LegWork - So You Don't Have To!

Don't let a weak U.S. dollar weaken your business

2008-05-07T01:21:25Z

Are you aware of the impact the weakening dollar is making in your business?

Just about all of us use and/or sell overseas products in our daily business operations. Because of the weakening US dollar, these overseas products may be costing us more than we realize. For many business owners, the weak dollar has the potential to destroy profit margins and cripple their ability to operate.

What to do...what to do...

What can you do to help ensure the weak dollar doesn't weaken your business? Plan.

Need temporary skilled workers? Borrow some.

2008-05-02T00:44:49Z

You know how it goes. You need someone to fill a temporary position but you may only need them short-term...how do you fill that temporary gap?!

This growth step is a stressful, tricky one for most companies. I repeatedly see good business owners stumble here.

While many options exist, there’s one that can be a true win-win. Are you ready for this?

Tighten up on tighter lending

2008-04-29T20:54:25Z

In years past, if someone wanted to remodel their kitchen, all they needed was a home equity loan and a contractor. This process became so easy that many people planned their projects, hired their contractors, and began work before getting the funding to pay for everything.

Because of today’s tight lending rules, this doesn’t work anymore. This may seem like common sense to you, the contractor, but is it common sense to your customer?

As I visit with contractors and their subs, I learn that chances are, it’s not.

Don't let longer sales cycles baffle you! (Remodelers and service providers)

2008-04-24T19:10:40Z

Earlier this year, I wrote about the expected change in buying behavior. The predicted consumer behavior has indeed become a reality, causing many local companies grief. Fortunately, the consumer spending trends seem to be simply causing a lengthened sales cycle, not a decision not to purchase at all.

So…what’s the hold up?

The cause of a lengthening sales cycle is fundamentally found in a company’s inability to meet the consumer’s needs/perceived needs. As news media presents story after story of foreclosures and stock market instability, your buyers need to be reassured that hiring you is right decision.

What to do…

In most situations, you already have the ability to meet the needs of your customer. My guess is, if you’re getting resistance from your buyers, you simply have not changed your approach.

Join the Legworkblog partners at their next seminar series

2008-04-12T00:50:21Z

Korey Korfiatis & Ben Griner, Legworkblog partners present: -
“Creating a Culture of Customer Service Excellence”

In today’s world of complex communications from instant messaging to online shopping, focusing on customer service may seem a bit antiquated. If you’re a small service or retail business, competing for customer's attention is extremely challenging. Your best option to succeed is to develop a culture of customer service excellence.

What to expect

In this seminar series we will give you the tools and teach you the techniques to sell, service, and retain loyal customers so you are able to successfully compete in today’s “need it now” society. In addition to the two full days of training, our experienced team of consultants will visit your business to help you implement and empower your sales and customer service team. Your team will be trained on how to effectively cultivate relationships and improve sales leaving you with a foundation that is built for success.

When: May 28th & 29th (Plus on-site employee training)
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where: Chateau Faire Le Pont Winery
Fee: $1500* (Mention that you're a Legworkblog reader and receive a $100 discount)
* Continental breakfast and lunch provided. Fee includes up to three seminar participants

Click HERE to reserve your space today!

Price-driven sales suck part II: Value-driven sales success

2008-04-08T00:02:28Z

Allow me to share the success story of a client of mine:

My client sells a high-end product at very affordable prices, yet, when he came to PerSyst Consulting, he was frustrated that he was somehow failing to gain traction and expand his sales base. How could this be? High-qulity products at low cost...what more could customers ask for?

Research

My client was relying on price-driven sales.

Performing a market analysis, we found that his desired demographic viewed his company as a cheap vendor. They presumed he did not have the quality they desired.

Tweaking the perception

My client needed to triple his prices to be at the same price point as the competition.

Price-driven sales suck

2008-04-07T23:59:46Z

I’m going to let you in on the punch-line of this article right up front: sell on value or live a miserable existence.

Still with me? I hope so. There’s money to be made and fun to be had if you can get this down.

Let’s face it. In today’s market, you can’t afford to continually acquire new clients. Even if you could afford to throw money out there and advertise your “low Low LOW prices,” why would you?

Price-driven consumers commonly display the following characteristics:

Need more people?

2008-04-02T18:32:59Z

You need more people? That’s great news! Right now, a lot of employers do. Here are some helpful advertising hints to help you snag that next great employee from the competition.

NUMERO UNO: WORD YOUR AD WELL.

In my experience, the single biggest influence on want-ad response rates is the way your ad is worded. Keep these things in mind when you put your fingers to the keypad:

Watch it.

2008-03-27T17:14:09Z

Whatever the purpose of your website, it is critical that you monitor and evaluate your results. It's not enough to say “I have a website.” If you haven't looked at it in two years, you may actually be losing more sales than you are gaining.

Your clients are predominately using the internet to determine their source of services and products (article ).Since things continue to evolve rapidly, you either need to spend some time keeping up on your site statistics or consider hiring a professional to do it for you.

A website with purpose

2008-03-25T21:06:06Z

Last week I met with a prospective client. As we talked, he/she began to criticize another company’s website, pointing out weaknesses in the layout, look, language, etc.

As it turns out, this website was created to produce a specific response from a specific market. My prospect had bought into the idea that there’s a “mandatory” website look and lingo. As a result, her/his company website is actually the one producing unsatisfactory results.

I shared my secret: create your website with your desired end result in mind. Here are a few helpful hints to get you started.