Customers - The Ultimate Marketing Tool
When you focus on your business marketing strategy, the chances are that customer service is not on your list. Instead, it’s easy to focus on social media, press releases and advertising campaigns to give our business the attention it deserves. However, good customer service is an essential part of your marketing mix, and when used effectively, can transform the success of your business.
Rely on social media
If you’re running a successful business-to-consumer (B2C) business, then the chances are that you already have a customer service strategy in place. This should, of course, include a presence on social media. After all, 67% of all consumers have used social media to get help from a company.
By removing the need for a telephone customer services department, you can engage with your customers wherever they are using Twitter and Facebook – and do so in the public eye.
Making sure that a member of your team is available to answer questions on social media is vital if you want to implement a successful customer service strategy as part of your digital marketing. The more easily accessible you are, and the more efficient you are at responding to customer queries, the more likely you are to get a positive response and a chance to show that you’re there to help.
Ask for testimonials
Customer testimonials are a powerful tool and can be effectively used as part of your digital marketing strategy. Whether that’s posting them on your website, featuring case studies on your blog or retweeting and sharing positive feedback on social media, you can quickly build a positive, engaging reputation for your customer service – and gain trust in the process.
Make your customer service part of your brand
Customer service can be used as a unique selling point for your business, so highlight the benefits of working with your brand and receiving a personalised experience. If you have unique forms of customer service, for example, a personal account manager or a private email address, then shout about them and make them part of your marketing messages.
Use customer service for retention
The cost of marketing to your existing customers can quickly add up, but retention strategies can be easily executed as part of your customer service. Whether that’s calling a client for a quick catch up, issuing a satisfaction survey to gather feedback, or rewarding your existing customers for their loyalty, there are lots of ways that you can implement customer service into your retention.
Ask for feedback
Feedback is essential for any business, but marketing your business around such feedback can be useful. Mobile operator Three’s advertising campaign is an excellent example of responding to negative customer feedback, putting customers at the forefront and delivering on its promises. Your business can implement a similar strategy, whether that’s asking for feedback on social media or making changes based off of a negative period in your business.
Growth, loyalty and positive word of mouth are all more important than posters and press releases will ever be, so focus on getting your customer service right. If you want to take your customer service to the next level, rely on the customer service training offered by Frosch Learning.
Get the Most From Your Sales Team
If you are passionate about managing your sales team and improving their efficiency, follow our three essential strategies that are sure to deliver results.
Invest in quality training
Most businesses focus on a one-size-fits-all training scheme for their employees in a bid to save money and standardise their procedures, but this is often an unproductive way of managing a team of individuals. By spending too much time on developing a single training scheme and focusing on the numbers, you are likely to miss out on working closely with your employees and therefore miss getting feedback from them directly.
Investing in high-quality sales training, like the solutions we offer at Frosch Learning, is one of the most effective methods of boosting your sales. Tailored development strategies which have been designed to accommodate both the needs of your employees and your business objectives is one of the best ways to boost productivity, engagement and job satisfaction.
Use your sales team effectively
Your skilled, professional sales team should be spending as much of their time as possible selling to prospective clients, but in small businesses without clearly defined departments, roles can be skewed. If you find that you are asking your sales team to stuff envelopes, fill out forms and complete other duties, their levels of motivation and engagement are likely to suffer, so make sure that every member of your team has a defined role to ensure they are working to their best.
When you are working with a larger sales team, you also need to consider the effectiveness of your workforce in relation to your prospective clients. For example, you don’t want to use your highest-performing sales expert in front of a low-value client, nor do you want to put a sales trainee in front of an important new business prospect. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of every member of your workforce, you’ll be able to place individuals to maximise their impact.
Give your sales team accountability
If you want to maximise the effectiveness of your sales team, you need to ensure that every member is accountable for their own work. The reputation of your business is measured in every form of communication – through email, tweets and sales calls – so your salespeople need to understand the power of their roles and take accountability for their actions.
