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What Customers Really Want

Focus on the Experience

To compete in today’s marketplace, it’s not always enough to focus on what you’re selling; you may need to consider how you’re selling. Delivering a quality experience sets you apart from the competition. 

Whether you offer a B2B product or service, work as a professional consultant to companies or individuals, or have a consumer retail operation, providing engaging experiences drives repeat business.

You can start creating memorable experiences for your customers by taking a close look at your sales process. Identify every point where potential customers, current customers, and repeat customers interact with your business. Make a list of these “touchpoints” and note what you’re doing now and whether it’s working or not. Then, brainstorm ways to make those interactions more meaningful from your customers’ point of view.

Here’s an example: nearly every business uses various types of communication to share information with customers, ranging from appointment reminders and thank-you notes to newsletters and user instructions. But while all businesses communicate, some have made a name for themselves by elevating the quality of their communications. 

Depending on the nature of your business, you can give your customers a better communications experience with your company in various ways, such as: 

  • Injecting humor
  • Creating an aesthetically appealing message, whether in print or digital
  • Sharing tips and resources 
  • Offering multiple options relating to type and frequency of communications and marketing messages they receive from you

While these suggestions require extra effort, they’re not really expensive and they can pay off. Done well, customer experiences inspire appreciation for your business, reflect on the quality of your business, and prompt repeat business and customer referrals.

Learn more about the value of happy customers.

If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.

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Relaxing Techniques for Hectic Workdays

Consistent stress can take a toll on your emotional and physical health.  There is often daily stress in the workplace.  That’s why it’s important to have some techniques in place to help you activate your body’s natural relaxation response. Here are a few techniques to fit into your daily work schedule, to help reduce stress, increase energy levels, boost your mood, and possibly improve your overall health:
  1. Practice Deep Breathing – This exercise can be done in your office, in your car, or in the staff lounge.  All you need is a quiet, uninterrupted location to take some deep breaths.  It will help clear your mind for more focused energy.
  2. Listen to Music – If you have an office you can play music in, then do it.  Put on some of your favorite music while you work.  You’d be amazed at how relaxing it can make you, and productive too.  Maybe even wear earbuds if you have nearby co-workers.  Do whatever it takes to get you some well-deserved music time.
  3. Use Essential Oils – Plug in a diffuser, add your favorite scent(s), and work away.  You’ll find it very calming, and your office will smell amazing.  Just make sure others don’t come into your space to relax, too.
  4. Go for a Walk – Take some time (during a break or your lunch hour) and walk around the building, outside, or to a nearby park.  Maybe listen to music while you walk.  Don’t talk on the phone.  Don’t go with a co-worker and talk about work.  Just be with yourself and take in the surroundings.  It will calm you and your nerves!
  5. Use a Stress Ball – Yes, they actually do work.  Squeezing a stress ball works out the tension in your muscles, relaxing you enough to continue on with your long day. And it’s something small you can use multiple times a day (sitting, walking, in meetings, etc).
  6. Get Organized – Find time every day to free your desk from overwhelming, overcrowding clutter.  Organizing your surroundings can improve your mood, allowing you to be relaxed and more productive.
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If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Marketing Mistakes

If you’re a professional who relies on marketing for business growth, then you’ll want to continue reading.  Below is a list of some marketing mistakes that occur often within businesses.  It’s important to learn from these errors and stop them from happening. Don’t be guilty of the following: – Forgetting about cell phones.  Don’t forget about mobile users.  If you have a website, it should be optimized for mobile devices.  If it’s not, you’re essentially turning away customers. Everybody has a cell phone these days.  Make sure you take advantage of that! – Not marketing using videos.  Engaging customers and capturing their attention is what video content marketing is perfect for.  Advertise your business through videos.  Your competition is probably doing it.  Don’t get left out. Create a business YouTube channel and start recording! – Spamming.  Are you sending out emails to those who haven’t given you permission?  Are your emails helpful, educational, and/ore relevant?  Consider segmenting your lists so each subscriber gets exactly what they want in their Inbox. – Not having a call to action.  Do you have a goal for your readers?  Do you expect your customers to do something specific when they land on your website, or get an email from you? If you don’t have a clear call-to-action, potential buyers will get distracted or feel misled.  And you’ll miss the sale.  Always clarify what you want them to do! rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Ways to Create a High Performing Team

