Achieve Next Level Blog

Stopping Bad Service

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:31:00 GMT

Have you ever had a really bad customer service experience? In general, these have less to do with the actual resolution and more to do with communications during its (the resolution’s) development. Long wait times, rude service agents, lack of respect for your time, staff that doesn’t know policy or process, or conflicting responses to your inquiries. There are some business models (think cellular carriers and health insurance companies) that seem to build their models on this type of service. They increase profits at the expense of service, often because the markets they are in have plenty of customer demand and limited competitors. The shortsightedness however, leads to reduced loyalty, in turn making their business proposition a commodity.

This lack of service mindedness isn’t solely related to big business. Think about home repair, service and improvement contractors. Almost 50% of initial inquiry calls aren’t picked up by a live person at the contractor's. And the way the first inquiry call is handled has a tremendous influence on how the prospect views your company.

So, with service in mind – here are our top 5 "Dos" when it comes to delivering a service model you can be proud of:

Respond promptly to inquiries and requests. This doesn’t mean resolving issues immediately, but it does mean staying in touch until a resolution is reached.
When you get an irate caller on the line, listen. Sometimes that’s all someone on the other side wants.
Ask for your customer’s feedback as you brainstorm solutions. This needn’t be open ended. Sharing your limits and capability restrictions will provide boundaries needed to arrive at a mutually beneficial resolution.
Say what you’ll do. Then do it. Say please and thank you.
Tell the truth. People can sniff out lies, and any trust you’ve established will be lost if something smells fishy to them!

There is tremendous power in providing great service. It starts with the golden rule. So the next time you get a service call, consider what the other person is feeling. Put yourself in their shoes. Your response to their inquiry or issue may be an opportunity to turn someone’s day around for the better. How great is that?

Laughter, the Best Key Performance Indicator

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:39:00 GMT

I recently met with one of my clients, Budget Home & Office Cleaning. The company is in a tough industry, working in a difficult environment given today's economic woes for the demographic they serve. Through much hard work, smart marketing (much of it Social Media) and great leadership, they have continued to grow year after year. We were recently discussing what kind of Key Performance Indicators they can use as predictors to understand where their business is headed and how healthy it is. And one of the most interesting ones we discussed was the "laughter factor." Will (the owner's son and future successor) explained it as follows:

"When the crews are getting ready for their day, when everyone is running around putting supplies and equipment in our team vehicles, there's a new energy in the air. There's a higher sense of camaraderie & happiness, there's joking around, there's well - frankly, a lot of laughter!"

We both paused for a moment and then talked about how that "whistle when you work" attitude builds on itself. It becomes self-fulfilling and ultimately leads to indicating how happy the employees are - which in turn impacts productivity and retention, customer-service and the customer's experience.

Yes, employee surveys are important tools to gauge employee loyalty & engagement. Yes, performance evaluations are critical. But for a quick pulse & checkpoint - consider your happiness factor, with the amount of laughter coming from you teams as a clear indicator of your company's future health!

Employee Engagement

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:30:00 GMT

If you haven’t yet heard the term employee engagement, it’s a pretty sure bet you will soon. The term refers to how closely aligned your employees feel to your company – how emotionally attached they are to the company, the brand and their fellow employees. The closer they feel, the happier their work experience – which in turn reduces employee absenteeism, increases loyalty, promotes your brand and improves overall productivity. The science to back the concept up is impressive and the bottom line impact to companies is even more so. To see how your engaged your employees are, consider the following engagement factors:

Employee perception of job importance: An employee’s feelings of worth and how their role ties to the overall success of company
Clarity of job expectation: Having clarity of purpose as relates to the employee’s role, and having the tools & skills to accomplish what is asked of him/her supports an employees' ability to succeed
Ongoing, relevant feedback: It is not enough to have annual performance appraisals; engaged employees receive ongoing, specific feedback as to how they are doing
Opportunity for advancement: In Dan Pink's book, Drive, the author talks about how important working toward mastery is in motivating people. Employees want to stretch and grow, and having opportunities in your company for advancement will provide them the opportunity to grow and develop themselves
Relationships matter: Employees are human beings first. As such, positive, productive relations that are built on mutual trust and support enable them to perform optimally and towards common goals
Values & leadership: When their work value system is in line with their personal value system, and that system is supported, encouraged and nurtured by company leadership, employees are motivated from within.
Communications: Just as family members care about what is going on within the family, engaged employees are more connected when they are aware of company direction, successes and wins – both large and small.
Recognition & reward: A good rewards & incentive program is not only self-funded, but is aligned to company goals, is attainable (with stretch goals), is within the power of the employees to influence outcome and is built on the company’s value system. If any of these elements are missing there is the potential for more damage than if no reward system were put in place.

