Tyme Management Newsletter May 12- SMI

7/31/2019 Tyme Management Newsletter May 12- SMI

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SALES SUCCESS

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ursuing your former custom-ers makes business sense. Infact, salespeople are more

likely to make a sale to a customerwho has since stopped doing businesswith them than they are to a newprospect. The time you invest in ac-tively seeking out lost customers canyield a return that’s worth the extraeffort. Here are some tips on

re-establishing your connec-tion with previous customers:

v Research the reasons why you lost customers. Examine customers’ accounthistories for indications of why they may have left. Did they send a letter of

complaint about the quality of service or have a disagreement about a bill? Ask theperson who previously handled the account what may have gone wrong.

v Solicit customer feedback. You may want to call customers directly to inquireabout the reasons you lost their business. Did they try to inform the company of problems they were having? How did the company respond? In addition, ask if there is any way you can remedy the problem to regain their business.

v Decide which customers you want to pursue. Identify ones that will be worth yourtime. You may find that some customers were too difficult to work with or toomuch of a liability. Others may have moved or no longer have need of yourproduct, or they may simply have been won over by a competitor.

v Stay sensitive to customers’ needs. Find out the current needs of your former

customers and how to appeal to them. Although they may have stopped patronizingyour business because their needs changed, you may be able to serve them withanother product or service.

v Offer an incentive. Write former customers to let them know you’re aware theyhaven’t done business with you in a while. Ask them to call or E-mail you if yourcompany has been unsatisfactory, and share about new products or services theymay be interested in. Include a gift certificate toward their next purchase.

v Follow up. To improve the potential for a response, call customers after theyreceive your letter, or send an E-mail. Start with a small sample of customers, andmonitor your success rate. After you analyze the results, make improvements andthen try reaching a larger group of people.

Voice mail doesn’t always have tobe a dead end to communication. Toincrease the likelihood that your

sales call will be returned:¤ Repeat your phone number or con-

tact information a second time atthe close of your message.¤ Include the exact times you can be

reached to assign a kind of deadlineto the person.

¤ Mention that you have an answer tosomething you discussed with theperson earlier.

The next time your customers makea purchase, use this as an opportunity

to sell them something else. Manytimes people will be open to buying arelated item when they’ve alreadytaken the initiative to buy. To makean additional sale:x Choose a product or service that’s

easily associated with what peoplehave just agreed to buy.

x Propose an item that they are al-ready familiar with rather thansomething new that will require anexplanation.

x Without any pressure, ask if theywould be interested in this item,and be agreeable if they decline.

When making a number-one call, decide on a specificobjective or inquiry for the call. You may want to ask peopleif they would like to receive a free sample of your product orto compare your prices with what they currently pay for theservice you offer.

Then return to this initial point when making your follow-up call. Remindprospects of the topic of your initial call, and provide additional information aboutyour product or service that will whet their interest. For example, tell how yourcompany has successfully met similar needs for other customers.

P.S.: You might not realize how

substantial the postscript is in reachingpotential prospects. Next to the open-ing line, the P.S. at the bottom of yoursales letters is the most importantelement. People tend to read the firstline of a letter and then jump down tothe signature and what’s below with-out reading the rest. By putting yourmain message or incentive in the post-script, you’ll be sure to capture yourreaders’ attention.

Reclaiming Lost Business

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Super Sales Calls

Acquiring Additional Sales

Increase Callbacks

Grab Their Attention



three ideas from the jar and pick theone they want to do.

v Get them jump-started on a new activ

ity. If kids continue to complain thathey have nothing to do, help them gestarted on an activity, but tell them tha

you’ll go back to whayou were doing oncethey get started.

vProvide an environment that encouragecreativity. Have supplies available, including paper, markers

scissors, tape, gluebuilding blocks, boxes

and other odds and ends. Designate anarea of your home where kids can playand be messy to their heart’s content

v Teach kids to appreciate downtimeEnjoy free time with your kids on aregular basis. When kids see that theiparents are always frazzled, busy andpressed for time, they learn that life ia stressful drag. By taking time to slow

down and enjoy simple pleasures yourself, you’ll teach your kids how toenjoy free time.

