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By: Henning Schwinum, Co-Founder & Managing Parter of Vendux LLC  Image from Wikipedia Do you remember this movie scene from “Das Boot”? The submarine had sunk to the seabed, way deeper than it was built for, and then the crew was trying to raise it. Throughout the process, they were staring at the analog depth gauge, waiting for the needle to move. It started flickering at first, and when the needle moved for the first time, the crew was cheering. They knew that their situation had significantly improved. Moving the needle is an idiom that means to make a change that is noticeable, to modify something so that the effect is measurable. Most often, moving the needle is used in a positive sense, meaning to make progress toward a goal. The term became popular a few decades ago in the business world, where one of the fundamental questions is: How does one have an impact on the company? What is the measure of this impact? Business is definitely an environment where success for an individual employee and the company as a whole requires significant, noticeable, and positive achievement. Healthcare Success provides an example of what it means to move the needle as an employee: “People want to do a good job. And they want to be appreciated and recognized for hard work and accomplishments. But this is not about their growth potential or intelligence they bring to the job. To be appreciated—and for a strong organization to grow—people need to tune into where or how “they are moving the needle " When you move the needle, use the same gauge as the boss.” Lee Salz, a great voice in the world of sales, wrote about improvements because of learning: “When you read a book or attend a seminar, the objective isn’t to find a revolutionary selling approach that will monumentally change the way you sell. If you have that mindset, you’ll be disappointed when you find it doesn’t exist. Your goal should be to find tips, techniques, and strategies which move the needle of your sales game. Incremental improvements in each step of your selling process have a magical impact on your sales results.” Brian Evans, a top business journalist, provides insights into the direction the needle should move: “Information overload is a very real hazard when picking up a new … skill. ... A quick Google search will supply you with books, articles, webinars, and YouTube videos that all purport to have the best perspective. In the midst of this avalanche of information, the traditional advice is to just “do something.” Get the ball rolling and tweak your strategy from there. The thing is, it’s easy to move the needle—it’s harder to make sure it’s going in the right direction. You don’t simply want action. You want strategic action. You need to narrow down your options and choose a method you believe can see you to the finish.” At Microsoft, the term seems to be particularly popular. Raymond Chen: “The phrase move the needle is part of general business jargon, but it is very popular here at Microsoft. You need to know what it means, and more importantly, you need to be willing to throw it around yourself in order to sound more hip and with-it. In general business speak, move the needle means generates a reaction, but at Microsoft, it has the more general sense of provide a perceptible improvement.” Joe Sweeney, author of “Moving the Needle,” talks about the deliberate action plan required: “Moving the needle can happen every day in our lives. You have to be committed to continuous improvement and also develop systems that help create game changers. It isn’t always that large order in business or the big promotion. You can do it when you learn to get quiet, get centered, enjoy simple things in your life and take pleasure in experiencing special moments that life presents to us.” The common thread? The needle does not move itself. Contact us if you would like to find out how a fractional or interim sales leader can move the needle in your business. __________________ Healthcare Success – How Are You Moving the Needle in Your Organization? Brian Evans – If You’re Working to Move the Needle, Make Sure It’s the Right One Raymond Chen – Microspeak: move the needle Joe Sweeney – Moving the Needle
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By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions  Image by pressfoto on Freepik In today's fast-paced and often chaotic world, finding serenity can feel like an elusive goal. The constant barrage of information, the demands of modern life, and the ever-increasing pace of technology can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from our inner sense of calm. But finding serenity is not a distant dream; it's a state of being that we can cultivate and nurture, So, here are some techniques that help me tremendously. I'm sharing them with you, hoping they can also help you. 1. Practice the 5-Senses Grounding Technique When I’m too excited about something or am stressed out, and my brain is going 90 mph, practicing these grounding techniques helps me. I’ll find a quiet space to focus intently on these five steps, moving slowly from one to the next.