Implement any of the above and you’re well on your way to furthering your employee engagement. You’ll soon be on your way to having employees who are in flow state – but that’s for another posting.

In the meantime, please share your thoughts & comments – what are you doing to keep your employees engaged? Where have you felt most engaged as an employee & why?

Servant Leadership and The Triple Bottom Line: People, Profit, Planet

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:52:00 GMT

I'm a fan of Servant Leadership. If you are not aware of the concept, check out this video of Colleen Barrett, CEO of Southwest Airlines or The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership to learn more. The basic premise is that when company leadership serves their employees as their number 1 priority, the employees will be more engaged and motivated and better able to serve their customers and markets. I love the concept because it assumes we are part of something greater than ourselves, that the whole is greater than the sum of its part when this care taking is the fabric of an organization. This also feeds my (and others') spirtual and emotional self, in that by giving we become better beings. And there is an added bonus. Companies that embrace a long term strategy of servant leadership are more profitable than their peers. In turn "profits are the applause for the employees doing well." It's a win-win for all.

My analytical side loves to analyze the tangible implications of Servant Leadership. And that's where the term Triple Bottom Line (People Profits & Planet - or Triple P) comes in. Triple Bottom Line management can be used to find the balance between People, Profits and Planet to create sustainable businesses that serve. All companies have components of each element but without the right balance, one or more of the other factors may become skewed.

Consider the 3 components as sides of a triangle, where sustainability is a board that balances at the tip of the triangle foundation - too much emphasis on one or two will cause an imbalance - eventually resulting in a breakdown of the foundation. Too much emphasis on profit, and employees and/or planet will suffer. Too much emphasis on employees, and profits and/or planet will suffer. You get the point. Triple P allows for a measureable way to manage and grow a company based on the company and owner's unique value system with our real world business, social and environmental ecosystem.

Want to learn more about People Profit & Planet, Triple Bottom Line? I encourage you to join a group on linked in, or check out CNBC's series on the subject

How Not to Run a Company

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:12:00 GMT

When I was a student in college learning music theory & composition, one of the techniques our professors used was to teach us all the rules of composition & music theory before we could break them. We would then better understand the full palette of musical techniques to combine. One of the courses that was especially interesting to me was "Counterpoint & Fugue." During this course we would be given part of a music line, around which we would build a short 4 -piece harmony. We were specifically told to not play the tune we were writing, and would instead listen to it for the first time when we submitted it to our professor. Following the basic rules gave great results, and ignoring all the rules was a fast track to failure. By following this technique we had another building block under our belts which formed the foundation for developing our own unique styles.

This technique applies to business - know the rules of business, the lessons learned through the efforts of others is tremendously beneficial. But learning from the mistakes of others is also valuable - sometimes failures prove to be even greater lessons. So for this post, I'd like to share two references around the topic of failure in business - How the Mighty Fall, by Jim Collins (author of the more famously referred to Good to Great), and The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful Executives (by Forbes.com contributor Eric Jackson)

Both articles provide wonderful examples of how not to run your company, and just like my old professor, Leonard Klein taught me - learn from the good & the bad, and along the way, you'll develop your own unique and winning style!

New Jersey Business owners - want to learn more about creating great companies? Join us, along with other business owners January 16th at our annual Business Summit "Turbo Charge Your 2012."

Engaged Customers - A Sticky Business

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:48:00 GMT

Satisfied customers are good and loyal customers are great, but when it comes to the heart of the matter - repeat business and referrals - Customer Engagement is the greatest predictor of future behavior. And by all accounts engaged customers not only spend more, but are more profitable for a business.

People Metrics defines Customer Engagement as "....the emotional connection between a customer and a company or brand." It is the difference between a customer actively promoting your products and services (think customers as marketers), and buying from you due to convenience, pricing and lack of alternatives (a commodity business of sorts). Rather than being stuck with you due to a lack of meaningful field of options, your customers stick to you through their entire lifecycle because they feel an emotional attachment.

The most connected brands engage by:

Exhibiting a compelling company culture, mission and vision their customers connect with
Having a well defined ideal customer profile, including physical, intellectual and emotional attributes
Encouraging meaningful two-way conversations with their customers - through ongoing product and solution innovation, customer service and fulfillment channels, and other communication channels

There are many creative ways to begin developing a customer-centric engagement model; all start with one premise - keeping open lines of communication. How can you start yours?

What Do Your Communications Say About You?

