Shoots of recovery - what's the outlook?

The green shoots of recovery - such a lovely phrase, and one spread across the news of late to herald a drop in unemployment and the IMF predicting a 2.4% growth for the UK economy; apparently  the highest of any major European economy.   Sounds reassuring and encouraging, yet I wonder what the true impact of this for businesses and I suspect that some will benefit sooner and greater than others. 

Well, I've recently (unscientifically) tested my suspicions when networking, and so far the feedback is mixed.  Some feel that staff development and training is still viewed as a discretionary spend by some businesses, and proposals issued during last year are still awaiting approval, and may not achieve this until Spring.  Other anecdotal feedback about the procurement of services and technology would suggest this is a higher priority for some companies, though one hopes they invest in some training to maximise its use. 

So what can you do to get your business ready for those opportunities?  Here are 3 thoughts:

1.       Dust off your sales and marketing plan - if you've been conducting less marketing over recent periods, the chances are your plan needs to be reviewed and activities critiqued to ensure they will support growth

2.       Let people know your still here - similar to the sales and marketing plan, your previous customers may have had less to spend in the last few years, and your interaction with them may have decreased to reflect this.  If they are ready to buy again, don't assume that you are the only supplier they will contact

3.       Meeting demand - you may have downsized your team or diverged into other product or services to keep the business going.  If your old customers do come back or buy more, are you able to increase productivity or service an increase in customers and their needs?  Evaluate theses scenarios in advance and know how you will sustainably deliver this

It's a concern that if Britain is split on the recovery, those businesses that are still bunkering down are likely to miss. You've seen the motorway signs "is your car prepared for winter?" - ask yourself is your business prepared for the opportunities of 2014? 

Here's to a great year.

 John

John is a Director of Vector Resources Limited and helps businesses increase sales and improve sales performance.  Find out more at www.vector-resources.co.uk

From good to mediocre

I'm concerned about the potential decline of good customer service and customer experience.  It seems to me that mediocrity is becoming the new 'good' and I shudder to think what is now considered satisfactory.  Maybe it's my age or a generation thing; I'm sure my parent's generation said the same things in the past and probably still do.  However this is an important point and our routine experiences as customers appear to be getting worse. 

In some instances we almost applaud sales people who make eye contact and say hello, and continue to pay us attention throughout our interaction with them - surely this should be the base standard, yet its regularity is diminishing.  Is good customer service one American export that doesn't travel well?

One sector that stands out for me is retail; in particular supermarkets.  They have spent millions improving their product lines, rolling out online shopping, training staff to be extra helpful whilst you are shopping, and attracting talent to lead them.  I acknowledge that they do invest in their staff and their training - however training on its own is simply not enough.  Mary Kay suggested that every customer has a sign around their neck saying "make me feel important" - yet this seems far from how many treat us.

Whether it's the check out assistant who continues their conversation with a colleague whilst choosing the minimal amount of words to complete my transaction, or the sales person who disregards the answer I just shared and continues to try to close the sale using the same points like a mantra - we must expect and demand better.  If you are a retailer or a B2B sales person, surely demonstrating excellence in what you do must be an overriding goal, and something you would be proud of?

Maybe we need champions or managers to lead by example, or for business owners to clearly define their expectations and describe the desired customer experience - and importantly praise staff that they catch doing it right. There are so many things that we can do to make the experience for our customers memorable, and many actions carry no cost other than a bit of thought, effort and sincerity.  As my Nan used to say manners cost nothing, yet their value can mean a lot.

John is a Director of Vector Resources Limited and helps businesses increase sales and improve sales performance.  Find out more at www.vector-resources.co.uk