your environment.
Steve
Dum As . . .
Oct 21st
Yesterday I went to my chiropractor for my weekly appointment (middle age is catching me). Anyway, she rescanned my back and we then discussed my treatment options.
Now you have to remember I coached chiros for 5 years in how to improve their businesses, so I knew what was coming, or at least I thought I did.
She mentioned her “Wellness Program” (I helped implement this into countless practices) and instead of paying $47 per visit every week, she was going to put me on a 2 weekly program at $32 a visit.
I can understand their way of thinking in that they are trying to hold onto patients as they get better, so $32 a fortnight is better than nothing. Unfortunately, they are devaluing their worth.
And to top it off, they include 2 body scans during the year.
Now this is good for the patients, but as a business model, it’s totally floored as Wellness care should include extras and the pricing should be higher.
The big thing they have missed is that a lot of consumers want the best and will pay a premium for it, plus the feeling that they are getting something others are missing out on.
Sure they will lose some patients, but the ones they keep will be better quality ones that follow instructions and refer.
“The Fish Stinks From The Head Down”
Oct 15th
It amazes me that particularly with the economy the way it is, how poor customer service is. Have you noticed this as well, or is it only me?
Now I’m no Einstein, but I would have thought business owners would be doing more in training their team . . . and I use that term loosely. No hang on, I just remembered an old saying I picked up off a very wise man (can’t remember who).
“The Fish Stinks From The Head Down”, meaning that if the team are giving poor service, they are a reflection of the business owner.
The sad thing in business is that most business owners were sick of working for a fool, yet became one themselves when they went into business.
Now don’t take this wrong when I say fool. I mean that they have picked up most of the bad habits the old boss had and transferred them to their own business.
The answer my friends is having a business coach on the outside looking in and advising where improvements need to be made.
Having a coach is the biggest hurdle most business owners face today as they don’t want to admit they don’t know it all.
A New Life!
Aug 12th
After many years of hard slog, Deb & I have taken a new direction and just working from home. That doesn’t mean I’m stopping helping business owners continue to improve their businesses, write to the contrary.
I plan to write a marketing book based on all of the knowledge I have accumulated over the last 25 years in business and present it in the most easy to use format possible so readers can take the strategies and put them to work immediately.
This and many other projects are in the pipe line, but for the moment, a well earned rest.
Steve