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:52:00 GMT

Small business has historically been one of the greatest enablers of community & societal growth. When a company is small there is often a direct link between the personality of the CEO & the culture of the company. Communicating the values of a company are told through a variety of mechanisms – from how an employee answers the phone, to how your salespeople represent you, to how you advertise and market your goods and services.

Things to think about:

Through communication, leaders influence and transform. Want to see how transformational your leadership style is? Take the test.
Marketing at its simplest is communication representing a message about your company. Marrying the science of wants and needs to traditional marketing gives Neuromarketing. To what extent do your dialogs make use of neuromarketing techniques?
Given the degree of talk about the good works companies do, is there a place for credentialing oneself as being a responsible company, or is this Neuromarketing at its worst? Read about B-Corp Companies.

What do your communications say about you?

Next Level Leadership: Family Business and The Perfect Shift

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:56:00 GMT

We're happy to present you with the seventh installment in our Next Level Leadership Series, where we speak with TAB members about the challenges small business owners face in today's world. Through this series of interviews, we discover how various small business owners have risen above and beyond to become our Next Level Leaders.

This week we present Rich Rossiello Sr., founder and owner of The Perfect Shift in Henryville, PA. For the Rossiellos, home is truly where the heart (of the business) is: the business began in the family's garage back in 1990, before growing to a separate shop that sells transmission parts, torque converters, overhaul kits and much more, both storefront and online. Rich Jr. would come home and help out at the shop after school, and more than 20 years later, continues his passion for the family business, working side by side with his father at The Perfect Shift.

When was The Perfect Shift founded? Did you start the business, or was it someone in your family?

1990. It was me that started it. I actually started it out of my garage, started buying torque converters from other manufacturers, and eventually we bought the equipment and started manufacturing our own.

Who in your family is involved at the shop? How long have they been part of your work team?

We’re a family business. My son works here, [laughs] since about 1990 also. He would work after school. He’s been with me the whole time.

What roles does he play?

My son [Rich Jr.] answers the telephones. People get us confused [on the phone]; they say we sound alike. We basically do everything. He works in the back with the guys, welds, and works in the rebuilding process. He’s hands-on with most of the things in the back.

What is one of the biggest challenges that you face when your family is working with you in your business?

Because you’re with each other all day, you tend to have less time together for family functions.

And he’s a good kid. If I need work done around the house, he’ll always help.

What are some of [is one] of the greatest benefits?

Just the fact that [Rich Jr. is] so hands-on, and so conscientious. When the phone rings, people want to talk to him because he’s so knowledgeable, so involved in the business. His concern is in the business: he’s always looking for something to improve, to make better.

Will you keep the business in the family when you retire?

I’m hoping that he takes it over, when the time comes. Right now, it seems that way but you never know what’s going to happen.

Does work come up at the kitchen table?

In some degree, it does come up. We do try to leave it out. I have a brother who is also in the automotive business, so in some way or another we wind up talking about cars.

What is your favorite part of being a member of The Alternative Board?

I like getting with other owners and discussing the problems together. Even though we may not be in the same field, we can still get ideas for our different problems.

A Young Leader Abroad

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:53:00 GMT

As the Northeast continues its struggles in keeping our heads and hearts above water, inspiration comes from an unlikely place: the Horn of Africa, where countries are also faced with disastrous weather crises. In this case, the worst drought in 60 years has racked Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya – and others beyond – with severe famine.

In times when it seems we cannot see beyond the mud and the dust, there come gifts that lend rays of hope. Today we salute a young leader named Andrew Adansi Bonnah, an 11-year-old boy from Ghana, who has pledged to raise money for his fellow Africans affected by the famine.

Andrew began his campaign, Save Somali Children from Hunger, in the beginning of August. He has pledged to spend his summer school break raising funds to help alleviate the rising numbers of people hurt by hunger. After setting up a special bank account for donations at the headquarters of Ecobank Ghana in Accra, young Andrew has appeared as a guest on TV shows, radio programs, and even addressed representatives of the African Union, United Nations and other donor partners.

Andrew’s energetic determination is important, so important, in the specific: in generating money to buy food desperately needed by struggling victims, in African youth committed to a better future for everyone on the continent, in understanding the factors crucial to a healthy long-term development as well as those to a short-term solution.

For those of us so far removed (if not in heart, than by physical distance), Andrew Adansi Bonnah is an inspirational leader in the general. There are lessons to be learned in working within our community, no matter how small or large we consider our community to be. To be learned in implementing not only quick fixes for our causes, but developing strategic long-term plans by understanding the many layered facets. To be learned in that hope, not matter what our world may throw us – no matter how much rain, or how little – will rise and make the sun shine.

