MANAGING SUCCESS

In our desire to attract new customers we often neglect our established customers.

Over time we gradually take our customers for granted meanwhile our customer feels Invisible, unappreciated, and is growing more unsatisfied as each quarter passes.

Then one day they happily inform you (by email of course) that they no longer require your services.

Losing a global client can be devastating especially when you consider you gave this great client away to your competitor after years of hard work.

Money is sometimes a factor but more often than not it is because of poor communication skills and because you are focusing your energies elsewhere.

You have lost your direction and you have forgotten who your most important clients are and you need to recommit.

Global companies are always investing in their best employees and yet they neglect their prized customers. WHY?

If anything you should be investing more time and energy in your established customers because they have earned your loyalty. (80/20 rule Vilfredo Pareto)

Ask yourself ......

Which client would really hurt my company financially if they left today?

Which customer if they left today would damage our brand?

What is your strategy for not only keeping your customers but having them recommend your services?

When was the last time you exceeded your customer's expectations?

Would your clients say they are receiving exceptional service from you?

Why should your clients stay with you? If it's just price then you are in trouble!

How would you rate your level of communication and service?

How would you describe your current relationship?

How often do you discuss performance and future objectives with your clients?

Are you really serving your clients?

Do you know your clients?

Are you doing enough?

If not then what is your plan of action?

My "mantra" is "Invest in your Success" and what better way then to Invest in your established customers? (Pareto's Law)

Your clients represent your success so why would you neglect them?

These are the people who can and will recommend you if you are exceeding their expectations.

These same people can and will complain to others about your mediocre service if you are not exceeding their expectations.

Companies are made up of people which is why it has to be personal.

How strong is your connection and what are you doing to develop it?

How personal is your communication, is it all by email or do you pick up the phone?

Better yet when was the last time you talked to your client face to face?

LISTEN, LISTEN, and ACT.

Understanding your customer's vision is the only way you can effectively serve them.

What do they need and what problems need to be solved?

One of the "sins" we all commit is not taking enough time to listen to our customers.

We tell ourselves we are too busy and we will arrange a meeting when it slows down.

Of course it never slows down and it never will, you know from personal experience that you are only getting busier so make time!

It is imperative that you prioritize and have a clear vision of where you should be directing your attention. If it is not on your customers then something is wrong!

Delegate if you have to because it is your responsibility to manage your success.

It is always valuable to remember how you first persuaded your customers to let you handle their precious business.

What was it that first attracted these clients to you?

What was it that attracted you to your clients?

How did you feel at the time and how does that compare to today?

Evaluate your relationship every six months and make a point of recommitting yourself to their success.

REAL SUCCESS IS WHEN WE ALL SUCCEED!

Building and maintaining a strong relationship by working with your customer through good times and bad will guarantee added value to you personally and your firm forever.

Managing success is a pleasure and so it should be, our customers are important to our daily lives and helping them succeed is an honor that I look forward to each and every day.

INVEST IN YOUR SUCCESS !

RON TAYLOR IS A COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR BASED IN TOKYO.

KNOW YOUR "INNER BRAND"

If you were planning on introducing a new product the first questions you might ask are.

Why would someone be interested in buying my product?

What is special or different about my product?

Am I offering a high quality service?

Does my product "stand out" from other products?

How can I improve my product? Is it the best it can be?

How will I market it?

How will I promote it?

How will I develop it?

The great news is you have an amazing product to offer and that product is YOU.

YOU ARE THE PRODUCT! YOU ARE THE BRAND!

The bad news is you do not know your own "product" so you do not know what you are selling.

You are too busy to STOP and examine who you are and this is slowing your advancement personally and professionally.

KNOW YOURSELF! KNOW YOUR BRAND!

Successful companies know their products and services "inside and out" and so should you.

Most of us make the same mistake and focus only on "Hard skills" and not on "Soft skills"

Many of us become too complacent and stop reinventing ourselves.

We do very little to market, promote, or develop our ourselves.

So let us start over and ask ...

What is my specialty?

What makes me unique?

What is my image or reputation?

