Monday, March 9, 2015
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Customer Service Management System
Thank you, to all of you who read my Blog and especially to those who send me comments. Your comments keep me going and give me inspiration. As a small business owner myself I am always looking for suggestions to grow my business so please continue to send your advice.
As the markets become more competitive it is becoming more important to keep your existing customers. In fact acquiring a new customer is always a loss position in the short run. That is, it costs more to acquire a new customer than the profit derived from that new customer over the first few transactions. It is only over the lifetime of a customer that we can turn a profit.
The lesson then is, focus 80% of your efforts in keeping and growing existing customers and only 20% of your resources on acquiring new customers. To do this we require a complete Customer Service Management System and a Customer Relationship Management System.
This is, an across the entire business management philosophy that Customer Service is job number One.
The elements of the Customer Service Management System would include the following:
As the markets become more competitive it is becoming more important to keep your existing customers. In fact acquiring a new customer is always a loss position in the short run. That is, it costs more to acquire a new customer than the profit derived from that new customer over the first few transactions. It is only over the lifetime of a customer that we can turn a profit.
The lesson then is, focus 80% of your efforts in keeping and growing existing customers and only 20% of your resources on acquiring new customers. To do this we require a complete Customer Service Management System and a Customer Relationship Management System.
This is, an across the entire business management philosophy that Customer Service is job number One.
The elements of the Customer Service Management System would include the following:
- A Customer Service Philosophy that is made up of : your Vision for Customer Service; A set of Beliefs that should be articulated in a Customer Service Credo; A Motto that can be remembered by all staff; Steps of Service and Standards of Service
- Also a Continuous Improvement management approach to all Processes and micro processes that go to deliver Customer Service
- A Quality program to achieve world class quality for all your services and products
The Customer Relationship Management System will have a process for:
- Sending out Marketing Campaigns;
- Capturing Qualified Leads
- Making valuable Presentations to Prospects
- Closing the Sale
- And Servicing the Customers
We will dig deeper into these elements in future Blogs. In the meantime, please keep your comments coming.
CoachBengo
Thursday, November 22, 2012
CoachBengo Ten Commandments of Small Business Export Marketing
Please visit my Guest Blog on the Free Zone Aruba Webpage where I discuss CoachBengo Ten Commandments of Small Business Export Marketing.
http://www.freezonearuba.com/guest-blogs/guest-blog-10-commandments-export-marketing-by-coach-bengo/
Friday, April 13, 2012
The New Marketing Revolution and How you can use it to Grow your Career & Business
Just recently four seemingly unrelated threads of thought coalesced in my mind and brought to my awareness another important element in the New Marketing Revolution.
First, I was fortunate to to listen to a presentation by Malcolm Gladwell on his book Outliers and was struck by his insistence of the role luck plays in the success of outliers. His explanation is that they were lucky to be in the right place, at the right time with the right support.
Second, I was again very fortunate to attend a famous Soca Star celebrity 'Thanksgiving Service' and was again surprised to learn of the 'lucky break' he explained in arriving at his winning song for this year's competition, when he had to trust in his assistants and family and a prayer on a card.
The third incident occured to me directly. I returned home one night recently to find my drivers permit not in my wallet and a thorough search of the house turned up nothing. Lying down in despair at the thought of the process to replace it, I agreed with my wife to pray for its return. And to be totally honest within five minutes, while still praying, there was a knock at our front door. You may not believe this but I'll continue, there standing at the front door was a total stranger holding my drivers permit in his hand. He had found it on the road next to a vegetable stall I visited that morning and he searched the address and found it, to arrive at my door at that exact moment. What is that?
Finally I came across this article stating that we are living in an 'Era of Flux' and it went on to explain that there is seemingly no way of knowing what direction the world and the world of business will take in the present era. No amount of Startegic Planning would have led you to create the Instagram App and sell it 17months later for US$1Billion. It is just chance or luck as Gladwell would explain.
Well, well, well, as a university lecturer and business coach and trainer how does one explain this? I think it is what Christians call Divine Providence, Scott Peck in the Road Less Travelled calls it Grace, Gladwell calls it luck and Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich calls it Universal Subconscious.
Whatever you choose to call it, I will go for the Divine Providence, success in today's era of flux needs it. To succeed in the New Marketing Revolution one must be constantly aware of signs and signals from around you, say your prayers, look for your lucky breaks, spot the opportunities, harness the support and advice from those around you, trust your family and those that love you and take the risks to flow with the Grace.
First, I was fortunate to to listen to a presentation by Malcolm Gladwell on his book Outliers and was struck by his insistence of the role luck plays in the success of outliers. His explanation is that they were lucky to be in the right place, at the right time with the right support.
Second, I was again very fortunate to attend a famous Soca Star celebrity 'Thanksgiving Service' and was again surprised to learn of the 'lucky break' he explained in arriving at his winning song for this year's competition, when he had to trust in his assistants and family and a prayer on a card.
The third incident occured to me directly. I returned home one night recently to find my drivers permit not in my wallet and a thorough search of the house turned up nothing. Lying down in despair at the thought of the process to replace it, I agreed with my wife to pray for its return. And to be totally honest within five minutes, while still praying, there was a knock at our front door. You may not believe this but I'll continue, there standing at the front door was a total stranger holding my drivers permit in his hand. He had found it on the road next to a vegetable stall I visited that morning and he searched the address and found it, to arrive at my door at that exact moment. What is that?
Finally I came across this article stating that we are living in an 'Era of Flux' and it went on to explain that there is seemingly no way of knowing what direction the world and the world of business will take in the present era. No amount of Startegic Planning would have led you to create the Instagram App and sell it 17months later for US$1Billion. It is just chance or luck as Gladwell would explain.
