Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the US National Ice Skating Championships. I admit I don’t like it when a skater falls. I want everyone to skate their very best. But I am always amazed when a skater does fall on the ice how quickly the skater can get back up and resume skating in sync with the music. Whether the skater regains composure enough to skate the rest of the program flawless is the mark of a true champion.

While watching the ladies competition on Saturday evening, one of skaters who was expected to finish high in the standings, fell, on a jump that the skater generally excels at. Olympic champion Peggy Fleming, who along with Olympic champion, Scott Hamilton, was providing commentary and play-by-play, pointed out that the skater fell because she allowed herself to get distracted even before she skated onto the ice by listening to the audience call her name.

In contrast, when the men were skating for the title on Sunday afternoon, Jeremy Abbott, the skater who ultimately won, Peggy Fleming once again pointed out how during his long program when he executed a particular jump exceptionally well that he stayed focused. He didn’t acknowledge the cheers and the claps from the audience. Ms. Fleming once again commented that would be too distracting. Winning the title, Abbott’s third, was too important especially since the year before he had lost the title to another skater.

Often what sets apart champion skaters from others isn’t just their physical ability to skate, perform jumps or spins and entertain the audience but to focus. To be in control. Yet, at the same time, to feel the energy of the audience in the arena.

Those who win, as Peggy Fleming, put it: Transcend the competition.

Watching the skaters got me to thinking about how as business people, we can often allow ourselves to get distracted; to lose focus from what the goal of every business is: Keeping our current customers happy, attracting new customers and running a profitable business.

As business people, we can get distracted from the very moment we walk in the office door. Distraction causes us to lose sight of the goal which is  to always be looking for new, profitable business opportunities.

What can distract you or your sales force from looking for new, profitable business opportunities?

Things such as:

- People vying for your attention to ask questions, update you on projects
- Reading your email or checking your mobile phone
- Going on the internet to check latest stock market numbers or latest headlines
- Social media
- Unscheduled meetings
- Putting out “fires”
- Unexpected phone calls
- Thinking something “will only take a minute”
- Stepping out of your office for a refill of coffee or a stop at the water cooler
- And a thousand other things

Distraction may also be a very convenient way of avoiding what most people don’t want to do and that’s prospecting for new business.

Most business people would rather go to the dentist than to prospect.

Why?

Because nobody likes rejection.But is it really rejection?  Or is prospecting an opportunity to find the perfect, profitable business match?

To avoid distraction when prospecting:

- Set aside specific times each day
- Close your door
- Don’t accept phone calls
- Have a glass of water or other favorite beverage on your desk
- Have your call list for that day prepared and ready
- Know the outline of your script
- Set positive outcome intentions
- Tell co-workers you’re unavailable till a certain time
- Have a system in place to take notes on each call and for follow up
- Don’t allow yourself to do anything other than prospecting activities, even for a minute   

Be focused on the prospecting goal!                                                                         

As you make your prospecting calls, when someone wants to talk with you, take your time talking with them. Remember your goal is to qualify them and set an appointment.

If someone doesn’t want to talk with you or they just want to talk to talk and you know there is no opportunity of them becoming a prospect, politely end the call and immediately move on to the next name on the list. Don’t waste time! The time you waste could keep you from making one more phone call that could be the prospect you’re looking for.

Between each call, don’t permit yourself any sort of distraction that keeps you from the goal of identifying potential new business. While you are talking to the potential appointment, take notes. As soon as you hang up from the call go right to the next call without delay.

There are times when you’ll recognize that you will need to follow up with someone several times to make them a prospect. But it’s important to recognize the difference when someone says: ’Call me next month’; ‘call me in six months’ or ’can you send me some information’? Are they really a good potential prospect?

Most times, ‘no’ is ‘no’. When people ask you to send information, ask yourself if this is just their way of getting you off the phone, betting you’ll never call again. You need to understand the difference. You never want to put false hope on a prospect that really isn’t a prospect yet salespeople do it all the time.

Every time you get a ‘no’ response be just like the champion ice skaters when they miss jumps and fall – get right back up without hesitation, keep skating to the beat of the music without losing any momentum to finish the performance and win the competition. Or as Peggy Fleming says: Transcend the competition.

Prospecting with focus and persistence will give you the sales, profit and success you’re looking for.

How do you avoid distraction in your business day to accomplish goals and prospect for new business?