What management often forgets, is that both sides of a company need to give and take.  The leader and the employee need to work together to achieve great results.  Because engaged employees lead to high team performance, a positive company culture is necessary. Ways to create a high performing team: – Build a diverse team.  Employees from different backgrounds and from diverse cultures provide different points of view, which can greatly benefit a company. – The team comes first.  Instead of putting customers first, make the team the priority.  The company team needs to be well put together in order to please customers. – Provide clear communication.  Team members may miss important tasks or become frustrated if communication is unclear.  Make sure they know what is expected of them. – Create an enjoyable environment.  Work doesn’t have to include boring meetings. Encourage employees to be themselves and to have some fun. Don’t create a culture of scared team members, worried about breaking rules and never being allowed to think for themselves.  Companies need creativity, innovation, trust, and motivation.  A happy, healthy company culture is what all leaders should be striving for. rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Steps for Success (onboarding for Interns)

Like any other onboarding process, the experience for Interns should be positive and productive.  If your onboarding program is successful, your Inters will feel valued and satisfied, become some of your best full-time employees in the future, and benefit your company in a very big way. Steps for Success: 1 – FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Interns accept positions months before graduation.  They see your program as an opportunity to grow as a professional.  Begin the onboarding process weeks in advance, giving them time to meet employees, ask questions, and to see your company as a great place to work. 2 – COMPANY CULTURE:  Organize a time with the Intern to come to the company for a visit.  Introduce them to the rest of your staff.  Give them a chance to see the company culture, the business in action, the employees hard at work, and your relationship with the team as a whole. 3 – ALWAYS CLARIFY:  Make sure the Intern knows what he/she is expecting to get out of the internship.  Make sure the manager who works with the Intern knows what he/she is expecting to get from the Intern.  Create a work plan with weekly goals, so there is more than just oral clarification. 4 – BE READY TO LEARN:  There are Interns who may have skills that you do not.  Be prepared to learn.  This will benefit your development and make them feel valued and included. rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Good Communication = Business Success

Good communication isn’t just about solving conflicts in the workplace, it’s also about building relationships and building a successful business. Good communication helps employees feel heard.  Good communication makes information easy and clear to understand.  And good communication makes people better listeners.  All of these lead to higher customer satisfaction, happier employees, and increased revenue. When employees feel disrespected, or disregarded, there is often tension or conflict that follow.  If there is good communication within the team, employees can express their needs easier.  This leads to increased performance and higher employee engagement.  This also improves connections between team members, leading to a more positive work environment. Good communication helps create better client relationships.  Communication is different between satisfied and unsatisfied customers.  If employees are trained to communicate effectively, they will be better equipped to handle client relationships.  This leads to happier customers, which also means profits increase. Good communication helps build a better company culture, increases sales and production, enhances employee engagement, and creates a positive environment for innovation. Good Communication = Business Success rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Customer Service Excellence

When you think about customer service, do you usually remember the good experiences, or the bad experiences?  How often do you have really memorable customer service?  Unhappy customers tell their friends about their experiences more than happy customers do.  That’s a lot of lost potential customers!  Your goal should be delivering not just a good or great customer experience to your audience, but an excellent one! Here are a few things you can do to make every customer interaction excellent:
  1. Give your customers as few steps as possible to get the job done.  Don’t make them go through a ton of steps to get something accomplished.  Reduce their effort as much as possible, or do it for them.  Help them solve their problems.  Don’t make them chase their solutions.
  2. Spend time getting to know your customers.  This not only involves them, but it helps you to improve your products or services based on their likes, dislikes, goals, etc.  Creating a personal experience gives your business opportunities to grow.  It also makes your customers feel valued.
  3. Turn a bad customer service experience into a great customer service recovery.  Listen, ask questions, clarify what went wrong, and then start the process of gaining their trust back.  Don’t just walk away from an unsolved problem.
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If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Spring Cleaning Ideas for Your Business