Well, well, well, as a university lecturer and business coach and trainer how does one explain this? I think it is what Christians call Divine Providence, Scott Peck in the Road Less Travelled calls it Grace, Gladwell calls it luck and Napoleon Hill in his book Think and Grow Rich calls it Universal Subconscious.
Whatever you choose to call it, I will go for the Divine Providence, success in today's era of flux needs it. To succeed in the New Marketing Revolution one must be constantly aware of signs and signals from around you, say your prayers, look for your lucky breaks, spot the opportunities, harness the support and advice from those around you, trust your family and those that love you and take the risks to flow with the Grace.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The New Marketing Revolution and How you can use it to Grow your Career
This is the third installment in by collaborative ebook....
Before you begin to market yourselves and your services it is important to correctly identify your career path. To do this you would need to fully understand not only your learned skills but also your God given talents.
Research has shown that people perform best in a career if it is aligned with their talents. I believe a good presentation on this is one by Ken Robinson at TED talks, I provide the link here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I.
Talents are usually formed by the age of 10yrs so one good way of knowing your talents is to picture your self at age 10yrs and recollect your traits. Some common talents are Persuasiveness, Caring, Leadership, Artistry of some type, team player, empathy and so many more. The trick is to try and identify your talents and choose a career path that will draw on your talents. Then you build the skills that support this career.
I believe two dominant talents of mine are Persuasion and Story Telling. I use these talents in my career as Trainer, Lecturer and Consultant. And I support or build on these talents by learning skills in Marketing, Strategy, Training, Selling and Customer Service. Together I try and offer a unique value within Training and Lecturing by telling stories and persuading students to make the effort to learn independently. I use this fact in my customer value proposition of being: Enthralling, Inspiring and Instructive.
One must separate earning money and career, very often in the early stages of your career you may have to earn money in a job, not necessarily in your career path while you build your career. One of the advantages of the New Marketing Revolution is that you can continue to build your career online while you may be working offline. Do not worry about the size of market for your career, in the online world the 'Long Tail' concept prevails. In this theory the online world offers a market online however unique the service.
Whatever the career path you choose one common denominator in these times is that you have to offer value through your service, such as I explained above. It is critical that you identify the value that you intend to offer since it will form part of your customer value proposition when you begin to develop your Marketing Strategy.
The New Marketing Revolution also offers you insight into what value you should offer. By visiting Social Media sites such as Facebook you get to understand what people are interested in, what services they seek and what values they are looking for. I for example started off this ebook with the idea of helping persons grow their own business but checks with my associates and readers online convinced me that people are more interested in building a career. So I have adapted my value proposition to helping them do just that.
So take some time and identify your talents and select an appropriate career path. Do not be limited by your education, since all education is useful and can be applied in many careers and this new digital world offers unlimited access to growing your knowledge in any career.
Next Installment we start developing our Marketing Strategy for our career path. In the meantime please comment on these three installments and your comments will be included in the final ebook.
Before you begin to market yourselves and your services it is important to correctly identify your career path. To do this you would need to fully understand not only your learned skills but also your God given talents.
Research has shown that people perform best in a career if it is aligned with their talents. I believe a good presentation on this is one by Ken Robinson at TED talks, I provide the link here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LelXa3U_I.
Talents are usually formed by the age of 10yrs so one good way of knowing your talents is to picture your self at age 10yrs and recollect your traits. Some common talents are Persuasiveness, Caring, Leadership, Artistry of some type, team player, empathy and so many more. The trick is to try and identify your talents and choose a career path that will draw on your talents. Then you build the skills that support this career.
I believe two dominant talents of mine are Persuasion and Story Telling. I use these talents in my career as Trainer, Lecturer and Consultant. And I support or build on these talents by learning skills in Marketing, Strategy, Training, Selling and Customer Service. Together I try and offer a unique value within Training and Lecturing by telling stories and persuading students to make the effort to learn independently. I use this fact in my customer value proposition of being: Enthralling, Inspiring and Instructive.
One must separate earning money and career, very often in the early stages of your career you may have to earn money in a job, not necessarily in your career path while you build your career. One of the advantages of the New Marketing Revolution is that you can continue to build your career online while you may be working offline. Do not worry about the size of market for your career, in the online world the 'Long Tail' concept prevails. In this theory the online world offers a market online however unique the service.
Whatever the career path you choose one common denominator in these times is that you have to offer value through your service, such as I explained above. It is critical that you identify the value that you intend to offer since it will form part of your customer value proposition when you begin to develop your Marketing Strategy.
The New Marketing Revolution also offers you insight into what value you should offer. By visiting Social Media sites such as Facebook you get to understand what people are interested in, what services they seek and what values they are looking for. I for example started off this ebook with the idea of helping persons grow their own business but checks with my associates and readers online convinced me that people are more interested in building a career. So I have adapted my value proposition to helping them do just that.
So take some time and identify your talents and select an appropriate career path. Do not be limited by your education, since all education is useful and can be applied in many careers and this new digital world offers unlimited access to growing your knowledge in any career.
Next Installment we start developing our Marketing Strategy for our career path. In the meantime please comment on these three installments and your comments will be included in the final ebook.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The New Marketing Revolution
This New Marketing Revolution is complex. At its core it is based on the ability of the previously faceless customer and consumer to talk back, to have a say through the use of new Information, Communication and Social Technology. As a recent Occupy Wall Street poster said....it is the 99% talking back.
But it is more than just two way communication. It is also the ability of companies to better serve and add value, to innovate, to create a constant stream of new products and services in collaboration with this now vocal customer. Not just the business but each employee of the business.
