Why Better Note Taking Builds Your Business

When we asked what is the most important thing a business owner should be doing right now in our featured series earlier this year, we got a great answer... BUILD RELATIONSHIPS!

You are in the business to grow your sales. Your customers want to me recognized with that special touch.  Prospects love when you remember them and when you customize your product or service to meet their needs.

Here are a few words of advice:

Dream Big Act Small
Yes we would all like to start a company that instantly takes off and makes billions within 24 hours, but until you get there, treat every customer as a precious commodity. Actually you should figure to a way to make your customers feel special all the time.

Make them feel special and they will enjoy your service and refer you.

Write a Note and Act on it!
There is nothing better than a company with outstanding followup. Followup within 24 hours and be excited about each and every prospect. Write notes within Honor Services Office and set a reminder to contact this prospect.

Remain Organized
Every business has snafu's but you want to keep these to a minimum. When your prospect is asking for specific information, keep copious notes to fulfill their need.

FEATURED - Evie Burke (Business Coach - Professional Business Relationship Expert)

By: Stan Washington

Tiny Interview - Evie Burke, Business Coach - Professional Business Relationship Expert at One Insight Closer.

Stan: Evie please tell me about yourself and your services.

Evie: I help "work from home" entrepreneur's create business relationships that result in more business. 

Stan: What advice would you give business owners?

Evie: There are lots of ways to arrive at the same result in business and in life. However, entrepreneurs often try to pour themselves into "solutions" that doesn't work for them - there is no one size fits all in business. Determine what does and doesn't work for you and move forward from there AND adjust as often as needed!  


Evie can be reached at: One Insight Closer, Inc

Office: 630.447.0566

Find your insights to success.

Recent blog post: Looking away

You Talkin' to Me? (How are you treating your potential clients?)

Original picture and Article from Mashable:http://mashable.com/2013/11/25/customer-relationships/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-bus-link

By: Stan Washington
Date: November 26, 2013

What Sales Approach Works?

I recently spoke to a number of small business owners and they had different ways to approach sales. One person was very bold and direct and another was shy and timid. Both had sagging sales and both need to consider rethinking how they handle their potential client

Pressure Cooker Approach
"What would it take to get you in one of these?" seems like the cheesiest line from the used car salesman. The pressure sales tactic leaves a terrible taste in everyone's mouth. After a while you get a reputation that you are only there to sell your house with the leaky roof built on a graveyard.

Whisper and Run Approach
"I have a product to try" whispered the shy person. When people said "No!" they ran for cover! This shows a lack of confidence in your own product. People will try to test to see if you believe in your own product. If you don't then they will run away from you and your scary service.

Bad Mouthing the Opponent Approach
"They don't have what I have! They are bad and I am good" makes the potential client ask "How can I trust you?" This approach seems slimy and uncomfortable. It seems like you will do and say anything to get my cash.

All the approaches listed above use one common style. They talk "AT" the potential client.

Build the Relationship Approach
"Let's address your problem together" is the statement that resonates with your potential client.  By understanding your clients' needs, you can provide a great solution to even the simplest problems they face.  This requires keeping notes on each potential client and client.

Yes it's easy to remember facts about 10 or 12 clients but when you get over 50 forget it! Some small business owners had 2,000 and 3,000 people they had to keep track of and there was no way to do it without software!

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Try keeping powerful notes on each potential client to land the deal with at http://www.careercoachoffice.com. Try it FREE today!

Did I call your daughter Zack?

Business was going quite well.  I had made a lot of connections and prided myself on knowing my clients. As I spoke to one of my referrals for the second time I just knew I was going to get a new client. We started discussing children. “How’s Zack” I asked.  From the awkward silence I sensed I had said something wrong. 

“My daughters’ name is not Zack.”

From there the conversation went downhill.  My business had experienced growing pains and I could no longer keep all the information about my potential clients in my head.  The names were too similar or circumstances too parallel.

PHONE NOTES ARE DIFFERENT THAN CONVERSATION NOTES

When I have a conversation with someone I like to document where we had the conversation and list any pertinent information that would help me serve them better.  Usually the actions are longer term so I don’t have to act upon them right away.

When I’m on the phone I like to capture action items and place them in an organized place where I can find them. With separate notes I can see how many times I made contact with the potential client.

GET RID OF THE FANCY NOTEPAD

I called myself organized until I had to find the phone number of someone I was going to refer to one of my clients. I fumbled, flipping through pages and pages of notes but to my chagrin I could not find the information.  Turns out I had written it on another notepad. I discovered the number two weeks later!

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) HAD TO BE EASY

Career Coach Office offers CRM specifically built for coaches but can be used by any business. Keep track of notes and document the number of times you contact that potential client. List action items and keep the relationship flowing towards your business.

HR consultant and Coaches...Try Career Coach Office for free! Go to http://www.careercoachoffice.com.