Spring cleaning is not just about cleaning and organizing your closets and cars.  It’s also a great opportunity to clean and organize your business.  Spring is on it’s way.  Are you ready to get started? Here are some ideas: 1 – Since taxes are on your to-do list, why not clean your books.  Get your accounting system organized.  It may be a long process right now, but it will streamline the process for next year, and years to come. 2 – Update and organize your website.  Now is a good time to update your services or products.  Make sure all your links are working.  Make sure all your contact info is correct.  Don’t miss business opportunities because your website is not clean and organized. 3 – If you have a desk-full of papers, or a box-full, get rid of them.  Take some time to scan documents and save them to your computer, or organize them in folders and put them away where you can’t see them.  The less you see, the less anxious you get, and the more productive you become. 4 – Actually clean your office.  Get rid of the clutter.  Purchase tools to organize office supplies.  Create a system that helps you keep track of papers so your desk stays clean.  Surround yourself with inspirational quotes and motivational phrases.  Organize your space so you feel accomplished every day! rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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How Managers Can Handle Stressful Workplace Situations

Managers are often in positions where they face stress on a daily basis.  Stress can be handled in many different ways, and the manner in which they deal with the stress depends on the situation.  And if stress is not handles properly, it can take a mental, emotional, and physical toll on everyone involved. Here are some ways managers can handle stress in the workplace: 1 – Find out where the stress is coming from.  Is it related to the specific work an employee is doing or is it a conflict among workers?  The manager needs to better understand the source before it can be fixed. 2 – Learn how to deal with the stress.  Should there be some type of training that needs to be given?  Should more work be delegated out?  The manager should decide what steps need to be taken to alleviate the stress levels. 3 – Deal with conflicts calmly.  Removing workers who may be causing an issue is a way to handle the conflict without embarrassing or reprimanding them in front of others.  Give them a chance to explain.  The manager should try to work out a solution that both parties can agree on. 4 – Be organized.  A lack of organization can cause stress before stressful situations even arise.  Prioritize tasks more efficiently.  Many managers need to work alone on their own tasks, so organizing and delegating where possible can help lesson their stress levels. rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.
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Common Leadership Styles

As leaders, we help our companies grow.  And the longer we lead, the more we change the way we choose to lead.  Leaders have a huge impact on the companies they work for, and the employees they work with. Here are a few common leadership styles used today: 1 – Democratic Leadership:  the leader makes the decisions based the input of every employee. It’s also known as shared leadership.  Each group member participates in the decision-making process. 2 – Autocratic Leadership:  the leader makes the decisions without the input of every employee.  They have control over all decisions.  Advice from others is rarely accepted. 3 – Strategic Leadership:  the leader has the ability to influence others to make decisions.  They motivate and persuade others to share the same vision.  It’s a strategy in managing the employees. 4 – Transformational Leadership:  the leader is always improving, pushing employees outside their comfort zone.  The goal is to develop followers into leaders. 5 – Transactional Leadership:  the leader rewards and punishes employees.  The goal is to keep their employees motivated for the short-term. 6 – Bureaucratic Leadership:  the leader listens to the employees but often rejects their input if it conflicts with company policy or previous practices.  They apply a system of rules for management and decision-making. rsz_2018-headshotActionCoach-logo
If you would like further information or you have any questions about this blog, you can email me at pjweiland@actioncoach.com or call 847-739-3079.
Build a Business image 3 (small title) To register for our complimentary workshop, How to Build a Business you can Sell, visit www.actioncoach.com/pjweiland. Let’s work together to help your business grow.

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