As an employee today or as a small business owner we also have to use the New Marketing Revolution to market our services and our companies’ services. Companies today now need each employee to also market its services. To do this requires that every one of us has to add new marketing skills to our existing skill set.
Recently, I had the good fortune to co-chair a half year Company Sales Planning session and one fact came out quite clearly, that each sales person also has to develop a personal marketing plan to sell themselves. As it turns out, a salesperson without a personal brand name cannot rely on the company’s brand name to get them past the gatekeepers. I have now started to insist that all my MBA students develop a personal marketing plan to sell their services.
This New Marketing Revolution, if used wisely, can also be a source of leverage for small business owners. The new technologies that are driving the revolution also make it possible for small businesses to punch above their weight class. So whether your small business is a dentist office, a lawyers office, a communication production studio or a training and development service, you also have the opportunity to market your services on par with the big guys.
This ebook is intended to be your personal resource on how you can use this New Marketing Revolution to grow your career or small business. I encourage you to follow us on the Blog by clicking the RSS icon or on Facebook and Twitter and to comment with suggestions, successful techniques or questions. As I said in the earlier blog, all comments will form part of the final ebook.
But it is more than just two way communication. It is also the ability of companies to better serve and add value, to innovate, to create a constant stream of new products and services in collaboration with this now vocal customer. Not just the business but each employee of the business.
As an employee today or as a small business owner we also have to use the New Marketing Revolution to market our services and our companies’ services. Companies today now need each employee to also market its services. To do this requires that every one of us has to add new marketing skills to our existing skill set.
Recently, I had the good fortune to co-chair a half year Company Sales Planning session and one fact came out quite clearly, that each sales person also has to develop a personal marketing plan to sell themselves. As it turns out, a salesperson without a personal brand name cannot rely on the company’s brand name to get them past the gatekeepers. I have now started to insist that all my MBA students develop a personal marketing plan to sell their services.
This New Marketing Revolution, if used wisely, can also be a source of leverage for small business owners. The new technologies that are driving the revolution also make it possible for small businesses to punch above their weight class. So whether your small business is a dentist office, a lawyers office, a communication production studio or a training and development service, you also have the opportunity to market your services on par with the big guys.
This ebook is intended to be your personal resource on how you can use this New Marketing Revolution to grow your career or small business. I encourage you to follow us on the Blog by clicking the RSS icon or on Facebook and Twitter and to comment with suggestions, successful techniques or questions. As I said in the earlier blog, all comments will form part of the final ebook.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
This New Marketing Revolution
There is a Marketing Revolution taking place, as profound as the Arab Spring Revolution or the Occupy Wall Street. It is not making the daily news on BBC & CNN but it is being driven by the same force that drive its more popular sisters.
This force is the technology that allows the man in the street to talk back. The vegetable vendor can strike back. He has a voice. The silence is broken, the centre cannot hold, noise is everywhere. Once upon a time the customer was silent, she just looked, listened and complied, no more.
The customer is speaking and brand owners have to listen. She uses Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Online Communities and Forums to express her delight or dissatisfaction. Its no longer a one way communication, it is a conversation.
Brands are no longer the sole possession of its owners and managers, its also owned by its customers. Customers decide how they will use them, how they will be useful to their lives. She will twist them to serve her purpose and when they are no longer valuable she will discard them and she will tell her friends that she has discarded it.
In this New Marketing Revolution even the word 'Marketing' sounds perverse, since it has become to be known as manipulation, slight of hand, do what I tell you and you will be happy. Probably a better word now is Service, Customer Service. Brands now have to provide value, service, utility. The best brands do that, Apple, Google and Amazon are valuable because they provide utility, they empower the customer. Its no longer a brilliant advert, though if you provide value and utility that will most certainly help, but that is not the starting point. The starting point is 'How can I make the brand experience Memorable, Useful of value to the Customer?'
Isn't this the same that the young revolutionaries are asking of their Governments? Welcome to the New Marketing Revolution.
This force is the technology that allows the man in the street to talk back. The vegetable vendor can strike back. He has a voice. The silence is broken, the centre cannot hold, noise is everywhere. Once upon a time the customer was silent, she just looked, listened and complied, no more.
The customer is speaking and brand owners have to listen. She uses Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Online Communities and Forums to express her delight or dissatisfaction. Its no longer a one way communication, it is a conversation.
Brands are no longer the sole possession of its owners and managers, its also owned by its customers. Customers decide how they will use them, how they will be useful to their lives. She will twist them to serve her purpose and when they are no longer valuable she will discard them and she will tell her friends that she has discarded it.
In this New Marketing Revolution even the word 'Marketing' sounds perverse, since it has become to be known as manipulation, slight of hand, do what I tell you and you will be happy. Probably a better word now is Service, Customer Service. Brands now have to provide value, service, utility. The best brands do that, Apple, Google and Amazon are valuable because they provide utility, they empower the customer. Its no longer a brilliant advert, though if you provide value and utility that will most certainly help, but that is not the starting point. The starting point is 'How can I make the brand experience Memorable, Useful of value to the Customer?'
Isn't this the same that the young revolutionaries are asking of their Governments? Welcome to the New Marketing Revolution.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Selling and the Gym Business
The Work Behind the Workout
Guest Post by Brett Bengochea
Me: Hi, good afternoon…
Receptionist: Hi
me: Just looking at some gyms in the area, what are your rates like?
receptionist: Look it right there
I look down at a piece of paper with some rates printed and some corrections scribbled in with a red ink pen. Someone walks by and gets into a chat with the receptionist, I see her smile for the first time while she chats with her friend.
