How to Handle Difficult Customers: Know When to Hang Up

Can I really hang up? The first question on everyone’s mind, who has ever dealt with a difficult caller is probably: Can I hang up on this person? There comes a point when all your efforts seem to be pointless, and you have no choice but to disconnect. You are running a business—not a call center. Even call centers have their limits, which we’ll get into later. Time is money, and when you recognize that the person you are speaking with is not listening to reason or simply using up your time needlessly, it’s time to hang up the phone. Before it comes to that, these rules-of-thumb may help to bring resolution before you cut the cord. Maintain Control Rule number one when dealing with a difficult, long-winded, or even hostile customer is to never react emotionally. You’re bound to get upset or frustrated when you’ve exhausted yourself, and your …

Learn to Attract Your Ideal Customers

  Who is an Ideal Customer? When you are trying to find the right customers for your business, it’s important to concentrate on a couple of things. Firstly, be sure to establish who your core customer is by finding out who you are best equipped to serve and will consistently bring in the greatest revenue, without putting extra strain on your business. Additionally, you will make life far easier if you seek to attract serious customers, as opposed to those who may only end up wasting their time, and yours.   Communicate Directly to Your Primary Customers Beating around the bush is generally not a good way to handle things, in any area of business. Especially concerning an area as important as finding the right customers, there is no reason why you can’t just come right out and say it. For example, your mission statement can include a description of …

Target Your Ideal Customer: Business Planning 101

The concept seems counter-intuitive: To reject some customers and put all your efforts into others? Yes—absolutely. Knowing who your core customers are, and then gathering them with targeted strategy, is crucial to the continued success of your business. Let’s first look at the pitfalls caused by failing to identify your ideal customer, and next, we’ll examine the measures a business owner should take to avoid these pitfalls. You Can’t Please Them All It all starts when you go into business without knowing exactly what kind of customer is right for you. In the beginning, most businesses have not even considered the fact that it should avoid certain categories of customers, unwittingly shooting itself in the foot by saying “yes” to everyone. They are all paying your asking price and filling the coffer, but there is a hitch: Different kinds of customers have different needs, which is which is why you …

How to Inspire Word-Of-Mouth: Better than a Billboard

Word-of-mouth is simple. Someone had a good experience with a business, and they tell other people that it was good and that they should try that business, too. How do you get people talking about your business? Do good business. It does take time, however, so here are a few tips that may be able to speed up the process. Start a Buzz on YouTube What is one thing that we find ourselves talking about all the time? YouTube videos. It may not be as popular a pastime as it was 5 years ago, but everybody still loves to brag about the latest video, meme, or gif that they’ve just seen. You can post content on your own channel that includes daily updates, promotions, or even just some interesting or funny content. The type of material you put in the videos is not as important as being consistent with it; …

10 Productive Daily Habits for Small Business Owners

  1. Get Up Early Any small business owner quickly learns that they wouldn’t get very much accomplished by getting up at the crack of noon every day. Aside from the fact that getting an early start gives you time to get more work done, you will be forced to play catch-up when you get started later because all of your partners and colleagues have probably already been going strong for hours.   2. Don’t Skip Breakfast You’re not like other people—you’re a business owner. You’ve got an insane schedule, constant daily stresses, and a team to look out for. That means you need to eat your Wheaties. Ok, you don’t have to eat Wheaties, but before the work starts, make sure you get a good breakfast that will build up your energy stores. Complex carbs like whole grains are good for sustained energy, and so is a vegetable juice …

6 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

  6. Awaken the Giant Within—Anthony Robbins Tony Robbins, everybody! Contrary to popular belief, Robbins is more than an eccentric guru; his teachings give practical insight into the science behind tapping into our innate power as individuals. The book opens with a quote from Orison Swett Marden: “Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him,” setting the stage for deeply-informed counsel from an author who seems to sit down with you like a wise father. This selection utilizes a guided progression based partially on formula; however, when it comes to Tony Robbins, you know you can expect an introspective and spiritual journey that cuts right to the core of improving the human experience.   5. The Analects—Confucius Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Everyone is familiar with the name, Confucius, but very few have read him, first-hand. Your first thought might be, understandably, “How in …

5 Ways to Make Your Daily Commute a Not-So-Awful Experience

  We all have our ways of coping with the monotonous, potentially mind-numbing experience of traveling to work. Eventually, your morning cup of coffee, daily news, and weather report tends to get pretty old, and you may find yourself fantasizing about driving into a telephone pole if you don’t find creative ways to pass the time. The key to surviving your daily commute is to get your mind off of being in transit and to mix it up as much as possible.   1. Listen to the Music Is the news and weather channel driving you mad? Try some music. Already listening to music? Try playing some new music, or different genres that you wouldn’t normally listen to. You might even put together a few playlists—or have a friend put some together for you, which is sometimes even better because you have no idea what is on them, making every …

How to Record a Good Voicemail Greeting: What Your Callers Aren’t Telling You

Recording a good voicemail greeting seems like a simple task. Most people buy a new phone and take 5 minutes out of their lives to record it quickly and never update it again until the next time they get a new phone. Instead of taking the haphazard approach, it will help to put a little effort into this, as it is a primary point of contact for calls that may be very important to you, professionally and personally. No Lengthy Messages First of all, get to the point. Clients and customers do not want to hear your life story, and let’s be honest—neither do the rest of us. Especially when someone has to call back and hear your voicemail a few times, a long, drawn out recording will get played out pretty fast. In the same vein, it’s unnecessary to go into detail about your business, such as a full, …

communication over internet

Why You Need to Become a Better Communicator

“If you weren’t born with the gift of gab, it may take a great deal of practice to become an expert communicator—but it is certainly worth it to put in the time.”   No matter what type of work you do, being a good communicator is of absolute importance. A lot of business owners get upset when things are not running as they should, when really, the problem is that they are not able to clearly express what they want. Communication is at the baseline of business, and being proficient at this is necessary for every type of interaction we have. Without it, nothing would get done. Always Be Ready to Answer You should be able to describe your business in one sentence. Anyone can ramble on for 20 minutes and give someone the basic idea, but there is a difference between this person, and a business owner who can …

Learn to Manage Your Customers by Setting Boundaries

“As long as you show respect for your customers and take care of them, they will respect the fact that you run things on your own terms—and this is the kind of customer that you want.”   Customers are the lifeblood of a business. Everyone knows that no business could exist if it did not take care of them. That being said, managing your customers is just as important as managing your staff, and if you aren’t careful, they can end up causing you unneeded stress and consuming valuable time. Here are a few simple practices that can make your life a lot easier. Stand by Your Hours of Operation You do not have to be constantly available to provide good service. It is important to run your business on your own terms, and in fact, you are conveying a sense of reliability and consistency to your customers when you …