How do I make people feel?

What do I offer?

What is my niche?

What actions would increase my value?

WHAT IS MY BRAND? WHO AM I?

Great brands have earned our trust by specializing and offering us predictable excellence in a patient and consistent manner.

You have to define and refine your brand just as Toyota, Google, and Coke does.

You have to know the quality of your product before you can effectively sell it.

What do you project when you enter a room?

How do you want your colleagues, clients, and friends to think of you?

What do you need to change? Do you stand out?

What is your vision?

What is your personal mission statement?

What do you want to be famous for?

To understand yourself you need to take an honest look at who you are and what changes you need to make.

In other words you have to "Audit" yourself regularly to understand your brand and direction.

You also need to consult with someone you trust to give you a frank assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

Successful companies and people use Focus Groups or Advisers and so should you.

Like all great companies you must evaluate and refine yourself on a quarterly basis.

The more you know about yourself the more you will understand what you want and what you do not want.

Everything you say and do reflects your brand from the way you dress to the business card you give out.

Everything should match the image you want to project.

You are a "walking advertisement" for all to see and judge.

What are you selling?

Marketing and Promoting ourselves is our way of becoming "VISIBLE."

The more visible you become the more refined you have to be.

You as a brand have to embrace the same strategies and tactics as global companies do.

Most of us are too busy reacting to life's challenges, but discovering yourself and who you are pays huge "dividends" personally and professionally.

Now is the time to STOP and evaluate who you are, where you are, and where you are going.

INVEST IN YOUR SUCCESS !

RON TAYLOR IS A COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR BASED IN TOKYO.

"SOFT SKILLS"

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE + SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE = EMOTIONAL QUOTIENT

YOUR IQ WILL GET YOU HIRED, BUT YOUR EQ WILL GET YOU PROMOTED!

Global companies now realize the importance of "SOFT SKILLS" and are spending Billions of dollars to develop this valuable asset.

The higher your position the more you need a high Emotional Quotient.

Research strongly suggests that EQ plays a far greater role

than IQ when measuring a leaders' impact on her company's bottom line.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to Master your emotions and be Self Aware. A.K.A. Self Management.

Social Intelligence is the ability to Inspire, Empathize, and to Interact skillfully with your colleagues and clients.

In the past "Soft Skills" were not taken as seriously as "Hard Skills"

Now after years of research we find "Soft Skills" offer powerful ways to enhance meaning to all of our business and personal relationships while improving your company's bottom line.

Employees with high technical skills can be difficult to find but finding employees with a high Emotional Quotient are rare.

In fact most firings are not because of a lack of technical skills but because employees lack "Soft Skills"

People like companies become complacent and stop "Investing in their Success"

Your ability to cultivate and build long lasting relationships will add value to you personally and professionally.

This will only happen if we make a sincere effort to understand ourselves and others.

We can strengthen these abilities through persistence, practice,

and feedback from colleagues, and coaches.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What is my reputation?

What impact do I have on others?

Am I self disciplined?

Can I laugh at myself?

Do I take the initiative?

Do I inspire people?

Do I listen to my colleagues?

Am I willing to change?

Do I know my staff? What do they need? What more could I do?

Am I a team player?

What would I like to improve personally?

How well do I collaborate with my team?

What is my "track record" for developing talent?

Am I a positive role model?

Do my actions match my words?

Do I dress for success?

How well do I connect with people?

Do I share my time equally with each member of my team?

Do I keep my team up to date?

Do I bring out the best in people?

Am I enthusiastic?

Do I need to improve my English skills?

How well do I understand International Etiquette and Manners?

Do I need a communications adviser?

It's clear we have to be Diplomats, Counselors, Managers, Friends, and Teachers

all rolled up into one to be effective leaders.

It's also clear that in order to attain a high EQ you have to invest in the common good.

We all need to give more to our fellow man only then can we consider ourselves truly rich.

We all win personally and professionally when we invest in ourselves and in others.

INVEST IN YOUR SUCCESS !

RON TAYLOR IS A COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR BASED IN TOKYO.