Conversation over, she looses the smile and hands me a newly printed rate sheet which I fold and put into my pocket.
me: Mind if I have a look around?
receptionist: Umm… sure why not. Around so
I walk around for a bit scoping out the machines. The place is well set up, plenty new (or well kept) machines. The gym members pretend not to notice me walking around in my jeans and loafers unattended.
Back at the front desk
me: You guys have anything to squat with beside the Smith machine?
receptionist: *blank confused stare*
me: Is there a squat rack and bar around somewhere I haven’t noticed?
receptionist: *blank even more confused stare*
A gym trainer casually saunters past, overhears the conversation and chimes in.
trainer: He saying he wants to do squats with free weights
receptionist: *slightly concerned frown*
Maybe she doesn’t know what a squat is go figure…
trainer: Sorry man, we don’t have a rack or squat cage, nothing
The trainer seems somewhat embarrassed that there’s no squat rack.
me: Well… Alright… *shrug*
trainer: Yeah man… Easy
receptionist: Alright, take care
This gym is located at a mall in a relatively well to do residential area in Trinidad. Now remember, a gym makes money mostly due to monthly fees of it’s members. It would go without saying that part of a gym’s business plan should include recruiting new members and keeping current members.
It would benefit the owners to go beyond “We have a really good location and plenty money to buy fancy machines.”
I’d imagine people when walking through a mall are more ready and willing to spend some money than when they’re not. I wonder, in a high traffic area like this with plenty potential customers, how many times a week a scenario like this would play out. How many times a day on busy days would people just drop in to “check out the gym”?
What if the owners with no additional purchasing of new equipment invested in training some of their staff to close the sale? Not old school hard sell type canned presentations mind you, just show some sort of interest in people joining because you believe in what a gym represents.
Now let’s pretend the owners were taking their business seriously.
me: Hi, good afternoon
receptionist: Hello *smile and tilt head forward slightly*
She pauses expectantly here, maybe she knows me, maybe I’m looking for another store, maybe I’m a potential customer. She’s inviting me to engage the conversation.
me: Just looking at some gyms in the area, what are your rates like?
receptionist: Gyms around here would go from about “X” to “Y” a month depending on the time of day you’re going or whatever…
Smile, brief pause
receptionist: But!… We have a special on now for new members [insert special here]
There’s no need to pass a rate sheet to someone who hasn’t asked for it because they may have just come in for some information and you’ve satisfied it, they can now leave.
receptionist: *touches a signup sheet*
me: Mind if I have a look around first?
receptionist: Certainly! I was just about to ask.
Receptionist pages for a trainer to come to the front.
receptionist: John Trainer this is… Sorry I didn’t get your name?
me: Brett
Receptionist: Brett! *smile* This is Brett. Brett, this is John, he’ll take you on a little tour.
He shows me around assuming that I’m already a new member and motions a few exercise moves in the air while pointing out the machines and saying what exercises they’re for. He asks me what my training goals are and how we could utilize the equipment here to build a routine.
Maybe, (unless I’m just hell bent on doing free squats) I would have signed up.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Product Planning Success Tips
I had a great evening listening to my business students' presentations on Leading Global Brands Product Management Techniques. I came away with a few insights myself:
- Changes in Technology and Lifestyles are big drivers of new business opportunities
- Leading Brands started with an Innovative Concept. Invariably they enjoyed 'First Mover' advantage.
- They grew over the successive years through filling out their Product Line to support the original concept.
- The major successes over the last decade have been in either Services or Information components of the Supply Chain
- They took advantage of a 'new' under-served customer group (take for instance Starbucks and the new young urbanites & Apple and the new mobile lifestyle)
- As they grew they continued to innovate through large R&D budgets
If you are interested in growing your business through better Product Planning, send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
What must I do to be Successfully Innovative
Recently one of my Business Associates, Marcia Potts, sent me this brief question on Facebook:
Coach, what to do to be innovative and creative in order to earn some of this kind of doe (Like Apple recent record sales)? I am hoping to have some...even if it is 0.50%.
After some thought I responded as follows:
Hi Marcia, I agree with your wishes. The challenge is (1) To see the immediate future, (2) Understand your customers hopes and aspirations in this new future and (3) Be willing to take calculated risks in helping them achieve their dreams.
A brief question and a brief Facebook answer. But not so easy to do!
To really see the immediate future is to be constantly scanning your particular industry and associated industries and capturing the immediate trends. This is more of an art, a skill really, to differentiate what are just fads from what are truly trends. This is not analysis but synthesis, not breaking down and analyzing information and data but being able to pick up the varying clues and snippets of information and joining them to make a judgement or intuition. I believe Steve Jobs and Apple understood the shift away from desk-work to mobile social communication coupled with entertainment and its implications before most of us.
Then to understand your customers' hopes and dreams in this new evolving environment is not so much asking them through focus groups and questionnaires but in anticipating their aspirations even before they have them. In a sense it is knowing them better than they know themselves. Again the Apple Team understood the evolving dream to be able to easily create and consume personal multimedia content while on the go. This also is not analysis but insight through brainstorming.
And then the final step, to be willing to take calculated risks in helping them achieve their dreams. Apple did this by creating the new MacBooks with iLearn software, combined this with the iPod, iPhone and then iPad. Here again the genius is in the design. As Disney another mega successful creator says in their Process...First Dream and then Dare.
If you are interested in growing your business through Innovation send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Coach, what to do to be innovative and creative in order to earn some of this kind of doe (Like Apple recent record sales)? I am hoping to have some...even if it is 0.50%.
