27. March 2011 by Bob Griffin.

The simple answer is always the best one.  Brevity is the key to good communication.  Momma says, “Because I said so!”.  All are good statements and it seems everyone has found this to be the case for the short-attention-span world we live in.  So, why do you spend hours and days trying to communicate directions to your employees when a simple statement is the best direction?

For example, I love talking with technical people.  They are the most needed group in any organization because we all have gadgets at the heart of any of our tasks.  When things go wrong is when the IT Department is really valuable.  What is the first question that IT asks when they are helping you?  Answer: “Is it plugged in?”  Why do they start there when so many other things can be wrong with a computer?  It’s because that is the number one answer to computer problems.  A cord gets knocked loose and all you need to do is plug it back in.

The rational side of me would have a message that plays before you can talk with the Tech Team.  It would say, “Check to see that your computer is plugged in.  If you do not check and that is the problem, you owe the technician $100.”  That, of course, would handle most of the issues, but it would put half the IT Department out of work.  With everyone handling their own power problems what would a techie do?  Of course losing IT employees is risky when you may need them when the real problems hit.

I was in a store this past week talking with the owner.  He said he wanted to sell more products.  The manager walked up to us at that moment and I simply told her to sell 5% more products.  She gave me a frown and then smiled and said “OK”.  Just like that she was telling her team to sell more.  No explaining.  No motivational statements.  No incentives.  I told her what I wanted and she went back to her team and made it happen.  She was plugged in to what the owner wanted.

I was in a fast food restaurant not long ago and they were an organizational mess.  When I  finally got a chance to order, the girl behind the counter was rude to me.  Instead of being rude back to her, I asked a simple question.  What did your manager tell you your job was in this restaurant?  She was full of wonderful sentiment, so I asked to talk with her manager.  I asked him what he told his staff was their main job.  He wasted no time in telling me that it was to help customers.  I don’t think that is the message he told his crew, but I left with my money and more to talk about here on Business Bulldog.  He apparently wasted his breath on some half-baked meeting where he kind of gave the idea that the customers were the reason they had a job.  I had the idea that the place should be shut down before they hurt someone.

Why do we get frustrated with not getting the results we want when the message is the problem?  I think you know that answer.  You want to make sure everyone sees things your way.  They should understand your reasons behind doing everything you do and follow along because your way is the best way.  What you miss is that they just aren’t plugged in.  When you tell an employee what you want they will either do it or not.  The outcome is where you need to spend your time, not in the directions.  If they don’t follow your orders find out why and then direct again.

Keep things simple in your business.  We are amazing at complicating anything.  Plug yourself in and make the simple, effective leadership your way of doing business.

Bob Griffin - CEO
BGriffin@BusinessBulldog.com

Posted in Customer Service, Creating the Culture, Being the Boss, Training, Making Money | Print | 105 Comments »

26. November 2010 by Bob Griffin.

The insanity of the season is in full swing as I write this article. After Thanksgiving sales in the US have been going since midnight and this ritual has to stop. I understand the “shoppers thrill” of losing sleep to get bargains. That kind of craziness is where therapists pay for their retirements. The point at which you have good, hard working employees pulling ridiculous shifts trying to help sleep deprived people buy an X-box is when we need to draw a line.

I understand that businesses in this world-wide economic meltdown are desperate for any customer but to turn a profit on the backs of good employees is wrong. Small business owners get a break at this point because most of them work side by side with their employees. The ones who have no soul are the big box chains that have a hidden Board of Directors and a CEO who couldn’t work a POS system to save his or her life. Every employee who has never seen an executive on the sales floor and has worked for years with the same company should mail a copy of the Bulldog Rules for Business to them. All business starts with the interaction with customers. Any thought by a Vice President or higher in an organization that what they do makes the company money is a fantasy. Don’t misquote me on this subject. The need for strength at the top is critical, but the money is earned on the front-line. Real leaders live, work, and breathe on the front-line.

Where is the CEO at midnight or even 4am when the store opens? I have not seen a news story that mentions an executive helping out in a store the day after Thanksgiving. Leaders lead and don’t ask for more than they are willing to give. Want loyal customers? Be a loyal boss.

I am not writing this to stir the pot and make employees angry. The point is that often we make plans and hand them to the lowest paid person on the team to implement. If you work beside that employee, you can see the holes in the plan and make better plans. You will show any staff between your position and the front-line that you are not above doing any job and they dang well better not be either. Leadership starts with you. Show them, tell them, and then reward them for their hard work.

Be loyal to gain loyalty. Be respectful to be respected. Grow your business by growing with it.

Bob Griffin - CEO and Co-Founder

Email: Questions@BusinessBulldog.com

Posted in Customer Service, Creating the Culture, Being the Boss, Making Money | Print | No Comments »

6. November 2010 by Noel Guilford.

In the seventh season of Seinfeld, a very memorable character nicknamed the “Soup Nazi” was introduced.  This character was based on a real soup vendor out of New York that I actually had the pleasure of meeting. Notably portrayed as a business owner with a high quality product, and low quality service. For the record, while the low quality service displayed on television may be the product of a little embellishment, the high quality of the product is spot on. I’ve never had shrimp bisque so good but that’s beside the point.

What does this have to do with you and your business? Well, I’ll tell you. On the front lines of many service oriented industries you will find the “Coupon Nazi”. The Coupon Nazi as we will call them here is that front line representative that acts as a warden preventing customers from taking advantage of their company and its policies. They serve to make sure that no eleventh item makes it through any ten items or less isle, that no offer is taken after its expiration date or at the wrong location, and that each and every surcharge, add on, up sale, and hidden fee is applied and accounted for.

As a business owner I’m sure that you agree that policies and procedures are in place for a reason. In many cases this is true with the exception of customer conflict. For example, let’s say that a customer needing to perform vehicle maintenance decides to use an offer sent through the mail for 20% of their total cost. The customer is looking to spend roughly 800 dollars on various repairs and maintenance. The Coupon Nazi notices that the coupon expired several days prior and immediately notifies the customer that the coupon is expired. In some cases the customer is very apologetic and accepting of the policy. For the sake of argument let’s say that the customer is not so understanding and the inflexibility of the Coupon Nazi drives the customer away.  The Coupon Nazi’s victory just cost that business owner an immediate $640 dollars and any residual sales generated from repeat business over the lifetime of that customer. In addition they also have ensured that those sales, immediate and repeat, will go to one of your competitors. Looks like employee of the month material to me (note the sarcasm).

In the previous example it may seem easier to see the effects of our Coupon Nazi because the immediate sale is high. In an instance where the immediate sale is low you may have a higher number of customers who will leave and yet it is more difficult to see the effects because it takes longer for the consequences to add up. Consequently, Coupon Nazi’s are created by the short leashes of upper management. It is possible to identify and deter this behavior but policy change must start from top to bottom. Here are some general rules to go by:

1. If a policy is causing the loss of customers it may be time to evaluate the priority of that policy.
2. Never assume (especially openly to the customer) that customers are attempting to somehow manipulate your policies for their own gain. Is it ever true? Yes. Is it always true? No.
3. Policies should reflect customers buying and shopping habits not conflict with them.
4. Company policy should make your company and its employee’s competitive customer service experts not offensive “customer service napalm”.
5. Empower employees to go the extra mile in the name of customer service without the fear of punishment from management above them.

Simple steps will help grow your business. Ignoring the issue is costing you!  Bulldog Rule #8 - Re-examine your business often.

Posted in Marketing, Customer Service, Creating the Culture, Training, Making Money | Print | 53 Comments »

30. June 2010 by Bob Griffin.

I teach business skills every day.  There are people that I deal with who have many more years of experience in business and have many more degrees from prestigious colleges, but there is always something that I can suggest that has merit to adding customers and sales or reducing costs. Business, like some of our readers have noticed, has many angles and can be approached with a new view even after centuries of sales.

The reason I mention this is that I had my finest achievement recently and it involved a businessman that is headstrong, stubborn, and doesn’t listen to me most of the time.  I guess I need to restate a few things.  He does listen.  He just never let me know he was paying attention.  Business skills are learned as much as they are a part of a person’s personality.  I would rate his skills before this past weekend as high in personality but low in business acumen.

Once the weekend hit, I learned how wrong I was.  He had learned the lessons I taught about how to build a brand and I learned a few things myself.

To say that I saw the best businessman in any industry at work is an understatement.  I saw him stop traffic…I mean he stopped traffic!  People got out of their cars and spent money right there at the street.  He is beyond a doubt the very best.

• I saw him stand at the front counter and grab people’s attention with a wave and smile.
• He was charming and polite.
• He asked customers for the sale and then asked them if they wanted more.  He asked enough questions until he got to the word “No”.
• He was fast serving them.
• He was quick to close the sale.
• He mentioned that they could stop back for more later…for an additional fee.
• He thanked them warmly and continued to be polite.
• He knew the sale did not end the relationship with the customer.
• He asked them to mention the products to friends.

I was proud.  I was very proud.

The “man” is my 8 year old son.  He asked me a few weeks ago to help him start his own business.  Knowing that an 8 year old doesn’t think small and would want to lease space for a store front if I let him, I worked a deal with him to build a lemonade stand if he was willing to follow my rules for business.  Little man has heard me talk about business since before he could talk, so I knew he heard the Bulldog Rules for Business, but I did not realize how much he had taken them to heart and was able to demonstrate them and make money.

I built the lemonade stand and he paid for the cups and the lemonade mix.  We were going to freshly squeeze the lemons, but we decided to make profits instead.  There is always an element of profitability that every good businessman must take into account.  The task of running the booth was his alone.  I stood by and ended up assisting (I filled cups with ice), but I did not engage the customers.  That was his job and I did not want to artificially increase sales by stepping over his management.

To say that I was stressed in watching my son run a small business in my driveway is an understatement.  I wanted to help, take over, manage the station, and control the sales.  That is what “Type A” personalities do…we jump in and get it done.  This, however, was my chance to see if I am a good coach.  I wanted to see if the lessons I preach can be lived on a very small scale and make a big impact.  It worked!

Little man was amazing.  He did stop traffic.  He even sold lemonade to the lady driving that infernal ice cream truck with the horrible music.  She stopped right in front of his stand and bought from him.  She was impressed with his sales ability (He asked her if she wanted two cups since it was such a hot day).  He sold to neighbors, his friends, and anyone who happened down our street that morning. He started selling lemonade at 9:00am.  I can’t drink lemonade that early.  I still taste toothpaste at 9:00am, but people bought and loved it.

Like I do in every article on Business Bulldog, I want to know if your team is following the rules that an eight year old made look easy.  The Bulldog Rules for Business are common sense, but powerful when followed.  Can you have the enthusiasm of an eight year old every day and with every sale?  Can you speak clearly and ask for the sale and then ask for more from the customers without sounding like you are selling to them?  Do you ask your customers to send friends to your store?  Do you ask how they like your products and service?  My son did and now he has a following of people who want to come back for more.

As for using a powdered mix instead of fresh lemons, the customers loved the experience, so it didn’t matter.  It isn’t all about the product.  The best situations to get a sale involve the product, the engagement, and the environment.  Get these things right and the sales will come.  The drink was good enough leaving room for profits without cheating customers.  The engagement of the sale to the customers was better than they would have gotten at 100 times the price.  Finally, he maintained a clean, good looking environment for customers to feel confident they were getting a good product.  How about your store?

That old saying, “When life gives you lemons - make lemonade” is a good one.  A better saying is “Start with the lemons and make money”.

**Side note:  He sold between 60 and 70 glasses of lemonade in just a few hours.  I don’t know the exact number because many customers were giving him 100 percent tips!

Posted in Customer Service, Being the Boss, Training, Making Money | Print | 20 Comments »

6. June 2010 by Bob Griffin.

Since posting my last article, I have been hit with many questions from readers about what BP should be doing to protect themselves and build on their reputation.  Right now they have the President of the United States beating them up verbally at every chance and the media starting to find ways that BP is not working to stop the spill from hitting the beaches along the east coast.

It is a tough situation.  One one hand, they are at fault.  They drill for oil as part of their operations and spills happen.  One the other hand, they want to survive the crisis and grow their brand.  The marketing they have put out since to spill has not helped.  Stodgy old business-types yammering on your TV about how much they are doing when the oil is still spilling as a bad way to save your reputation.  People don’t care about what you are having other do.  They care about getting the job done.  A better way of building your band would be to show rather than say what you are doing.

If I was CEO, I would be out on the beach before daybreak with a bucket and gloves picking up globs of oil.  I would be part of a very large group of people who normally sit in the BP offices working harder than anyone.  You want to show you care and that you mean what you say.  Show it…and shut up.

The media is all about image and if you want to be seen as someone who wants to get your business back on track, then get in there and get your hands dirty.  Saying that you just want to get “your life back to normal” (or whatever the quote is) is the opposite of getting the track back under your business.

Be a part of the solution.  The greatest asset you have in a time of severe crisis is to stop talking and start leading by example.  Do you think CEO Tony will help himself and go clean up the oil?  I would bet he never even thought about getting a bit dirty in order to stop the criticism being shoveled at BP.

As for the President of the United States shaking his fist at BP, that is another lack of leadership that we do not have space for here. Again, it is about acting now and talking later.

As for you and your business, you do not need a major crisis to have the need to get your hand dirty.  If morale drops, get on the front line and show the team that you want to be there with them.  Your business growth is the distance of your front counter - from the customer to your cash register.  Stop talking the talk and start walking the walk.  The more you are seen the more you will change - dramatically change -  the character of your business.  You get credibility by being credible.  Walk the walk FIRST…let others talk about you by the example you set.

Posted in Customer Service, Creating the Culture | Print | 63 Comments »