Archives for September 2014
Grow Your Customers, Build Your Business: 4 Strategic Seeds to Grow Your Clients’ Garden
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises, he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so. – Mahatma Gandhi.
Take a moment and let those words sink into your heart, soul, and passion for doing business. Ask yourself, “do I put the customer first, and respect the opportunity to serve him before the needs of my own?”. In today’s self-centered culture of doing things, many organizations fail to truly serve the customer. In doing so, they also fail themselves.
The objective of this article is to pin-point four strategies that you can implement today to plant your seeds of customer growth – growth in the relationships with your customers, to better serve them, and to better the opportunity you’ll gain through that service:
- Listen. Really listen. Turn off your cellphone, email notifications, and any other distractions that could interfere with the quality of the time with your client. Show respect. Listen to what he or she needs, wants, is
curious about, or simply be the ear to vent their frustrations. Let them know that you’re listening through active eye contact, confirmation, and interactive not interruptive dialogue.
- Ask Questions. Building and maintaining a positive relationship with your customers requires you to understand their needs, wants, goals, challenges, and dislikes. This requires interaction via dialogue. These questions can clarify concerns that you may not have fully understood while he or she was sharing insight, or wasn’t stated, but was implied. Clarity and understanding is essential to growing from the current point to the next.
Bridge the Gap. This simply means putting together a client-focused strategic plan to achieve the desired outcomes from what was discussed, questions that were answered, and forming a specific strategy to aiding the client reach his or her full potential. This is the opportunity to roadmap the steps and actions required to get from the current situation to the milestones and to the main objective. The analysis aspect of bridging the gap is not only your analysis, rather, it is a joint culmination and understanding of between you and client of what, why, how, when, and by whom confirmation. It is a beautiful partnership that fully synthesizes where both you, and your client are today, and where you want to be.
- Contribute. The roadmap is nothing without action. This action comes in the form of specific contribution that fits the needs of client, not your needs. The detailed interactions, analysis, and roadmap aid you in getting the visual of what, why, how, and by whom. The contribution aspect, is holding up your end of the bargain to fully perform as identified. This includes:
outstanding customized communication, specific objectives, specific initiatives, specific key performance metrics, dates of performance, and organized outcomes that all fit the client. Contribution with the client’s goals and objectives in front-seat provides you with the opportunity to serve and grow your client.
Building the relationship with the client is a starting point, but truly partnering with the client aids you in providing a more meaningful service that will grow that relationship.The fruits of your labor will be rewarded with dynamic yields of success within the client’s garden. That success will ultimately aid in growing your own garden.
Great reads…
Hess, E. (2012). Growth to Greatness Strategies: Smart Growth to Entrepreneurial Businesses. Ivey Business Journal. Walker, E. (2014). 40 Eye-Opening Customer Service Quotes. Forbes.
Copyright Viral Solutions llc © 2014. All Rights Reserved
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Business & Accounting at Stevens–Henager College
Chief Visionary | Viral Solutions LLC
Katie Doseck, PhD | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
Have to vs Choose to – The Slap in the Face to Time Management
Are you feeling overwhelmed with the endless to-do lists, activities, and of the other crazy thoughts that are running in your mind? Do you have the, I “have to” do this, syndrome with your daily activities. Only to feel even more drained the instant the words float out of your mouth? Well, this article may just very well be the wake up call to help bring some overdue perspective to your monotonous to-do list. A few short paragraphs may even empower you to shift your time management, to a more time and energy saving “choose to” framework that fits you.
I “have to” do… Okay, let’s get this straight from the get-go, you don’t have to do anything. You are choosing to do whatever it is that is on your list to do. You may argue, but my job requires XYZ, and if I don’t attend, I’ll lose my job. You may be right, but you may also be wrong. This doesn't suggest to do nothing, rather to shift your attitude toward the things that you choose to do. This includes your perspective or attitude towards the “have to” get done today list. Seriously, you know the list that you dread and the one that causes frustration. Take a moment to think about why it causes such a shift in your physiology. Why? Probably because you’re trying to figure out how you’re going to get everything done within the allocated time of the day.
I “choose to” do… Rehash the last sentence. You may lack clarity in how you’re going to get your “have to” do’s done because there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day, but what if you were challenged to reflect on attitudes towards what you “choose to do”. Meaning, what if you sat back and reviewed your tasks, goals, and nightmares that you subjectively acknowledge need to be done. Could you use this moment to identify, organize, prioritize, and delegate tasks? You bet your sanity you could!
Take 30 minutes to sip on your coffee, listen to your favorite music, and review your plan of “have to” do’s. Identify, organize, prioritize, and select the tasks that you “choose to” do. Perhaps, you’re in a 
situation, and you have a team-member or someone that you could sub-out some of your “have to” do’s and you could to pass off to him or her and regain additional time and energy to work on the “choose to” do’s in a more empowered and energized manner. Create your “choose to” do’s in the most productive manner that will yield the greatest results for you, your organization, and your clients. You are your keeper and releaser of energy, choose wisely, specifically, and with intended purpose. The moment you start reverting to running around or panicking about all of the things that you need to do, walk away, grab a hot tea, and give yourself a 15-minute chillout to refocus, regain, and re-energize your creative, productive diva.