After some thought I responded as follows:
Hi Marcia, I agree with your wishes. The challenge is (1) To see the immediate future, (2) Understand your customers hopes and aspirations in this new future and (3) Be willing to take calculated risks in helping them achieve their dreams.
A brief question and a brief Facebook answer. But not so easy to do!
To really see the immediate future is to be constantly scanning your particular industry and associated industries and capturing the immediate trends. This is more of an art, a skill really, to differentiate what are just fads from what are truly trends. This is not analysis but synthesis, not breaking down and analyzing information and data but being able to pick up the varying clues and snippets of information and joining them to make a judgement or intuition. I believe Steve Jobs and Apple understood the shift away from desk-work to mobile social communication coupled with entertainment and its implications before most of us.
Then to understand your customers' hopes and dreams in this new evolving environment is not so much asking them through focus groups and questionnaires but in anticipating their aspirations even before they have them. In a sense it is knowing them better than they know themselves. Again the Apple Team understood the evolving dream to be able to easily create and consume personal multimedia content while on the go. This also is not analysis but insight through brainstorming.
And then the final step, to be willing to take calculated risks in helping them achieve their dreams. Apple did this by creating the new MacBooks with iLearn software, combined this with the iPod, iPhone and then iPad. Here again the genius is in the design. As Disney another mega successful creator says in their Process...First Dream and then Dare.
If you are interested in growing your business through Innovation send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Celebrating 8 yrs as a Business Coach
I can't believe it. But its true! When you are having fun time flies.
Its already eight years since I nervously left the security of a high paying/high flying Corporate Marketing Executive job and embarked on the adventure of being a self employed Business Coach specializing in Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. And what a ride it has been. Surprisingly, it has been the best years of my working career.
There have been times that I have missed the corporate flights to exotic lands, the VIP invitations to grand special events, the pictures and name in the newspapers, rubbing shoulders with the who's who and of course the guaranteed monthly salary and pleasant smiles of the bankers.
But I have gained so much more: the opportunity to chart my own course, more time with my family, being able to build a family business along with my wife, developing my God given talents, having time to devote to my church and surprisingly achieving better financial security. And all this in addition to: no more unending office meetings, no more office games and no more manipulated end of year reviews.
Its been an exciting eight years and the adventure has just begun. I have so many more plans, so many more paths off the beaten track to explore. No doubt some will be dead ends but with God's help a few will lead on to Glory.
"Sancho..my armour, my sword...Our destiny calls, and we go
And the wild winds of fortune
Shall carry us onward"
If you are interested in growing your business through Business Coaching send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Its already eight years since I nervously left the security of a high paying/high flying Corporate Marketing Executive job and embarked on the adventure of being a self employed Business Coach specializing in Sales, Marketing and Customer Service. And what a ride it has been. Surprisingly, it has been the best years of my working career.
There have been times that I have missed the corporate flights to exotic lands, the VIP invitations to grand special events, the pictures and name in the newspapers, rubbing shoulders with the who's who and of course the guaranteed monthly salary and pleasant smiles of the bankers.
But I have gained so much more: the opportunity to chart my own course, more time with my family, being able to build a family business along with my wife, developing my God given talents, having time to devote to my church and surprisingly achieving better financial security. And all this in addition to: no more unending office meetings, no more office games and no more manipulated end of year reviews.
Its been an exciting eight years and the adventure has just begun. I have so many more plans, so many more paths off the beaten track to explore. No doubt some will be dead ends but with God's help a few will lead on to Glory.
"Sancho..my armour, my sword...Our destiny calls, and we go
And the wild winds of fortune
Shall carry us onward"
If you are interested in growing your business through Business Coaching send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Focus on Running
Recently, after much persuasion, I started running daily with my younger, fitter wife. In an effort to keep up with her rate of running I have been trying to improve my technique. Gradually I have realized that to run effectively I must run upright, swing my bent arms forward and backward in time with my strides, keep my head level and look forward to a goal far off while at the same time keep a look out for where I will place my next step.
It then occurred to me that running is much like leading a business. We operate a family business, Sandee Communications, offering Sales & Marketing Solutions, and I can see many similarities with my running effort.
We have to identify goals far off into the future and move steadfastly towards them while at the same time staying aware of our immediate surroundings and making immediate adjustments less we stumble and fall. And when we approach one goal we must then switch to another further ahead, always moving forward.
As a family business depending on personal services we have to maintain an identity and image of integrity and so we have to operate upright with our heads held high, not stooping to low dodges for a quick dollar.
And we must manage our strides making sure they are consistent and determined towards our goals, not resting in a comfort zone and stopping well short of our destination.
And swinging our arms rhythmically in time with our strides, keeping balance, reminds me that our day to day management must be in tandem with our strides forward, making sure our planning, organizing, directing and control keeps our organization fit for the immediate purpose.
I am making improvements in my running and I am closing the gap with my wife, now let me translate this success to our business.
If you are interested in growing your business through my coaching services send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
It then occurred to me that running is much like leading a business. We operate a family business, Sandee Communications, offering Sales & Marketing Solutions, and I can see many similarities with my running effort.
We have to identify goals far off into the future and move steadfastly towards them while at the same time staying aware of our immediate surroundings and making immediate adjustments less we stumble and fall. And when we approach one goal we must then switch to another further ahead, always moving forward.
As a family business depending on personal services we have to maintain an identity and image of integrity and so we have to operate upright with our heads held high, not stooping to low dodges for a quick dollar.
And we must manage our strides making sure they are consistent and determined towards our goals, not resting in a comfort zone and stopping well short of our destination.
And swinging our arms rhythmically in time with our strides, keeping balance, reminds me that our day to day management must be in tandem with our strides forward, making sure our planning, organizing, directing and control keeps our organization fit for the immediate purpose.