For employees who want to develop their careers, implementing accountability into their roles is essential. Whether that’s allowing them to respond to complaints personally, keep a log of important communications or attend regular meetings to discuss their productivity, you can keep your employees on track by giving them the responsibility they crave. For workers who resist accountability, it is essential that you invest in more training and implement strategies that will deliver regular improvement.
By working on the continual improvement of your sales team, you will be able to hit targets, improve efficiency and boost morale and job satisfaction. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Frosch Learning team today to find out more about what we can do for your business.
Advanced guide: How to write a business proposal
Business proposals are a very common way of bidding for projects, but the way in which you construct your sales pitch could be the difference between securing a lucrative contract and walking away empty-handed. When a company wants to outsource their work, they will release a Request For Proposal. If you're inexperienced in sending business proposals, you may find the whole process daunting, so we've put together a guide that will help you in writing a proposal that will deliver.
Focus on the needs of the vendor
A business proposal can take many forms: an electronic document, a letter or a presentation. If you are presenting your brief via PowerPoint, then why not brush up on your presentation skills first by undertaking one of our presenting courses? This is one of the many business development training classes we offer here at Frosch Learning.
However, before you dive straight into the writing or presenting process, it's vital that you take some time to read over the initial brief (RFP) carefully. You need to get a clear idea of whether you have the time available to complete the work to the specified deadlines and the resources to complete the job to the highest standard. You need to think about what the potential client wants and whether you can help them reach these goals. If you find out that you may lack the resources to get the job done, then it may be worth waiting for a more suitable brief before pitching for work.
An executive summary
An executive summary should be used to persuade a client why your business should be chosen to complete your project. This is also where you summarise your company and outline how the client's project will benefit from accepting your services. However, you should make sure that your spelling and grammar are immaculate, because this could seriously impact on your proposal's credibility.
The statement of work
This section is key in ensuring you understand the problem the client has and what they want their project to achieve. If you miss this section out, you will present a warning to the client, so make sure that you state exactly what you’re going to do so the client knows that you understand the brief.
Approach
A brief outline of how you will go about meeting the brief should also be included. It should clearly outline your thought processes and the kind of resources you will use to complete the project. You might also include a timeline of events. This will go a long way in proving why your company will be better than the other bidders at meeting the brief.
Methodology
In your methodology, you will expand on the details given in the approach. You might want to include the exact processes and steps you will take to meet the brief. This is another great opportunity to boast about the resources you have at your disposal, but you should make sure that whatever you write about contains the right amount of detail to convince the client that your business has what it takes to deliver on its promises.
Qualifications
This section is essentially your portfolio. Here you will need to provide evidence of your qualifications to show that you are capable of delivering on your proposals. You might also want to include the history of your company and your industry background in this section, as well as some examples of similar projects that you have embarked on in the past. This is a great place to highlight your achievements, and what you put here could convince the client that you are right for the job.
Schedule
You should identify how long you expect each stage of the project take and any extra resources that may be required to allow you to meet the deadlines. If you are successful in your business proposal, then you should try and stick to this timeframe because the client will expect you to deliver the work on time. To avoid any disagreements down the line, you should also identify any factors that could slow down your progress, as this will allow the two parties to devise an action plan on how to overcome any potential issues.
Pricing
A detailed breakdown of the price is required in this section, along with accurate dates on when you expect to receive payment. It would be wise to go through this section thoroughly because there are many factors to consider when pricing up your services. Just remember that the client won't necessarily choose your business plan just because you are the cheapest, they will look to see which bidder provides them with a realistic, personalised action plan for their project. If you believe that there is potential for legal matters to arise during the project, then you should state them here, too.
Top Tips for Presenting
Presenting information clearly and effectively can be challenging. Whether you want to convince a board that your company is right for them, or you’re trying to engage an entire crowd, you need to be able to get your key business messages across concisely and with passion. To offer some assistance, we’ve put together five top tips for presenting your next sales pitch.