Listen to Talk Business With Howard every Wednesday on Blog Talk Radio. This week Howard talks about: Prospecting For Sales Success. Click here to go to the show page. 

How’s business?

Did you make any New Year resolutions about improving your business? If so, how are you doing with achieving your business goals? On target? Ahead or behind?

For many CEOs, presidents and business owners, last year wasn’t a great business year. And even if it was a great business year in revenue, there were many challenges and hurdles throughout the year. The current business atmosphere is likely to continue and include glimpses of optimism; but the economy still has a long recovery road.

So how can you turnaround your business for more profit and success? How can you turn a bad, even a mediocre, business year into a good business year?

Ask yourself these questions:
1) What made you successful in the past?
2) What has kept you from reaching the success that you’ve enjoyed over the years? 
3) What’s holding you back? 
4) Are you open to doing what’s necessary to turn your business around?

Everyone will tell you how everything has changed over the past few years. Much has changed. What worked in the past doesn’t necessarily work now.

But changes in business shouldn’t keep you from success and having a good business year.

Your clients or customers still have the same basic needs they always did.

Here’s the next question:
5) What do your customers or clients need from you and your company?

There is always a lot of talk about building relationships in business. Relationships are important. But when it comes down to it people buy from you because you have convinced them that you’re going to do something that will help them further their business, make more profits, reduce stress and a host of other reasons. 

So to make this year the best year ever takes a lot of thinking about how you are going to plan your strategy to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative in your business. This applies to every aspect of your business. Such as your product or service, how well your employees are trained, your marketing materials and anything else that affects your business on a daily basis.

Next question:
6) How you are going to improve your leadership skills to lead your business to greater profit and success?

You may ask me: My business was mediocre, at best, last year, what do I do about it?

Let’s take for example the subject of sales. So you say, business was off because sales were off.

Then I’ll ask you: Why? You may say: I don’t know. Then I’ll ask you: Why don’t you know?

Saying ‘I don’t know’ is not the answer.

The economy has had an effect on all of us. But there are still 130 million employed people so there is an economy.

Next question:
7) Why aren’t you doing business?

Dig deeper to find the answer.

Is it the prospecting? Is it the product? Is it the sales approach? Is it not qualifying prospects? Is it not knowing how to ask for the sale or contract? Is it something else?

The question is: Why? – Why? – Why?

If you keep asking yourself the why question, you’ll discover where your weakness is. You will know where in your company to make your business stronger.

If you can’t find the answer, talk with other business people or find the expert that will help you determine what steps you need to take to turn things around.

Determine the priorities of what you need to take care of. You may be in a position of focusing on one or you may have to focus on all at the same time.

It’s hard to know where the most logical place to start is. Every business is different. One could say it’s sales, but is it really? Your sales could be fine but maybe it’s your prospecting. Your prospecting could be fine but maybe you have terrible customer service and your company is not delivering what your sales people are promising. Or maybe it’s your product line or pricing.

That’s why you need to keep asking: Why? – Why? – Why? until you find the solutions you need.

Things are not always as they seem to be.

You need to keep questioning till you get to the root of the problem. Most business people fail because they never understood what their real problem was.

Until you understand what the real business problem is, you can’t really solve it.

There is a 1-2-3 step to take but you need to determine what that 1-2-3 step is.s not going to be the same for every company.

There is a saying in the computer world “garbage in, garbage out”. That means that if you are not entering the right information into your computer, smart phone or IPad, then what you’ll get out of it is the wrong information. 

Same in business. If you haven’t analyzed the problem and you’re just taking a stab in the dark at it you won’t find the right business solution.

Clear thinking along with a well thought out action plan is what makes business people succeed.  It’s what can turnaround your business for success and having a good business year.

Howard Lewinter talks about business success every Wednesday at 11 AM/EST on Blog Talk Radio – Talk Business With Howard. This week Howard discusses, Turnaround Your Business For Success. Click here for link to show page and to listen to show.

If you like today’s blog post, you may also like Howard’s blog post with 5 Tips To Turn A Bad Business Day Into A Good Business Day.  Click here to read the post.

Over the weekend, I was observing how life has changed right before our eyes over the years without us even noticing it. For example, instead of opening up the front door every morning to reach down for the newspaper many of us now go to the internet to read the morning headlines.

Times are changing; and businesses must change with the times.