I am making improvements in my running and I am closing the gap with my wife, now let me translate this success to our business.
If you are interested in growing your business through my coaching services send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Successful Business through Faith
Jesus said to them, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. ... "Bring some of the fish you just caught." So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jn 21 1-19
This Bible passage says to me that our business ventures can succeed with the help of Jesus Christ.
Very often we labour 'all night' only to find that we have caught nothing. We may have identified a good service, prepared a good business plan and worked hard at implementing the plan, yet we find no success. Like the fishermen you may feel tired, discouraged and dejected.
Just recently our business sent out many quotes looking forward to a good catch of projects only to find our nets empty. It is at times like these I turn to Jesus Christ and this bible passage and once again throw our nets down on the right side hoping for a large catch and I am not disappointed.
Business Associate if you find yourself in this position today I urge you once again to prepare your nets, turn to Jesus Christ and lower your nets on the right side with FAITH and I promise you, you wouldn't be disappointed.
If you are interested in growing your business through Faith and proper planning send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
This Bible passage says to me that our business ventures can succeed with the help of Jesus Christ.
Very often we labour 'all night' only to find that we have caught nothing. We may have identified a good service, prepared a good business plan and worked hard at implementing the plan, yet we find no success. Like the fishermen you may feel tired, discouraged and dejected.
Just recently our business sent out many quotes looking forward to a good catch of projects only to find our nets empty. It is at times like these I turn to Jesus Christ and this bible passage and once again throw our nets down on the right side hoping for a large catch and I am not disappointed.
Business Associate if you find yourself in this position today I urge you once again to prepare your nets, turn to Jesus Christ and lower your nets on the right side with FAITH and I promise you, you wouldn't be disappointed.
If you are interested in growing your business through Faith and proper planning send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Leadership through Service
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. St.Mark
The recent war of words between Wall Street and the US political directorate is interesting. Apparently many of the Wall Street institutions have used the “bailout” funds to play the trading floor and make considerable profits in the 3rd Quarter 2009. This despite the fact that lending to small businesses remain tight and unemployment continues to rise. If the political directorate is right (and naive) the hoped for usage of the funds for the betterment of Main Street has not come about. Instead it has been used for self interest of the few.
This leads us back to St Mark’s quotation of Jesus Christ. Unless as a people and as businesses we strive to serve the many instead of the few we will all be faced with contraction instead of expansion.
As business people our effort should be for the betterment of the many, for both employees and customers. How can we strive in each of our business to serve the bottom of the pyramid? Can we use modern day technology to make our products and services more available for the many?
I suggest we all re-look at our value chain, in particular the distribution end and at our product portfolio to see if we can serve the many instead of the few.
If you are interested in growing your business through Leadership in Customer Service send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
The recent war of words between Wall Street and the US political directorate is interesting. Apparently many of the Wall Street institutions have used the “bailout” funds to play the trading floor and make considerable profits in the 3rd Quarter 2009. This despite the fact that lending to small businesses remain tight and unemployment continues to rise. If the political directorate is right (and naive) the hoped for usage of the funds for the betterment of Main Street has not come about. Instead it has been used for self interest of the few.
This leads us back to St Mark’s quotation of Jesus Christ. Unless as a people and as businesses we strive to serve the many instead of the few we will all be faced with contraction instead of expansion.
As business people our effort should be for the betterment of the many, for both employees and customers. How can we strive in each of our business to serve the bottom of the pyramid? Can we use modern day technology to make our products and services more available for the many?
I suggest we all re-look at our value chain, in particular the distribution end and at our product portfolio to see if we can serve the many instead of the few.
If you are interested in growing your business through Leadership in Customer Service send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Small may be Better
When we consider a number of events coming together in this first decade of the new Century: (i) the recent “developed world” credit meltdown, (ii) the economic recession (iii) the fast accelerating Climate Change Scenario (iv) the explosive growth in China and India (v) the new age of the knowledge worker - then probably - Small may be Better
Small is lower cost, it creates a smaller carbon footprint, it is more sustainable.
Are we witnessing the dawn of a new age of small: small business, small cars, small homes, small phones, small computers, small movies (YouTube), small consumption, small salaries, small online schools???
Is this just a hiccup in the Global growth train or are we witnessing a paradigm shift in values? Can one's business be small but still great?
If you are interested in making your small business Great send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Small is lower cost, it creates a smaller carbon footprint, it is more sustainable.
Are we witnessing the dawn of a new age of small: small business, small cars, small homes, small phones, small computers, small movies (YouTube), small consumption, small salaries, small online schools???
Is this just a hiccup in the Global growth train or are we witnessing a paradigm shift in values? Can one's business be small but still great?
If you are interested in making your small business Great send me an email at coachbengo@gmail.com and I'll be happy to visit you and chat on the possibilities.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Persuasive Presenting
Recently I was co-presenting a workshop on Business Communication along with my wife and business partner, Sandee, and it involved participants coming forward and making a presentation in front of the class while being videotaped. It struck me how self conscious we all are when making presentations. So much so that we focus on our mannerisms, speech and delivering the content while forgetting that we are in the business of persuasion.
A business presentation is usually a persuasive argument. You are trying to persuade the audience to believe in your point of view. Therefore your focus should be on the audience not on yourself or your PowerPoint slides. You should be looking at them for cues of attention and understanding. And the audience recognizing that you are speaking to them will increase their listening to your presentation.
I therefore thought I would share a few points that I have learned along the way that helps me be a more persuasive business presenter.
