Whether you’re talking to someone in a social setting or in the context of business, the principles for human connection remain the same. Good relationships are built up over time upon the foundations of communication, understanding and trust.

A few weeks ago we talked about the importance of establishing and maintaining a relationship with your customers and clients.

If you want your business to thrive, these relationships are your moneymaker. Investing in their development and longevity is how you will grow your business and increase your bottom line.

Once you’ve touched base and said hello, your job is to take the relationship to the next level by proving that you care enough about them to remember the details of their lives.

Every time you meet up with a client and talk to them, you will pick up new information about them. How many kids they have, where they’re planning to travel to for their next holiday, or what their wife does for work.

Each detail is valuable - a thread of connection that you can use to strengthen your relationship with your client over time.

And because these details are so valuable, it’s important to have a system in place that allows you to capture and retain this information, preserving it so that you can build profitable client relationships. 

No matter the size of your business, a good Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system will help you capture all the important information about your clients and keep it for easy reference.

Better still, a CRM system is independent of the people in your team. If your main salesperson leaves, the business won’t lose its client relationships along with them – another team member can pick up the relationship from where it was at the last interaction.

Implementing a CRM system is about working smarter as well as minimising the risk to your most important investment – your clients – and maximising the return.
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If you want to know more about how to use a CRM system to build loyal customer relationships and increase your bottom line, contact me today: bruce@genesisba.com.au

How do your employees view your leadership?

When they make mistakes, or become unmotivated and productivity drops off, how do you respond to them?

If your default response is to demand things from them, it might have a negative long-term impact rather than a positive one.

There is a much more effective way to relate to your employees so that they are motivated to do better and continuously develop themselves, improving your business as a result:

Become a coach to your employees and let them know you’re all on the same team.

Coaching your employees means you are willing to get alongside them and walk with them, engaging with them throughout their employment, not just when things go wrong.

From their first day in the office, let them know you’re gunning for them to be winning in their career as much as you want them to be gunning for your business to succeed.

Find out their goals for their career and understand how they can benefit your organisation. Meeting twice a year for performance reviews, and to explicitly discuss long-term goals, is a great way to keep in touch with what they want out of their role with your business.

Clear communication and consistent feedback are the keys to establishing an honest and judgement-free space for the employee to engage in sincere dialogue with you. It also increases the likelihood that they will be more receptive to constructive criticism, if there comes a time that they need it.

By being their coach, instead of just their boss, you are allowing them to grow professionally, so that they become an even more valuable asset to your organisation.
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If you want advice about how to become the coach of a team who wins, get in touch with me today: bruce@genesisba.com.au