Here are several fun summer-time activities you can do with

your family:x Use a timer or stopwatch to time

races and chart the results.x Visit a fire station for a tour.x Go on a walk to collect rocks,

leaves, flowers, or shells.x Host a volleyball tournament using

balloons or water balloons.x Put bugs in a container and exam-

ine them with a magnifying glass.x Make a fort out of couch cushions

and a bedsheet.x Use sidewalk chalk to play hop-

scotch or draw pictures.x Play beauty shop with hair stylingitems and makeup.

x Make a scrapbook or memory box.x Learn how to cook, bake, or make

something new.x Tour the historical sites in your

area or go to the park for a picnic.x Start a summer business selling

lemonade or mowing lawns.x Play dress up with old hats, purses,

shoes, clothes and uniforms.

x Work on putting a large puzzletogether and frame it.

x Do a home improvement projectand give kids their own tool set.

x Go to a free outdoor concert orplay in your community.

x Get a map of the stars and try toidentify the constellations.

x Play board games or learn how toplay a new game like chess.

x Designate a quiet reading hour

during the day and read to eachother before bedtime.

x Convert a used refrigerator boxinto a playhouse by cutting outdoors and windows.

x Take pictures around town with adisposable camera.

x Listen to a storyteller or watch amagician at the local library.

x Take a nature walk conducted bya local park ranger.

s a busy parent, boredom may noteven be a word that’s in your vo-cabulary. For kids, on the other

hand, “I’m bored!” can be a commoncomplaint, especially during the sum-mertime. Free time, however, providesthe perfect opportunity for stimulatingchildren’s creativity anddeveloping intrinsic moti-vation. Here are things

you can do to cure acase of boredom:

v Ask questions that willhelp them decide whatthey want to do. Helpkids determine whatkind of mood they’re in and whatkinds of activities are suited to thatparticular mood. Remind them of thethings they like to do, or ask themwhat they could do with various itemsaround the house.

v Create an activity list. The next timeyour kids are bored, have them makeup a list of all the things they could dowith their time. Have them write each

activity on a separate piece of paperand put them in a jar. When they’rebored, they can then draw two or

Life is a balancing act. Making time for your career, your family and yourself isan important part of staying happy and healthy. To keep your life in balance:

Make time for each area of your life. Check your schedule regularly to ensure thayou’re devoting sufficient time to all areas of life. •Keep your schedule flexible. Whileit’s good to set goals for how you want to use your time, there will be times when

circumstances require you to spend more time on one area of your life and less onanother. • Pursue activities and interests outside your career. By doing so, you’lcontinue to grow as an individual and avoid basing yourself-worth on your career. • Stay aware of potential problems. The longer you put off facing problems, themore severe the consequences will be. • Evaluate how you’re doing on a regular basis.When you’re always onthe go, it can be hard to assess how you’re truly feeling.Take time to think about what you’re doing and howmeaningful and fulfilling it is. What changes will youneed to make?

Fun with the Family Curing a Case of Boredom

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Maintaining the Work/Home Balance

FAMILY TIME

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o you set goals with earnest en-thusiasm, but find yourself un-able to accomplish them? Do you

make big plans, but never seem to followthrough with them? Then, you may be inneed of a good dose of discipline. Not inthe sense of punishment, but disciplinethat trains you to develop the consistencyand persistence you need to reach yourgoals.

The AmericanHeritage College Dic-tionary defines dis-cipline as “training

expected to producea specific character orpattern of behavior, es-pecially training thatproduces moral ormental improvement.”It’s the deliberate prac-tice of doing what youaim for long enoughuntil your intentionsbecome a reality. Sim-

ply put, discipline is amatter of forming and maintaining a habit.

Many people consider discipline anadmirable, but virtually unattainable qual-ity reserved for Olympic athletes andhighly driven businesspeople. But thetruth is that anyone can develop disciplinewith a little effort. To develop the

discipline to reach your goals:

q Establish worthwhile goals. Makethem specific and measurable. Forexample, you may want to read 30books that will improve your mentalfaculties, increase your income by acertain amount this year, take your

Often, people’s first reaction tosomething new is to resist. They’re

settled in their “comfort zone” – thatstate of security and familiarity of anestablished routine – and don’t wantto be disturbed.

