Are You/ Your Business Customer Centric

Is customer service top of mind of your business and employees? With competition in all Industries being highly competitive what are you, your business and employees doing to differentiate yourself from your competition? Are you speaking with your employees to find out what is working and not working to be able to provide the stellar and WOW Customer Service Experience?

There are not many (if any) businesses that do not have another company offering the same or similar service/ product. What has differentiated the companies that have succeeded or failed? There have been small, medium and large companies that have failed due to lack of service, perceived service and bad reviews. When is the last time you ate at a Restaurant with one or 2 stars? Stayed at a Hotel with Bad Reviews? Invested in a Company that continued to get bad press? Or bought a product from a store that had bad service reviews?

So, what does customer service mean to you, your employees and your clients? Are you talking about customer service in your business? What are you providing your employees so that they can exceed their/yours/and the CLIENTS expectations? Are you all on the same page? Good customer service means different things to different people.

I recently did an exercise with a group looking at what customer service meant to us. I have included part of the list below. Please feel free to add what is important to you in the comment section.

• Knowledgeable
• Going above and beyond
• Connections (connect clients to people that will be beneficial for them to meet)
• Genuine
• Owning the Issue
• Honesty
• Dependable
• Setting Clear Expectations
• Putting yourself in their shoes
• Empathetic/ Sympathetic
• Under promise and over deliver
• Exceed expectations
• Kindness/ Courteous
• Responsive
• Proactive
• Provide solutions/ Know what is important to the client
• No surprises
• Clear communication
• Empowered to make decisions
• Do the right thing
• Thanking them for their business    
•  Finding out an answer if you are not in the know  (do not pretend to know 'everything') 

Generally consumers are willing to spend a few extra dollars for excellent customer service, and turn into repeat clients.

Good luck in becoming an ambassador in Customer Service.

“Customers may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel” – Unknown

Keep moving forward.

When you are ready to be unselfish, that is when you can think about being a parent*

There have been hundreds if not thousands of articles/ books written about what makes a good parent. The rules and what is good or bad keep changing. Remember when Time- Outs were good?! Well now they are supposedly bad for your child.

If you followed all the 'rules' of today you would drive yourself and everyone around you crazy. Your child may grow up expecting everything to be done for them, not understand that everything is not put on a silver plate, that there are winners and losers (in sport and in life).........Yet........they Will all be in touch with their feelings and have lots of trophies.

My belief (not saying it is correct) is there needs to be a 'happy' medium in talking out your feelings, and good old fashioned parenting. Let them know that they are not always going to make the team, they are not always going to win, respect is earned not given, they not always going to succeed even when they have done all they can, and on occasion a hiding is just around the corner.

I grew up when winning or losing in sport happened, you earned your trophies, you strived to be the best (knowing you were not always going to win) and if you did not listen or were disrespectful your behind was going too tattooed with your dads hand.

Kids receiving trophies just for participating I believe robs them of many valuable lessons. The goal is to have fun, try your hardest and hopefully win. If you lose you train harder, practice more and learn your limitations. I lost many matches against better players/teams, but every time I played against a better team/player my skill level improved, and I tried harder. The times I did get upset about losing were when I knew I (or the team I was playing in) could have won and I/we did not fulfill my/ our potential. Otherwise I practiced more to hopefully win the next match.

By receiving a trophy for participation what other lessons about life and themselves have they lost out on?!

Growing up with 3 brothers all over 6 ft. respect for our mom and dad (a lot smaller) was very important. We knew who the 'queen' of the house was, and if we ever disrespected the 'queen' we knew that there would be hell to pay. We also learned at an early age when my dad said no, to save your breath and not to carry on asking.

RESPECT from your children is extremely important. If you let your child talk to you in a disrespectful manner or swear at you, you are setting yourself up for many tough years. You are their parent first then their friend.

Respect for your children is also important. We grew up with no curfews (from age of 18 -when got drivers in South Africa), as our parents respected our judgement. I cannot recall any of us ever being grounded over the years. Our parents had our respect and we had earned theirs.

LOVE.....there is not a day that your child should feel unloved. There is a difference between like and love. You may not like your child's behavior (or them at a certain time) which you can let them know, but they should always know that your love is unconditional. To this day, I have never felt unloved by my folks. Did I get hidings, was I told no, did they not like me sometimes, sure, but did I ever think they did not love me.......Never.

Let them know that they are not always going to make the team, they not always going to win, respect is earned not given, you not always going to succeed even when you have done all you can, you don't always have to be the best, having fun is important, success takes time, nothing is free in life (besides maybe your love), spend only what you can afford, you going to have to work for your success, you don't have to be liked by everyone, people are not always going to see how brilliant you are, family is extremely important, and YOUR LOVE FOR THEM IS UNCONDITIONAL

Every child and parent is different. If you like time outs, talking out your feelings, the tattooed behind or whichever new age book is currently out that is your choice.
Good luck on your continued  learning journey of doing the hardest job in the world.

