Congrats! You’ve managed to get your side- hustle on the go, and business is looking good. You’re delighted your business is growing, but you’re finding it increasingly difficult to balance your 9 to 5 with your side-hustle.
Add to that life, travel, family, cleaning, shopping, caring responsibilities etc…. It can feel so overwhelming; like something’s got to give!
But, don’t worry, I have a few tips to help you on your way.
First things first…
Focus on Getting Your Systems in Order
With a finite amount of time in the day, you must use tools and processes to bring organisation to what can feel like utter chaos!
Whether it’s an upcoming event you’re organising, keeping tabs on orders or multiple clients – project management tools can help you stay ahead of the game.
Online world not yet your forté? Then you can’t go wrong with a tried-and-tested diary. Just make sure to stick to one diary to avoid overcomplicating things and losing track of key dates.
Whichever way you prefer, you’ll be able to have all your tasks and projects in one place and make sure you stay on top of everything. After all, better organisation means higher productivity, saving you crucial time in the long run.
Ask for HELP
That’s right; you don’t have to manage everything on your own!
Yes, you started a successful side-hustle on your own, but you certainly don’t get any points for running yourself into the ground.
As your business continues to grow, the amount of work needed to maintain that growth will also unavoidably go up.
Help could look like hiring a virtual assistant to deal with the necessary but time-consuming administrative tasks.
Or, if you struggle with navigating the online world and growing your presence, you could think about outsourcing your social media management.
Doing so will allow you to conserve finite time by capitalising on what makes your business unique – you and your strengths.
Talk to Your Employer
The global pandemic saw many people switch to working from home, saving valuable time by eliminating previously long commutes.
Working from home is now a norm, but did you know your employer might have other flexible working policies? For example, many employers are open to working with employees to make adaptations and make sure they can perform their best.
Flexible working could mean starting work earlier or later, depending on your preferences. Or you could even work compressed hours and get an extra day off! [That was my route out of the 9 to 5!]
It can be challenging to have to switch between employee and entrepreneur mode. However, by taking advantage of your employer’s flexible working policy, it’ll be easier for you to block out time to focus solely on your growing business! I’m also here to help!
You will often hear “don’t sweat the small stuff”. When it’s about getting things done, small is the way to go! So, let’s look at nine, simple methods you can implement in 2022 to be more productive.
1. Notifications Are Not Your Friend
Notifications. The biggest ‘time thief, of all.
How many times have you found yourself distracted by the ‘ping’ from Facebook, Instagram, WhatApp or email?
Notifications stop you from being more productive by interrupting your thought process and concentration. And, importantly, it will take you at least 15-miuntes to get your brain back to where it was before the interruption.
The worst impact is when you get distracted by a post or an email and, somehow, emerge 20-minutes or a half-hour later with no understanding of where the time has gone.
There is a very simple solution.
Turn them off!
I turned the sound off on my phone three years ago. I have had no distracting sounds and in that time and I haven’t missed out on anything important or lost business.
It may not be the solution for everyone; you may have children or other caring responsibilities, which mean you can’t do a blanket ‘switch off’. However, you can switch off when you need to get your head down and concentrate.
2. Do a Time and Motion Study
What do you REALLY do every day?
When it comes to assessing what we do each day and how much we have achieved. we are our own worst enemy.
We ‘think’ we have been working really hard, concentrating, getting on with things but …
Do a time and motion study.
For the next two weeks – with no edits or judgements made – note down what you are doing in 15-minute intervals. At the end of the two weeks, take a look.
How did you spend your time?
Did that five-minute task actually take 30-minutes?
How much time did you spend searching for files and documents you ‘know’ are somewhere, but you’re not sure where (more later)
How often did you get side-tracked by a WhatsApp or Messenger massage?
Did you spend far too much time creating social media content because you’re really not sure what you should be saying / doing?
This process will provide clarity. It will show you exactly what you do with your time, what you ‘time thieves’ are and, probably, highlight the things you should be outsourcing!