However comfortable staying “asis” may be, in the long run it can bedeadly. Without the challenge andopportunity of being thrust into newand different situations, you won’tgrow. You’ll only limit yourself tothe narrow range of what you know

and miss the broad expanse of all youcould be. Stepping out of your com-fort zone will involve risk and feelunnerving, but it will also allow youto advance into a wider range of experience and personal development.When you take the risk of doingsomething new, you’re guaranteedto learn and develop more strengthand self-confidence.

To help you break out of your

comfort zone: Challenge yourself. What steps

can you take to actively get out of your comfort zone today?

Make a list. Write down the newthings you could do that wouldstretch and improve you as a per-son. It may be as simple as takinga public speaking class or apply-ing for a new job.

Devise a plan. Choose the top

three things from your list thatyou want to try, and decide howto implement them.

To give your self-esteem a boost: • Set realistic goals that challenge yourather than set you up for failure. • Stop focusing on your mistakes andimperfections.• Praise yourself for your efforts, not the results. • Give and receivecompliments.

wife out on a date once a week, orattend a seminar on time managementor financial planning.

q Make a plan. The major reason you’llneed a plan is that you’re most likelylooking at changing some well-estab-lished habits. Outline the specific stepsyou’ll take to meet your goal. Yourwritten plan will help you track yourprogress until the new habit is estab-

lished.

qDesire change.If you really don’t

want to make the

changes necessary tomeet your goal, youwon’t. You must de-sire to change yourpresent behavior inorder to improvementally and mor-ally. Change beginswith a consciouschoice of the will.

q Commit and

believe. You will need to have disci-pline to carry out your plan daily. Thisrequires commitment. Visualize thebenefits you’ll obtain by making thesechanges. Move from hope to belief inyourself to change “nice” habits into“great” habits.

q Use repetition. Repeat the new behav-ior until it becomes an establishedhabit. If you slip up once, don’t let itdiscourage you. Just pick up where

you left off. Continue practicing thedesired behavior until it becomes ascomfortable as an old pair of slippers.

Reach Your Goals with Discipline

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Break Out of YourComfort Zone

Boost Your Success with Self-Esteem “ The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.”

– David Sarnoff

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT





COMMUNICATION

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Skill#3:WritingEverything official sooner or later gets written down

Unfortunately for the small-business owner, most of the diffi

cult writing – or at least reviewing of others’ drafts – ends up onyour desk: large customer proposals, important supplier agreements, strategic partnerships, policy statements, press releasesand letters to investors. What you say is what you get. It has tobe clear, concise and correct.

Skill#4:LeadingaMeetingMeetings can bring the world to peace – or kill 15 hours a

week for even the best time manager. Inaddition to leading staff meetings totackle day-to-day issues, business own-ers meet with clients to sign contracts

negotiate better terms, and brainstormand set strategies. How well they leaddetermines what they achieve – wastedtime or valuable outcomes.

Skill#5:ResolvingConflictBusiness owners, unfortunately, have plenty of conflict. If

not with clients, then among internal teams. If not with internateams, then with governmental agencies and regulators. If nowith agencies and regulators, then with warring divisions andstakeholders about expectations and means for desired outcomes. As a business owner, you serve as the referee, repletewith all the “boos” and minus the benefits.

Finding your tool kit short of any of these skills can hinderyour overall effectiveness in achieving results and reaching yourbusiness goals. To improve results on all fronts, sharpen theseskills in your own tool chest and enjoy more success.

Skill#1:Speakingo longer is effective speaking a plus in the businessworld – it’s now expected. And the higher one goes in

a company, the more crucial this skill becomes. Today,public speaking is the norm for senior executives.

However, even if you’re not a senior executive explaining acrisis to a group of line managers or investors, you’ll often findyourself speaking before peers in your day-to-day responsibili-ties. And as a small-business owner, you may speak for a living;that is, you may talk to people daily to sell your products orservices. Your speaking successrelates directly to your bottomline.

We all know that it’s notnecessarily the brightest or mostcapable who get ahead. Oftenit’s those who make a strongimpact on people who end upbeing successful. People whospeak well are generally considered more intelligent, forcefuland respectable than their quieter counterparts.