Over the holidays, Sears announced plans to close stores across the country. Maybe even a store near you. Millions of people grew up with anticipation about the Sears catalog each time a new edition was published. In fact, Sears was founded as a mail-order company. How many catalogs do you receive now-a-days in the mail? It’s become an environmental issue, a cost factor and everyday more customers shop online than through the traditional catalogs. Yet with Sears, it’s more than just a catalog. Sears use to be a major force in retailing. The family shopped at Sears (then Sears, Roebuck & Co.) for tools, appliances, tires and Diehard batteries; even clothes and much more for the home. Now Sears struggles with company identity.

Sears is in financial trouble for four reasons:

1) Merchandise: As I just mentioned, they don’t know who they are as a company any longer and it shows in the merchandise mix. Do brands like Lands End or celebrity brands like the Kardashians really fit with the Sears image? The consumer has changed where they buy and how they buy.

2) The stores: They need to visually update and remodel stores to compete in today’s marketplace. Do you find Sears stores welcoming? Without the investment, Sears will lose the customer.

3) Customer service: This is the age of the customer. Especially in today’s economy. Yet Sears has lost the service edge in their stores (with the exception of perhaps the appliance department). Customer service is entering a new era due to the internet and social media.

4) Marketing: In the 80′s, Sears commercials featured the slogan, There’s More For Your Life At Sears.  When was the last time you saw a memorable Sears ad?

History repeats itself. Does anybody remember Circuit City, Woolworths or Gimbels? 

Today’s post features what has happened to Sears. But names of corporate giants like Hostess (bakers of Twinkies), Kodak and Barnes & Noble now are speculated about. Will they still exist in a few years? Only time will tell. We live in a quickly changing world.

Play this video of a Sears commercial with a theme you may remember: Come See the Softer Side of Sears.

As you watch the video, ask yourself: What happened to Sears?

Here’s another Sears commercial you may recall with the theme: There’s More for Your Life at Sears.

How does this apply to your business?

You want to make sure your business doesn’t become a dinosaur. That everything you’ve worked for is lost because you weren’t changing with the times.

It’s not change for the sake of change (that’s a whole different story).

The key is to be aware of changes and shifts happening before they impact your business. Before your business loses momentum. Before you ask yourself: How did that happen?

Will customers still buy from your company tomorrow? Or will it be like other companies who find themselves questioning where all of their customers have gone?

In business, you can’t think that the business model you’re using today will still be just as effective tomorrow for continued business success. Nothing lasts forever especially in this economy.

No matter what, time will fly by, as will the profits, if you are not nurturing your business, motivating employees and taking care of your customers.

Just like Sears, once you lose momentum, it’s hard to get it back again. There’s always a competitor nipping at your heels ready to take your business away which means taking your profits away.

Every day you have to look at it like it’s the first day of starting your business and ask yourself: Are we doing what we need to run a successful profitable business? Let’s look at what is positive and keep it going; let’s look at what is not working and make the necessary changes.

Successful business people adapt their business to the economic conditions and the needs of the customer. If you don’t adapt you won’t have the business success you want.

Listen to Howard Lewinter’s internet radio show every Wednesday on Blog Talk Radio. This week Howard talks about: Management and Leadership for Business Success in a Changing World. Click here to go to the show page.

The name Tim Tebow is on the top of every sport fan’s tongue these days.  Most consider Tim to be an inspirational leader.  A few consider his religious beliefs to be a negative, but those are in the minority.  The question always posed is, “How could Denver have become so much better with Tebow as quarterback, leading the team?”  Conversely, the Indianapolis Colts had a terrible NFL season, and the most glaring change in the team was the absence of long time quarterback and leader Peyton Manning.

Could these individuals make that much difference?   For that matter, can any one person—a single individual—make such big differences?  My answer to this question is a resounding “YES!”  But the reason is not what you might think. It is not merely what that person “does” that makes the difference.  It is the belief, the confidence and the attitude that the person brings. It’s all about the “power of what’s possible.”

Could the Denver Broncos really make those miraculous fourth quarter comebacks after playing three lackluster quarters?  Sure they could—and they did—because the power of what’s possible elevated their play to another level.  The team made the playoffs and just beat a more talented Steeler team that was favored by more than a touchdown.

Could Peyton Manning alone account for the difference between the playoff teams of the Colts and this year’s bottom dweller?  No, probably not.  But those prior teams knew that if they could get the ball in Peyton’s hands with a minute or two left and less than a touchdown or a field goal behind, they still had a chance to win. Often they did just that—march down the field in less than two minutes for the winning score—because they believed they could.

