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Feedback is important in every sphere of life but more so in business simply because it tells how we’re going and how we can improve.

If we continue to improve, we’ll continue to grow.

The benefits of feedback are obvious:

1. Consolidates the relationship
2. Lets you know where you’re falling down
3. Opens up communication
4. Can be the catalyst to valuable testimonials

But Many Businesses Still Don’t Do It ( and Many Don’t Do It Well)

So, why do so many businesses fail to implement a proper customer feedback process?

Every business will have their unique reasons and on the face of it, most will be very rational. Here are three:

1. Time - it’s hard, in the traditional format, to arrange constant customer feedback nevermind tracking it and taking action.

2. What to Ask - some questions may seem personal, while others may seem to say “tell me how good I am”. Where’s the balance? What do you want to know?

3. Customer Response - not just to the survey questions but to the survey itself. Just not knowing people’s reactions might hinder the implementation process.

But what if you could get the feedback when you wanted it, automatically and have it collated so you can get an overall feel for how you’re doing?

How priceless would that be?

To know:

• what your customers think about you
• what your customers and prospects think about your product and your service

would be so powerful your business would be at the edge of its performance very quickly.You see, you don’t want “nice & fluffy” feedback.

You need feedback much like the Grand Slalom skiers are getting at the Winter Olympics in Turin at the moment.

If they miss by 2/100ths of a second, they get told. There’s no apology or softening the blow.

That’s what great business is about.

But How do You do This Quickly & Easily?

For those with assistants it may be easier but with any business there are simple and effective ways to get customer feedback. Some use checklists, others have it pre-prepared in the client file and hand it over or post it out at the same time every time.

One way I’m going to suggest is with an online survey.

Why Online?

To my way of thinking this is the best way to get client feedback today.

1. The population is increasingly “web aware” and are exploring the Web more and more.
2. An online survey (example below) is generally quick saving both you and your customer time.
3. Completing the survey privately will allow better responses. You can even have the responses go to a third party like a coach or a manager.
4. Inexpensive: this is a big one. Mail out surveys cost both time and money. Online surveys, once they are set up are done. All it needs is for clients to complete them.

Nothing Happens in a Vacuum

I can hear some people question the use of technology and how it might appear to be impersonal. I actually believe the opposite.

If any service provider has made enough of a connection then almost any tool used to promote the relationship (like a survey) will be beneficial. The means to that survey can be immaterial.

I will agree though that online surveys, just shot out of a cannon because it’s the latest fad can do more harm than good. You need a well thought out strategy to go with the surveys.

Overcoming Resistance

If a client refuses an online survey, that in itself is feedback - not to change tools, but to develop a closer relationship, find out their objction to it and help them overcome whatever is getting in the way.

It is a signal to add value.

So How Hard Is It?

I’m not sure who said it but someone wiser than me stated: “The questions you ask are defined by the answers you need.” (not want)

That is how you form your questions. And if you follow the advice the content becomes easier.

Now What To Do

The next thing to do is to work out 3 - 5 questions you’d like to know from your clients and write them out how you’d like to ask them.

If you’d like feedback on your questions you can fire them off to me and I’ll oblige - f.r.e.e. of charge for the next two weeks.

I’ll look forward to your responses.

p.s. if you know someone who is looking into this already, feel free to pass this article on to them.

Have you thought much about your CRM strategy lately? Do you wonder if you’ll ever get it quite right? Do you spend hours wondering which way to go, how much you’ll spend, what return you’ll get? Yeah, me too! Well, until recently when I decided that it can’t (shouldn’t?) be all that difficult. I was reading a post by Graham Hill over at CRM Guru. Graham is questioning the new fad of customer engagement and wonders …

"Why oh why oh why can’t businesses just fix the basics that drives success; simple things like products that work first time every time, pricing that is fair and transparent, marketing that is authentic and honest, and service that adds to the ownership experience, to name just a few."

And it makes sense, doesn’t it? All these well worn phrases and strategies simply designed to get more money from the customer’s pocket and up the share price. So what about a good old return to the basics, where we really do know the customer’s name and their kids ailments etc? CRM breakthroughs is about that B2B I believe we desperately need. Yet it’s not all that scientific. (Of course, if it’s not that scientific, you can’t charge too much either!) So here are a few questions that may help you revisit your CRM and make some adjustments to help both sides (you and the customer)

• What CRM strategies do you have in place?
• How long have you been working on them?
• Who is responsible for what? Do they know?
• How proactive is your team on meeting customer needs? (Or are you driving it all?)
• If the strategies aren’t working, how are you adjusting them?
• How are you measuring them? (Are you measuring? Effectively?)
• What mechanisms have you put in place for feedback?

I’d love to know. And I’d love to know your thoughts on B2B (Back to Basics) CRM. Enjoy your customers!

Technorati Tags: crm, customers, growth

As coaches and consultants in solo businesses we all want to make a reasonable salary. There are certainly benefits to working on your own but sometimes getting down to paid work can be hard when there are so many other enjoyable activities to be had.