Show you’re passionate
Passion is something that salespeople cannot fake. If you’re not passionate about what you are presenting, the chances are that your audience will be disengaged and uninspired. Make sure that you understand your product or service inside out – and, above all else, be passionate about what you do. Passion is known to build trust with your prospects, and it’s impossible to make a sale without trust.
First impressions count
The first two or three minutes of your presentation are the most important, so make them count. If you can, deliver the defining aspects of your pitch or presentation in your opening sentences, and use some ‘hooks’ that engage your audience. Whether that’s “I’m going to show you how to add 10% on your annual turnover” or “the secrets I’m going to share today will change your business,” you need to make an impact. If you miss the opportunity to excite, your audience will switch off.
Keep your presentation short
With new research suggesting humans have a shorter attention span than goldfish, it’s more important than ever to keep your presentation short and sweet. Run through your presentation with friends or colleagues and get their feedback – is everything on your PowerPoint relevant and important to the discussion? If not, cut your presentation down and focus on only the key aspects.
Get closer to your audience
Many professionals use their presentation podium as a place to hide, but stepping out into the audience and getting closer to your participants is one of the best ways to boost engagement. Your podium can often act as a barrier between you and your audience, so removing this barrier will help you build business rapport and make the connection that you want to make.
Remember the shortcuts
Don’t stumble when it comes to technology. Not only will it make you look inexperienced and unprofessional, but it will make you nervous and increase your chances of stumbling. Pressing the ‘B’ key while you are in a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation will hide your presentation so you can discuss something off topic, while the obvious back and forward buttons will move your presentation along. If you want to be really organised, invest in a clicker or remote control.
The key to any good presentation is preparation. If you’re new to presenting or you just want to improve your skills, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the presentation training offered by Frosch Learning. Whether you’re selling to a group or team selling, we have a range of courses to boost your confidence, your skill and your ability to generate results.
Top 10 tips for a new manager
A role in management can be challenging. Whether you’re new to the business or accepting a promotion with additional responsibilities, we have put together ten tips for new managers.
- Training is always useful
Across the country, there are hundreds of useful training courses on offer – including the leadership and management courses offered here at Frosch Learning. In addition to the new skills you’ll learn in such a course, you’ll show your seniors that you’re passionate about development and growth.
- Don’t let the power go to your head
As much as you’ll appreciate the additional powers and responsibilities you have as a manager, you need to be careful that your new role does not go to your head. Be relatable and approachable, and you’ll be able to liaise with your colleagues and get the results you need.
- Don’t be afraid to exercise your power
As a manager, there will be times when you need to exercise your power and authority, so don’t be afraid to do so when necessary. If you can’t give direction and feedback to your employees, or you can’t address issues with performance or punctuality, you won’t fulfil your role effectively.
- Get to know your colleagues
One of the best ways to improve the effectiveness of your management is to get to know your employees. Through carefully planned staff get-togethers, socialising events and one-to-one meetings, you’ll be able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your employees and find out what they need from you in the process.
- Understand your role
Although the most important aspect of your role is to manage others, your boss is likely to have clear expectations and objectives that they would like you to meet. Understanding these will allow you fulfil your role to the best of your ability.
- Work out the culture of the organisation
When you enter a new role, it is important that you adapt to the culture and attitudes of the existing employees. Your new peers are likely to be useful in helping you understand the inner workings of your organisation, but be sure to throw yourself in deep to enhance your understanding of the company.
- Look to your role models
The chances are, you’ve probably worked for a range of managers throughout your life, so take the best parts of each one and try to avoid their bad habits and shortfalls. If you have a managerial role model, focus on them to get you through the difficult beginning weeks in a new management role.
- Compare your leadership
As any new manager will discover, it is likely that employees will have become accustomed to a particular managerial style. To allow them to adapt more easily, you should encourage discussion regarding your management and that of their previous manager, and take onboard feedback.
- Talk to staff who applied for the management job
Although some managers may find this uncomfortable, talking to staff members who applied for the same managerial position you were offered can be useful. Acknowledge their disappointment, and ask for their ideas to make them feel like they are part of the process.