Once you know exactly how much time tasks really take, and how much time you really have, you can create a much more realistic To-Do list.
More below.
3. Have a Daily, ACHIEVEABLE To-Do List
Following on from getting to grips with how we really spend our time, comes the need to use that knowledge to our best advantage.
What do I mean by that?
Don’t be over ambitious
Once you have completed your Time and Motion study you will have a much clearer picture of how much time things really take to achieve. You should also have learned to break tasks down into smaller, bit-sized, achievable chunks.
Plan for want needs to be done and put it in your diary
Not a To-Do list; a diary. Preferably a diary that has sections broken down hour by hour. If your one doesn’t, write them in. This way you will see how the tasks you have to complete each day will actually fit in and around other commitments.
For example, if I know Friday is all about writing and publishing my blog and preparing my weekly email for the following week, these would be the tasks:
Write the content
Create a SEO-friendly title
Assign a keyword / key-phrase
Find an image
Write the metadata
Proof read
Publish
Prepare and schedule the weekly email
But Friday isn’t just about blog writing, that’s just one task. I also have my one-to-one business coaching and mentoring sessions with my clients.
So, my diary will look something like this:
08.30 – 09.00 : Deal with email inbox
09.00 – 09.45 : Rough draft blog content including keyword / keyphrase, headings and main content ideas
09.45 – 10.00 : Prep for client (tea)
10.00 – 11.00 : Client session
11.00 – 11.15 : Notes from client session (tea)
11.15 – 11.45 : Tidy up rough draft into first draft
11.45 – 12.00 : Prep for client (tea)
12.00 – 13.00 : Client session
13.00 – 13.15 : Notes from client session
13.15 – 13.45 : Lunch
13.45 – 15.00 Prep for client session (tea)
14.00 – 15.00 : Client Session
15.00 – 15.15 : Notes from client session (tea)
15.15 – 15.30 : Source blog image
15.30 – 15.45 : Write the blog metadata
15.45 – 16.00 : Create the SEO-friendly blog title (tea)
16.00 – 16.30 : Final draft, proof read and publish
16.00 – 17.00 : Create my weekly email and schedule
17.00 – 17.30 : Plan my diary for following week (tea)
17.30 – 18.00 : Deal with email inbox
I would not get this clarity from a To-Do list!
Yes, and my day would include all those cups of tea (herbal, of course). Why? They keep my hydrated (along with a litre of water each day too) and they aid my concentration.
Final point. Look at the last item on my planner and remember this mantra
Getting found online, finding more customers and increasing sales is the Holy Grail of modern marketing. And, because everyone is doing it, there is masses of competition and jostling for position.
There are also myths and legends being shared about the ‘one thing’ you should be doing to create a six-figure income.
If you want to know how to OWN THE INTERNET and make it work for you – rather than it owning you by creating endless amounts of work with no real return – it will take more than ‘one thing’.
It will take seven.
1. Get Found for What Your Do
I bet you thinmk I’m talking about social media, or maybe your website?
You would be wrong.
I’m talking about the most overlooked places – listing sites and business directories.
87% of of purchase decisions begin with research carried out online.
Consumers are looking for everything from a plumber to a hairdresser, a yoga teacher to a business mentor and coach. And what does the internet offer up to them? Places it trusts to list businesses that sell ‘that thing’.
There are hundreds of listing sites and business directories. Some of the biggest are:
You could also include the listing you have on websites that represent your trade or profession, organisations that you are a member of, affiliate organisations and local business organisations such as Chambers of Commerce.
You could be losing revenue to your competitors if your online listings are inaccurate – or don’t exist at all!
Tip: Check out which listing sites and business directories are suitable for your business get your business signed up. Let potential customers find you without you even trying.
2. Take Control of Your Reputation
When was the last time you visited a new restaurant without looking at the reviews to see what others have said about it? Or maybe you’re looking for an electrician and aren’t sure who to choose.
Yes, you’ll ask friends and family for a recommendation, but you will also check them (and others) out online before you make a decision.
88% of consumers make purchase decisions based on the reviews they read. Why? Because they trust them as much as a personal recommendation.