I remember a discussion I had with one of my executives after I left Huffy Bicycles, in which he cited a dilemma and told me that I’d have known what to do.  I told him that I wouldn’t have, but that together WE would have figured it out.  “That’s right!” He exclaimed.  “We’d have been confident that WE could figure out what to do.”

Steve Jobs brought this to Apple.  Sam Walton brought it during his tenure at Walmart.  Sam called it “getting ordinary people to do extraordinary things.”  Great leaders like these two men, and athletes like Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning are not superhuman.  They do, however, exhibit one characteristic of a leader that is hugely important.  Their kind of leader instills in the team the belief that working together, anything is possible—and then they go make that belief come true.

I once asked Robert Galvin Sr. of Motorola what distinguishes a leader. I have never forgotten his answer.  “A leader will take people places they would be afraid to go alone.”  When I asked him “what else…?”  He added, “And he goes along with them.”  The greatest power of a leader is to instill in his/her people the belief in the “power of what’s possible,” and the will to make it happen.  This is what separates the winners from the losers.

John Mariotti is an internationally known executive and an award-winning author. His newest book, co-authored with D. M. Lukas, is titled: Hope is NOT a Strategy: Leadership Lessons from the Obama Presidency and will be available early in 2012.  Mariotti’s 2008 book, The Complexity Crisis was named one of 2008’s Best Business Books.  His critically acclaimed 2010 novel, The Chinese Conspiracy, merges an exciting fictional thriller with the factual reality of America’s risk from Cyber-Attacks. (www.thechinesecomspiracy.com).  Mariotti does keynote speeches, serves on corporate boards and is a consultant/advisor to companies.  He can be reached at www.mariotti.net .

Not only are CEOs, presidents and business owners the head coach of their company but they are the quarterback on the field.  It’s up to you to make the best decisions and to seize opportunities at the right time to have a consistently winning, profitable company.

Here at the start of 2012, when business goals and business plans for the year are on our minds, there is another important element to consider:  your leadership role.

In order to break through the barriers that may block you and your company from greater business success, as a CEO, president or business owner, you need to be a leader.

As I always say, leaders lead.

Here’s what happens when there isn’t leadership in business:

• Confusion.                                                                                                                        
• No direction.
• No goals.
• Nothing can be accomplished. 
• Everyone is pulling in different directions.
• No one is inspired to accomplish anything.

It’s like turning the lights out and people are wondering around in the dark bumping into each other; not knowing how to turn on the lights.

Your leadership role as CEO, president or business owner is to keep the lights on.

When there is leadership, when leader’s lead, here is what happens:

• Vision and clarity of purpose.   
• A roadmap to work with every day.
• Attainable goals.
• To go beyond expectations with what can be accomplished.
• Everyone goes in the same direction.
• People are inspired to accomplish great things.   

Your plans and goals will never fully materialize if you don’t define, run and lead your business.  You lead the way to business success, just like the coach and the quarterback on the football field to win the game.  

Remember, leaders lead.

Here’s 2 blog posts on leadership by Howard Lewinter you may enjoy reading.  Just click on the highlighted title.

1) Are You A Leader?

2) 3 Strategies To Take Charge And Lead Your Business

Listen to Howard Lewinter talk about leadership on the Leaders Lead edition of Talk Business With Howard on BlogTalkRadio.com. Just click on the highlighted title, Leaders Lead.

How was business in 2011?

Was it the best business year you ever had? Or was it the worst business year you ever had?  Perhaps somewhere in between?

Yes, it’s important to look back on and reference 2011 to gain perspective.  But 2011 is gone.  It’s history!

What happens in 2012 is up to you, the CEO, president or business owner. The economy does affect all of us. No doubt.  And the economy can affect your business.  But to what extent?  Have you looked around to see what other business people are doing?  How successful they are even in this economy?  Why were they more successful than you in 2011?  Could it be they were smarter than you and had a higher IQ? Could it be they were just lucky?  Although there is always someone who is smarter and luckier than you, chances are the majority of CEOs, presidents and business owners who were very successful in 2011 are just like you and me.

