Make A Blogging Plan For Your Business

Guest post by Robbi Hess, All Words Matter 

Quick question for business owners. Are you blogging for your business? Hhmmm, is that crickets I hear? Is there a reason you're not blogging? Do you wonder if blogging as simple as sitting down and churning out great prose? Yes and no. Sometimes the words just flow other times it would be easier to collect hen’s teeth than to write a post.

Are there secrets that can help anyone grasp the blogging concept? Perhaps. I know that during my years of writing, the more than a million words I have penned and from the writing classes I've taught  I’ve I found there are two kinds of people:

1. I have a ton of ideas and don’t know what to do with them people, and
2. I can never find an idea people

Be Part Of The 'In' Crowd At Networking Events

Remember how you used to walk into the lunch room when you were in grade school or high school and wondered, "Who am I going to sit with?" Well, sometimes those feelings come back when you walk into a networking event. Unless you're the gregarious type, you may be faced with that tinge of panic that struck each day in the school lunch room.

What can you do to combat that? Here are a few networking how-tos I've gleaned:

• Have a plan in mind of how many people you want to meet at the event. If you know that, you will have a focus and a goal. 
• Get in touch with the event organizer and see if there is a Facebook group or other area in which attendees are gathering to "get to know" one another prior to the event. This is a great way for you to hone in on who you'd like to meet.  
• The event is not a place at which you will sell your widgets. The event should be looked at as a way to get to know potential clients. Once you meet someone, set up a time at a later date to get together to grab a coffee and see if you can work together. 

Remember, if you see someone standing alone, approach them. If you're in a group and you see someone wandering around, looking lost, invite them into your group -- they will thank you for it. 

Schedule Your Downtime

Guest post by Robbi Hess, All Words Matter 

Scheduling down time is a must for entrepreneurs. Why? Because if you don't, chances are the day -- or several days -- will get away from you and all you will have done is work. I realize that entrepreneurs need to work and need to be in the office, but they also need to step away and recharge

their batteries if they want to remain effective and healthy.

Here are some ways to schedule downtime into your business calendar to avoid burnout: 

•  Schedule time for lunch. You need to make a concerted effort to get away from work and the computer and eat your lunch. Schedule time during your lunch downtime to get in a short walk or even a bike ride. Your mental and physical health will suffer if you are sedentary every day, all day. 
• Take a vacation. Whether it's a weekend or a week long getaway, you need to do just that get away. When you plan a vacation, let your clients and your staff know that you're away and that you will have limited access to the Internet. Plan occasional check-ins. Know that if you've hired well your office will function in your brief absence. 
• Attend networking events of conferences. You need to interact with others in your industry and you need to keep up with the latest trends. Also, attending networking events or conferences just may help you grow your business. 

Do you have downtime scheduled into your calendar? 

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Who Is Your Ideal Client

My business model allows me to serve EVERYone. What? How can it possibly do that? Even McDonald's can't promise to be everything to everyone, and they certainly do try. If you're chasing every person, every business owner, every single opportunity you need to stop. You cannot be everything to everyone. You need to know who your ideal client is and then seek out that person or business. Having a focus on who your ideal client is will make you more productive and likely make you more sales.

Take some time to develop an ideal client persona, understand what problems he or she has and how

your services can address that -- that is who your ideal client is -- the one who will benefit the most from what you have to sell.

Here are tips to go into a deeper dive on creating a customer persona:

• What pain points does your service or goods address? Who are the clients who could benefit the most from having those pain points erased? 
• Visit your ideal clients, those who you believe would benefit from your goods or services. If you can see them in action you can see how your goods or services could fit into their daily work routines. Getting out of the office is a better way to network than to continually network through social media. 
• Write down the characteristics of your current clients and how they use your goods or services. If you already have an active client base, they are your best first source for building a client persona. 

Targeting your client base will help you be more productive and will help your bottom line better than chasing every client who comes along.

Is Fear Of Success Holding You Back?

Guest post by Social Wordsmith, Robbi Hess

When I work with clients on their writing projects I find that many of them are held back as much by procrastination as they are by the fear of success. What if they finish that book and have to promote it and themselves? Are they afraid of the "shameless self promotion" that comes with having written a book and having to be the focal point of attention. 