You’ll hopefully feel calmer and more present in your circumstances when you finish. 2. Share Your Life with Friends If you’re anything like me, I work from home with no one but my dogs to keep me company during the day. The isolation can sometimes get to me. Since I am an external processor, I make it a point to reach out and share my life with friends to have in-depth, authentic conversations. Doing so helps me to stay more centered. And even in times of excitement, sharing your recent experiences with friends can be fun. That can even uplift them! 3. Practice Journaling I’ve been journaling since my late 20s, and it has been my lifeline. If you have a myriad of emotions you’re experiencing, working through those with pen and paper can be therapeutic. It’s certainly been that way for me. And there’s proof of how powerful journaling can be. Studies show that journaling can reduce the adverse effects of stress, decrease the symptoms of chronic health conditions, improve clarity, and help with problem-solving. If you’re unsure how to start, there’s no set formula. Just start! You don’t have to think about what you’re going to say. Just let the words flow. I hope these tips will help you reduce your stress levels. If you have a chance to try them out, I’d love to hear how they worked for you! # # # Speaking of stress, are you facing challenges in your organization that seem unsolvable? That’s where I love to come in! As a business transformation expert, I enjoy helping organizations solve their most pressing problems. If you’re interested in learning more, I’d love to hop on a quick phone or Zoom call to help point you in the right direction. Click the button below to get started! By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions  Photo by Roselyn Tirado on Unsplash With all the uncertainty many businesses are facing in today’s post-pandemic world, organizations are looking at ways to improve their bottom lines, especially if they can do it themselves. One great way to do that is to streamline business processes; however, many of these same organizations don’t know what tools to use for going about this, outside of hiring a consultant. If that’s you, then check this out the following list of 10 DIY steps for streamlining how your team accomplishes work. 1. Choose the Process Improvement (PI) Project Decide where you want to start. Tackling a smaller project at first is a good idea, particularly if your staff doesn’t have the bandwidth or PI experience. Otherwise, you can choose a more challenging project. 2. Define & Document Project Scope Determine the plan for improving the process and the timeframe you want to accomplish it in. Define it in as much detail as possible to prevent scope creep. 3. Map the Process Bring together your Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to document the workflow based on the “Current State” of the process. It’s important to have someone facilitate this activity who is experienced in process mapping; otherwise, the basis of your whole project could be built on a faulty foundation. 4. Estimate Process & Cycle Times Estimate time frames and costs associated with the steps in the process. This is done to highlight areas where inefficiencies exist and unnecessary resources are being utilized. 5. Review the Process Map Do this to ensure accuracy and completeness of the map, making sure that the process matches reality. The end goal is to get buy-in from your SMEs. 6. Improve the Process Look at each section of the map to identify problems. The team needs to brainstorm and determine the most efficient way to perform the process that results in the most ideal outcomes for the customer. It’s also good to look at whether another person or team can more efficiently perform certain steps. 7. Develop Metrics, Controls & Tools Determine areas you want to measure and create metrics around those areas. Develop tools and documentation to support the process, and develop a plan to control/prevent process deviations. 8. Test & Revise the Process “Try Storm” the process. Take a mock run through to see if it functions as intended. If it doesn’t, make adjustments so the work will flow as intended. 9. Prep for Process Roll-Out Do these three things to ensure a successful roll-out and better process adoption:
10. Drive an Organizational Continuous Improvement Mindset Create an expectation in the organization that you’ll continue to improve processes on a regular basis. It’s definitely not a one-time event, and driving CI starts at the top! For those of you who would like to download an infographic of these same steps, click here. # # # How many of you, after reading this list, are thinking that there’s no way you can undertake this on your own, without outside help? Perhaps there are some of you who might be a bit mind-blown like Aston Kutcher in this video, when you think about trying to do this on your own. Then consider this--as a process improvement expert, that’s right up my alley! I’d love to hear all about your challenges and help you brainstorm solutions. If that sounds good, click the button below to schedule a chat! By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions  Image by Dragana_Gordic on Freepik Today's businesses face many challenges, including how to provide top-tier customer service. This reality is especially true due to the current labor shortage of qualified customer service agents. In light of this fact, what steps can companies take to elevate their customer service capabilities? One shining example is the pet care company Chewy. I recently had one of the best customer journeys I've had in a long time, and my experience with them serves as the inspiration and case study for today's blog. Here are three things that Chewy does with excellence that if all businesses would do, they'd reap incredible benefits: 1. Notify Customers of Actions You Plan to Take When I ordered some dog food several months ago from Chewy, I forgot to cancel my auto-ship feature with them. I realized this when I received an email letting me know Chewy planned to auto-ship a bag of dog food the next day. This would have been a simple fix if I had read that email the day I received it, but I didn't. So, the next day, I received a notification that Chewy had shipped my order. If I hadn't seen the notifications, I would have never known there was a problem in the first place until the box showed up on my front doorstep. 