Here are 3 necessary steps that will be the difference between business success and business failure in 2012:

1) YOU:  Yes, YOU make the difference between your own business success and failure.  Sounds like an obvious answer but often as business people we look at everything but ourselves for the answers to success.  Remember, the answers to business success lie within you.  Not within others.  Your company’s success starts with you.  It’s your own skills, knowledge, attitude, experience and talents that make the difference and get you to where you want to be in business.

What successful business people do is consistently be on top of their business. They look at how they can help their customers become more successful.  And determine how they can help each employee enjoy their work and be more productive.  Plus successful CEOs, presidents and business owners are constantly working on improving themselves in whatever way is necessary to continue the success.

2) Will, drive and determination:  How can you have business goals or even a business plan if you don’t know what YOU want?

Ask yourself – What do I REALLY want from my business?

Not what others want for you.  What YOU really want for yourself and the business.

Then ask yourself a second question – Am I willing to do what it takes, legally and ethically, to reach my business goals and dreams?  If your answer is yes, then you will need to use all of your will, drive and determination to reach your goals.

3)  Have a plan.  Be in action!:  Putting the key in the door every day and showing up is not a business plan.  If you want to be successful in 2012, ask yourself – Am I really committed to achieving my business goals?  Not just a plan that says - I want to make money.  But a specific business plan as to how you are going to sell it, deliver it and meet the needs of your customers.

You need a strategic plan PLUS well thought out goals not just for the business but for sales and every other department in your company.  If there aren’t goals, if your business isn’t adjusting to the current marketplace conditions, if every year your employees aren’t getting better at what they do, then the competition who does have the will, drive and desire to succeed, will be the happy recipient of the business you are losing.

Don’t let this happen to you and your business.  Planning plus being in action with those plans will go a long way towards making 2012 the best year ever.

Here’s to a happy, prosperous, successful New Year in your business!

Want more business ideas, tips and strategies to start the New Year off right in your business?  Read this classic business strategy article from Howard Lewinter entitled: Ringing In Business Profits For The New Year: 9 Business Strategies For A Successful Business Year.  Just click the highlighted link to read now.

Listen to Howard Lewinter on Blog Talk Radio with Talk Business With Howard every Wednesday at 11 AM/Eastern Time or listen to the audio of the show any time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/talkbusinesswithhoward/2012/01/04/business-goals-for-profit-and-success-in-2012.  This week’s topic: Business Goals For Profit And Success In 2012.

Have you ever wondered why a sale or getting a contract just didn’t happen?

It’s happened to all of us at one time or another.

Here are four reasons why prospects say “no” rather than “yes” to the sale or signing the contract:

1) Trust. The prospect just doesn’t trust you.  Today’s economy, since the recession of 2008, is considered a “trust economy.” Your presentation must convince the prospect to buy from you.  There must be trust and confidence that you will deliver what you are promising.  Otherwise, you haven’t made a connection with the buyer.  To the buyer you appear like any other sales person who has walked through the door.  The prospect may listen but when you finish the presentation you are just going to get a “no”.  No trust, no sale.

2) There just is no need.  You can have the best presentation in the world but if you’re trying to sell the prospect something they don’t need (or perceive they don’t need) they are just not going to buy from you.  Qualify the prospect so you can understand what the needs are.  Ask lots of questions.  Keep the conversation going.  Sell to those needs.  Would you spend your money and buy something that you didn’t need just because someone is selling it?

3) You haven’t created an urgency for your prospect to buy from you.  There has to be a compelling enough reason for the prospect to buy from you.  The prospect may have a need for your product or service but if your presentation is dull and boring; if you’ve created no urgency or excitement; if you haven’t created a picture of profit and success for the potential client, then the prospect won’t buy from you.  You need to be like an artist.   Only you use words, examples, analogies and graphics to show the potential customer or client how your product or service is going to help them.  Overall, how it will benefit them?  If you can convince the prospect of the benefits your product or service offers, they will buy from you.

4) You sound just like everybody else.  You’ve read the sales books but there is nothing original in your presentation.  No passion.  No unique points of difference.  No reason to buy.  If the prospect closed their eyes they wouldn’t even know you were there.  It could be almost anyone that presented to them.  In this economy, you can’t be just be another sales person in order to win sales and contracts.  Selling is not just showing up and pitching a product or service.  It’s educating yourself in understanding how to communicate with people, how your product or service is different, what sets your company apart from others and how if they buy from you, it benefits them.