Next Level Leadership Series: Team Building and Ames

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:50:00 GMT

Welcome to the sixth installment of our Next Level Leadership series! Here, we interview TAB members about issues facing industry leaders in today's business world. The members with whom we speak have risen to various challenges, proving themselves to be true Next Level Leaders.

Today we share our interview with Chuck Roberts, President and CEO of Ames, a leading supplier of elastomeric design solutions to international, high-tech customers who require molded components, protective coatings and dispensed gaskets that meet high-quality standards. After taking over as President/CEO in 2004, Chuck has helped implement team building strategies to develop a stronger culture of workers dedicated to common goals. Since its inception in 1949, Ames has committed itself to the importance of teaming, from leadership to language: employees have been called "Teammates" since 1986, and as Chuck says, "We always consider ourselves 'the Ames family'."

When was Ames founded? When did you take over as President/CEO?

Ames was founded in 1949.

I’ve been with Ames since 1976, so I have more than 35 years with the company holding positions in areas of the company over that time. I became President and CEO in July 2004.

Did you have any prior training in team building?

Yes. Ames has approximately 200 employees. We always consider ourselves “the Ames family”. We’ve considered ourselves a team since 1949.

In 1986 we entered into a new era of Quality at Ames, beginning our Total Quality journey. In preparing for this journey we delivered much more training to the Ames Team. Part of the training was focused on team building.

While we did a lot of teaming prior to embarking on our Total Quality journey, the Total Quality Process forced us to look at the need for more and deeper training. We needed to help our Teammates learn how to be better team members and Teammates by showing them how to interact in a team setting, helping them improve their inter-personal skills. [For example], how to ask good questions, or if a team member is dominating a meeting how to shut that Teammate down. On the flip side of that coin, if a teammate is quiet and not contributing, how to draw them into the meeting by asking them questions.

How did you come to develop your style of coaching and motivating employees?

All of us who are part of the teaming process go through the same training and for those of us who were more involved in the training process, we became good at the techniques and become good at facilitation. You learn those teaming skills through practice and facilitation.

Coaching and mentoring are different from teaming, but are core to building a team at any level. The more coaching I do with my direct reports, the better they understand the company vision and mission and what is required of them. They in turn are better prepared meet with and coach and mentor their subordinates, build continuity of our vision and mission throughout the company.

At Ames, you use the term “teammates” instead of “coworkers”, “associates”, or “employees”. Why is that?

Common today are the words “associates” or “partners” when referring to a company’s employees.

We adopted the use of Teammates in 1986. Our president at that time was a graduate of Northwestern [University], and played football for them. He understood the importance of teams and working together for a common goal. He wasn’t comfortable with employee or associate that were in common use at that time. He really felt we were a family and with his likening what we do to that of a football team, he believed we were truly Teammates and that has stuck for 25 years.

We have been and are the Ames family and as I see it the Ames Team and Teammates fits very nicely together with the unity of the Ames family. When I’m communicating with the team, I always refer to them as the Ames Team, or Teammates. It’s an important part of the past, present and future language and culture.

The “Teammate Pledge Card”

Each year we give all Ames Teammate an Ames Pledge Card. The Pledge Card contains key pieces of information about the company such as our Vision, Mission, and Quality Policy. Teammates can use the information used on the card to assist in answering questions during an audit or in referring to goals and objectives.

The card also contains a Teammate Pledge which begins: “As an Ames Teammate I recognize that I am committed to the Vision, Mission, and Goals and Objectives of the company, I share in and constantly practice the company’s values, I strive for customer satisfaction in everything I do, I have a stake in the company success, I believe the company’s success is my success. …”

At the end of each year, I go around and ask all Teammates to sign the Pledge Card which I sign also. The Pledge Cards are collected and entered into a drawing where the winners (15 or so Teammates) receive a $100 gift card.

Ames follows Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma practices – does this affect your approach to Teammate motivation and/or team building?

We are reinventing Ames and in support of the new Ames creating a new culture based on execution, urgency, and accountability, the elements that will be key to our future success in this ever-changing international business environment..

To create a new culture we need to better educate and engage our entire Team. Today, our training has some elements of Lean and Six Sigma. However, what is included today in these areas and others is not sufficient and why we are actively revising all our training materials.

Does Ames recognize it Teammates for their contribution to the company’s success?

Yes, we offer both individual and team awards. These awards range from a simple written acknowledge of a Teammates effort - an “attaboy” to various levels of financial reward.

What do you like most about being a member of The Alternative Board and/or personal coaching?

It’s the input, the thoughts and perspectives of fellow TAB members, of how they see my business. Sometime I’m too deep in the trees, not able to see the forest, and my fellow TAB members quickly see that and are able to offer an outside perspective, helping me regain the right level of focus and making all the difference.

