by Bert Shlensky | Sep 11, 2017 | Operations
No doubt that many avoid any kind of research, let alone market research, like the plague for a lot of reasons. This undoubtedly means your business culture suffers greatly due to a great fear in the office. A cloaked figure of darkness and a scythe, waiting to envelope you in the shadows of despair as you’re engulfed in never-ending data, statistics, and reading. It’s not fun!
Hence Why Your Business Culture Tends to Be More About Action and Results, Not the Preparation That Ensures You Get There
We want results — without a whole lot of work to get there. And don’t get us wrong: there are many things we do on a daily basis, best practices to optimize your business planning with the proven model that gives you the most minimal time crunch and maximum output and results. But hear us on this: you never, ever discount the preparation and planning, meaning the market research!
Fear is a funny thing, honestly. It’s only as terrifying as we make it out to be, but thankfully when you’re in on the trends of today and the power of the Internet, and other best practices you make second nature — there’s no doubt you make this grim reaper of market research more like a puppy dog!
Here are the best reasons for doing market research without breaking a sweat (or fearing death):
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Google’s Marketer’s Almanac — How easy it is to just click the link and get all the information you need right at your fingertips on consumer behavior changes, especially during the seasons, holidays and special events. Yep, Google has the ability to give you that information in just minutes.
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American Fact Finder — There’s no better research space than the U.S. census, but holy COW would it take forever for you to research that mile-long 
book. Thankfully, this website allows you to research all of it with a few button clicks and filters by age, income, year, race and location. Oh, and it’s free to use.
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County Business Patterns — When was the last time you scouted businesses clear across the country? Probably never. Travel’s expensive, but this site makes it easy as it provides info on the areas and regions for large numbers of all sorts of businesses. Check it out for yourself.
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Business Dynamics Statistics — Remember all that census data you just found? Guess what: now you can use this site to view the economic data on job creation, startups, openings, expansions, shutdowns, and even closures.
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FedStats — The best part about finding information on certain industries is getting the info from all sorts of federal agencies. What’s hard is finding that info from those agencies as quickly as you’d like. This site accesses all that info for you immediately, for such verticals as agriculture, education, transportation, and energy.
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MyBestSegments — This is next-level campaign research stuff when you think about it. We don’t know of any other tool out there that can review any region’s demographics in terms of lifestyle and habits. In other word, click on this site, and you can start researching your locale immediately to determine how your consumer base will react to any campaign you launch and even what competitors are near you.
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SurveyMonkey — Surveys are the weapon to use, but for many people, they’re hard to create. Unless you use this site.
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Loop11 — Even sicker and futuristic is this crazy site allowing you to actually test the websites of your competitors secretly. Simply create a form and recruit people. You have to see it for yourself!
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Userlytics — Definitely last, but most certainly not least, is Userlytics, which does the uncanny. This platform actually allows you to webcam and screen-shot a user testing your mobile apps, videos, display ads, and much more. Talk about real-time and verifiable research….
And you better believe this trend-setting business planning stratosphere will continually evolving. Perhaps even avoiding death and achieving immortality.
That’s Why You Have to No Doubt Shut Off the Fear Due to the Tools. Fear NOT Market Research.
For these days it’s plenty easier getting all the data you need to ensure you have all the information you could get your hands on. And that cloaked demon over there ends up not as scary. Just a guy with bad skin, looking for a corn field to harvest.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of The Startup Connection, directs all small business clients toward maximum sales and profit thanks to his 40 years of high-quality experience. He does this through technological, social, and online integration, supercharging your business success into the next level, so don’t hesitate to sign up for a free consultation RIGHT NOW.
by Bert Shlensky | Aug 7, 2017 | Operations
What? Sounds like we’re bass ackwards here, but we’re not. In the business lingo of today, we’d call it “after-sales service,” which can include anything from installations to support and even training after the initial purchase. It’s crucial to put that in perspective; because, yes, sometimes depending on the industry, your job isn’t done after the customer pays. There’s obviously more to do. Much more.
But Why? Why Does It Matter to Go Above and Beyond the Original Sale? Isn’t That Enough Service?
