The first step is to set up a grid to lay out your day based on minutes. Write down each activity and how many minutes you think it should take - and I mean EVERY activity. Then write down the time (if there is one) that has been assigned to that task or activity. Now, add the minutes most of us forget about when jotting things in our calendars - the time it takes you to travel to and from appointments, the fifteen minutes it takes your food to arrive at the restaurant before you really start your hour-long business meeting, the ten minutes it takes you to stop at the post office on your way home from the meeting . . . well, you get the point. Below is an example of what this might look like (note that all the items in black are the scheduled activities - which are usually what end up being recorded in your calendar):

If you took these same tasks and slotted them into a typical day timer, it would look like this.

9:30 - 10:30       Staff meeting
10:30 - 10:45     Coffee break
12:15 - 1:15      Lunch with client
2:00 - 2:30         Meeting with Joe
2:45 - 3:00         Coffee break
3:00 - 3:15         Meeting with Jan
3:30 - 4:15         Meet with lease company

That doesn't look like a very busy day, does it? Now, look at all the other tasks (marked in red) and try to slide them into the remaining chunks of time. If you look at your minute chart more closely however, you'll see that your meeting with the client which you've scheduled for an hour, in reality takes almost two hours once you include travel and eating time in addition to the hour meeting. That means you'll barely be back in time for your meeting with Joe - even though on paper, it looks like you have plenty of time. And, you've scheduled your meeting with the lease company toward the end of the day and it's 10 minutes away from your office. Will you then come back to the office for 40 minutes, and how productive will you be at the end of the day? Which of your tasks can you slide into that 40 minute slot?

Based on this minute chart and your 480 spendable minutes, you will get to the end of this day with no minutes to spare. That doesn't take into account meetings that go longer than anticipated, longer travel times due to unexpected delays, long line-ups at the store, or your tasks taking longer than you think they will. In all likelihood, this would have ended up being a very stressful day, even though on your calendar it didn't look like a very busy day at all.

Here are a few tips on how to make your minutes more efficient:

Group errands together whenever possible. You have three separate errands on your minute chart, allotting travel time for each of them. If you can do them when you're already out (before or after your lunch with client) and find a location where you can do all three of those errands within a close proximity, you can save yourself a lot of time.

Schedule tasks just as you would meetings. In your calendar, you should block off the time required to do each task. Writing your corporate proposal will take an hour - which hour in your day will you use? If you assign a time to it, you're more likely to commit the time to getting it done and stay on track.

Keep meetings on track. You've got four meetings scheduled in this day. Make sure that you stick to the time you've allotted, or you'll be in trouble. If it is necessary for the meeting to go longer - you may have to reschedule something else, or organize a follow up meeting.

Adjust as you go. When you've spent more than your allotted number of minutes on any particular task or activity, make sure you adjust the rest of your day accordingly. With no minutes to spare, it will be impossible to get everything done if even one thing goes longer than expected. Or, you'll be working later than you want to! At the beginning of the day, mark each task that is urgent, or time-sensitive so that you can quickly see which tasks could be rescheduled to the next day if necessary.

If you've struggled with managing your time in the past, give this model a try and see whether becoming more aware of your minutes helps you to gain control of a chaotic schedule.

Top

Look for opportunities to shine

An employee who wants to impress the boss is always on the lookout for ways to go above and beyond. Getting the report done three days before it's due, taking on extra duties, staying late to get the project finished, offering to pitch in with a co-worker even though they don't have to - these are ways in which a motivated employee seeks to gain the favour of their employer. It's not so different with your customers. Do you look for ways to go above and beyond? Do you give them more than what they expect - even more than what they've paid for? Do you get things done on time, or even ahead of schedule? Do you provide perks and bonuses or things that add value to your product or service. Just like an employer, your customers notice when you are making an effort to provide exceptional service, and, just like an employer, they will reward you for your efforts.

Accept responsibility for your mistakes

A smart employee always takes responsibility for his or her performance. Making mistakes is a human dynamic none of us can escape - so those who are wise don't try. An employer tends to be much more forgiving to an employee who comes clean when they've blown it, than to one who lies, blames others, or tries every trick in the book to get out of it. The same goes for your customers. They're smart and they know when you've made a mistake and are trying to cover it up. Your boss would likely fire you for making a big mistake and trying to sweep it under the rug. Your customers can fire you too! If they ever find out they've been deceived or lied to, they will never come back. Chances are, they'll also tell their friends never to hire you either! Be upfront and honest and offer to put things right, and you will prove that you are worthy of their loyalty.