Glowing reviews is the aim.
No reviews is a no-no.
One negative review – that remains unanswered – can ruin all your hard work!
You can’t afford to miss a review, so you need to monitor the internet continuously.
Tip: Google will rank your business above others if you regularly receive reviews.
3. Build and Engage Your Audience
So now we get to social media.
Social media – for business – is a marketing and promotion tool to be used to engage and convert your target customers.
That means it needs to be part of your overall marketing strategy; not just something you do if you have time and can think of something to write.
So, as much as you like (or loath) social media, you have a job to do.
Tip: Don’t let social media become an ‘if I have time’ activity. Make sure it is part of your overall marketing strategy (Don’t have one? We need to talk!)
4. Make Your Website Work for You
Your website has got one job to do.
It has to convert your website visitors into leads or customers.
So, whatever stage you are at with your website, you can’t afford to leave things to chance.
These are some key aspects of your website to concentrate on if you want to be able to compete with your competitors:
Clear and easy to navigate menu
Strong calls to action
No large blocks of text
Images
Easy to find contact details
An engaging ‘About’ page
Responsive. 54% of all web traffic happens on a mobile device
Tip: Don’t think of your website as a nuisance or an expense. It is the only online space you have complete control over. Make it work for you.
5. Sell More Online
Do you sell online?
Selling can include anything from a full-on, e-commerce shop to selling courses, programmes, small-scale products or books.
Customers see an online store as a sign of a reputable, established business.
So, even if you are not a retail business, you can still sell online. I describe this a ‘productising’ your business.
If you want to know more about productising I talk about it in this blog.
Tip: If you have an e-commerce shop, make sure people know it exists. If you’re a service-based business identify what you can do to create a product out of what you know – and sell it.
6. Get in Front of New Customers
Online advertising is daunting and can be expensive.
64% of the online ads marketing in the UK is controlled by Facebook and Google.
This means your potential customers are within your reach. We know they are searching Google and scrolling through Facebook. So, with digital advertising, you can put your business in the spotlight so that those people consider you before your competitors.
The benefits of using paid advertising are huge:
Your ads get in front of your ideal client because you can control who you want to see it – demographics, locations, interests
You control exactly how much you spend
There is even the ability to control how often people see your ad, on what devices, at what time of day
Social media posts alone will never give you the reach and impact that paid-for advertising will.
Tip: Set aside a budget for paid advertising; it will reach the parts social media posts won’t. If you start with Facebook you can keep your costs really low.
7. Improve Your SEO Rankings
Your website is one part of the equation; SEO is another!
With a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) enabled website, you can boost your visibility in search engine search results so that people find you for what you are selling.
Every business owner should have a rudimentary understanding of SEO – what it is, what it does, how it works. But you don’t have to be an expert.
You can start small by having a SEO plugin on your website – Yoast and SEOPress are two I really like. Both take you through a process, using a red, amber, green traffic-light system to let you know if your page or blog post meets SEO ‘standards’.
Another alternative is to use a SEO expert to carry out research and implement a strategy for you. This isn’t a cheap option but it can be really effective.
Tip: Get to grips with the basics of SEO. See what you can achieve yourself but, if you find it difficult ask an expert.
Next Steps?
Join me for an eight-week programme that will show you how to increase customers and sales across the internet via websites, social media, reviews, e-commerce, paid advertising and SEO
Are you fed up with your day job but struggling to find a route out of it? I know how frustrating it can be to have that dissatisfaction and not know how to solve it. So think about taking that first step of turning your passion into a lucrative side-hustle.
Many people have found success with the following low-risk, easy side hustle ideas. The great thing is they’re tried-and-tested, and you can start them alongside your nine-to-five.
If you’re craving more flexibility and freedom, think about going freelance or working as a contractor.
It’s one of the easiest businesses to start as you’re using your existing skill-set and qualifications with no start-up costs. It could be incredibly lucrative with a niche area of expertise with knowledgeable coaches and mentors in great demand!