Honestly, NO. Yes, the service spoke for itself. The customer bought. The satisfaction should be there. But even those professionals in retail 
realize that even after the customer buys and leaves the store, the way to retain revenue and profit is to make sure that customer doesn’t come back complaining! That would be considered a kind of “after-sales service.” Follow-up calls. Damage control. Your goal is to keep them coming back satisfied — not angry.
Additionally, those after-sale services can clue you in on the metrics of what your customers liked, what they didn’t like, what they’d like more of, and getting them to spread more word-of-mouth of how awesome your service and product are. Don’t do any of those things, and that customer may be satisfied, but no other customer will ever hear about it! And lastly, you won’t know what else you can do to replicate the success if you don’t get that feedback. Here’s plenty of key ways to maximize that after-sale service mantra:
- Call Those Customers Every Now and Then, Just for the Heck of It! — Say thank you ALL THE TIME. Standardize an annual review, discussing the good stuff like logistics, pricing, distribution, anything that could be improved.
- Replace Anything and Everything, Even If It’s Minor — This means hiring the most empowered staff and management to have that authority. Give them the freedom to please the customer beyond all expectations.
- Designate a Toll-Free Number Just for Customers to Call and Discuss Anything — Transcend their expectations. Listen to those customers of yours. Go the extra mile.
- Don’t Just Have Customers Sign a “Sales” Contract, Have Them Sign a MAINTENANCE Contract — Meaning, you agree to maintain that customer satisfaction for a certain period of time.
None of That Even Matters More Than This One Important Aspect of After-Sales Service and Distribution
Loyalty. Not only are they going to come back satisfied, but they’re going to know more than anyone else about what they’re coming back to. It’s about building rapport. When that customer leaves your “service,” that customer isn’t actually leaving at all. That customer’s still with you 100%. So keep it looking good. It’s as they always say — those customers aren’t simply buying your products or services —
They’re buying you.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of The Startup Connection, directs all small business clients toward maximum sales and profit thanks to his 40 years of high-quality experience. He does this through technological, social, and online integration, supercharging your business success into the next level, so don’t hesitate to sign up for a free consultation RIGHT NOW.
by Bert Shlensky | Aug 2, 2017 | Operations
We think there are a lot of stigmas out there when doing business. Better yet: stereotypes. And some are more prevalent than others. That, however, doesn’t mean you should neglect those ‘others’ for the ones that seem to make more sense: like the business logo, or product development, or how you market and brand your business. Believe it or not, but if you want that business of yours to be successful, make sure you’ve checked this off your list — packaging and distribution!
You Won’t Believe How Important It Is to Ensure You’ve Got That Process in Place When Doing Business
How are you ‘packaging’ your product and service? Are you? If not, you’re missing out on a very valuable piece of the marketing pie. After all, where the heck is the logo going to go? On the package.
Delivery is even more important as you study and research your industry. Logistics is a no-brainer. You have a physical product, you have to get that product in their hands, or else it really doesn’t matter how cool your product is. If the customer can’t get to it, you don’t make money.
But delivery isn’t necessarily about physical transportation. You could have a product or service that’s 24/7, on-call service, or an online product of some kind. Think of the newer-age business brands out there like Uber, Amazon, Airbnb, and Zappos — distribution has become something way more complex and effective than just simple packaging and trucking.
Perhaps you sell digital marketing services, and your work is done via account management. Lay out your delivery processes and make sure your prospective customers know what to expect — and when you’ve got that out of the way, make sure it gets done every time.
After All, Your Customers Can’t Buy and Keep Buying If They Don’t Get Your Stuff Somehow
Be it brick-and-mortar, online e-commerce, or just a delivery service — whatever it may be, get it situated. Make sure the operations are in order. Because you don’t want to launch without having all of those details etched in stone, ensuring customers know what’s coming. In many ways, this is the final gift to great service — they finally get it, use it, love it, and then, of course — they come back for more of it.
That’s business success.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of The Startup Connection, directs all small business clients toward maximum sales and profit thanks to his 40 years of high-quality experience. He does this through technological, social, and online integration, supercharging your business success into the next level, so don’t hesitate to sign up for a free consultation RIGHT NOW.
by Bert Shlensky | Jul 11, 2017 | Operations
Small business shouldn’t follow a google template. Nor should owners endlessly research alternatives or try executing multiple efforts. Instead, business owners should identify priorities and focus. From there, test and adopt or change as opportunities present themselves. Learning to focus is an imperative skill for any small business person.