* You are never truly ready; however when you are ready to think of someone before yourself that is a good start

I'm Hiring New Clients

I'm hiring new clients! This is an unpaid job with great benefits

You will have peace of mind that I am looking out for your best interest, whether it’s for lending, accounts, credit, treasury or merchant. I'm looking for those who are looking for a Banking Relationship and not a one night stand (transactional based)

 I'm hiring clients that would like a banker that offers solutions that can benefit them, thinks outside of the box and is not a product pusher. I'm hiring clients that would like honest up front discussions, which are looking for a Banking relationship that is not transactional based and for a banker that will respond to their emails and phone calls in a timely manner.

If your current business banking relationship isn't working for you, I'm taking interviews for new clients!

Applying is free ....and includes coffee and a donut.

Although the above is light hearted, I understand the importance of a strong banking relationship and take my responsibilities of managing business relationships extremely serious.

With banks offering similar services it can get difficult to find that right relationship. I say relationship because that is how I believe it should be looked at. As a business owner you should be looking to your banker for more than just taking your deposits, and being an order taker. The term Trusted Advisor is currently being overused in the market, however that is how you should see your banker. You should feel comfortable speaking to them about your business, personal banking and business banking needs.

Your banker an extension of your business who has a team that can assist on the business and personal side and is there to make suggestions.

If a banker jumps in and tells you what they can do for you and how wonderful their bank is without finding out about you and your business that is your first warning sign. By not asking questions they are directing you to what they want and not what you need.

 Warning Signs it may be time to get a new banker or the banker is not the right fit:

• They do not ask questions about you and your business
• They keep telling you how great their bank is and continuously talk negatively of their competition
• They do not introduce you to their team
• They do not respond to your questions
• They sound like a salesman (should be looking to provide services that make your life easier, not just to increase your service cost)
• Only good thing they are offering you is interest rate

 They Should Be:

• Looking for opportunities to connect you with other business owners (not always possible)
• Introducing you to partners within Bank (e.g. Wealth Management)
• Providing you Articles about your industry or your personal interests you may find helpful
• Providing you solutions on your banking and credit needs. (e.g. Could be as simple as letting you know what the bank requires for you to get the increase in the line of credit, and making suggestions)
• Being available
• Asking questions about your business
• Bring suggestions to the ‘table’ without being asked

Choosing a banker and a bank is a big decision. Once you have narrowed down the banks and banker that fit your needs, ask yourself, “Would you mind being stuck at an airport with them?” or “Would you enjoy spending an evening out with them?” If the answer to the question is no, they may not be the right fit for you. Being comfortable and confident in your banker is equally important.


Please feel free to reach out with any questions or if you would like to apply for the position. – Currently offering Owner Occupied Commercial Real Estate Appraisal Fee Waiver (up to $5000 for Loans of $500 000 +) Promotion with FULL Relationship.
linkedin.com/in/ryanjoffe

Sales using Drip Irrigation Sales Technique

Drip irrigation. ... Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of many different plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters

Sorry I am not interested. Sorry, I am not looking to change. Sorry, I am happy where I am. Sorry, it is too much effort.…..anyone in sales has probably heard these phrases.

The technique of the old sprinkler style, spray everywhere, and hope all the trees, plants shrubs etc. get enough water to grow is constantly used. When you have high sales goal this technique may feel like the best and only way to make your goals. I recommend including drip irrigation sales with sprinkler style sales and having two lists. One list for your Sprinkler prospects and a second for your Drip Irrigation prospects.

Your drip irrigation list, is the ‘cream of the crop’ businesses you are looking to assist. The drip irrigation list is your long term prospects, where patience and dedication is a prerequisite. It may take years for you to win the business, however when they eventually choose to go with you, they will be clients for life.

I recently heard a sermon which resonated with me. He spoke about parents only bringing their children to their Place of Worship on the High Holidays. He emphasized that it is information overload for the children which could have a negative outcome.

His suggestion: Look to bring your children once a week, or once a month (whatever works for you) for an hour service and use the drip effect. The children will get more out of the experience, will have a more positive outlook on going to services, and not see it as a chore. (High Holiday services can be over 4 hrs.).

Remember not to overload your prospect with too much information, do not look to sell to them, do more listening than talking, and build rapport and trust. Sales is a relationship. Your prospect is going to have to like you if they are going to do business with you. (Character is very important) You are looking to build a long term relationship with the Drip Irrigation Technique, and not have a one night stand.

With your drip irrigation list you need to be patient yet consistent. Send relevant articles, invite them to events, wish them happy birthday etc. . Your goal is to make sure you are the first  call they make when they are ready to move/work with someone who has their interest at heart. Drip slowly to the roots, and don’t leave the water on the top of the soil.

Good luck with your Drip Irrigation List.

 "Constant dropping wears away stone."

Organizing a Golf Day

What we learnt in organizing our first Golf Day for our Networking Group.

My Co-Founder and I had been talking about putting a golf day together since we started our networking group, and this year we pulled the ‘trigger’ and hosted our First Annual Golf Day.

I do not think either of us realized the amount of work that it would take, and the saying, “I will build it they will come” was not going to work.

Our enthusiasm, belief in our group, people we knew and what we were looking to achieve drove us forward. We were excited to assist our community in making new connections and raising funds for a Non-for-Profit of our choosing.

