Q. How do you create
a team and motivate
employees to keep
working together?
You’ve got to have the
right people. It starts in
the hiring process. We
look for people who can
be team players. Look
for employees who ask
questions.
I’ve had interviews
where I’m asking questions and getting short
answers and nothing is
coming back the other
way. Look for people
who can come in and be
inquisitive. It’s going
beyond the resume.
Q. How do you get an
employee involved if they’re
having trouble fitting in?
It’s making them more
involved, asking them questions and putting them in situations. We have think-tank sessions, where we might have
three employees come in and
discuss current client needs.
It’s bringing them into conversations, making them involved and seeking out what
they think about things and
trying to get them to open up
and be comfortable.
Q. What is the benefit of
having the right team?
You’re going to have a superior product or service you’re
delivering to your customer.
You’re going to have increased
customer loyalty. You’re going
to have better and stronger
performance from the team.
Employees also enjoy doing
a good job and getting an ‘atta
boy’ or an ‘atta girl’ from customers.
Q. How do you create a relationship with the customer?
Being visible. There’s a lot
of potential as far as efficiency and increasing your business just by concentrating on
your customers and uncovering missed opportunities
with them. Every day when I
walk in, that’s the main thing
on my mind. You have to
understand that the customer
is the boss. There will be ups
and downs, but the strong
companies with the strong
customer loyalty that focus
on these things are the ones
that survive.
It’s back to doing what you
say you’re going to do. If you
quote a job for a customer
and have a deadline, you’re
making that promise that
you’re going to deliver something and the quality that
they’re expecting on the date
that they’re expecting.
You don’t want to oversimplify things, but simply, do
what you say you’re going to
do. There are so many companies that are going so fast and
have that ‘churn ’em and burn
’em’ mentality and are not
doing what they say they’re
going to do.
If you just slow down, take
care of your customers and
do what you say you’re going
to do, you will do well.
Q. What is the benefit of
creating those solid, trusting
relationships with clients?
When things get tough and
times get hard, that real dedication from your customer
and belief in you prevents
them from seeking out your
competition. That strong customer loyalty is going to help
you retain your customers
and going to afford you leads
for prospective new customers.
HOW TO REACH: Business Partner, (724) 864-9464 or www.businesspartner.com