Notice that price is never mentioned in any of the four reasons why sales prospects say “no” to closing the deal.  Often, people make final buying decisions on much more than price.  What makes people buy is having their needs met with your product or service from a company they can trust.

Listen to Talk Business With Howard on Blog Talk Radio every Wednesday at 11 AM/ET.  Here’s a link to today’s show – Sales Success In 2012: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/talkbusinesswithhoward/2011/12/28/sales-success-in-2012

For more business tips, ideas and strategies about improving sales at your company, sign up to receive a free copy of Howard Lewinter’s ebook entitled, 9 Business Strategies For Profit And Success.  Go to http://www.TalkBusinessWithHoward.com/ebook now.

1) Innovate: According to Wikipedia, to innovate is to create better or more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas.

Innovation is an important part of your business.  Do you need to innovate more with your products or services? Your prospecting and sales techniques? Your customer service? Your marketing materials? Or anything else in your business that has grown old, tired or stale?

2) Study the competition:  How can you convince anyone to do business with you if you don’t understand what the competition is offering?  Sales people call on prospective clients then give the same sales pitch that everyone else is giving.  Why are you different than the competition? What more are you offering than the competition?  Why should someone do business with you?  If you are the same as everyone else, then it just comes down to price.  Do you want price to be the deciding factor?

 

3) Study what your customers need:  Doesn’t matter if you are a manufacturer or a service company, in order to effectively sell you need to uncover, address and know what your customers need from you.  Most companies and sales people pay no attention to the needs of the customer.  They just make a sales call on the customer and give their sales pitch.  Even though they have never taken the time to understand what that customer or client needs.  If you take the time to understand then you don’t have to “hard sell”.  You can instead educate customers on the benefits of your products and services.  Customers will appreciate your willingness to help them grow their business and will want to do business with you.

4) Analyze your company’s performance: Every day analyze your company’s overall performance.  Don’t just show up.  Every day when you walk through the front door ask yourself 2 questions:  The first is – What are we doing right?  How can we continue doing things right?  The second is – What aren’t we doing right?  What do we need to change, focus on to improve the overall business?

5) Analyze the performance of your customer service: Both online and offline. Don’t think the sale stops when you’ve delivered the product or service and collected the money.  Excellent customer service gives your company the opportunity for repeat business.

6) Analyze your sales department: As I always say – Salespeople sell.  If they are not selling and not reaching goals, then ask, “Why?” Don’t take excuses as an acceptable answer.  Always stay on top of the sales reports and sales numbers.  It even becomes more important in this economy.

Sales and the economy are probably the number one topic with CEOs, presidents and business owners right now.  Economic growth projections for 2012 are anemic at best.  That doesn’t mean sales at your company can’t be strong and on target with goals. Don’t buy excuses from your salespeople.

There are many salespeople who are much better at selling the boss with their excuses than selling the customers or clients.  The title of the job is sales.  Not excuses.  It’s worth repeating:  Salespeople sell.

7) Evaluate you own performance: It’s not always easy to look at yourself and evaluate how you can personally improve.  Of all the seven points, this is the hardest one.  None of us are able to see ourselves as we are or as other people see us.  So it’s imperative that you find yourself a mentor or a consultant who will help you capitalize on your strengths and improve on your weaknesses.

Leaders lead.  If you are not leading, if you are not growing as a business person then how can you expect your employees to develop and to grow your business? Print this blog post out.  Keep it where you can easily refer to it.  Constantly review each one of these points.  As long as you are in business, you’ll need to concentrate on each and every point over and over again.  It will help you improve your business and your business success.

Listen to Talk Business With Howard on Blog Talk Radio every Wednesday at 11 AM/ET. Here’s a link to today’s show – How To Assure Business Success In This Economy: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/talkbusinesswithhoward/2011/12/21/how-to-assure-business-success-in-this-economy-1

Want more strategies for business success?  Request a copy of Howard Lewinter’s free e-book for CEOs, presidents and business owners entitled, 9 Business Strategies For Profit And Success.  Just click on http://www.TalkBusinessWithHoward.com/ebook to get your copy today!

As a CEO, president or business owner do you want every day to be a great business day filled with profit and success?

If so, here are 5 points to think about as you unlock the door each day to open for business till you turn out the lights at close of business:

1) Is it profitable? Is it revenue generating?:  Every day ask yourself – Why am I in business?