Outside the business world, you’ll continue to find opportu-nities to put your speaking skills to use – at club fund-raisers,on political issues, at farewell gatherings for departing col-leagues and friends and on behalf of nonprofit organizations andcauses. Speaking well is no longer just a nice-to-have skill – it’s

a must for the successful individual and business owner.Skill#2:Listening

Listening means the difference between making or losing asale, gaining or losing a client, motivating or discouraging ateam, or mending or destroying an employee relationship. Nota passive state of mind, listening is the precursor to all successfulbusiness activity for an owner and manager. As Plutarchobserved: “Know how to listen, and you will profit even fromthose who talk badly.”

Five Communication Skills Every Businessperson Needs

Depending on the occasion, a press conference can be an efficient means for distributing information. When planning

a press conference, remember to: • Verify that it’s your best option. Avoid wasting reporters’ time. Don’t hold a pressconference if you can communicate the same information by making a few phone calls or drafting a press release. • Scheduleyour press conference for a time that suits reporters’ schedules. Hold it at a location that will make it convenient for mediato attend. •Double-check equipment in advance. Ensure that microphones, speakers and audiovisual equipment will be up andrunning smoothly. • Be available to greet people and arrange interviews with personnel. Make sure your top managers andexperts will be present to answer questions. • Provide information on handouts that reporters can take with them. Send copiesof this information to the people who don’t attend your press conference.•Follow up with reporters after the press conference.Answer any additional questions they may have and ask for feedback on how the press conference went.

Planning an Effecitve Press Conference

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By Dianna Booher, author, speaker, and CEO of Booher Consultants,a Dallas-based communications training firm. Her programs includecommunication and life balance/productivity. She has published morethan 40 books, including Communicate with Confidence®, Speak withConfidence®, and Your Signature Work®. Call (817) 868-1200 or visit

www.booher.com.



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TIMESAVERS

Tyme Management® i s p ub l ish ed b yRutherford Communications,P.O. Box8853,Waco, Texas 76710, 1-800-815-2323,www.rutherfordcommunications.com.Copy-right © 2012 Rutherford Communications.All rights reserved. Material may not bereproduced in whole or part in any formwithout the written permission of the pub-lisher. Printed subscription price (12 is-sues), $49.95 per year in U.S. Electronicsubscription price (12 issues), $24.95 per

year in U.S.Publisher: Ronnie Marroquin

Managing Editor: Kimberly Denman

Illustrations by RMS Graphics

ISSN 1074-3006

is that it eliminates the extra paperclutter.

q Wait before renewing your subscriptions. If after a few months you don’miss receiving the magazine, you’lknow that you can live without it andwill save yourself the time and money

If, however, you do notice a losssimply resubscribe to it.

agazines take time and space.And the more of them youhave,the more time and space

they take. Whether you want to stay up-to-date on your industry or simply beentertained, reading magazines can bebeneficial as long as you keep your read-ing list pared to the essentials. To man-

age your magazine pile:

q Skim magazines for the articles of interest to you. Highlight these ar-ticles in the table of contents and thentear out or copy the pages they’re on.File these articles in a “to read” folderthat you can take with you to read inspare moments, and recycle the rest of the magazine.

q Consider an online alternative. Onlineservices allow you to peruse articlesfrom several magazines and then

choose the ones you want to downloadto read. The advantage of this method

To knock out the tasks on your“to do” list, rank them using one

of the following categories:

y Deadlines– tasks that have a time-sensitive nature. Accomplishingyour urgent, important tasks canget you into a groove that will keepyou going on the rest.

y Location – tasks in the same areaof your home or errands that can berun in the same area of town. Byarranging your tasks this way,you’ll conserve energy.

y Length – tasks that will take thesame amount of time to do. Insome cases, it’s better to knock outseveral short tasks first, so you’lllimit the amount of time left overfor the ones you tend to drag out.

y Interest level – tasks that you just

don’t like to do. Getting boring orotherwise unpleasant tasks out of the way first will leave you moremotivated to finish your fun andinteresting ones.

y Difficulty level – tasks that requiremore energy or concentration. Bydoing difficult tasks first, you’ll beable to work on the easier oneseven if you’re tired.

Your keys might just be the key to your memory. The next time you want toremember to take something with you when you leave, place it next to yourkeys. That way, when you’re ready to go – whether you’re in a hurry or not –you’ll be sure to grab it and take it with you.

Categorize Your“To Do” List Manage Your Magazine Pile

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Memory Tip: Use Your Keys

Documents

Tyme Management Newsletter May 12- SMI