How great would it be to have information such as:

• How your clients like your products/services?
• Would they recommend you to a friend?
• What other products or services that you offer are they interested in hearing about?
• How much money they plan to spend next year on your products/services?
• How was their last experience with your company or organization?
• What could be done to improve the quality of your products and services?
• Who are your competitors and why?

What a treasure trove of useful and valuable information! How can you get all of that vital data? Just ask for it!

Provide a customer survey for your clients and prospects to complete. It is easier than you think.

It is important, however, not to over-think this.

Do-it-yourself surveys like this (where you don’t hire a professional customer satisfaction marketing firm) should be short and straightforward (remember, first do no harm!). You should keep it just a few questions long, only asking your client or prospect to spend a minute or two on it.

Emailed surveys are handy, and simple self–addressed stamped postcards inserted into delivered jobs work well too.

In my next entry, I’ll go over what form your questions should take, and what the common choices are. After that, I’ll discuss what to do with the information once you get it. Finally, I’ll let you know some sources for these survey products. 

There is no reason to stand on ceremony, just step up and ASK for the information you need to improve your offerings to your clients.

Paula Smith / Paula@curryprint.com / Office: 410.685.2679

You can also … connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter!

During this economic slowdown, how you handle objections, complaints, and other potentially unsavory interactions with clients, associates, co-workers and vendors can take on a higher level of importance than it used to have.

People have become very skittish these days, and may be looking for any excuse to no longer work with you. Also, people seem to be less tolerant than they used to be, and understandably so. There is a tremendous amount of stress, and people are having to do “more with less” (you’ve heard that a few times, I take it!).

So, don’t YOU give them a reason to make a change!

First, think logically. If someone is taking the time to give you an objection, it may be that they honestly want to work things out with you. Give them the benefit of the doubt, and take advantage of the opportunity to correct or clarify the situation. 

Hear them out. But don’t just HEAR…You need to LISTEN.

This means listening with both ears AND all of your gray matter and concentration. Don’t just listen to what they say, try to discern what they are NOT saying. The more information you can glean, the better equipped you will be to tackle the objection.

Avoid jumping to conclusions, being evasive or rude. Try to be empathetic.

How you address these issues now may set you up to be the vendor/associate/colleague/client of choice once the economy bounces back.

Don’t miss an opportunity to leap ahead of your competitors just by using your keen listening skills!

Paula Smith / Paula@curryprint.com / Office: 410.685.2679

You can also … connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter!

Have you noticed during this economic downturn that, due to people being laid off from their jobs, companies are trying to do almost the same amount of work with less people?

Do you find you have more things to do now than ever?

How about in your personal life…have you taken on more responsibilities for things you used to pay someone else to do? Clean your house? Cut your grass? Fix things around the place?

What is at a premium here is TIME!

Time cannot be made, like money, as there is just a finite amount you have to work with each and every day.

Do you wish you had more of it? I know I do!

How can you “manufacture” something that is perfectly finite?

Perhaps you should try re-evaluating what you are currently spending your time on and make some adjustments?

For each non-work-related task, ask yourself:

• Is this adding to my quality of life?
• Is this activity going to make my life easier in some way?
• Is this going to help my family?
• Is this absolutely necessary?
• Can I do this any faster or better than I am currently doing it?

If you can eliminate or shorten any of the activities you are currently doing, you will free up more of your time for those actions that DO add positively to your life.

Cutting out television, surfing the net aimlessly and without purpose, speaking with people not important to you, doing chores or errands inefficiently, all of these time-suckers diminish the quality of your non-work time…DITCH THEM!

Paula Smith / Paula@curryprint.com / Office: 410.685.2679

You can also … connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter!

Would you like to manufacture some extra time at work?

Try a few of these suggestions:

• Bring your morning beverage of choice with you when you come to your office in the morning, rather than having to come in, put your things down, and then run to the coffee shop or kitchen to get something. You can be ready to start work immediately when you enter your workspace each morning.
• Compartmentalize your day. Try to achieve the tasks on your To Do list (you do have one, right? If not, check out my May 20^, 2009 blog!) in an efficient and reasonable fashion. For instance, make calls in the morning; follow up on emails in the afternoon, etc.
• Try to avoid interruptions…create your own Cone of Silence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWHq9othRxM)  Make sure your associates know if you cannot be interrupted, hang a sign or some symbol that you will get back to them as soon as possible after you are finished what you are doing.
• Delegate. Some of your associates may not be as busy given the decrease in activity due to the recession, so spread the work around! You might be surprised to discover someone with a previously-unknown talent or skill set that can help you achieve your goals!
• Bring your lunch, eat at your desk, and catch up on the news or personal emails while on your own time, making you more efficient at your job.
• Come in on the weekend? Maybe not a popular suggestion, but 1-2 hours of totally quiet, uninterrupted time can actually translate to a full day’s worth of normal, interrupted work product.

This special manufacturing of extra time will prove you to be a standout in any economy!

Paula Smith / Paula@curryprint.com / Office: 410.685.2679

You can also … connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter!