When little is known about a job applicant, employers need reliable tools and resources to help uncover employee background information, greatly reducing the risk of a bad hire. The wrong hire can lower your team’s morale, hinder productivity, and impact customer relations. Making the right hiring decisions can be critical to your business success; pre-employment screening may…
Small business owners have a lot on their plate. They must balance the major business functions while maintaining their niche within the industry. A Forbes survey found there are 28 million small businesses within the US, and they employ 50% of the population. In honor of National Small Business Week, here are a few beneficial resources to…
No matter what business you’re in, the easiest and most predictable source of revenue can be found in your existing client base. Your loyal customers are likely to be repeat buyers, with a much higher average spend than a new customer. And acquiring new customers is expensive- up to ten times the cost of retaining…
Whether you are looking for fresh ideas or in need of a new source of networking, members of your organization should consider joining an industry association. Most of us can hardly find enough time in the day to complete the things that we currently have on our “to-do” lists, but consider how a few hours…
Most business owners share a similar challenge- they’ve aggressively grown business, hired experienced and capable leaders, yet the business has reached a plateau. It’s important to recognize, as it not only affects business growth financially, but also is a prime motivator for the organization’s leaders and employees. I recently read an article written by Karl…
The “Buyer’s Journey” is the active research process a buyer goes through leading up to a purchase. Studies show up to 70% of a prospect’s buying decision is complete before their first contact with you. Are you marketing accordingly? Understanding your buyer’s behavior, information needs, and problems is imperative, and should be the central focus…
In an article published in the Harvard Business Review, September-October 1990 entitled “Zero Defections: Quality Comes to Services”, Bain and Company, working with Earl Sasser of Harvard Business School analyzed the costs of revenues derived from servicing customers over their entire purchasing life cycle. What they found is that increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases…
Successful organizations today are forward looking, mission driven, and value based with participative work environments. Employees are expected to work smart, using judgment to make informed decisions guided by a clearly stated vision and strategy. So, how do we keep our valuable employees from taking their knowledge and skills to another team? Many companies use…
Employees engaged in their work are more likely to be motivated, loyal to their employer, and focused on achieving business goals and driving the organization’s future. Aren’t your employees the core of your business and the biggest component to your organization’s overall customer experience? Odds are you want to improve culture but don’t know where to start.…
Bitter. Crushed. Bruised. These are words that have been used to describe employees after the traditional performance review. So how are they greeting your customers with a smile? I recently finished reading “Catalytic Coaching: The End of the Performance Review” by Garold L. Markle. Markle prefaces the book with his first encounter with Dr. W.…