- Don’t make too many changes at once
Even if you have hundreds of ideas for change, be careful about implementing organisational changes too quickly. Instead, take time, ask for feedback and roll out your changes over a longer period to give employees a chance to adapt.
By following our useful tips, you’ll be able to deliver clear and effective management that will impact on the success of your organisation.
Telesales: still effective in lead generation?
When it comes to marketing, the internet has changed everything. From pay-per-click advertising to sponsored blog posts, there are now hundreds of alternative routes which can be utilised to generate leads for your organisation. However, despite new technologies changing the way we promote our businesses, telesales is still an effective method of lead generation, and in many cases, is often much more effective than the new modern forms which seek to replace it.
Delivers a human touch
Picking up the phone and speaking to a prospective client is a more engaging and intimate method of generating leads than an advertising banner will ever be, as you can tailor your sales pitches to meet the needs of your individual clients. Not only can you use your phone call to sell the benefits of your product or service, but you can find out valuable information about your clients and leverage useful information which can be used for future telesales or marketing communications methods.
Motivated people sell
There are no number of tweets that can share the same level and enthusiasm as an engaged member of your sales team, and telesales marketing is the ultimate platform for such excitement. If your organisation has a large marketing and sales department, then ensuring you use telesales will allow you to keep your workforce productive, engaged and on target, saving you money and allowing you to hit your sales targets more easily and more effectively.
Telesales can be part of a synergy
Although digital marketing techniques can be effective when correctly executed, they often work best when they are paired with pre-millennia sales tactics like telesales. By putting your marketing ingredients together – for example, generating a lead by offering a white paper download, and then calling them to discuss the benefits of your services – you will be able to enjoy increased sales and show that you are passionate about delivering a service that isn’t exclusively delivered behind a screen.
Telesales can be used to nurture
If your business leads aren’t nurtured for significant periods of time, they are likely to suffer as a result. By showing interest in every potential customer with a quick call, and finding out where they are in their decision-making process, you are more likely to maintain a consistent level of engagement and turn them into a client, even if it does take more time than you may like.
Start with well-trained employees
At Frosch Learning, we’re passionate about delivering training services that improve the performance and efficiency of your workforce. Our telesales training programmes were designed to meet the exacting needs and requirements of your organisation, with the key objectives being to increase lead conversions and improve the effectiveness of your business marketing and cold calling operations. If you are interested in finding out more, we recommend perusing our website, where you’ll find a full list of our courses and contact information.
That Sunday Feeling!
Its 2:30pm on Friday afternoon and, as anyone who works with me will happily testify, I am about 30 minutes away from the full onslaught of that ‘Friday Feeling’. I find it an inevitable occurrence that is deeply engrained into my weekly body clock. Thoughts of family time, shopping, takeaway night, drinks with friends – whatever it is that is lined up to fill the weekend ahead is now at the forefront of my mind as I race to finish my to do list, clear my desk and head home for a couple of days. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely in the lucky group of people that can honestly say they love their job but even that doesn’t stop me from succumbing to this traditional ‘week end’ feeling.
If you, like me, fall victim of this timely condition then your colleagues would be forgiven for assuming that your weekend is a full 2 day long extravaganza of exciting events, untouched by the stresses of work and no thought of the workload of the week ahead. But the truth is that, for most, there is an overlap. A certain point in the weekend when that other ‘feeling’ kicks in – that ‘Sunday Feeling’.
The reality of the week ahead triggers your concentration to switch swiftly back to the work week ahead and what the joys of Monday morning will bring! That big presentation you have to make on Tuesday, the proposal that needs to be on the boss’s desk by noon on Monday… maybe you should just check your emails to see if anything new has come in… and so it begins. You check out of ‘home life’ and check back in to work quicker than you can say “Sunday roast”.
So, let me share with you one of my own New Year’s resolutions.
Over the coming months I will be sharing with you some handy time management tips, designed to make your work life more efficient and help you achieve your goals, whether work or personal. I thought I would start with a simple tip on how to shave a few hours off your working week (that Sunday feeling) and give the time back to your weekend.