Working as a freelancer will allow you to keep your day job and balance your responsibilities while building up your client base and getting your name out there.
Tutoring or Teaching English Online
Starting a tutoring business from home is as easy as 1-2-3!
If you already work in the education system, tutoring is a great way to bring in more cash.
You could be making more money within minutes by signing up to online platforms such as MyTutor and Tutorful. The demand for tutors has never been higher, given the pandemic’s toll on the education system.
Same with teaching English. You could soon be helping eager learners brush up on their English language skills online through Education First or Italki.
A particularly great option if you like meeting new people all over the world.
The best thing is you don’t even have to leave your house – all it requires is a good internet connection and an engaging approach!
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Services
People will always need sitters and walkers for their pets, so you’ll never be short of clients.
This is an incredibly easy side-hustle idea.
Becoming a pet sitter or dog walker requires little start-up cost and low risk.
Because of this, you can use these side hustles to test the waters of entrepreneurship and see if you’re ready to make the jump and become self-employed.
You’ll have complete control over when you work, so they’re great side hustles to pair with a full-time job. Remote working also means the possibility of working while also being paid to pet sit.
Think Locally and Reach Out to People in Your Community
Remember to think locally and consider collaborating and offering up your services in your community.
Whether you’re a savvy freelance marketer, offer pet sitting or tutoring services, an easy way to find clients is to reach out to friends and neighbours where you live.
You never know what people are after, so do not underestimate the power of word of mouth! If you let people know of your services, you could have a diary full of clients before you know it.
What can be are the people that use the skills incorrectly. These folks bring the criticism that we often find levied at sales people. We fear the connection and engagement often. We believe that we will be sold something we don’t want or need.
There are two things here immediately. How can we be sold something we do not want? We are not hypnotised by sellers in some Derrien Brown style as at anytime we can say No. If we do not say No then we are willingly purchasing a product or a service by choice. So that’s on us. If we don’t need something why are we looking? So maybe we do want to buy but not from that person or outlet.
See selling is about relationships. It also of course involves a commodity too. That thing we are wanting to solve the problem we are looking to fix. So we have a ‘thing’ we need or want. That’s one part of the transaction and it has an approximate or fixed value that we are willing to meet. So it is now about the process of the sale and the person or people managing it. Do we like them? Trust them? Want to be in their company? Did we find them or did they find us? Do we know people we trust who trust them? And I am sure a number of other questions.
Some of those questions are front and centre conscious thoughts and some may be slightly deeper subconscious thoughts. All of which will stop us proceeding should they be unresolved. See to buy we must first know where to go. Then we must engage with a brand and the people representing that brand. We must feel that the value meets our expectations and that we are comfortable with the aftersales service.
Some brands are really good at not actually selling you anything and instead supporting you to buy it. They don’t need your money it seems and are quite happy to let you ask what you want answered and decide what you want to do. Others will seemingly oversell the product and keep at you until you buy. Think about which approach you prefer?
Could be the exact same product with a different sales approach and the whole process is completely different.
And then we have the nailed down importance of selling. Just think for a moment of all the companies you can mention that don’t sell anything. The brands you know that have shelves full of stuff nobody wants or buys…..exactly! So everyone needs to sell. We produce a product for £X and we sell it for £Y and the profit allows the business to survive and thrive. Without selling there is no business.
We now know the importance of selling, so why do we consider it such a negative activity and why do so many business owners fear it and never develop their skills in sales? Weird isn’t it. I meet many business owners who do not consider themselves as ‘sales people’ and often are annoyed that they can be viewed as one. And I work with sales people who have never been invested in and developed by their employer. So given the reluctance to develop skills in sales can we wonder that too many people practice it poorly
And I work with organisations that have no sales strategy in that they do not know who their customer is so may end up trying to sell to people who don’t want or need their product or service (refer back to paragraph 3) so the issue increases. There is also the simple equation that aiming to sell a product to 10 people who need it is far more productive than trying 1,000 who absolutely don’t.
