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What Is Wrong With My Business?
By Richard Hilliard
When economic times happened to be a great, and the focus of the time was to be involved with developing a new business, many forgot the real issue of maintaining their business.
Money was excellent, a steady stream of calls to be enjoyed. Business owners, employees and in general people were in high spirits and content. There seemed to be no end in site to the fluency of dollars. No one looked towards the future and what it might bring. When the future arrived, what was found, the old exhausted ways no longer worked.
Why are we not hearing the phone ring, we ask why are the dollars per ticket investment spiraling downward. Why can’t our employees do what they did in past years.
The answer is pretty straightforward. Many refuse to admit failure. Often times placing blame in all the wrong places. We want to place the responsibility on our technicians. Why, the employee will be doing the precise manner of performance ,sales, job they were trained to do.
The culpability of what and how the employees were trained can be directly linked to administration of the organization. You, the owner or manager, are to blame. You must get involved with sales training; after all, it is your company which will be successful or be a failure.
What tools have you given your employees to be successful? You give them a truck, inventory, the price which must be maintained. However you forgot one major item, to institute a method to get your price, build value with your company and employees. You have abandoned the idea of how to get your client involved with the products you have for the ownership exchange.
Recently in this economic downtrend we are facing I have heard so many so-called experts tell owners to raise the price to offset the rise in their cost of doing business. This only brings in more dollars on the tickets you do sell and complete. The chances are huge you will lose more clients then your price hike will bring in towards your company. This is the old way of logic which makes absolutely no sense, Especially in our market which is performing at a all time low since the mid 1970’s.
Some will even place blame on how you answer the phone. Who sold that bill of goods. Sure, answering the phone affects a small amount of people. It all hinges on how successful your technicians can and will be in the field. Without proper training you will see no improvement with your employees closing the sale. The affect on your company will remain the same no matter how you answer the phones. Fix the major problem first ,work towards a desire goal of keeping your clients, providing service with value and benefits and the price you need in order to maintain your organization.
I know and believe the essence of a strong business will be in what you invest back into your company. As the owner you must bring back the investment to teach your employees the psychology of selling and closing. Give them tools to convince your clients of your benefits to your client to do business with you. You teach your employees why it is in the best interest of your clients to do business with you. No matter what your price happens to be position to cover. You can receive what you require when your employees are properly trained.
Take a long hard look in the mirror and change your hiring practices. Hire those with a delightfully energetic attitude who are not afraid of self improvement which will affect the outcome of your organization.. Invest in your employees, trust your employees will be accepting of the innovative and improved ways of the future. Give your employees the tool which will allow success towards a enriched life giving your organization a much needed push towards excellence with endurance to succeed.