I am a big fan of reading and education. I enjoy reading books and then passing the education onto my Teammates and fellow TAB members. Helping and receiving help from fellow TAB members is very rewarding and reinforces the concept of peer groups.

Next Level Leadership Series: Niche Markets and Redemption Processing Services

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:09:00 GMT

We're happy to bring you the fifth interview in our Next Level Leadership Series, where we speak with industry leaders about different issues small businesses face. Here, we explore the ways various TAB members have risen to challenges to prove themselves as Next Level Leaders.

This week we present Ron Fischer, President of Redemption Processing Representatives, Inc. RPR uses its extensive knowledge of the coupon industry to enhance the effectiveness of the coupon process for its clients, providing manufacturing, retailer and consulting services. Ron generously shared his story, from how he came to serve such a niche market to how RPR has weathered changes and challenges over the last 17 years.

When was RPR (Redemption Processing Representatives, Inc.) founded?

June 1994.

Did you set out with a clear definition of what your market would be?

Well, I came from a manufacturing background, working for Unilever. [Unilever] went through a reorganization. . . While I had a new management position, I really enjoyed managing the coupon operations, and I thought, “I could do this myself.” I was saving them millions of dollars.

When I walked away, I had a few things in my pocket. A few of my colleagues knew I was leaving. But I had never been an entrepreneur before. I was 48 when I walked away.

I rolled with the punches – I knew I could do this in the industry, and carved out the business as I went along.

You provide manufacturer, retailer and consulting services. Did you begin serving all of these markets, or did you begin with just one?

I started with the manufacturers. One of the things I was very successful with at Unilever was coupon deduction. (Large retailers will deduct non payment back from the retailer invoice). So I introduced that Coupon Deduction Mangagement services. My plan was to build my clientele, then sell the business to a collection company.

One of the major manufacturer vendors didn’t like my approach and I got black balled. They revised their third party agreement which would not allow me compete with the industry.

I started this service with Ocean Spray in 1996. They left in 2000 to try another vendor and came back to RPR in 2004. We picked up Kimberley Clark in 2000 and worked with them for seven years. Once Kimberley Clark changed management, we lost the agreement.

Then we started in consulting primarily to introduce electronic processing. In 1999 I started with Cunningham Electronics which ended in early 2001. In 2002 with a start up company that didn’t make it, then in 2004 with First Data Corp. The coupon industry is regulated by voluntary recommended guidelines. Long-standing vendors would lose business if electronic processing were put in place. While the First Data test successful and approved by several major CPG companies, they were not able to introduce it as a revenue producing department. In 2006, we got into the retail industry by provide coupon processing.

Where does RPR focus the majority of its services?

Majority is in the retailers. We have thousands of retailers, from Mom and Pop places to chains with up to 300 stores. Sometimes a chain will submit under the corporate chain, sometimes under the store.

I was very proud to set up a very ethical process. [We’re] not trying to milk the industry, not passing any fees back to retailers. Just be straightforward. [We’re] trying to grow, to be successful, but it’s a very small revenue stream we work off of.

How have you developed your clientele in this rather niche market? (Networking, advertising, marketing, etc.)

I guess it’s mostly through networking. We belong to state associations. Three states recommend their retailers use our program. We work nation-wide.

I do selling. [Some of our business] is based on the Web site. It’s been slow growth. We’re working on bringing in larger retailers.

Anything else special you would like to share on working in a niche market?

Because I started when I was so young [laughs], when I worked with Unilever, the manufacturers really controlled the industry.

I’m a sole survivor, I really have extensive knowledge of the industry. I was an expert witness in a lawsuit case. I really enjoy what I do; really enjoy the process. I’d like to shake up the industry. I think the industry really needs some rules and regulations. I’m Chairman of the Guidelines Committee [of the Association of Coupon Professionals].

I was a dyslexic child, went to five high schools in four years, and learned to overcome failure. I have good common sense. I enjoy what I do; it’s so important – you spend so much of your time at work. I have a small, nice group of people working for me. We’re trying to improve the mousetrap so that everybody is successful.

What do you like most about The Alternative Board and/or personal coaching you get?

They’re a great way to get some guidance. Sometimes there are things that you should be doing, but you forget to do them.

[I like] the overall structure: sharing your ideas with others, getting guidance from non-competitors. I get overwhelmed with personal life and business . . . [TAB is] a good way to set goals, move along and carve out areas you’d like to work on.

Next Level Leadership Series: Social Media and Budget Home & Office Cleaning

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:41:00 GMT

Welcome to the fourth installment of our Next Level Leadership Series, wherein we speak with TAB members about the challenges each small business owner faces in the contemporary business world. Through this series of interviews, we find how business owners have risen above and beyond to become Next Level Leaders.