My Weekly Review
When? 3pm - Friday Afternoons.
How Long? 15 Minutes.
What? A short period of time to reflect on the week just gone and plan for the week ahead.
Why? To enable you to leave the office in the office without jeopardising the momentum of your workload and the success of your objectives.
How? Here is my 3 step plan to a weekly review:
Step 1: Look at what you have achieved in the past week and ensure that your objectives are updated to reflect any completions and progress. This will help you realign your goals and show you what you have left to do.
Step 2: Ensure that any new objectives are added to the mix. Perhaps a new project has landed in your inbox or a change in strategy has given you a new target to aim for. Whatever it is, it is no good on a post-it note or swamped at the bottom of your in tray. Make sure it is just as visible as your other goals.
Step 3: Schedule the activity required for these objectives in to your diary so that you have a clear and achievable plan to work to when you get back to the office on Monday.
Done properly, this should allow you to walk away from the office on Friday knowing that you can pick up where you left off with a workable plan to keep you in check.
Sound like something you could/should be doing? Well, by all means, try it yourself. Hopefully a simple weekly review on a Friday Afternoon could save from losing your Sunday Afternoon and win you some brownie points with your loved ones!
Have a great weekend!
Happy New Year!
As you get stuck in to 2015, feeling like time has evaporated and your ‘to-do’ lists from 2014 remain seemingly untouched, the ever dreaded question starts floating around your friendship circles, family and, importantly, workplace!....
“Have you got any New Year’s Resolutions?”
Well… How did I get on with last year’s?... Can I even remember what they were? The truth is quite a difficult admission.
I failed at last year’s resolutions!
Does that mean I achieved nothing in 2014? No. Quite the opposite. But I managed my achievements without a plan, blindly working with a gusto of hope and determination. Which begs the question – how much more could I have achieved if I had set some quality objectives?
Statistics show us that a shocking 92% of New Year’s Resolutions will not be achieved! That's astonishing! Is it because we are lazy and incapable of making changes in our lives? Is it because we set out to achieve unrealistic targets? The first hurdle to achieving your goals is to simply set objectives. So if you have some in mind then you are off to a good start. The next challenge is to ensure that they are as effective as they can be.
Here are my top 5 tips to achieving your New Year’s Resolutions and making effective objectives.
- Don't generalise.
When it comes to objective setting, the trap we all fall in to is being too vague. “I'd like to earn more money this year” or “I'd like to be more successful at work”. Solid goals are built upon specifics. Make sure you pinpoint the area in which you want to improve and home in on the small changes that will make the biggest differences.
- Measure the success.
Now that you have a specific goal in mind, define the success criteria to measure it by. If you want to earn more money – how much? If you want to lose weight – how much? The trick is to ensure that you are permanently conscious of where you are with the goal and how close, or far, you are from achieving it. This will act as a powerful, and focussing, motivator.
- Know your limits.
There are two different camps with the achievability of goals and some will tell you to ‘lower the bar’ to give yourself a realistic chance, while others may tell you to ‘reach for the stars’. We are led to believe, by the age old adage, that you are either a ‘glass half full’ or a ‘glass half empty’ kind of person. The reality is that most of us sway between the two and we are driven by very different motivators dependant on situation, circumstance and mood. Be sure to set your sights as high, or as low, as you need to ensure that the motivation is upheld. If high goals excite you, go for it! If achieving lots of smaller targets keeps you going, there is no harm in that either. The important thing is that you set objectives that are right for you.
- By when?
Once you have a clear goal, set yourself a deadline. Just because it's a New YEAR’S resolution doesn't mean it should take you a year to achieve it. Diarise your milestones and have a clear end date for each of your goals.
- Plan the work and work the plan.
The main reason for failed objectives is poor planning. If you have a goal to achieve a target sales revenue, weight loss or business objective, you need to figure out how you will achieve it and ensure that you plan the activity required in to your diary.