You know what I’m talking about:

• coffee
• lunches
• drinks
• blogging
• reading
• researching

All those things we like to do and convince ourselves to do because it will pay off in the end. But in the meantime, money isn’t coming in and we wish it was.

So, in my “reading and research” I came across a really great site Freelance Switch. Which, according to the subhead is a “Community & Resource for freelancers of all varieties - designers, writers, programmers, illustrators, photographers …”

There’s quite a bit there already but the post that caught my eye from Digg was “10 Essential Habits for Freelance Workers” and there’s plenty more where that comes from.

And a very kewl tewl (cool tool) is the Rates Calculator which allows you to calculate what you need to earn to support the lifestyle to which you want to become accustomed to. (Read that slowly.)

It’s something (calculating your hourly rate) that all consultants and coaches do from time to time and this was a simple yet reasonably comprehensive way to do a quick reminder of why you charge what you do.

Go check it out. Great site.

I have read a lot about successful people ands what they do. I have always had an inkling that a lot of their success is not just based on their activities but their personal views and motivations around those activities. So I am endeavouring to get in their and find out what’s driving them making them tick.

The first interview is with the head of Bam Creative, a Web Development Company in Perth,  Miles Burke.

Miles is an exceptional business manager as has recently been awarded the 40 Under 40 title which recognises leaders in their field under the age of, well, 40!

So I got with Miles and interviewed him, not about his business and what he does, but about who he is and why that might contribute to his success. It’s over at a site Miles set up called Creative Suit. (Yes it’s Miles site, but the interview was my idea!)

The answers to the 10 questions are unedited and I find them quite insightful, some of the because of their simplicity.

The plans are to interview more successful people around these same 10 questions so if you know of anyone who would be happy to be interviewed (via skype or email is fine) In person is good too if they are in Perth.

The interview will be at Creative Suit for 90 days and then can be redistributed (which means I’ll add it here.)

Enjoy!

Subtitle: Well Whaddya Know? - It’s ALL Marketing!

Speaking with a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless ) and the subject got on to promoting yourself as a solo entrepreneur. And that it can be tough for some. For the extroverted among us it is less of a hindrance (but that comes with other issues) but for the Introverted it can be a real pain this self promotion thing.

So it got me thinking about what I know.

• Is it valuable?
• Would people want it?
• Would people pay for it?

And then I was listening to John Mayer’s “Waiting for the World to Change” and it kind of fell into place.

In John’s song (Only his real friends call him John! ) there is a line that goes:

“cause when they own the information, oh they can bend it all they want”

Now I’m not using that line to be cynical but I think it adds a dose of reality to how we promote ourselves in the business world.

Until people get to know us only we own our information. I’m not saying we should bend unwisely, but some of us do bend it, in a negative way. (In fact, we probably all bend our own information in some way.)

The good old “fake it till you make it” comes to mind. And, truth be told, isn’t that what we do with every new venture?

And that means, in the end, it’s ALL marketing. Whether you market well, or whether you market poorly, you market. We all do.

So how can you market yourself well:

1. Tell the Truth: This isn’t just the opposite of lying, it is deeper than that. It means be up front about what you can do. Figure out what it is you do and then create a message that encapsulates that well.

2. Know Your Outcomes: When people work with you what do they get? What change for the better do you bring about? Establish these in your own mind first so you can convey they confidently to a prospect.

3. Use the Right Language: Everyone talks, not everyone communicates. Knowing what you want to say and knowing how to say it are two completely different things. What words do you use? Are they positive words or negative words?

Example of what I mean here:

“I can get your staff to stop taking unnecessary breaks and ruining your productivity.”

~versus~

“I can help your staff remain motivated and works towards the results you’re after.”

Okay, simple example but hopefully it makes the point.

4. What You Know is Old - But They Don’t Know That!: Every generation starts from scratch. Time management, people skills, communication, leadership, technical skills, professional accreditations and the list goes on. People are learning that every day. The stuff you know by rote. Don’t under value that just because you have known it for years. The key is to communicate it in a way they will want to listen.

5. How Do You Make Life Easier?: A lot of what you know, you know to be easy - for you. A lot of people will market their stuff because they are good at what they do. Not bad. My experience has been:

• How do you solve my problem?
• How do you make things easier for me?

So you need to know the answer to those questions before you meet with someone.

6. Learn Body Language: Did you know that 55% of your communication comes from your body? Good! So how are you managing that in your meetings with prospective clients? Don’t get paranoid about it but simply be aware of your posture and the conversation. It will tell you a lot about what’s going on

7. Refine, refine, refine: (I needed a 7th point but it bears stating) that any promotion is not set in concrete. I prefer the term ‘wet cement’. That is, it can stand up on it’s own but you can move it when you need to.

In the end, it’s all marketing - until you get to actually do the work, and it doesn’t stop there either but your work quality will become your marketing tool.

The point for those who gag at self promotion, just remember, good or bad, you’re always marketing yourself. So be kind to yourself.

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