At this time of year, keep your TEAM FOCUSED

To SME Owners

Yep silly season nearly here, here are some ways keeping your staff focused.

- set them weekly goals, ask them to set goals,
- have brief one on one sessions re one area they need to improve on by shut down time

Ask staff what successes they are having with clients,

Be  persistent in your Managing BY WALKING ABOUT, are your teams busy, doing work, or just chatting.


 Focused on 3 areas you need your staff to focus on before the xmas close.
Arrange a mid afternoon braai at the office, ask staff to bring 2 ideas that will improve the busy
Go do something different, yes you can be creative.

No regrets going into 2016, because something important was left to chance.

Till next time may the Force be with you.

STOP, LOOK and LISTEN

TO Sme Owners

Really important to do this when it is time to focus on your clients, sorry focus all the time on you clients.
This is your most important daily function.

Set aside time every day, implement SLL.
Do you phone clients on a regular bases, especially when you have a sales team.
Do you wonder why business from a client has dropped of, or increased, stop, think about.
Do you ask clients for feedback, I have a client that after every deal done, the client is contacted, yes hard work, not time consuming!!!!!,

When clients become a pain, you have become arrogant, you are driven by your EGO, sure there are some clients you must fire, but you get my drift.
NEVER NEVER ever stop thinking about SLL

Till next time may the Force be with YOU

My Blog AUDIENCE

TO SME Owners

Hi it would be great of you to mail me on guywdaines@vodamail.co.za your title or if you are an sme owner, I will not put you on my mailing list unless you ok it.
The objective is for me to obtain a feel for my Audience, given that my blog is read world wide.
Thank you it will really help me focus on the type of blog content going forward, some research.

Negotiate a BETTER deal, how,
-When you win a deal,your client must also feel that they won
-Understand the different personality styles of those you are dealing with, analytical, amicable,expressive, driver/control freak-it helps big time.
-Have a willingness to accept disagreement
-Are you a good judge of character
-Make sure you have done your homework.

cool, hope this helps you.
Till next time may the Force be with You.

Yes YOU have a MENTOR

To SME Owners

We all have a mentor, if you think you do not need one read on, mentors can help you do great things, yes you must be honest with them and they must be honest and up front with you.

We learn every day, well we should if you are not, then you need to open your mind, there are new dynamics in every situation. When I was in my 30's I was so arrogant, it was my way or the highway, yes only with ten plus years business experience. But maturity can be learnt the hard way!!!!!!

Here is what a mentor can do for you,
- cut out the emotion, do a reality check, I love this one.
- they walk the walk and talk the talk
- they have been there and done it
- they add value too you
To name a few, go find a mentor that is there for the long haul, not just in and out.
cool
Till next time may the Force be with You.

World Cup RUGBY fever

To Sme Owners,

Many of you may be aware that from the 18th Sept to 30th Oct, the top rugby nations will take to the field to battle for the WORLD CUP. How does this relate to your Sme business, on our Supersport tv channel, they are running build up to the world cup, interviewing those players that have been there and done it.

They were asked "what does it take to win the world cup" Here are some of the comments, which are relative to our businesses.
- Be well organised both on and off the field of play.
- Be able to adapted
- Ensure consistency
- Have the right team/skills
- Have total belief
- Have structure
- Be smarter than opposition
- Have some luck.
COOL
Yes these are pro sportsman, but we are the pro business people, makes one THINK.

Till next time may the Force be with You.

As a MANAGER do you do-----

To SME Owners

I often here Sme owners, complain about their staff, many a time it is warranted, but, the trick is to obtain as much productivity from staff as possible, very ,very few staff are 100% on the ball, that's just business life happening.

Go implement the following and I am sure you will create a winning vibe.

-let you staff know what you expect from them, keep in simple
-give them the tools,and opportunity to perform,
-give them regular feedback on how they are doing(this is where most Sme owners fall down)
-coach, mentor them on two key areas where you believe they need to improve,
- REWARD them according to their CONTRIBUTION.

Guys, it is as simple as 1,2, 3, 4 5 step plan, enjoy.

Till next time may the Force be with you.

Your MIDDLE Managers

To SME Owners.

It is critical that the structure of your business involves, middle management/ supervisor level,
WHY, they play a very important role in your business processes and developing the staff they have report to them.
Yes we hear all the time, cut this level in your business, save costs this way, no, incorrect strategy.

Your middle level serve as a conduit for the free flow of ideas and information up and down the line.

Staff can and will do better if they believe you expect them to, being a control freak in counter
productive, but it is up to you if you want to work 6 days a week, 14 to 16hours a day.

By having middle management, it will test your own leadership style, good, we need great leaders in SME businesses to day.

So take time out , draw up the 5 KRA'S ( key responsibility areas) for your new middle management position

Till next time may the FORCE be with you..

Think you know your Clients

To SME Owners

Yes we all fall into thinking that we know our clients really well, but do we.
Have you got in place effective, ongoing plans and strategies for assessing clients and their needs.
- if not you could lose the upper hand when it comes to doing ongoing business with them.

- so as a SME owner how are you keeping in constant touch,
- what promotional plans have you in place to connect, what are the key TOUCH POINTS.

- which clients refer business to you
- how are your clients growing
- do you have a feel for your clients market, their opposition, their suppliers.
 YEP this is all important stuff, your competitors are fighting every day to take your clients away, simple English.

So go set up a system so you can be up to speed on YOUR CLIENTS.

Till next time may the Force be with you.

CONFRONTING REALITY

To SME Owners

- It is always a great way to look yourself in the mirror.

What position is you business currently in, are you losing clients, are staff being drama queens, have you got mavericks that do not work the system.

Then check out your LEADERSHIP STYLE, most of the issues in SME business today are due to owners not being on their game, they blame the economy, they blame the government (which government is always on their game!) they blame there staff, but you employed them.

Go check out what it really takes to take you business to different levels, I had a chat with a Sme owner recently, re staff, great staff equal a great business, he said, great staff adds up to higher overheads, staff costs, !!!!!, amazing.

Make sure your emotional IQ is a focus, are you a great motivator and mentor. COOL

Till next time my the FORCE be with you.

Something NEW

To SME Owners

Yep 6 months gone in 2015, ask yourself the following.

- What did you change in your business the past 6 months that will have an impact on the next 6 months in a positive way.

-Did you just do the same old stuff, which will get you the same old results, and will put undue pressure on you.

- What new things did you introduce into your business.
- Remember there are winners, loses and marginal players in your market, the trick, is to define in your terms how will you measure being a winner.

- look at the key changes you made, if you did not make any, big concern, see what the risks will be,
you are a risk taker, that's what makes you different. Go smash your opposition, but be humble, go do more thinking and research.

Till next time may the FORCE be with you.