Show initiative

An employee who wants to be seen as exceptional, will show initiative in every aspect of their job. They'll watch how things work and make suggestions for improvement. They'll look for ways to make their work more efficient. They'll take on challenges they may feel unqualified for. They'll work harder than anyone else on the team. Those kinds of employees get bonuses, raises and promotions. Do you show initiative with your customers? Are you constantly looking for ways to improve your service to them? Are you willing to say yes more than you say no? Your customers' way of giving you a raise or promotion is to remain loyal and to refer you to others. 

Ask for feedback

An exceptional employee is regularly checking in with the boss to see how they're doing. They take everything the boss says seriously, and work hard to improve any areas that he or she points out are lacking. They ask questions about their performance, and demonstrate a willingness to change. When was the last time you asked your customers about anything? Have you sent out a customer service survey asking them how you're doing? Have you taken their suggestions seriously and looked at whether improvements can be made? The only way you can find out whether you are performing to their standards, is to ask them. You can assume you're doing OK, but until you ask you really have no idea. Just like a boss feels positive toward an employee who seeks their input on performance, a customer also feels that way toward businesses that ask them their opinions on how they can improve.

The next time you're tempted to complain about a customer, cut corners, fudge a little, or be lazy, imagine that customer holding your paycheck in their hand. What you do makes a difference as to whether you're going to continue to receive that paycheck. Your customer is your boss - start thinking like that and watch how things change - for the better!

Top

Get People Talking About Your Business
Nothing works better to excite consumers to give you a try than someone else writing about your business (especially in glowing terms). Just today I went for lunch with a business colleague to try a new Sri Lankan restaurant. His wife had experienced a wonderful lunch there and he was dying to try it for himself. We arrived at 11:45am with much anticipation and were delighted that we had arrived early and that there were plenty of seats left. Unfortunately our elation was short lived when we realized that every single table had a reserved sign on it! The server apologized most profusely and told us that a few days ago the local newspaper had run a story on them and reviewed their food. The review had been excellent and since then they had been run off their feet! Would an advertisement have had the same effect? I doubt it.

To get editorial coverage you have to provide the journalist with a story. It is no good just telling them you are having a sale, or have a new range of products. The story has to be something the newspaper's readers or the television station's viewers are going to be interested in. If the restaurant had opened with mediocre food nobody would have been interested, but the food (I am told!) is incredibly good and they are the first Sri Lankan restaurant in town.

Another example I came across recently is that of a counsellor opening a new practice, counselling people suffering from anorexia. That in itself is not necessarily newsworthy, but the fact that the counsellor experienced anorexia when she was young and recovered, became a nurse and subsequently a counsellor - what a great story! She has an innovative and more practical approach to helping people because of her own experiences.

So, editorial coverage is powerful and can bring you lots of business, but don't expect the journalist to find your story - you have to provide it, ready-wrapped! Once you do that, everyone will be talking about your business.

Become a magnet company by educating your market
Never before have our potential customers been so knowledgeable about the products or services we sell. The Internet has allowed people to educate themselves as never before. It is imperative therefore that our knowledge of what we sell is at very least equal to that of our customers. The challenge we face, however is that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing! Customers may be misinformed, have got information from a poor source, or perhaps from a website in another country. Whether they have some knowledge of what we sell or not, we need to educate our market ourselves. We need to tell our own story and illustrate the value of what we sell in our own way.

How do we do this? There are many ways, and each depends on what you're good at, or what you feel comfortable with. Here are just a few ideas.

Write an article -Local newspapers and magazines are always looking for something to fill their pages. Write a regular article on your industry, or the type of service you provide. I know a renovation company owner who wrote a regular column about home maintenance; it gave tips and advice. His knowledge drew people to his business.

Write (or have someone else write) a book - this is a longer term project but the rewards are massive. When you write a book your credibility rises sharply and both the press and customers will find their way to your door.

Hold a seminar - Rather than trying to reach your customers, get them to come to you; if you have knowledge that is useful to people, share it. I often  hold seminars on subjects such as writing business plans or proposals. I charge a modest fee and they are usually well attended. At the end of each seminar people invariably come up to me and ask whether I write business plans or proposals. After seeing how much goes into one, they've decided that they don't really have the time to do it themselves. In this way, my marketing actually pays for itself!

Create an informative booklet - this can be a quick and fun thing to do. You don't need to be a first-rate writer, although I would get a friend to edit it if you are unsure of your prowess in grammar and spelling! People are interested in gaining inside information about what you sell, and if you do it right, it can increase your credibility greatly. I came across a builder who produced a booklet with the title "10 Things You Should Ask Your Contractor Before Hiring Him". It was very successful in bringing him business as he obviously had answers many of his competitors didn't.

So, what's the bottom line? Be smarter in how you approach getting your message out. Get people to come to you. Get people to see you as the local expert. Have fun creating ways to get your message out there and become a magnet company!

Top