Happy 2021
WELCOME TO 2021!
It’s hard to believe that the first month of the year is almost over! 2020 came as a shock to us all and 2021 poses huge challenges for businesses owners.
The raging waters of the past ten months proves that for us to survive, we must plot and navigate the rough seas of 2021 carefully and with the creativity, drive and passion that prompted us to start our businesses in the first place.
Two key factors that come to mind when planning for the year ahead are:
1. Optimal use of staff; and
2. A clear strategic approach to sales.
Optimal use of staff skills
This will entail:
- keeping your hand on productivity,
- holding employees accountable for quality of workmanship,
- meeting targets,
- re-training for customer satisfaction and service,
- controlling and minimizing absenteeism in the workplace.
Open and regular communication with staff about goals, the necessity of working together as a team, the impact of their performance on the future of the business and feedback on achievements should become a regular and formal part of the management of your staff and done at a minimum, once per week.
The best captains rally their teams, give clear instructions, hold them individually accountable, inspire them to victory. This is done off the field and on the field. You simply must get involved with your employees on the floor. You as the leader should inspire by example and involvement.
A clear strategic approach to sales
This is a complex, but at the same time, simple process.
You know your target market, you know your product or service and you should also know your competitors. It is no longer business as usual for anyone, and to survive we must not only get back to basics, but must do so with focus and renewed energy in spite of the challenges we face.
A few questions to consider:
1. Have you set monthly and quarterly sales targets?
2. What measures have you put in place to meet the targets? i.e. is your diary full, with daily appointments? Have you implemented an online marketing platform that you actively promote and monitor? Etc.
3. Are you promoting and marketing your products and or services with the intention to sell them, rather than to merely create awareness of your product or service? In other words, promote and market with intention. Your sales people should be retrained with this in mind.
4. Are you capitalizing on your brand name and history with clients? In times of uncertainty, people resort to what is familiar and brings comfort. What are you doing to remind your clients of the benefit of doing business with you and not your competitors? Do your employees know what sets your business apart from competitors? Have you trained them in this and how to use this to close sales?
5. Lastly, with so much uncertainty around it may seem pointless to plan but the old adage, the failure to plan, is to plan to fail, rings true. Have you set out your sales/business plan for the year? Have you conveyed this your staff? Is it detailed enough with the positive actions required by your staff in order to meet the goals of the plan?
If you are still in business, do not lose hope. Setbacks in life happen all the time and adversity should have the effect of making us stronger, better and wiser. It is good practice to compare oneself with others that are less fortunate. Many have lost loved ones, lost their business, lost their employment, lost their homes. If you are still in business, there is hope.
I wish you all a blessed and successful 2021.
Jerome