Selling is about numbers as we hear often and it is orders and not leads that matter. If we flood the market harassing folks that don’t want to buy we not only negate our brand we develop the negative issue of sales.
So lovely people to improve the sales impression outlined above do it better. Know the market and your ideal customer and understand your product or service fully. Excel at what you do. Ask existing customers what they expect and then meet and exceed that expectation. Advertise and market yourselves to people that want/need your offer as doing otherwise is pointless and wastes their time and yours and therefore your profits. Employ people who sell with purpose not just profit in mind. The two can live wonderfully side by side.
Brian is a growth specialist and works with organisations to develop their sales strategy and connect them directly with opportunities from his own extensive networks.
These top ten tips are not rocket science, but they will put a rocket in your profit and make 2022 a truly sensational year for you and your business.
Tip tip 5 is about how to stay innovative and creative.
Stay innovative and creative. Easier said than done, perhaps?
Sometimes identifying your business idea in the first place can be difficult, but then you have to constantly think of new and interesting ways to engage and communicate with your customers. Add to that the need to find ways to keep your enthusiasm (and accountability) for your own business fresh (particularly difficult if you are a one-person micro business) and innovation and creativity can be REALLY HARD.
So, here are five ideas for you to boost your innovation and creativity
1. Change Your Space
If you always work in the same space, at the same desk, sitting in the same chair you will encourage your brain to think in exactly the same way. Creativity and innovation come from allowing the brain to think differently; to make connections or find inspiration in places it has never been before. Changing your space can be a great way of encouraging creative and innovative thought – go to a coffee shop, go for a walk, do some exercise, work from a different desk sitting in a different chair, stand up rather then sit down – all of these things can help.
2. Keep an IDEAS Book with You at All Times
Where do you have your best ideas? With me, it’s when I am driving; with a very good friend it’s when she is in the shower. The point here is that our best ideas often sneak up on us. The best time to have a great idea? It’s when you are thinking about something completely different – like driving carefully or washing your hair!
So having a method for capturing those ideas when they pop into your mind is essential. Otherwise they will pop straight back out again and will be lost. Therefore you need a place to immediately record these ideas and a notebook is just one example. How do I (safely) do it while I am driving. Simple. My car has a Bluetooth phone connection so I call my office and leave a message on my answer phone. And what about my friend in the shower? Would you believe it, she has waterproof a pad of paper and a pen!
3. Do Mundane Things
Following on from creating a method to record ideas, mundane tasks such as filing, cleaning, sorting out papers etc can be a method of allowing your brain free reign to have flights of creative fancy.
4. Talk to People
Obviously getting out of your space could mean attending a networking event or a training course where you will meet other business-focussed people who may act as a spark for your imagination. However, talking to anyone can also help. Yes, you may feel a bit odd striking up conversations with complete strangers, but those people in the queue at Tesco, or the bus stop, or the train journey home can be just as helpful (and if we all did it could make the world a nicer place too!)
5. Do Something Child-Like
The problem with getting older is that we lose the sheer joy and enthusiasm for life that children have. Give a child a plain cardboard box and it’s a rocket ship, a fort, a fairy castle.
Do something child-like – run round the park, play a board game, make something out of a cardboard box – you will be amazed at the ideas you can come up with. And you will have had some fun too.
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, why not take advantage of my free, half-hour mentoring session?
These top ten tips are not rocket science, but they will put a rocket in your profit and make 2022 a truly sensational year for you and your business.
Top tip 3 is about ensuring you do what you say you will – when you say you will do it. Follow through is essential!
Why Should We Expect Customer Loyalty?
These days our customers enjoy the luxury of being able to easily switch from one company to the other.
Customer service has been proven to be the main element that attracts prospective clients and satisfied customers make repeat customers.
Those customers become prime advocates for your business.
Customer Expectation Has Never Been as High
Customers opt for companies and brands that offer quality products and excellent customer service.
You could have the best products or services on the market, if they aren’t backed up with great customer care you will lose customers.
On the other hand, you may have a less all-singing-all-dancing product or service but because you have excellent customer care and the essential follow through you will probably gain, and maintain, customers.
