Is it really Business?
Over the last few weeks we have been undergoing change.
- Change in address.
- Change in philosophy but no change to vision or purpose
Passionate Purposeful Performers Learn
- Change in operational methods
- Change in ideas and positions.
Several things sparked this change.
The researching of “Stop the Success Thieves” and the writing of the book. The interviews around the book but more importantly looking at a new direction for our life by undertaking the Rich Dad Poor Dad Real Estate Coaching Program.
Now in looking at the program, two things stood out:
- The concept of Rich Dad’s CASHFLOW Quadrant: Rich Dad’s Guide to Financial Freedom
- And the systems required by every business for optimal efficiency.
In looking at the systems one thing we found – we are great at implementing them in other businesses, just remiss in implementing them in our own. So that changes NOW!
Want to know the key systems a BUSINESS needs?
Broadly they are
- Daily Office Operations Systems – need to do every day things like phone, mail, email, managing orders and delivery
- Product Development Systems – those things that you need to do to ensure you legally have products to sell
- Manufacturing and Inventory Systems – even in today’s online information products, what happens when your website goes down?
- Order Processing Systems – how do you take and fulfill orders
- Billing and Accounts Receivable Systems – unless you get the money in, your business will fall over
- Client Services Systems – what happens if there is a problem/
- Accounts Payable Systems – you need to pay your bills
- Marketing Systems – Finding out what people want and telling them you have it
- Human Resources Systems – getting the right people working for you
- General Accounting Systems – keeping track and paying taxes
- General Business Systems – how and why you do business
- Physical Space Management Systems – even virtually, people need to work somewhere and have the tools to work.
To find out more get yourself a copy of Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!
So yes self employment is great but to move to a business person and investor, we are upping the game. The idea here is to share the journey and help you become more successful too
To your future
Roberta Budvietas
When Delivery Stops, what do you do?
What happens when someone calls you about a problem they are having with a service you offer?
Do you think first of how the problem affects them or do you immediately get defensive or do you just try to fix the problem?
Does dealing just with the problem rather than the person actually help the client feel that you care? Does it build a relationship?
Technology Meltdown
During the last week we moved house. We set up all our technology and found that the internet provider had yet to set up the service because of a backlog so we waited two days for the internet and were told that we would receive a call to tell us the internet was up. The internet came online 32 hours later (40 hours after the phone went live) and four hours before the due time for the call that never came.
48 hours later, the internet was gone again. Now began hours of phone calls to find out that it appeared that the modem had died. Since the box was less than six months old, we could get a replacement within the next week. Yikes, a week without internet. So we went to buy another router. And after a few hours fiddling, and a couple of phone calls we were back online.
Now that Netgear router replacement can serve as a backup unit – oh wait, the paperwork to return it and get a new one has still not arrived. More phone calls required
The Frustration
Most people I know seem to expect things to work when they need them. When they plug in that new appliance or even the old one, they expect it to work. When they turn the key to start the car, they expect it to start. When they turn on their gadget, they expect it to work.
And when they fail to work, they expect to get help and support easily.
Training for Customer Service
The training of customer service people has come a long way but…they forget that there are emotions attached to the problem. Customer service training teaches staff to ignore the emotion and get the problem fixed. And then move on.
Customer service training says,”the problem’s solution is all that matters”.
And to a certain extent they are right.
But every problem has a person or people involved and people have emotions and they often feel pain and frustration because of the “failure” of the service.
Is there an alternative to “solving the problem”?
Yes and it lies in “what will the world be like when the problem is solved?” Keeping in mind what the vision is for the solution to the problem, can ease the frustration that seems to arise from the problem.
When you provide service, you build on the relationships that help you succeed in business. But you need to deal with the whole person. You find that people remember how they felt that the problem was solved rather than the fact that you solved it.
I may be wrong so in the comment box, please share what matters more to you – just getting the problem solved or getting the problem solved by someone who cares that you may be suffering some frustration, possibly even anger, because the problem occurred.
Have we become too PC to recognize that anger and frustration are emotions that affect us as much as love and warm fuzzy feelings?
Relationships take ideas to $$$$s
Roberta
Change mentor
Why A Picture Matters.
What happens when you look at a picture of your loved ones? Does your heart flutter? Do you become more responsive to what comes next?
Did you know that a picture can connect you to an experience. And that experience connects you to an emotion. And that emotion can connect you to an action. And in business action and emotion can help your business grow or it can prevent that growth
How the Picture triggers the mind
What do you think when you look at each of the people in the picture above?
Do you see an excited grandmother who now will need to buy a gift for the newest grandchild or do you see something else?
Do you see a wizard and think of a flim flam man trying to get you to believe his pitch?
Or do you see the successful young executive busy closing the deal?
Do you see a young woman showing you something or do you see something else?
Why do car dealers use bikini models to sell certain brands of cars? Is it because the models make men feel young? Have you noticed the new beefcake models used to sell cars to women?
Why do successful real estate people show their houses in ways that make them inviting to the people who might buy the house?
What YOU See either virtually or actually triggers most of the things you say, do and think
When you have a picture, real or virtual (in your mind) of the prospect you are talking to, you write better copy. You create best when you talk to a real person about what you want to say. Seeing a real person rather than a vague construct, the demographic of your ideal prospect, helps you focus on what you want to say.
Understanding this concept is difficult for many of us. We are afraid that if we talk only to one picture we will miss opportunities with others. But, the interesting thing is that what you see in your picture is different from how others see themselves.
My Business Start Up was specifically targeted to women over 50 who were finding it difficult to find employment and self employment was a viable option for their skills. Our best pieces were created when we talked to each other either in person or pictures each other.
But our following included men and people in their teens and twenties who saw value in the messages we were giving.
Roberta Budvietas
Maven Connect
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Guest Blogging with Jon Morrow
