Business
It’s Coming - Are You Ready?
Get ready now, there’s no time to wait!
It’s been a tough and torrid year! Many will see their world falling down around them. The businesses they have built over the years crumbling and seemingly disappearing.
But, here’s the thing. We all know after every storm the sun comes out, every challenge creates opportunities, every restriction of supply leads to pent up desire to buy.
To survive this crisis we need to be strong and brave. We need to get back to basics — and we need to get started now!
Creating and running a successful business is challenging at the best of times. After all, there are so many pieces of the puzzle to fit together, and quite often, just when we can begin to see the picture, the puzzle gets knocked over and we have to start again!
Sometimes, like in current times, the puzzle doesn’t just get knocked over, it gets blown all over the place, and in such times, we need to draw on all our strengths and determination and dig really deep to get back on track.
In such times, it’s a good opportunity to remind ourselves of the simple fundamentals of business, the core elements, and maybe start again from that foundation?
The basic cornerstones of a successful business are clear cut. We need to identify our prospective customers, get them to buy our products or services, deliver what they have bought, and collect the payments and control the costs. In other words, marketing, sales, fulfilment and finance.
Get these four elements running efficiently and the business will succeed. Simple yes?
But here’s a question? Why, even in the best of ‘normal times’, do so many businesses find it difficult to attract quality customers and create healthy profits? Why do so many struggle to build a business that makes them happy and proud and a pleasure to be involved with?
The crucial element!
The answer to every challenge we ever face.
Here’s the point. As much as we may set out our strategies for the standard four elements, so many of us fail to fully recognise and include strategies for a most vital, critical fifth!
Oh, we know that it exists, indeed, some will even blame it for causing our biggest problems and challenges, but few will understand how to make it part of their strategies and leverage it for great success.
So, what is this fifth element? It’s actually the most powerful. It’s the link that holds the rest together and makes them work. Correctly used, it’s the answer to every challenge we ever face.
The fifth element is people — more exactly, the ways we interact and communicate with the people that we come into contact with, every moment of every day!
Think about it! People are involved in every business and in every area of a business; as staff and employees, customers and clients, suppliers and contractors. Our ability to communicate with them, to engage and influence them, absolutely determines success, whatever the size or nature of the organisation!
What’s in your mind?
I know what you’re thinking right now; “of course I know how important people are”. But here’s a question, are people simply something that are part of the day to day business machinations, sometimes good, sometimes bad — or do you have an intentional, pre-programed strategy for maximising success with your people element? A strategy that is constantly monitored, reported on and fine-tuned?
Because, unless you have a highly effective people strategy, it’s impossible to get your business to reach its full potential, one that’s a pleasure to be involved with and makes you proud to own and lead!
Where do you start?
The major concentration for every business must be to ensure every individual and organisation having contact with it has the most positive and favourable experience.
If you are challenged by a constant need to recruit and keep good staff, have endless customer challenges and complaints, ineffective marketing, low sales levels and lack of profits and income, it’s time to review your People Strategies!
High performance people strategies don’t happen by chance.
Just like any other skills set, people skills need to be studied, need formal action and programs for discovery, learning and development.
This is the only route for the People Strategies you need, to create high performance, dedicated teams, and exceedingly satisfied and loyal customers.