If you find that fears are holding you back from completing a project whether it's writing a book, picking up the phone to make a cold call or taking the steps necessary to propel your business toward

greater growth, here are my tips to help combat those fears:

1. Share your expertise and become a trusted resource in your industry. You can do this by blogging, sharing relevant content on social media and by speaking to industry groups. When you become the go-to person for your expertise, you will easily step out of your comfort zone. 
2. Your conversations shouldn't always resolve around, “what can I sell you today?” You should think about, "who can I serve today.”  This takes the fear of the sale out of your mind because if you believe in what you do and sell it should be easy to think about how your goods or services will help a potential client address a pain point. 
3. Spend time every day to count your blessings. Consider how many clients you have. Count up the contacts you've made. Reach out to current clients and say, "Thank you." Send a follow up thank you note to a prospect and thank them for having given you some of their precious time -- which all business owners know is a precious commodity. A heartfelt thank you can go a long way in helping you, and your business, grow.  

Don't let your fears hold you back from your successes. What are you afraid of? Share your comment below. 

How Well Do You Communicate?

How finely honed are your communication skills? Are you adept at both verbal and non verbal? Can you send an email that gets your point across without sounding terse?

If you hesitated to answer any of those questions, you will want to keep reading for tips to improve

your communication skills:

1. Clarity rules. Steer clear of industry jargon. If you’re sending an email, it’s important to be clear as well, but remember in an email, short sentences may sound terse. Never deliver bad news via email. 
2. Don't multitask when you're talking with clients. Give them the courtesy of your full attention. Don’t let a caller or client feel they are not important enough for you to stop what you’re doing and pay attention. 
3. What you do is as important as what you say you will do. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. 

Are you an effective communicator?

How To Improve Staff Accountability

If you're like many business owners you work with a virtual team. Let's face it, having your staff work from their home offices has been shown to improve productivity and you also save on having to rent office space and potentially increase your utility bills because of the need for more internet bandwidth among other on-site costs. 

Do you have accountability metrics in place for your staff? Prior to bringing on your first employee -

- or even contractor -- you will want to have policies and procedures in place as a way to measure success, hold employees accountable and make certain that client tasks are getting completed. Also, if your staff or contractors aren't clear on your standards how will they know if they’re not meeting them (or if they’re exceeding them!)?

How can you improve -- or set -- standards for accountability? First remember that all behavior starts at the top so you need to set the example you want your staff to follow. Here are other things you can do to hold staff accountable: 

Set Yourself Apart With Your Customer Service

I don't know about you, but I get annoyed with people who talk on their cell phones while in a checkout line. I also get a bit annoyed by the poor customer service delivered by many in the service industry. Perhaps the rudeness is a function of no one paying attention and therefore no one delivers good customer service. 

I can tell you though, as a business owner you need to set the standards high for yourself and for your employees on what you expect for the customer service they (and you) deliver. In the past when someone said they set themselves apart from the competition based on their level of customer service it was a cliche. It is no longer a cliche because too many business owners are providing shoddy service.

What can you do to be one of the business owners who sets himself apart from the crowd as it relates to the customer service your business delivers? Here are my ideas: 

1. Be that business owner who actually answers his phone. Don't screen your calls or have a caller navigate a phone menu. Answer the phone. It's as simple as that. 

The Power Of One More Item

Guest Post by Robbi Hess, Written Marketing Specialist at All Words Matter 

Some days when you look at your to-do list you might be stricken with analysis paralysis -- the "what should I do first when I have so many things to do?" What happens in many of those instances is that you do... nothing and your list continues to grow. That feeling may also strike when you want to grow your

business or your clientele but aren't sure where to start first.

How can you ward off analysis paralysis? What I tell my clients is that they can invoke the power of one. What that means is:

• Suggest an add on service to a current client -- just one. If they already like product or service A, why not talk to them about investing in product or service B or C. It's one way to enhance your sales path. 

Marketing On A Budget

Entrepreneurs need to look at where they're spending their money -- especially when they're first starting out. Budgets are usually tight and money can't be spent without planning and forethought. That being said, you do need to have a marketing plan in place or you won't be able to grow your business to the point where you can earn a living from it. 

What can you, as a new entrepreneur or an entrepreneur going through budget

constraints, do to market your wares? Here are some of my tips for marketing on a budget: 

• Get out of the office and have a face to face meeting. There is no better way to build a business than through a handshake and an in person meeting. 
• Word of mouth. Talk to current customers and ask them for referrals or testimonials. People want to do business with a known entity and if you are a known entity through a business connection, you will have an in. 