There are many reasons such as satisfying work or living a dream to run your own business. But let’s get to the reality of it all.  You’re in business to make money.  So your business must be profitable.

Every action you take will lead somewhere. If the actions you take are not geared to making your business successful and profitable, there’s no question you’ll be headed for big problems down the road.

Expenses need to be met.  Payroll and taxes need to be paid.  You need to take a paycheck home.  Plus make a profit.  Everything you do in your business needs to contribute to your company’s bottom line.

2) Think it through:  You need a space to work in.  You need computers.  You need employees.  Depending on the type of business you have, you may need inventory.  You also need the most important thing that drives everything else – how you think it through.

What happened today? What happened yesterday? What actions do you need to continue that were successful? What actions did you take that didn’t work? Are you rethinking the actions that did not work so you don’t make the same mistakes over and over again?

You need to continually think about what’s going on in your business.  Not just show up every morning. Most business people have no plan. Are you one of them?  Even if you do have a plan, do you keep to it?  Have you updated it lately? Are you reaching your business goals?

There needs to be a plan for the year (2012 is almost here). There needs to be a plan for the month. You even need to get it down to a plan of what you are doing for the week and day.

Review the goals you’ve set to make sure you are on track. If you’re not on track to meet your goals, find out why and get back on track again. You even need to think about goals not only for the business but for you, the CEO, president or business owner.

Every person that works for you needs to have their own set of goals.  If everyone, including yourself, is meeting their goals and you’ve given everyone the right goals, there’s no question your business will be successful.

3) Anticipate.  Anticipate the needs of employees, current projects and customers:  You need to be proactive.  Not reactive.  Think it through (as discussed in #2).

Put yourself in your employees’ shoes.  What do employees need to do their jobs well?  How do employees feel about working at your company?  What’s the best way to approach them?  How do employees feel about the goals you’ve given them?  Do they think the goals are realistic and obtainable?  Do they understand the importance of meeting those goals?  Anticipate your employees’ needs so the goals you’ve set can and will be accomplished.

When you are working on a project for your customers (or your company), have you thought about the unknown?  The unintended consequences?  Things that may happen that you didn’t anticipate?  Again, think it through.  Take it to the next level.

Same with customers, anticipate their needs.  What can you do for your customers to make their business or life better?  By doing so, the competition doesn’t stand a chance in the world of taking away the business.

4) Don’t assume:  Leave nothing to chance.  Part of your day needs to be spent thinking and planning to get the best results possible in every aspect of your business.  When you just assume or think everything is alright, you may not like the results you get.

5) What’s next?:  Continually ask yourself throughout the day – What’s next?

The future will be here before you know it.  If you haven’t planned for it, you won’t get the results you want from your business.

As you turn out the lights for the day and lock the door, ask yourself:

What’s next for my business?  What’s my next business success?

How do you focus on business success every day? Share your business success stories.

Kodak was so popular at one time that in 1975 an advertising jingle created by singer Paul Anka for Kodak entitled, The Times of Your Life, (click on the link for a classic ad) became a popular song on the radio.  And then there was yet another famous singer by the name of Paul that wrote a Top 40 song – Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkle fame, with a catchy tune called, Kodachrome.  As late as 1976 according to a recent article in the LA Times, Kodak commanded 90% of the film sales and 85% of camera sales.

Kodak was a company that was a part of our lives.  Much like Apple, for example, is today.

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal recently ran this headline:  Kodak’s Online Gallery Up For Sale.  An infographic accompanied the article. Of the top five photo-sharing internet sites, the Kodak Gallery was last with Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa and Shutterfly receiving significantly more visitors.  None of these sites has enjoyed the brand recognition, product offerings or market position that Kodak has had over the years.

The question is why?  Why is Apple a household name today rather than Kodak?  Why is Kodak not the destination of choice on the web for photo-sharing?  What happened to this once great company?

The answer:  missed business opportunities.

Missed business opportunities in, for example, innovation, product development and recognizing market trends soon enough.

From the many recent and extensive business articles on Kodak, the company’s future looks bleak.

Times change.  Technology changes. Kodak’s moment appears to have passed with consumers.

In this economy especially, we have witnessed other great companies and institutions fall.

As a CEO, president or business owner, think about your missed business opportunities.  From this day forward, don’t let it happen to your company.  Because if you do, you’ll be risking your own longterm business success.

Have you experienced Kodak moments in your business?  What business opportunities became business success stories for your business?