Let’s face it; as consumers, we all want to feel listened to, valued and cared for. That is why follow through is essential.
The Simple, Three-Step Follow Through Formula
Do what you have promised to do
For the people you have promised to do it for
At the time you promised to do it
If you want more ideas, why not check out my blog The Fortune is in the Follow-Up: Easy Follow-Up Tips For Your Marketing?
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, why not take advantage of my free, half-hour mentoring session?
These top ten tips are not rocket science, but they will put a rocket in your profit and make 2022 a truly sensational year for you and your business.
Top tip 4 is about being responsive to your customers (and to others making enquiries) because phone calls, emails and messages must be answered if you want to increase sales and engagement.
Being Responsive Doesn’t Mean 24/7
Being responsive does not mean that you have to be glued to your phone, mobile, tablet, laptop etc. waiting for the phone to ring, an email to ping into your Inbox or a notification from WhatsApp or Messenger.
So how do you manage it? Here are some ideas.
Messages Must be Answered: Not Immediately, but Quickly
Set yourself a ‘standard’ such as replies within 24 hours. Consider how you will maintain this standard when you will not be available for longer periods of time, for example, when you are on holiday.
Have a Short, Clear Message
Using the same message on both your mobile and on messaging services such as Messenger and WhatsApp is a good idea (for consistency).
Keep to the basics – “My name is ..; thanks for phoning (contacting); your call (message) is important to me. Please leave a short message with your name and contact number”.
Some messages include “email me on”, “visit my website at”.
Honestly? Too much and too long. They won’t remember any of it.
Consider What to Include in an Out of Office
If you are in a larger organisation and you have colleagues that can answer for you while you are away then an Out of Office email or voicemail that gives the person on the other end of the line or keyboard the contact details of your colleague is really helpful.
But what about the standard Out of Office in a one-person business?
The “I will respond within 24 hours” message.
Personally, I don’t like them. Why? Because they can set unrealistic expectations. For example, enquiries coming through on a Saturday – will you get back to them on Sunday?
Maybe, Maybe not.
Finally on this one – if you put out special information while you are away – please, please, please remember to change the content when you return.
It doesn’t sound good if a caller hears or reads a message telling them you are away in July if they are making the phone call in September (it happens!)
Keep in Contact Regularly
Follow-up is essential, but so is regular contact.
Allow your customers – and potential customers – to get to know you. Encourage them to connect with you via social media and definitely consider email marketing as it reaches the parts social media alone cannot reach.
Ask if you can place them on your mailing list.
Don’t just pop people on your mailing list. Ask them if it is OK. And then make sure you use the list to keep in touch.
On this one, you must give people the opportunity to unsubscribe from your list. Please don’t be upset if they do; we all do it!
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, why not take advantage of my free, half-hour mentoring session?
These top ten tips are not rocket science, but they will put a rocket in your profit and make 2022 a truly sensational year for you and your business.
Top tip #2 is all about managing customer expectation. It’s based on the old saying
You must under promise and over deliver
This is not a ploy to fool your customers. It is about managing the expectation your customers have about you, your products and your services.
Your task?
To surprise and delight your customers by exceeding their expectations.
Why Managing Customer Expectation Gives You a Competitive Edge
Many businesses think that to compete with their more successful, or more long-established competitors, they have to promise their customers that they will beat prices, deadlines etc.
It is important to understand that not all customers are driven by cost and speed.
Most customers rate the quality of a product or service, and the feeling of being cared for, understood and nurtured, over cost and speed.
The Outcomes of Over Promising and Under Delivering?
What happens to customer perception of your business if you fails to deliver and all the promises you made are not met?
Well, to put it simple, those customers will tell their friends and – more importantly – people they don’t even know.
How?
Word of mouth and online reviews.
When was the last time you booked a hotel or visited a new restaurant without checking the online reviews?
I know I can’t remember the last time I just booked something without checking.