Prepare before you Speak
Before making the presentation, present it to yourself in front of the mirror until you are confident you have a full grasp of what you are planning to say, how you will use it to persuade your audience and how you will counter opposition to your ideas.
Use your Own Style
Speak from who you are, don’t pretend to be someone else. You don’t have to be Barak Obama to get your audience to listen. People want to hear what you really believe — there’s power in honesty. It’s not what you say, but how you say it, and how they hear it that counts. Over 65% of communication is in the non verbals and voice intonation with content being only 35%. Powerful speaking comes in many styles, and even a quiet-spoken introvert can learn to make himself heard.
The goal is not perfection, but persuasion.
Tell a Story
A story is one of the easiest and best ways to make a point. Recently I gave a one day workshop and later in conducting a performance review with my audience, I was surprised to learn, that the number one thing that the audience remembered was a story I told in passing, to make a point. People love stories, and it makes them know you are real. Stories stay with us forever.
Practice, practice, practice
The best performing athletes at the recently concluded Olympic games all credited their success to the long hours of practice. It is said that world class players probably spend about 30 hours of field practice and film-watching for every 60-minutes of the game. Practice allows them to learn from their mistakes and perform better.
You will be more comfortable in making your presentation by time spent practicing. Arriving early to visit the site, testing the equipment and visualizing the audience can increase your comfort level.
Use Power Point as an aid
PowerPoint, is a useful tool it is not the presentation. You are the presentation. Far too often I see presenters stand and face the screen and present with only a casual glance back at the audience. Start and end your talk with a blank screen, so the focus is on what you are saying. The letter “B” on your keyboard blanks the screen.
- Start with a short story — something emotional, controversial or visual that makes an impact.
- Keep text to a minimum. Don’t read from your slides.
- Less is more. make fewer points per slide.
Make visual contact with individuals in the audience. If you connect with one, chances are you’ll be connecting with them all.
Good luck and persuasive presenting.
A business presentation is usually a persuasive argument. You are trying to persuade the audience to believe in your point of view. Therefore your focus should be on the audience not on yourself or your PowerPoint slides. You should be looking at them for cues of attention and understanding. And the audience recognizing that you are speaking to them will increase their listening to your presentation.
I therefore thought I would share a few points that I have learned along the way that helps me be a more persuasive business presenter.
Prepare before you Speak
Before making the presentation, present it to yourself in front of the mirror until you are confident you have a full grasp of what you are planning to say, how you will use it to persuade your audience and how you will counter opposition to your ideas.
Use your Own Style
Speak from who you are, don’t pretend to be someone else. You don’t have to be Barak Obama to get your audience to listen. People want to hear what you really believe — there’s power in honesty. It’s not what you say, but how you say it, and how they hear it that counts. Over 65% of communication is in the non verbals and voice intonation with content being only 35%. Powerful speaking comes in many styles, and even a quiet-spoken introvert can learn to make himself heard.
The goal is not perfection, but persuasion.
Tell a Story
A story is one of the easiest and best ways to make a point. Recently I gave a one day workshop and later in conducting a performance review with my audience, I was surprised to learn, that the number one thing that the audience remembered was a story I told in passing, to make a point. People love stories, and it makes them know you are real. Stories stay with us forever.
Practice, practice, practice
The best performing athletes at the recently concluded Olympic games all credited their success to the long hours of practice. It is said that world class players probably spend about 30 hours of field practice and film-watching for every 60-minutes of the game. Practice allows them to learn from their mistakes and perform better.
You will be more comfortable in making your presentation by time spent practicing. Arriving early to visit the site, testing the equipment and visualizing the audience can increase your comfort level.
Use Power Point as an aid
PowerPoint, is a useful tool it is not the presentation. You are the presentation. Far too often I see presenters stand and face the screen and present with only a casual glance back at the audience. Start and end your talk with a blank screen, so the focus is on what you are saying. The letter “B” on your keyboard blanks the screen.
- Start with a short story — something emotional, controversial or visual that makes an impact.
- Keep text to a minimum. Don’t read from your slides.
- Less is more. make fewer points per slide.
Make visual contact with individuals in the audience. If you connect with one, chances are you’ll be connecting with them all.
Good luck and persuasive presenting.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Teaching as Selling Ideas
Recently at one of my online seminars a participant asked me the question, “As a High School teacher, how do I sell an idea to my class?” And I thought I would repeat my answer here for the benefit of the teachers.
As a Coach I also am a teacher and I face the same difficulty and I understood her problem. Selling an idea to a class can be difficult, especially if its youths who are very cynical, but the process is no different to selling a knowledge product or service to a customer.
As I say in my seminars “In todays knowledge age we are all sellers of ideas!” As knowledge workers we work with information to produce and distribute knowledge products and services.
Thomas Friedman says in his book “The World is Flat” that in this knowledge age the competition is global competition between individuals.
Yes, a teacher today is a seller of ideas in competition for the mind of her students against all the other idea sellers out there- the Internet, Facebook, movies, television, peers and the local drug pusher.
So as teachers how do we sell our ideas? We follow the selling process (i) Making the customer feel at ease (ii) Understanding the customer’s needs and problems (iii) Presenting our ideas as solutions to these specific needs and problems (iv) Proving that they are effective solutions (v) Closing the sale
The selling process is a sequence of activities. We do not move on to the next stage before we have adequately covered a step. And if we do prematurely move on we return to the incomplete stage and complete it.
So in stage (i) The teacher is required to make the student feel at ease by gaining his/her confidence. In this first stage we recognize that the student is suspicious of our motives as teachers, anxious and probably intimidated or in some cases distrustful. Before we can proceed to sell any idea we must first gain the students trust. This is done by showing genuine concern for his/her well being and welfare. You must show that you have their best interest at heart.