Set 2015 Business Goals

Can you believe that the new year is almost two weeks old already? Wow! 

Before it moves forward any further, take time to evaluate your business and your business plan. Look at 2015 as a way to get an "out with the old, in with the new" mindset. 

Don't toss what worked last year, but do look at what didn't work with a critical eye. In fact, you may want to work with a business or manufacturing consultant -- someone who can look at your processes

with a fresh perspective and help you make 2015 the best year ever.

Before week three of the new year arrives, take time to look at the ways you're monitoring success: 

• Are your goals clearly defined? 
• Are your goals measurable and trackable, ie have you set performance indicators to your goals? 
• Are you using the correct tools and metrics to measure your goals? 
• Are you setting aside time to check in with the goals you've set and make sure you're on track? It's easier to correct course early in the process than to wait until the end of the year and realize that what you were doing wasn't working

If you need help with a course correct, give our office a call!

David Senkfor has 20-plus years of experience as an owner of a gear manufacturing facility in Northeastern Ohio. That experience gave him the opportunity to examine trends and practices that affect the gear industry in specific and the  manufacturing industry in general and allowed him to develop a clear business focus. He uses this manufacturing consultant focus to help companies seek new opportunities for business development, quality improvement and in crafting aggressive strategies to achieve competitive advantage.  No issue is too small to examine for improvement and optimization.

Get Prospects To Call You Back

You met with a prospect and you felt like you hit it off. What gives with them not calling you back? Could it be your phone etiquette or when you're calling or the message you're leaving?

It could be any of those, so here are my tips for getting a call back:

• Don't call Mondy morning or Friday afternoon. Chance are you don't want to talk then and chances are, neither does your prospect. Mondays are typically catch-up time from the weekend and Friday is slowing down time. 
• Leave a clear message with your name, your number, the reason for your call and the action you're requesting,  ie...a call back, a meeting, etc.
• If you're cold calling but have a connection to the prospect, mention it, ie. "Jack from XYZ Company said I should give you a call because (fill in the blank that shows the relevance)."

Make the best use of your phone call time and give the prospect a reason to call you back. 

Email Etiquette For #Manufacturers

Guest blog by Robbi Hess, Written Marketing Specialist

Electronic communications are the norm for most every business owner, and with good reason. It's quick, efficient and can be taken care of no matter the time of day. However, in our "texting era" email communication has taken on the slang of texting and that doesn't always translate well.

Here are tips for writing better emails:

• Clearly state your message. In your message do you require a response, or action? If so, spell
  
  that out so the recipient knows his or her next steps.
• Try to stick to one issue. Don't muddle your message with multiple issues. If possible stick to one issue per email. If the email is regarding Company XYZ and there is more than one issue, it's all right to have more than one as long as it's related to a specific client.
• Make your subject line clear, ie "Action needed on XYZ client" rather than "follow up on meeting."
• Be brief, but polite. Don't ramble. Keep in mind that your client is just as busy as you are so be cognizant of his or her time. Don't forget a salutation and a closing.
• Don't use slang or industry acronyms. Sometimes messages get lost in acronyms and unless you are truly clear that the recipient will understand without a shadow of a doubt what they mean, leave them out. 

Your email is your public persona so make certain your best image shows through.

Robbi Hess is a Written Marketing Specialist who writes web copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and other business correspondence. Your Words. Your Message. Where It Matters!

Hone Your Collaboration Skills

Post by Robbi Hess, All Words Matter 

How can you help your workforce to become more effective? By becoming an effective collaborator. Just as you likely don't run your business by yourself -- unless you're a solopreneur, but even in that case you may still work with a business coach or contract out some of the tasks at which you are not

an expert.

I believe that collaboration can help you grow your business. Why? Because you're drawing in information and expertise from others and putting them all toward the company's greater overall goal. Here are some of my collaboration tips:

Cash Is King In #Manufacturing

I think you will agree that one of the biggest problems for companies is cash flow. After all, cash is the lifeblood of your company .You buy your supplies with it, you pay your employees with it and of course you get to pay taxes with it.

However, many companies are lax with their cash flow management, which is very dangerous in these days when loans are harder to come by to tide you over.