The old saying was ‘give great service they will tell 10; give bad service they will tell 100’. Now add social media and review sites into that mix the ‘tell 100’ can very easily become ‘tell 100,000’
Perhaps the ‘under promise’ should be more ‘realistically promise’ and the ‘over deliver’ could be ‘exceed expectations’?
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, why not take advantage of my free, half-hour mentoring session?
These top ten tips are not rocket science, but they will put a rocket in your profit and make 2022 a truly sensational year for you and your business.
Top tip 1 is all about why you have to communicate with your customers; why you have to communicate often and why you need to be easy to reach.
How Regular Communication with Your Customers Could Save You Money
How much does it cost you to run your business?
Whatever that number is, that is the amount it costs you to create customers. So why would you want to be continually attempting to find new customers when they are so expensive.
Doesn’t it make better business sense to nurture your current customers? After all, it’s easier getting someone who has already demonstrated that they know, like and trust you to buy from you again.
One really simple way of regular communication with your customers is via email, so building your email list in imperative.
Want to know how? Check out this blog – How to Use Email Marketing to Keep Your Customers Coming Back
The Value of Your Current Customers
You have already paid for them
It is 6 to 7 times more expensive to gain a new customer than it is to retain one
Repeat customers tend to spend 67% more on subsequent purchases than they do on the first
After 10 purchases / engagements a customer has already referred you to at least 7 people
Communicating with your customers on a regular basis is the surefire way of ensuring they remember you so that you are their supplier of choice when they choose to purchase again.
Practical Do’s and Don’ts for Ongoing Customer Communication
DO remember to ask for customer details – at the very least name and email address
DON’T just add people to a mailing list – ask permission, you could always offer an incentive
DO have a systematic way of dealing with contact details – if you have a system it is far less likely that you will ‘mislay’ a customer
DON’T have more than one mailing list – keep everyone in one place (an Excel spreadsheet is absolutely fine), you can always split the list into smaller groups for specific purposes
DON’T leave a pile of business cards on your desk with the intention of ‘one day’ doing something with them, do something or bin them!
DO keep in touch with your customers regularly and remind them about what you do and how you do it – don’t assume, just because you have said it a couple of times, that people remember what you do because until they need that ‘thing’ they will forget
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, why not take advantage of my free, half-hour mentoring session?
By Ashok Suppiah, co-founder and CEO of the Mitra Innovation Group
The clue is in the name. Low-Code uses visual programming techniques to allow non-coders, or citizen programmers, to create digital applications. Using a graphical user interface (GUI), complex systems can be quickly designed and tested using a simple drag & drop approach. Citizen programmers can solve their digital issues or build new products themselves, vastly increasing the momentum towards digital transformation.
Here we look at 5 ways Low-Code can accelerate digital transformation.
1. Speed: Replacing Legacy Systems Quickly and Cloud Enablement
Legacy systems, for the most part, do their job, and only their job. The bugs have been ironed out over the years and staff are fully trained in their operation. What they don’t do is provide the flexibility to respond to change. Changes can be business based, ie market, customer or product; they can be regulatory or operational or they may be required as new technology becomes available. Legacy systems don’t scale easily, they are costly to run, require specialist management, often they operate with outmoded security and there is no easy way to integrate them with other systems.
There are various strategies for dealing with legacy systems. Building new green-field systems from scratch is an option, as is code refactoring, or a code rewrite. This is where Low-Code can speed up the transformation process. Using visual programming techniques, Low-Code reduces development times, in turn reducing the cost of development and ownership. Traditionally painful, long and costly transformation projects can be undertaken more quickly and at a fraction of the cost. Reducing the cost and time to innovate, accelerates digital transformation.
2. Evolve: Add New Features and Functions Quickly
One of the many reasons to replace legacy systems is to evolve new features and functions and with Low-Code visual programming tools, citizen developers are empowered to create the system functionality they require quickly and seamlessly. Low-Code places a much higher emphasis on the user experience, and with pre-built, reusable modules eliminating the need to code from scratch each time, you can not only evolve new functionality quickly, but also test it and deploy it with ease. With built-in scalability, security, monitoring and reporting all contributing to rapid turnaround times, digital transformation and an enhanced user experience become far easier to achieve.