Most plans have wrong assumptions, are poorly executed, struggle to adapt to change and ultimately fail. For example, I was working with Meg, a client who was trying to execute over fifteen different educational programs and was stressed out over budget and not managing effectively. Meg and I reviewed her processes and business plan, and simply cut out the least effective programs. In doing this, she saved money and increased attention and resources, which she devoted to the most effective processes. Focusing may be just as effective for you and can be accomplished with a few simple efforts.
- Measure, Estimate, Prioritize and Adapt. Analysis of alternatives can yield some simple priorities. Even simple analysis can be useful to avoid missing your target population and price points. Research using Google Analytics and Amazon to discover easy competitive information. Last week we helped a client focus on key items and eliminate unproductive ones by simply analyzing clicks and real time google analytics.
- Follow the 80/20 AND 90/30 rule. 80% of sales and customers will come from 20% of your offerings. Networking and referrals from current customers are your best source of new business. Remember 90% of perceptions are developed in 30 seconds so prior approval can be critical and long arguments can be fatal.
- Make mistakes and learn to adapt. Mistakes mean you and your business are growing. Consistently exploring alternatives and evaluating your decisions and processes will help you figure out what’s best for you.
- Be open to measurement and feedback. Observing, understanding and sharing financials, operations reports, and sales reports are the first step. Don’t waste time on minor expenses. In meetings, rely on your team to provide specific feedback on how to improve.
The table below provides an analytic matrix of your company’s products or services and your competition. Filling out a competitive comparison such as this forces you to evaluate 1) what is important, 2) how you rate, 3) who are your competitors and 4) how you compare with them in the eyes, minds, hearts and pocketbooks of customers.
See: https://startupconnection.net///business-templates/competitive-analysis-template/ for the complete template and other simple guides
In short, keep it simple stupid. Operating a successful business doesn’t have to be brain surgery. Instead, create a few simple principles to help you stay on track. If you love what you do, focus on what is working and drop what’s not. You now have the foundation for a simply wonderful business.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, president of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience and skills and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies. His books for the business entrepreneur: Marketing Plan for Startups & Small Business and Passion & Reality for Small Business Success, are available at www.startupconnection.net.
by Bert Shlensky | Jun 30, 2017 | Operations
Business success tips usually focus on issues like having a great idea, goals, strategy, financial plans, branding, customer service, measurement, operations, excellent people, etc. What is occasionally left behind are simple tips or rules for executing programs. This article describes both the issues and remedies to improve execution and thus, excellence.
“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” -Walt Disney
Detail and excellence are really a culture in an organization and, not necessarily prescribed rules. For example, we sometimes ignore that marketing, excellence and effectiveness are all integrated. Airlines have done a great job automating operations like reservations and customer service to make service more efficient, reduce staff and provide quicker, better service. However, when something goes wrong like 120 degrees weather in Phoenix, they now lack the people to solve problems and literally destroy all the good intent they tried to create.
Your Culture and Perceptions Can Affect Execution
Don’t be afraid to fail. Instead, celebrate failure. Never be complacent. Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell Technologies says, “If you are only succeeding than you are not taking enough risks. See adversity as a challenge and look for the opportunity. Stretch yourself.”
In today’s world, you need to exceed, not just meet, the needs of your customers. You only have one chance to make a first impression. 90% of most impressions are made in the first 30 seconds of contact, and thus, less is more. Confidence, attention to details, flexibility, listening and always challenging how you can do better are the foundation of creating great execution.
How Do You Balance Establishing Procedures with the Need for Flexibility and Responsiveness?
Empower your staff and management to fix problems whether you are right or wrong. Knowing the individual “genius” of each member of your team will help ensure that their true gifts are being intelligently deployed and not squandered. And as a result, guarantees your business runs efficiently.
The greatest benefit of forecasting comes from prioritizing the 80-20 rule: 80 percent of sales come from 20 percent of a company’s products or services. Consider that the “chain is only as strong as the weakest link. Great ideas or products don’t offset bad pricing, marketing programs, forecasting or customer service.