Steps we took:

• Choose a course
• Decide on format
• Choose a day of the week
• Choose a non for profit
• Do a budget
• Get Players
• Get Sponsors
• Get silent auction items donated
• Get a caterer going with the theme (we decided not to use the course as had a 'theme')
• Get wine tasting at the 19th hole
• Did not get a committee to assist
• Get goodies for giveaway bags
• Get prizes for winners of competitions
• Make the day fun
• Competitions Explained  – side note pink ball competition a lot of fun

We did a good job with the Budget, as we knew what the golf would cost + all the additional costs and then worked backwards on how much we would like to charge. (Cost – charge = donation). We had also decided that we would like to keep the day affordable, which does reduce the amount you can raise. On the flip side, we had a company to sponsor the printing of the signs, thus all funds raised were going straight to the donations.

We used our resources in  getting hole sponsorship's, prizes for winners, goodies for the give away bag and most important a sponsorship for a Beer Keg  which was enjoyed by all participants.
In hindsight we would have done two things differently.  We would not have the event on a Friday, and we would ask our members to be part of a committee early in the process.

We had decided to have it  on a Friday, thinking we would get some out of Towners to play and spend the weekend in Chicago which did not materialize. We learnt that if people are going to take off early on a Friday, they generally would like to go home to their family and start their weekend. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are generally good days. (Don’t have it at the end of the month)
As we did not get a committee to assist from the start, all the above tasks fell to us to do which at times became daunting. Overall I believe we did very well, and we received very positive feedback with most participants informing us they will be back next year.

 A committee is a definite must. With a team you will be able to delegate responsibility for each committee member to get players, hole sponsorship's, items for goodie bags, prizes and silent auction items which would have taken lot of stress away. As one of our members stated while we were contacting our lists , “You guys are relentless!”

We both enjoy helping our community grow, and by being able to raise funds made the ups and downs of organizing the Golf Day extremely rewarding. Being our first Golf Day I can confidently say we both enjoyed the experience, and had a great time putting it together.

“This crowd has gone deadly silent, a Cinderella story outa nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the masters champion”-Spackler

A very big thank you to all our sponsors and attendees. Without your support and encouragement the day would have not been such a success. Thank you.

We are already looking forward to next year.

Road Blocks, Set-Backs and Happiness

If you are like the rest of us, you probably have had many roadblocks and set-backs to overcome in your personal and business life.
During the process of overcoming the roadblocks and set-backs what did you do to keep yourself happy, and moving forward?! It is easy to digress into depression when things do not go the way you had planned or envisioned.
Each obstacle I believe should be looked at as a lesson, and what can be learnt from it. If you do not learn from each set-back, and hopefully spin it into a positive you have lost an opportunity.
Don’t get me wrong we are all human (some of us at least) and will get upset and maybe a little depressed. However, the people who succeed are the ones who get out of the ‘funk’ the quickest, and keep moving forward.
In your career you may not even know that you are unhappy, yet your better half will (or close friends). My wife new before I did that it was time to move on from a specific company, as she saw my demeanor change which I was unaware of. My work unhappiness had crept into my home life, without me even realizing it. So I kept moving forward, and found a new opportunity which made me happy. I looked to learn from the experience, and hopefully won’t make the same mistakes again.

• Roadblock: Look for an alternative route. Have a mentor you can speak with, and bounce ideas off
• Set- Back: What can you learn from the situation? How can you turn the set-back into a win? Look at the bigger picture
• Always look to better yourself, and move forward
• Ask for help
• Don’t be afraid of two letters ……NO. If you do not ask, you will never know what could have been
• What makes you happy? (e.g. family, going for a walk, eating good food, travelling, working, gardening, golf etc.)
• Never lose sight that Family and Friends are very important
• Learn to ‘switch off’

I have thankfully reached happiness in my family life which I am always grateful for. This helps me in continuing to look to move forward* and better myself.

What makes you want to move forward?!

"If you want to go fast, go alone. IF you want to go far, go with others" African Proverb

*moving forward –For me it means bettering yourself and not giving up.

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way” Babe Ruth

Join us in Supporting Els For Autism Foundation

 

Join us in Celebrating South Africans in Illinois Networking Groups Golf Day Supporting the Els For Autism Foundation

Friday, August 26, 2016

Deerfield Golf Club & Learning Center

 

1201 Saunders, Riverwoods IL  60015 

 

Foursome - $540

Includes bucket of balls, golf, lunch, a traditional South African Braai/ BBQ dinner 

 

Individual - $145

Includes bucket of balls, golf, lunch, a traditional South African Braai/ BBQ dinner

 

 Dinner - $50

Includes traditional South African Braai/ BBQ dinner

 

 Schedule

 Registration:  11:00 am *Driving range/putting green open

  11:30 am (Box Lunch Available)

Shotgun Start:  1:00 pm SHARP!

 

Dinner/Silent Auction & Awards:  Immediately following 

CLICK TO REGISTER:

 

Questions: southafricansinillinois@gmail.com

Open to all Nationalities.