This isn’t going to work for me…Ask yourself why? Maybe that’s not the case for you, and you truly “have to” and really have to “choose to” do everything under the sun today, tomorrow, and until you get out of your ram-rod funk that will ultimately send you home with a work-induced meltdown (however, it’s a you-induced meltdown – you chose it). If this sounds more like your situation, you may want to consider getting a life coach to help you help yourself. No joke. Been there, done that, and when you run yourself into the ground, who’s left? So, are you going to have a “have to” or “choose to” kind of day?
- Copyright Viral Solutions llc © 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Great Reads…
Boardman, S. (2014). Rethink time management: 11 ways to make the most of your time. The Huffington Post. Retrieved http://www.huffingtonpost.com/samantha-boardman-md/time-management-tips_b_4296921.html.
Kunneke, A. (2014). These 2 words are stealing your freedom. The Huffington Post. Retrieved http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-kunnecke/these-two-words-are-stealing-your-freedom_b_5505440.html.
Von Tobel, A. (2014). 5 time management I can’t live without. Inc. Retrieved http://www.inc.com/alexa-von-tobel/smartest-time-saving-tips.html.
Time Management Tools…
Copyright Viral Solutions llc © 2014. All Rights Reserved
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Business & Accounting at Stevens–Henager College
Chief Visionary | Viral Solutions LLC
Katie Doseck, PhD | Chief Visionary & Strategic Ace Up Your Sleeve. I catapulted my experience with extensive education, trainings, and personal coaching; earning a PhD in Organizational Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management, MBA in Organizational Leadership, and BA in Law & Liberal Arts. Subject Matter Expert (SME) areas: Human Resource Management, Employment Law, Organizational Change, Change Management, Resource Planning, Strategic Planning, Talent Management, Selling & Sales Management, Training & Development, Decision Making Models, Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, and Motivation. Dr. Doseck is based out of Logan, Utah.
4 Step Strategy to Re-Believing in You – Yes YOU!
“When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt” –Honore de Balzac. Take a moment and let that quote sink in…We've all felt anxiety, stress, and doubt. Perhaps, to an extreme point where we reluctantly passed on an opportunity that could have elevated our careers to the next point or said “yes” to the dream partner. Whether that was because of fear of not being good enough, fear of success, fear of failure, or whatever other built-in barrier to truly embracing believing in ourselves.
The purpose of this article to recognize that you're not in the hard-to-believe-in-yourself boat alone, sailing an ocean of complacency, but that you do have the choice to continue to be on that boat, or switch to the heck-yes-I-do-THIS ship. Here are four tips to start your re-believing journey:
- Identify Self-Doubt Triggers. It is essential to be able to identify what, why, how, and when self-doubting triggers appear. Whatever it is, when that thought or phrase pops in your mind, you need to re
cognize it, and switch it to an affirming tense. For example, switch “I can’t do…” to “I may not have done this before, however, I can identify what I need to do to work towards XYZ…” Another example, switch “I’ve done that before, and failed, so I won’t be doing that again,” to “I've gained lessons from my past that can aid me in overcoming challenges like this, so I am ready to move forward with this opportunity…”
- Recall Your Successes. You know all of that self-doubt tug-o-war dictations that go on in your head really only amount to something if you let it. As mentioned before, identify, recognize, and rephrase that hateful talk to empowering. You’re amazing! You’ve gone through hell and back, and have survived. You've also achieved so much more than you can imagine or even give yourself credit. When the negative thoughts enter your mind detour them with an example of your past success similar to the present trigger. Think about how you handled that situation, your skills that took you to the next step, the feelings of love and joy that embraced your body while achieving that success. You can write it down in a Success Journal to remind yourself whenever. Bottle those positive feelings up. Let your spirit and mind recall your inner strength. Evict the negativity, and replace with positive successes that you've actually achieved.
- Trust and Love Yourself. This can be the hardest or easiest step for an individual. However, it is one of the most pivotal belief and emotion to sustainable personal growth. You are in the driver’s seat o
f you, your life, and how you treat yourself. Grow and expand the relationship yourself. Don’t abuse yourself. Trust and love yourself for all that you are and all that you want to become. Radiate that acceptance of you.
- Give Yourself Permission to Succeed, Fail, and Try Again. Self-doubt is always going to be around, however, the method in which you identify, manage, and work toward minimizing the impact it has on you lies on you. Giving yourself permission to learn, love, and move on from past and future successes, failures, and everything in between. Don’t allow fear, guilt, shame, or whatever toxic emotion paralyze you from moving forward.
Remember, you're unique, special, and you, yes, you – you matter. Thoughts shape action of disbelief or belief. Work on getting to know you, your thoughts, managing those thoughts, recalling your successes, learning to trust and love yourself, and giving yourself permission to accept and learn from your actions. Be you, believe in you, and all of the wonderful, amazing, talented things that you can do. You are worth believing in YOU.
Great readings and visual to inspire YOU…
Brower, E. (2012). Meditation: Believing in Yourself. Yoga Journal. Retrieved http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2891.
Cudd, A. (2013). Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. TED Talks. Retrieved: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc.
N.A. (2013). Confidence Quotes: Inspiring Words to Help You Believe in Yourself. Huffington Post. Retrieved: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/12/confidence-quotes-inspiring-words_n_3416314.html.
Copyright Viral Solutions llc © 2014. All Rights Reserved.
by Katie Doseck, Ph.D. Chief Visionary | Viral Solutions LLC