14 Things Your Employees Are Dying to Hear from You
What were your last 10 or 15 employee exchanges like? Chances are they included phrases like “I need you to finish that job by the end of the day” or “How much longer do you think it’ll take to do that?” After all, you can’t run a business without addressing these types of issues. And chances are, unless they were delivered in a – shall we say – forceful tone of voice, your employees don’t mind hearing pertinent instructions and questions. So why does their morale seem to be drooping?
The problem might not be what you’re saying, but what you’re not saying. The good news is, with a few well-chosen words you can nurture employee relationships and help to enhance their engagement in your purpose.
Financial Planning for Those Who Hate To
Many “hands-on” employees and small-business owners are way more into the production, sales and distribution of their products or services than they are into the financial end of the business. They leave the tasks of managing money and paying bills to others; hopefully those who are honest and won’t get them in trouble.
The Best Defense Is a Solid Offense
Sitting back and watching your business shrink into oblivion is no option, especially when you’ve devoted a good portion of your life to making it this far. When faced with this type of situation you need to ask yourself, “What did I do to build up this business when I first started it? How did I get it off the ground? If I just opened it today what would I do to promote it?” Then go and do those things. Don’t ever think that you’ve been in the business so long that you are now entitled to kick back and not have to work as hard at building the business. It’s a never-ending battle. Those who become “too good for it” fail in the long term.
Run It like You Know How
It’s a common occurrence in our trade that the most-talented and highly skilled technicians at some point believe they can take on the monumental task of owning and operating their own automotive- or transmission-repair business. It’s a noble goal and often is attained by those who have enough drive and the ability to secure the necessary funding to get started. These men and women take a huge leap from being a highly skilled and qualified employee to an uncertain business owner.
The Essence of Leadership
What makes a leader great? It might not be the qualities you think. Serving others may just be the distinguishing quality of an excellent leader. Let’s look at nine service-oriented strategies that can help you take your crew to unprecedented levels of success.
When Does a Transmission or Auto-Service Business no Longer Need to Advertise?
Primarily, we cut back or quit advertising because at some point our egos tell us that we are so well known in our communities that people will just automatically come to us. That’s not true and never will be. Because we are a service business people look for us only when they need us, which for some is not very often. We are not “top of mind” like the pizzeria they call every week. When they need services like ours they have to look for them, and that usually happens when they are already in some type of trouble.
People Buy from People They Like
How likable are you? If others were going to comment on how you impressed them at your first meeting, what would they say? Might it be, “What a nice guy; I would really feel comfortable doing business with him”? Would the impression be neutral, meaning that there was no feeling generated at all, or would it be a negative in which the customer’s thinking, “I wouldn’t do business with him if he were giving it away for free”?
‘Catch-22’ Bureaucracy Gone Wild
The purpose of this article is to show you that in business and in life, even when you are 100% right you can still be wrong. So you’ll just have to bite the bullet sometimes and try to make it up somewhere else.
Rules to Live By in the Modern Business Climate
If you’re lucky enough to have your own shop or to work for a good business owner you might be able to scrape by on only that, but you might work yourself into an early grave. And, of course, if the job goes away, the money stops. It’s no way to live and no way to teach your children to live.
Anyone can make the leap to this form of entrepreneurship and, subsequently, financial freedom. Sure, you may have to learn new practical skills, but mostly it’s a matter of changing your mindset. Once you break free of “middle-class programming,” half the battle is won.
Here are 15 Universal Laws of Entrepreneurship for you to consider.
Sorry, My Mistake!
Mistakes are a fact of life. No matter how much you try, you can’t completely avoid making them. They can be costly but they shouldn’t cost you your customers if you handle them well. In fact, they can actually help to improve your shop’s effectiveness and reputation if you take great care whenever they occur.
‘We’re Number Two! And Proud of It!’
Sure, it sounds absurd to be proud of being number two, but although most of us pay lip service to our desire to be our customers’ first choice, our actions may say otherwise. Any time you don’t make the customer your top priority, you’re tacitly agreeing not to be their top priority. You cannot truly be number one until your customers are. Being number one really is a two-way street, and it’s not an easy street. You can’t coast your way to number one – and when you get there you have to work like crazy to stay on top because you then become the target for everyone else who wants to take that title from you. If you don’t pay close attention and maintain constant vigilance you can easily backslide to number two and worse.
Which Way out of Here?
Five survival tools that will help you lead your automotive business through the concrete jungle
Odds are you’ve watched one of television’s many popular survival reality shows. You know the type: A group of people are dropped into the wilderness far from civilization with only the clothes on their backs and perhaps a few other items. Then, it’s up to them to choose a leader to help them survive until they can reach safety or their time limit is up. Along the way, viewers are amazed by the tools they fashion to make survival possible: A fire-starting bow drill made of sticks, a fishing line made of shoelaces and a thorn, a water container made from a cactus or gourd, a frying pan made from a rock, and shelters made from trees, leaves and vines or even snow, just to name a few.