There are some simple communications tools that we sometimes forget especially in stressful situations. Learn to say, “How are you?”, “Please” and “Thank you”. Listen and Be polite! These simple gestures reduce tension in situations and create more open discussion of issues.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing. “-George Bernard Shaw
Understanding Change and Trends Can Greatly Improve focus
Internet retailing is growing 15-20% per year while brick and mortar retail is only growing 1-3%. Therefore, the opportunities on the internet are simply far greater than traditional retailers. Execution does not just involve internal staff and management. There are many reasons to consider engaging outside experts and managing them productively, as well as, managing in-house staff. For example, internet marketing, web design, social media, paid search, etc. require lots of different skills. You can’t do it alone.
In summary, maximizing details and execution are critical components of success. Great ideas are critical to provide differentiation. However, you do need the skills, experience and commitment to succeed. Don’t forget Execution!
Dr. Bert Shlensky, president of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience and skills and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies for businesses of all kinds. His books for the business entrepreneur: Marketing Plan for Startups & Small Business and Passion & Reality for Small Business Success, are available at www.startupconnection.net.
by Bert Shlensky | Apr 13, 2017 | Operations
Not having a tight grasp on the reality of your business could be the difference between success and failure. This article lays out some key concepts for small businesses to dramatically improve decision making through understanding reality.
I continuously run into well intentioned, and even, well informed clients who ignore this simple guidance. This is especially true in identifying target markets and pricing. For example, if you are not aware of Amazon pricing you are simply blind to the lead competitor, much like failing department stores have for years. Similarly, clients ignore even the reality of a simple google search to help identify competitors.
“You don’t want to know the truth!” – to paraphrase Jack Nicholson
However, there are lots of ways to handle the truth. On one hand, you must maintain your enthusiasm, confidence, and belief that you will succeed. Keep in mind, however, the challenges, barriers and realities of your efforts. Here are some tools to create a beautiful balance between your “expectations and reality”
Beware of confirmation bias
Don’t we always believe our ideas are terrific, and thus, focus more on their wonderfulness and potential for success? Of course, we do. The challenges are sometimes given a smaller amount of our attention, and downplayed. It’s just human nature. Review alternatives, enlist the help of industry experts and most important, make a special effort to examine competition.
Understand your goals
Understand your goals, resources and risk. In particular, your market analysis, competitors, how and why your company is different, and why customers should care. Are you focused on long term growth or quick profits? Many companies continue to keep growing when they should be pivoting to focus on profit. Having a clear less than one page mission statement is an excellent process to ensure you understand your goals.
When and how will you be profitable?
Only about 10% of startups and small businesses succeed and survive to their fifth year. The ones who do survive have developed flexible models to measure, and then compared alternatives. Many plans, forecasts, and proposals are done in a static format with one dimensional analysis and results. Usually they’re all wrong because we live in a more dynamic and interactive world (Startup Connection has developed a very simple model that lets you evaluate alternatives in less than 48 hours. Visit: www.startupconnection.net/business-templates/operating-profit-model-template/)
Do some market research
I cannot tell you how many clients discuss the uniqueness of their ideas when there are pages of competitors who are frequently more experienced, cheaper, with more compelling marketing on Google or Amazon. Even informal research can be highly productive in understanding markets and competition.
Hire good resources and continue to test, measure and adapt
Make certain the people you hire have real expertise and will do what you require. Hiring with the goal of saving money usually results in mediocre outcomes, at best. You get what you pay for. Remember the phrase “If you think an expert is expensive, try hiring an amateur.” That is especially true in trying to do everything yourself.
Make use of demographics
Understand and take advantage of the changes in demographics, the economy and your environment. For example, large companies frequently flounder with innovation and growth especially when considered in regard to demographic changes and the growth of mobile devices. Ensure that you can answer the questions who is your target audience and why would they want your product.
Have fun!
In summary, learning the truth or reality of your business involves continuously challenging your assumptions, reviewing alternatives and evaluating your progress. Don’t be a martyr, and encourage different perspectives. It just may make all the difference for your business.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, President of www.startupconnection.net, offers experience, skills and a team devoted to developing and executing winning strategies for small businesses. This combination and the personal hands-on approach has been the key to client success. For more info and his books for the business entrepreneur: Marketing Plan for Startups & Small Business and Passion & Reality for Business Success, are available at www.startupconnection.net.
