Stand Out in Your Expertise and in the Marketplace
Stand Out in Your Expertise...and in the Marketplace
DFW Business Network helps business owners focus on their company's strengths and weakness and where both trends are heading.
We begin with a look at your business that focuses on where it is strong and where it may be weak.“Strong” can be stronger than you have been in the past. Your strength is trending upward and that is good. "Strong" can also mean no longer as strong as you once were. Your strength is trending down - not so good.
Similarly, a weakness can trend up or down.
* Which way is it moving?
* How fast is it moving/developing?
* Answer the followinh loaded question - which do you have control over?
* World markets and the economy: NO.
* Marketing and company culture: YES.
The up or down trends of your strengths and weakness must be tracked to determine and confirm the direction of your company.
Once you focus on the dynamics of the up or down trends of your strengths and weakness, pick goals that are just out of reach for both advancing the areas where you are strong and reducing the areas where you are weak. Set dates to achieve these modest, doable goals. These are your immediate targets. Track results.
Easiest way to implement.
Two areas of business you have control over (unlike market conditions, weather, etc.) are Marketing and Operations.
If operations are generally smooth and efficient but marketing is expensive and ineffective (a weakness), marketing is where to start. The dollar-for-dollar leveraging of internet marketing over other methods must be maximized. Design and implement a marketing plan that discards and avoids obsolete web strategies and uses the latest techniques. Track results Monday - Wednesday - Friday.
On the other hand, if marketing is effective but operations are inefficient and costly with average or above average absenteeism, operations is the place to start.
Ask yourself and then your team, “How did operations get the way they are?" Will this entail stepping on toes? Not necessarily. Make it clear to your team that you will not tolerate “he said/she said” finger pointing.
Keep the focus on (and move from day 1 to) the new possibilities that this program encourages.
Correcting operations is resolved through firmly controlled but no-repercussions, open discussion in preparation for re-training. Improving company culture is key to success in re-training. Only a robust company culture can head off, "We've heard this before... been there/done that."
The entire strategy must be a top-down understanding from the owner and managers that change happens from the ground up; not the other way around. The innovating and motivating changes that affect company culture can only be successful when built from the ground up, starting with employee ideas to make their environment comforting (not just comfortable) and friendly so that they enjoy being there day in, day out.
Improving culture begins that simply.
Keep in mind that improvement in the workplace environment must be maintained or it will slip back and re-infect morale.
At the same time, management's mind-set has to change, beginning with “what's in it for me”. The answer is a more pleasant environment and a more productive workforce.
Shine a public light on emphasizing educational and advancement opportunities for both management and employees equally. This will create enthusiasm at every level and enthusiasm is a force multiplier (Gen. Colin Powell)
In this way, two Game Plans are forged in either marketing or operations (or both), that focus on strengths and weakness and that dictate implementation.
Your first Game Plan builds on your company's strengths and advances them.
Your second Game Plan minimizes inherent weaknesses and reduces them.
Measure and track progress toward both these new goals - your immediate targets. Flexibly make adjustments as tracking indicates. As you reach these modest goals, set new ones.
Reward your teams meaningfully, not monetarily.
Promote from within whenever possible and let everyone know in a personal and fun way who made it happen and just as importantly, what they were up against.
Summary
* Focus on where you are strong and where you are weak.
* Implement two Game Plans that your focus dictates must be implemented. Track progress, celebrate small victories in meaningful ways.
* Set new goals. In this way meaningful sustainable change to a stronger company is achievable and doable.
What We Do
DFW Business Network helps business owners look at their company’s dynamics both in marketing and in operations. We begin with a results-oriented discussion that examines those dynamics to establish what strengths are trending up or down – what areas of weakness are trending down or up.
The end result is a game plan capitalizing on strengths and reducing inherent weakness in operations and in marketing.
This strategy is a top-down understanding from the owner and managers that change happens from the ground up; not the other way around – in your teams, in your culture, and most importantly, in your client experience.
Michael Eisner coined the phrase “the magic moment ” to describe the realization that more value is received than what was promised and expected. Internet innovator Tony Hsieh calls it “delivering happiness”.
When exceeding expectations is built into the process, into your business model, magic happens (or happiness is delivered) whether among staff in shipping, your call center, with your technicians, but most importantly during your client’s experience.
These plans help you stand out both in your expertise and in the marketplace. They help you respond to fast-moving changes in both consumer trends and in technology. They put you ahead of the curve called " ...what my competitors are already doing."
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