This week we spoke with Will Truex, manager of Marketing, Advertising and Sales at Budget Home and Office Cleaning. Will kindly shared his experiences with social media work: from introducing Budget Home and Office Cleaning to outlets like LinkedIn and Flickr to running promotional campaigns on Twitter.

When was Budget Home and Office Cleaning founded?

We were founded in 1995. [My parents] started it, just the two of them, and then it exploded from there.

When did you start delving into social media? (I.e., how long have you been participating in social media?)

We weren’t doing anything with social media [before I took over the role]. We were doing a Facebook page that was basically a graveyard, wasn’t updated at all.

I started social media work when I started [full-time] with the company, last August. Social media was my only role, and as I advanced in the company and learned more from day to day, I got more responsibilities.

I started a Twitter account, looking into Google.

What social media outlets does Budget Home and Office Cleaning participate in? (E.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blog, etc.)

Presently we have two Twitter accounts (residential and commercial); LinkedIn (my personal account); a Facebook fan page; a YouTube account; a Flickr account; and we have a blog (Google blogger).

I noticed you have Twitter updates on the Budget Home and Office Cleaning blog. How does that work?

By experimenting with blog layouts, I could incorporate Twitter feed, and the blog updates itself whenever I do a tweet. [The blog is updated] almost every single day.

How has Budget Home and Office Cleaning founds its voice online? That is, do you have corporate guidelines to follow while participating in social media, or do you trust your personal judgment?

Typically with Twitter accounts, if there’s an issue I am personally one way about, I do not include that in Budget Residential and Office account. I do my tweets impartially. If there’s an issue I care about, I generate a general statement but I won’t go either way. I’ll try and give both sides of the issue.

Never use profanity. I try to lighten the heavy subjects, et cetera.

Have you run any special promotions or marketing campaigns through social media?

I did run a contest that we ran on Twitter. I got the idea from another business. I would provide a code on Twitter at random time of the day. A customer could come across the code and get a discount off cleaning. I did [that promotion] early on in our social media campaign.

From 9 am to 2 pm, I like to schedule Tweets every hour. I use a platform where I can send it to multiple accounts (HootSuite). I do an article, and then an advertisement. I constantly give news and advertisements. Advertisements are usually links towards directly ways you can save money: coupons, et cetera.

I’ve gotten a good response. People find you on Twitter. I do a lot on green cleaning tips. One site, paper.li, featured one of my coupons.

Do you consider the promotions successful? How do you gauge success in social media?

Specifically with HootSuite, I can monitor who is looking at what. HootSuite has Google Analytics with Twitter. [There’s a] click summary – it gives you a report: who’s clicking what, in what region, what’s popular. Recently, we got a lot of clicks directly on Facebook and Twitter.

The way I gauge Twitter and other social media is traffic to our website, via Google Analytics. I also look at mentions, like mentions on Twitter. There’s a group of people, you develop relationships with people with similar interests. [There are] retweets on all the feeds I follow, that I find pertinent. You may not see a huge return, or lots of referrals, but the more people talk about you, the more you get known, the more it helps. You become so ubiquitous, you can’t be ignored – but you’re not in everyone’s face.

We were trying other methods – cold calls, door knockers, mass emails – none of them work like they used to. People want to see what a company has to offer on their own time.

[Our marketing] is all online and word of mouth. It works really, really well. The only cost is time. You need the time to update. If you don’t update, no one cares and your name disintegrates.

Businesses often cite social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter as a great place to hear, and respond timely to, customer complaints. Has participating in social media enabled you to engage more with customers? If so, how?

We’re very small, so it doesn’t happen very often. Typically it’s direct responses via email.

Our demographic is a different generation. Occasionally you’ll get a younger person [who is] more tech savvy.

Any interesting social media stories you can share with us?

When I started doing [our social media work], I got a little gun shy. I had correspondence with one woman who thought I was a spammer. I used to search for cleaning questions on Twitter, and I’d answer them. I wasn’t trying to sell anything, just offer advice.

One woman didn’t know who I was and thought I was trying to spam her. I told her I wasn’t trying to spam her, just help. If you don’t like free help, I don’t know what to do for you.

One time I made a mistake in giving advice. The person told me, I admitted my mistake, and told the truth. Once you put it out there, it’s out there – it will be there till we’re all dead. So you have to be careful what you say.

What do you like most about The Alternative Board and/or personal coaching you get?