4 Ways to Improve Your Cash Flow:

1. Try to do credit checks before you start up with a new customer. Folks who pay others promptly will probably continue to do so. The ones that pay slower, well you get the idea.
2. Send out invoices promptly. Again, this seems pretty straightforward but I’ve seen companies wait until the end of the week or even a month before they invoice. GET THE BILL OUT QUICK and YOU’LL GET PAID QUICK!
3. Improve your quality by making good parts the first time and they won’t be rejected. Seems counter intuitive but if you are not constantly, crediting and rebilling your customer’s accounts for bad parts you do make, your cash flow will improve and you won’t be wasting time doing paperwork.

Is Your #Manufacturing Business Ready For Growth?

Guest post by Robbi Hess, #WrittenMarketingExpert 

Business growth is what entrepreneurs seek, but it needs to be done strategically. If your business suddenly explodes with growth and you don't have a strong foundation on which to house it, the

business will surely fall under the weight of that growth spurt.

Here are steps you can take to plan for strategic #manufacturing business growth:

• Determine how much (how large) you should grow
• Decide how you will grow
• Determine your financial capacity for growth
• Take stock on whether you have the "correct" people in place to help with the growth 
• Start looking now for people you will need to fill spaces in your potential growth
• How will your company's growth impact your company culture, customer service delivery and the company's overall financial stability

Are you prepared for business growth? 

Five Steps To A Sales Call

Guest post by Robbi Hess, The Written Marketing Expert at All Words Matter 

You may say to yourself, "But I'm not a sales man/woman," but I am here to tell you, if you are an entrepreneur you ARE a sales person. You have to be. If you weren't selling how would remain in business? 

In my limited experience as a sales person, here are the five steps I've found to be true in my sales

calls on potential clients: 

1. You have to prospect. Sure word of mouth is great, but if word of mouth dries up, you have to jump start your prospecting strategies. Prospect where your ideal client resides -- whether that's at local networking events, on social media or at trade events. 

Making The Most Of Conference Attendance

Guest post by Robbi Hess

Is there a conference attendance in your future? If it's local, chances are you have only paid the price of admission. If, however, you have to travel to attend a conference you will likely be paying for airfare and the price of the hotel in addition to the conference attendance fee.

You need to reap the rewards of your time there and here are some tips for doing just that:

• Spend time with the conference brochure before you attend. Get to "know" the speakers and understand the topics they will be presenting at their sessions. Map out which sessions you will attend and what you hope to learn. You might even want to write down some questions to ask the speaker to gain a more thorough understanding of the topic. 
• If there are pre-conference events or post-conference get togethers, make time in your schedule to attend those. Don't hide away in your hotel room before or after the conference sessions. Mingling during the pre- and post- events is the best way to potentially forge a relationship with a speaker or a fellow conference attendee. 
• When you get home from the conference you should blog about your attendance. Share the information learned on your social media pages. Most importantly, you should follow up with those individuals you met -- strike while the iron is hot. 

What are your best conference attendance tips? 

Robbi Hess is The Written Marketing Expert at All Words Matter. She works with clients to take their words, put it into their message and distribute it in places that make sense! If you're struggling with your written marketing content, contact her at robbi@allwordsmatter.com 

Are Business Cards Dead?

Guest post by Robbi Hess

Do you still look at gathering business cards as a sport when you're attending a business meeting or networking event? You know, whomever gets the most cards wins? I have to caution that when it comes to business cards, quantity doesn't necessary equate to quality. If you're gathering business cards for the sake of gathering them you may want to rethink your strategy and only accept cards --

and give cards -- to potential referral partners or others with whom you feel you can work.

If you still use a business card, and I honestly can't see any reason why you wouldn't, here are tips for making the most of that valuable piece of business real estate:

1. Make sure it's branded with your company business name and logo. While you don't want to clutter the card with a lot of information, you are selling yourself and your business and your logo is a big part of that. 

Three Ways To Work More Efficiently

Guest post by Robbi Hess

The great equalizer is time: We all are only given 24-hours per day. It's what we do with those hours that can set us apart from the competition.

What can you do to make the most of your hours and work more efficiently and effectively? Here are

my three thoughts:

1. Plan your upcoming week. Whether you plan your upcoming week on Friday before you leave the office or if you sit down on Sunday and plan for the week ahead, planning is crucial to success. It's a cliche that "if you fail to plan you plan to fail" but it is true. Having a written plan means you can check items off when they're complete.