Backward planning is a technique we cover within our sales training. If a sales person needs to sign up 10 new customers in Q1, how many proposals, meetings, telephone calls etc. are needed to get there? Using your own analysis you will be able to apply your conversion rate to the calculations and work backwards. E.g. If 1 in 4 proposals sign up, then you need to submit 40 proposals to get your 10 deals. If 50% if your meetings result in a proposal then you need to have 80 meetings.
1 in 3 decision makers you speak to on the phone could agree to a meeting. So you need to speak to 240 decision makers. So that's where you start. You can then ensure that you diarise the activity that will enable you to achieve your targets.
You cannot be upset at the end of 2015 that you didn't achieve your objectives because of the work you didn't do.
So, if you intend to set some resolutions for the New Year, put some thought into ensuring that you are setting yourself effective objectives.
Good Luck and Happy New Year!
Why You Should Invest In your People
How many times have you heard someone say "it's the people I work with that make me love my job - They are like family!"? I would imagine that this is a phrase, or variations thereof, that can be heard resonating through workplaces up and down the country every minute of the day.
The fact is that we spend more time at work than we do at home sometimes! Naturally we forge friendships in the workplace that form surrogate families to fill the gap when they are not around. Some will limit themselves to "Frinks" (Friday night drinks) whilst others will form such strong bonds that they will extend invitations to weddings or christenings. These relationships provide a family atmosphere and help teams engage positively in their work.
As employers we feel waves of different emotions toward our teams on any given day. Pride – when they achieve a difficult target by stretching their capabilities and learning new things. Disappointment – when they turn up late again, despite the numerous warnings you gave them. Compassion – when they lose their pet dog or break up with their boyfriend/girlfriend. Let's face it, it can sometimes feel like they are our kids!
So, let's imagine for one minute that they were your kids. Would you set your kids targets and walk away, leaving them to self-motivate and self-develop. I would imagine quite the reverse. Your parental instinct would see you guiding and mentoring your children to success.
Our people are our strongest tool and the way we develop them is one of the most important levers to success. We have all been guilty in the past of rewarding hard workers with a pay rise and a fancy new job title. But unless we follow it through with the training and development that will provide them the tools and techniques to effectively fulfil their role, we will fail.
We all take the education of our children very seriously and there is no reason that this should not stretch to our employees. Whether it is sending your sales teams on professional sales training or developing your leadership teams with management training, creating valued members of staff that feel like they are part of your "family business" will add real value to your results in return.
Countdown To Christmas?
We've all heard the exclamations of passers by at the sight of the first Christmas decoration in a shop window "Christmas gets earlier every year!"
Retail businesses getting the cards and the mince pies on the shelves early is often simply seen as a ploy to maximize on profits, but is there something else to learn from preparing for season celebrations early?
Of course, who doesn't want to avoid the last minute dashes to the crammed shopping malls, the choice of the best presents for their loved ones. But then why have we all said one of these at least once?
"… Christmas has crept up on me this year… Time has just slipped away… Is it that time of year already?... I wanted to start early but… I haven't even thought about Christmas shopping yet!"
The fact of the matter is, Christmas is a time of year where many people's time management skills are exposed. So, before Christmas takes over completely, use it to give yourself some time management training! 5 top tips to help you this Christmas;
- Start early and set realistic objectives- decide what to buy, who you need to buy for and where you need to go.
- Prioritise and use the right times of day for the most important tasks- get the big ones done when you're feeling most productive- If you're a morning person, shop for the difficult presents then. If you're not, book in a late night shop!
- Consider your options- if you're looking for something in particular, do your research online before rushing out to the shopping mall to find it's not in stock. Failing to plan is planning to fail!
- Give yourself a break- many people fall short on their Christmas shopping because they only allow a short space of time to get it all done. Give yourself a 'buffer' incase things don't go well and plan for the unknown- i.e. do you have an alternative gift if your ideal doesn't work out? Factor in another half day shopping just incase things don't go according to plan the first time.
- Give yourself the best possible chance of achieving your goal and pick your shopping partner wisely! Remember to have fun!