Business Management Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersSales 101 Doesn’t Get The Job DonePart of what ESR does is to identify, size, and prioritize the gaps that exist between our clients’ sales teams’ skill sets and what is required for them to win more business, sooner, and at higher contract values. There are different ways to categorize those gaps. For the purposes of this post, let’s look at […] What’s the Half-Life of Sales Training?At one point during one of the workshops I facilitated in Ireland two weeks ago, a CEO said, matter-of-factly, “… and you know what the half-life of sales training is…” He was discussing how his company took a more formal approach to sales effectiveness than just sales training, and the benefits that structure and process […] Learning To Be NiceYou have to be able to sell something to someone if you are in business. Most people do not have the perfect product or service that sells itself. A business needs customers and clients to like it. Learning to be nice is an essential skill for any business. It is, therefore, amazing that so many […] Your Business ChecklistAs a business coach, I spend a lot of time working with people who want to improve different aspects of their business. Many times these aspects are merely symptoms of a more fundamental, underlying issue. If you want your business to truly shine, then there are some basic principles that, if not present, can lead […] Traps for Young (and Old) EntrepreneursIt’s common knowledge that most small businesses fail within 5 years. These statistics are mind-blowingly depressing for people looking to start up a new venture. So what goes wrong? No-one starts out with the intention of creating something that isn’t sustainable. In fact most people would be adamant that they weren’t going to be one […] Pricing Your Consulting ServicesIn case you hadn’t noticed, people can react very differently when faced with the same price for a product or service. In fact in most cases, we’ll never actually know what is in their minds when they consider a price and then decide to respond to it in certain way. So what does that mean […] Managing the Human Being behind the BusinessIt’s a common problem and we’ve all seen it – business owners that are just ‘too busy’ all of the time, and as a result, do not enjoy the success in business they had hoped for. Let’s not kid ourselves, there is a lot to focus on: technology, employees, sales, marketing and so on. These […] Kicking Winning GoalsThe competition for business is hotting up. The advances in new technology, ease of communication, and increasing expectations from customers have combined to make the marketplace more competitive than ever. In this world it is critical for small and medium businesses to be proactive about creating their future. Without proactivity, things just seem to ‘happen’ […] Hourly Rates No Thank YouWhen was the last time you gave a passing thought to your pricing? It’s no secret that how you charge for your services can either make or break you. It can mean the difference between a mediocre and a successful business. In my experience, most people don’t spend enough time thinking strategically about what pricing […] Getting the Marketing GrooveWouldn’t it be great to have a year where your marketing efforts were streamlined and got the results you were after? None of us want to struggle with marketing, and yet this is the one topic that continues to be highest in the minds of small business professionals. Let’s really consider some of the reasons […] Every Business Needs a BHAGIn the heady arena of strategy, the consultants of the world find wonderful acronyms for the work they do. Today let me introduce one of those to you. It’s the BHAG – the Big Hairy Audacious Goal! This is the goal that really stretches you to think differently about how you do business. It’s the […] Delegate or DieThere is not a single management skill more critical to your personal and professional success as an entrepreneur than learning to delegate. But delegating successfully is much more than simply handing out assignments. It is more an exercise in understanding and accepting our own strengths and limitations. In this fast paced world, we must choose […] Driving Without a Roadmap?For any business to succeed it must know what it is about. It must be able to explainwhat it is there to achieve, and where it ultimately wants to end up. Unfortunately the majority of businesses can’t describe, or don’t have a picture of what they are trying to become. Either it’s just not considered […] Dealing with Problem Behaviour in the WorkplaceI personally struggle with the term “managing people”, because I firmly believe that people cannot be managed – only processes and systems can. How many times have you heard it said – “Why won’t my employees just do as they are asked?” Despite all our best efforts at “managing”, we have very little control over […] Creating a Vision and MissionFor any business to succeed, it must know what it is about. It must be able to clearly describe why it is there, and what it is there to achieve. Developing a vision and mission statement is a way of articulating these ideas to yourself, your customers, your employees, and to the world at large. […] Create More Headspace – the Art of SimplificationPeople’s lives today are jam-packed with great projects, ideas, to-do lists, errands, things we should do, things we could do, duties and obligations. No surprise then, that many of us feel we barely have time to do the things we have to do (or think we have to do), let alone spare time for fitting […] Coaching the new Word in ManagmentAlthough workplaces and management styles have come a long way in the last decade, the command and control style of management behaviour remains common practice in many companies. This management approach basically means that employees are told exactly what to do, when to do it and even how it should be done. The manager is […] Centres of InfluenceA Centre of Influence is a fancy way of identifying people that have a hugely positive impact on your business. They often refer people and business to you, and are actively glowing about what you provide and how you provide it. Every business needs a couple of these gems, and once you have them, you […] 8 Ways to Get More from your Existing CustomersFor many of us – especially those in service businesses – our existing and previous customers are vital for three reasons: 1. They have already bought from us, so providing they had a good experience, they might buy from us again. We also know that getting a new customer is much more expensive than selling […] 7 Sanity Saving Business BoundariesThe lack of strong boundaries is one of the chief causes of stress, overwork and overwhelm in the business environment. Clearly set boundaries help other people to understand how you want to be treated. They are the rules, if you like, that apply when others deal with you and your business. Many of us aren’t […] |
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