3. Integration: Easier Integration with Low-Code
Data and systems integration is one of the more complex areas to get right during digital transformation. Think of the out-of-the-box (OOTB) modules used in Low-Code as building blocks that allow non-IT professionals to build applications. These building blocks can be interconnected seamlessly using pre-engineered connectors and accelerators to allow Low-Code modules to be easily and rapidly integrated with existing systems, enhancing functionality and delivering digital transformation with ease. The biggest risk with systems integration is around maintaining data integrity. With Low-Code you stay in control of your data, and with the ability to integrate data from any system quickly, traditional data migration is simply not required.
As a strategic partner of Creatio, we often use REST API, OData protocol, SOAP services, OAuth authentication and LDAP protocols to integrate with other applications.
4. Cost Savings: Economies of Scale Over Time
Low-Code technology goes far beyond just saving time for development teams. Using Low-Code reduces overall costs by accelerating implementation time and time to market and increasing the ability of the business to respond to market led innovation, bringing innovative products and services to market much faster. Maintenance of Low-Code systems and modules is also vastly reduced. The ability to re-use without re-engineering, using prebuilt workflows, templates and modules, implementation and maintenance is easier and quicker.
5. Time Savings: No Re-invention of the Wheel
Maybe the most revolutionary aspect of Low-Code is the ability to re-use pre-programmed and pre-tested functional modules to build applications without the need for traditional coding skills. Pre-built workflows mean there really is no need to reinvent the wheel. Low-Code lowers the barrier to entry for citizen developers, automating processes, and slashing development time. With highly skilled developers liberated from the more repetitive aspects of coding, they are free to be more creative, reinvigorating the development lifecycle and leading the march towards digital transformation.
About the Author
Ashok Suppiah is co-founder and CEO of the Mitra Innovation Group, a global technology provider specialising in digital transformation, product incubation and integration services. He has been a leading light in the tech industry for over 20 years. A serial entrepreneur, Ashok has started more than 10 technology companies in the USA and UK, notably as a member of Virtusa Corp which sold for US$2Billion in 2021 and as Chief Architect for eDocs which sold to Oracle for US$115Million in 2004. With recent successes in Conversational AI, Dynamedics and LowCodify, Ashok sustains his passion for pioneering and disruptive technology, with Mitra providing transformative solutions to clients and partners globally.
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These top ten tips are not rocket science, but they will put a rocket in your profit and make 2022 a truly sensational year for you and your business.
Top tip #2 is all about managing customer expectation. It’s based on the old saying
You must under promise and over deliver
This is not a ploy to fool your customers. It is about managing the expectation your customers have about you, your products and your services.
Your task?
To surprise and delight your customers by exceeding their expectations.
Why Managing Customer Expectation Gives You a Competitive Edge
Many businesses think that to compete with their more successful, or more long-established competitors, they have to promise their customers that they will beat prices, deadlines etc.
It is important to understand that not all customers are driven by cost and speed.
Most customers rate the quality of a product or service, and the feeling of being cared for, understood and nurtured, over cost and speed.
The Outcomes of Over Promising and Under Delivering?
What happens to customer perception of your business if you fails to deliver and all the promises you made are not met?
Well, to put it simple, those customers will tell their friends and – more importantly – people they don’t even know.
How?
Word of mouth and online reviews.
When was the last time you booked a hotel or visited a new restaurant without checking the online reviews?
I know I can’t remember the last time I just booked something without checking.
The old saying was ‘give great service they will tell 10; give bad service they will tell 100’. Now add social media and review sites into that mix the ‘tell 100’ can very easily become ‘tell 100,000’
Perhaps the ‘under promise’ should be more ‘realistically promise’ and the ‘over deliver’ could be ‘exceed expectations’?
Next Steps?
If you’re unsure about how to implement any of the suggestions I have made in this article, why not take advantage of my free, half-hour mentoring session?