2. Make it Easy and Enjoyable for Your Customers to Get Help After discovering this news, I pulled up their app on my phone. I was happy to find Chewy's phone number displayed right at the top, making contacting Chewy simple. After I clicked on the number, their phone system immediately connected me with a super personable and fun-to-talk-to agent. 3. Fix the Problem Until Your Customer is Satisfied Within a matter of minutes, the rep had cheerfully canceled my auto-ship, refunded my money, and told me that if he didn't catch the auto-ship in time and I didn't need it, I should donate the $43 bag of dog food to a shelter. There was no need to return it or pay for it. He did a great job solving my problem quickly and to my satisfaction, and it was all accomplished in 5 - 10 minutes. I was delighted with the result! One More Bonus Point… A common thread throughout my positive experience with Chewy made it possible: their current workflow automation platform. It fuels their ability to satisfy their customers highly. The right tool can certainly do that! But, the right workflow automation platform can also help offset the challenge associated with labor shortages of qualified agents or other employees. How is this possible? I'm glad you asked! When a company can consistently help customers more quickly (like Chewy does), productivity can increase significantly, decreasing the need for more representatives. This capability can allow organizations to provide more amazing customer experiences through their current staff. And who wouldn't want that? # # # One great way to better serve customers and prospects is to have a robust CRM that can perform traditional functions, like contact management. But wouldn't it be even better to have expanded marketing and sales functions, such as automated onboarding of customers and facilitating their retention, email and SMS marketing, Kajabi-type training, a website builder, capabilities similar to ClickFunnels and Calendly, and content AI generation at ~$0.50 for a typical blog? These attributes are just the tip of the iceberg of what this CRM can do and at a fraction of the cost of similar platforms! If this sounds intriguing and you want to learn more, click the below button to schedule a chat! By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions  Image by rawpixel on Freepik Many business leaders are unsure of the best strategies to take their businesses to the next level. One outstanding approach is through digital transformation. If you’re looking to kickstart your journey into the digital world, here are three game-changing strategies that will help you take the leap towards a more efficient and profitable future: 1. Embrace the Idea of AI and Automation With digital transformation becoming necessary in today's fast-paced world, integrating AI and automation is one of the best approaches to staying ahead of the game. These cutting-edge technologies have the potential to revolutionize your business operations, streamline processes, and save you both time and money. From automated customer support to data analysis, AI and automation can supercharge your productivity while reducing costs. 2. Identify the Best Applications for Your Business Not all digital tools are created equal. To ensure success on your transformative journey, it's crucial that you identify the best applications for your specific needs. Whether you're optimizing supply chain management or enhancing communication channels with customers, choosing solutions tailored to your industry will maximize your efforts' impact. Start by determining the greatest need in your business and do your research to find the best fit, including talking to digital transformation experts and trusted partners to see what they recommend. Carry out this approach while keeping the following strategy in mind. 3. Start Small but Think Big Digital transformation doesn't happen overnight; it's a process that requires time and commitment. Begin by implementing small organizational changes that align with your long-term goals. By starting small but thinking big, you can gradually integrate new technologies into different areas of your business. This approach allows for smoother transitions and ensures a better adoption rate among employees. Additionally, witnessing early wins will motivate everyone to embrace further changes enthusiastically. The power of digital transformation cannot be understated. By taking the leap to integrate the right digital tools into your organization, you will chart a path to saving money, improving efficiency, increasing productivity, and ultimately driving revenue growth. And who doesn’t want that? Speaking of saving money, many of you are aware of Michael Cantu's and my book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation. If you haven't had a chance to purchase it yet, I've got a deal for you! For September, I've reduced the price of the e-book and paperback. The e-book's price is $7.97 on various outlets, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The paperback is discounted on Amazon only for $11.97. In both cases, that’s a 20% discount! If you’re interested in purchasing the book, click the button below. |
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