TAB – my favorite part with Marcy and TAB is that I get unbiased input and different angles to approaching problems. I have different people from different professions, who think differently, who offer advice and hold you accountable. There’s accountability.

TAB is like a huge ocean where you can pull all these resources. It makes me be more experienced without having to go through all the years of experience. I get both real life experiences on my part, and I can learn from other people’s triumphs and struggles. TAB makes you wise beyond your years.

Next Level Leadership Series: Alternative Employee Benefits and Newton Screen Printing

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:56:00 GMT

After a short break last week, we're happy to bring you our third installment of our Next Level Leadership Series. Through interviews with business owners who are also members of The Alternative Board, we explore challenges each small business must face -- and how owners have risen above and beyond to prove themselves as Next Level Leaders.

This week we present Paula Lavorgna, owner of Newton Screen Printing. Paula generously shared her time to explain how Newton Screen Printing has provided alternative benefits, like flexible scheduling and special discounts, to help create a rewarding work environment for its employees. As Paula says, "The bottom line is if we find good people we try to make it easy for them to stay with us. I think happy people work best for everyone."

When was Newton Screen Printing founded? How many employees do you have?

In 1979. my dad and brother were working together [in the screen printing business]. My sister was in nursing school, and needed sweatshirts for the hospital where she was working. I was teaching at the time, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in teaching. I decided to try selling the products.

I got some stock options in [Newton Screen Printing], and 33 years later I’m still with the company.

We have about 10 employees. We have three [full-time] outside salespeople in addition to myself, two customer service people and the balance is “back office support”.

Do you provide traditional benefits: health, 401k, stock options?

We provide a 401k matching plan, which is dependent on profits. We also provide limited health care coverage, with a cap on coverage on a monthly basis. [For more than the basic coverage], our employees can elect to pay the difference. [For example], if someone wants to include their family, they cover the difference. If you opt out, you receive a small monthly payment. Most people get coverage through their spouses.

What are some of the alternative benefits you offer your employees? How long have you been offering them?

Everyone here is on flextime. We try to accommodate everyone’s schedules. One employee has a husband who works the overnight shift; she comes in early. We had a student employee who worked part-time while in school; now [she’s] full-time. We had to cut back hours late in 2008 and three people chose to work four days per week instead of five short days. Whenever an employee has had a family issue we have adjusted schedules and hours to accommodate their need.

If we find good people, we try to be flexible around their schedules. As a small company, we can’t afford to pay people what we would like but we can offer flex scheduling as an alternative benefit.

We offer another alternative benefit twice a year: Some of our suppliers offer deep discounts on new products so we offer a dollar amount to our employees so that everyone can go through the catalog to purchase clothing at our expense.

People can also buy whatever they want throughout the year [from the catalog], buying items at only 10 percent over cost. [For example], a woman got koozies for her husband’s birthday party. It’s a benefit to be used for immediate family members.

How have the responses been to your untraditional employee benefits?

I think that young people are very much motivated by money. There is justifiably less loyalty to any corporation, because they have seen their parents be unfairly treated. People still want to be appreciated – and Newton Screen Printing tries to say thank you [to our employees] regularly.

We had to cut holiday pay over the past couple of years, and now we’re trying to incorporate paid holidays back. When times got tough, we wanted to keep everyone here – and we did.

Most everyone works 35 hours a week. In the summer, our office closes early on Friday. After October 2008, everyone worked 28 hours a week. We had to reduce wages by 20 percent, and we cut benefits and holidays. Employees could apply for unemployment [to make up for the difference in earnings]. Everyone kept a positive attitude.

Since then, we’ve brought wages back up, brought back a week’s vacation and paid holidays. We’re almost back to where we were before the recession.

In Sussex County, people have an old-fashioned loyalty to local companies which is refreshing.

What is your favorite aspect of being a member of The Alternative Board?

The people. I have really come to enjoy the company of, and respect the feedback of, all of the people on our board. One of the things that keeps me on the board is the people. I personally really like them.

7 Personality Traits of Successful Salespeople: A Study

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:29:00 GMT

Traits of successful salespeople have been the subject of study for ages. What is it, exactly, that separates a top salesperson from the pretty good, the average, and those who are barely getting by? You might consider factors like work style, motivators and education: all play important parts in a salesperson’s career.

Personality traits, however, are where things really get interesting. Perhaps no other professional is more negatively stereotyped than the salesperson – from the used car salesman to the Hollywood agent, salespeople are seen as egotistical and pushy. But as Steve W. Martin shares in his recent post on the Harvard Business Review network, the most successful salespeople aren’t the exaggerated characters stereotypes belie. In a long-term study of 1,000 high technology and business services salespeople, Steve W. Martin found the following key personality attributes in the most successful:

1. Modesty

Ninety-one percent of the top salespeople in the study had medium to high scores of modesty and humility. Results suggest that egotistical salespeople alienate far more customers than they win over. The most successful salespeople position themselves as part of a team that will help win the account.