This calls for dedication and integrity because students are particularly turned off by what they see as double standards or selfish motives. It is often repeated by delinquent students that they joined a gang because the members understood them and cared about them more than their teachers.
Once you have gained their trust you move on to the second stage (ii) Understanding their problems.
I’ll continue with this topic in another episode. Until then - Happy Selling!!
As a Coach I also am a teacher and I face the same difficulty and I understood her problem. Selling an idea to a class can be difficult, especially if its youths who are very cynical, but the process is no different to selling a knowledge product or service to a customer.
As I say in my seminars “In todays knowledge age we are all sellers of ideas!” As knowledge workers we work with information to produce and distribute knowledge products and services.
Thomas Friedman says in his book “The World is Flat” that in this knowledge age the competition is global competition between individuals.
Yes, a teacher today is a seller of ideas in competition for the mind of her students against all the other idea sellers out there- the Internet, Facebook, movies, television, peers and the local drug pusher.
So as teachers how do we sell our ideas? We follow the selling process (i) Making the customer feel at ease (ii) Understanding the customer’s needs and problems (iii) Presenting our ideas as solutions to these specific needs and problems (iv) Proving that they are effective solutions (v) Closing the sale
The selling process is a sequence of activities. We do not move on to the next stage before we have adequately covered a step. And if we do prematurely move on we return to the incomplete stage and complete it.
So in stage (i) The teacher is required to make the student feel at ease by gaining his/her confidence. In this first stage we recognize that the student is suspicious of our motives as teachers, anxious and probably intimidated or in some cases distrustful. Before we can proceed to sell any idea we must first gain the students trust. This is done by showing genuine concern for his/her well being and welfare. You must show that you have their best interest at heart.
This calls for dedication and integrity because students are particularly turned off by what they see as double standards or selfish motives. It is often repeated by delinquent students that they joined a gang because the members understood them and cared about them more than their teachers.
Once you have gained their trust you move on to the second stage (ii) Understanding their problems.
I’ll continue with this topic in another episode. Until then - Happy Selling!!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Believe in Your Service
Recently a participant at one of my seminars said to me “Coach I am not doing well in Sales because I am too honest. My Sales Presentation goes well but when it comes to closing the sale I speak the truth and often it results in a lost sale. My peers do not tell the truth and succeed in closing the Sale.”
I could see the anguish and look of hopelessness in her eyes and I was moved by her pain. My immediate response was to use the opportunity to correct an often mistaken belief, that selling is trickery and deception. It is true that some less than honest individuals and companies deceive customers but I do not call them sales persons or sales organizations but crooks. Deception is short lived and cannot sustain customer loyalty.
A true salesperson on the other hand solves a client’s problem with his product or service. All products have strengths and weaknesses. And a master sales person communicates how his product or service’s strengths can solve the customer’s problem. He focuses on the benefits of the service and explains its value and proves it can solve the problem or meet the need. A master sales person, if required, communicates how weaknesses of the product or service can be compensated for with additional service.
In this case my participant had a problem and even though it was in a seminar with others I was determined to solve her problem with my solution. I explained to her that more likely it was either a weakness in her closing skills or a lack of total product knowledge. Either way we would deal with these skills during the course of the seminar. Later during the respective parts of the seminar I paid special attention in helping her build those respective skills. I am glad to report that she left the seminar more knowledgeable and confident in her closing skills.
A successful sales person believes in her product or service. And believes she is truly selling an appropriate solution. If she doesn’t believe the service is a solution its normally because she does not have sufficient product knowledge. I believed in my service and was confident that I could help her overcome her mistaken belief.
If you’re serious about dramatically growing your sales then you must truly believe in and know your product or service and believe that you are truly helping solve the customer’s problem.
Improving sales confidence is one of the areas I deal with in my seminars and workshops. If you would like to dramatically grow your sales then email me at coachbengo@gmail.com or coachbengo@mac.com
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Caribbean Business Opportunities
I have just returned from 2 weeks in Guyana and Jamaica not holidaying but doing business. These two islands have a combined polulation of over 3 million, in fact the English speaking Caribbean hosts a population of 6 million with over 2 million tourists a year.
The population is very much part of the world economy with demand for most modern day consumer products. The governments are stable and democratic pursuing capitlism policies. The problem is there are not enough private business investments to lift the economies to developed status.
Both Jamaica and Guyana have been experiencing stagnant economic growth over the past 5 years. One businessman in Jamaica told me that there have not been any real new private investment for the past 15 years.
I believe the solution is the SME sector (small and medium size enterprises (usually family based). There are considerable opportunities for entrepreneurs in this sector who are willing to think out of the box.
Our business Sandee Communications Ltd. offers services in assisting in the setting up and growing such businesses. We are hosting two upcoming seminars Oct 23 rd Trinidad and Nov 9 in Aruba interested parties can contact us at coachbengo@gmail.com
The population is very much part of the world economy with demand for most modern day consumer products. The governments are stable and democratic pursuing capitlism policies. The problem is there are not enough private business investments to lift the economies to developed status.
Both Jamaica and Guyana have been experiencing stagnant economic growth over the past 5 years. One businessman in Jamaica told me that there have not been any real new private investment for the past 15 years.
I believe the solution is the SME sector (small and medium size enterprises (usually family based). There are considerable opportunities for entrepreneurs in this sector who are willing to think out of the box.
Our business Sandee Communications Ltd. offers services in assisting in the setting up and growing such businesses. We are hosting two upcoming seminars Oct 23 rd Trinidad and Nov 9 in Aruba interested parties can contact us at coachbengo@gmail.com
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