2. Conscientiousness

Eighty-five percent of the top performers in the study had high levels of conscientiousness: being responsible, ethical and having a strong sense of duty. These successful salespeople are deeply committed to their jobs and feel a strong sense of responsibility for their results.

3. Achievement Orientation

Eighty-four percent of Martin’s top salespeople tested highly in achievement orientation. They continually measure their performance as compared to goal achievement.

4. Curiosity

Eighty-two percent of top performers scored very high curiosity levels. This high level of curiosity translates to an active, inquisitive presence during sales calls.

5. Lack of Gregariousness

In the study, top salespeople averaged 30 percent lower in levels of gregariousness than their below-average counterparts. Martin relates this to dominance, defining it as “the ability to gain the willing obedience of customers such that the salesperson’s recommendations and advice are followed.” Overly friendly, i.e. very gregarious, salespeople are too connected to their customers, and thus have difficulty establishing dominance.

6. Lack of Discouragement

Ninety percent of top performers were categorized as having infrequent, occasional sadness and discouragement. Martin relates this personality trait to competitiveness, correlating experience in organized sports with the ability to handle losses, emotional disappointments, and organize oneself for the next opportunity to compete.

7. Lack of Self-Consciousness

Less than five percent of the study’s most successful salespeople had high levels of self-consciousness. With self-consciousness being related to inhibitions and bashfulness, salespeople without this personality trait feel comfortable “fighting for their cause and are not afraid of rankling customers in the process,” says Martin.

Next Level Leadership Series: Local Relationship Building and The Boulevard Group

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:35:00 GMT

Welcome to the second installment of our Next Level Leadership series! Here, we interview small to mid-size business leaders about certain areas in which they have proven themselves to be exceptionally successful.

Next in our series is TAB member Mark Beck, founder of The Boulevard Group. Mark was kind enough to spend time to share some of his experiences in local relationship building. The Boulevard Group is a firm that provides Web site design, development and marketing services.

When was The Boulevard Group founded?

My wife and I founded the company in 2000. We’ve been in business for 11 years, with the vast majority of our clients from the New York City/Philadelphia geographic area.

We started pairing with local businesses back in 2003. I’m a programmer, not a designer. We brought in a graphic designer on an outsource basis. The graphic designer had the exact opposite problem I did: he did design work, not programming. From then on we would refer business to each other.

From that relationship, the graphic designer has referred The Boulevard Group to other companies over the years. Close to 30 percent of our business comes from partner referrals.

How do you approach other local businesses? Has building relationships with them been a natural part of doing business, or have you actively worked to build a strong local network?

When I go to networking events, I look for people, like local printers and PC repair companies, who have the same client base, but not those who provide competing services.

In Long Valley, I partner with Eric Frenchman, an online marketing guru. It’s a good example of how we both target the same types of companies, but our businesses are not competitive at all. We refer potential partners to each other.

What do you consider the most important aspect of developing relationships with other businesses?

Primarily, I look at a person’s experience and examples of work that they’ve done. Whenever possible I would like to be the person referring another to a potential partner first, instead of being the one to ask for business.

When we have work referred to us, we have to keep two important things in mind:

First, we have to make the referring partner look as good as possible. Second, we have to keep the partner in the loop. Always let them know what’s going on: whether it’s good or bad, whether it’s something we’re doing or something the client is doing, we want to make sure there are no surprises on their end.

I noticed you have a page on your Web site dedicated to “Business Resources”. Is this part of building relationships with other local businesses?

Companies listed on the page are a combination of partners with whom we do work and others who are part of my local BNI networking group.

How has working with other local businesses benefited The Boulevard Group, outside of the financial reward?

In addition to the financial reward, having good relationships with other local businesses makes the sales cycle a whole lot shorter. Partner clients have already been sold on a Web site, and are now looking to put the pieces together to get the project going.

In some cases, when we’re doing work with a partner, The Boulevard Group works in the background and the client doesn’t know we exist. Sometimes we work face to face with the end client. We can get out, meet new people, and see who they use as resources. We see if The Boulevard Group can help them work with other businesses.

What is your favorite aspect of being a member of The Alternative Board?

It’s tremendously beneficial to have a new set of eyes looking in on the business. We can be so engulfed in the day-to-day operations that we don’t take the time to look at the big picture. It’s so helpful to have board members coming in with a different set of eyes – new perspectives have helped the business get along, keep it going.