Lost and found

Chances are you’ve read numerous books and articles on what to do to succeed in business. However, knowing what not to do is even more important. For your company to be successful, be sure you’re not making any of these top 10 business mistakes.
 

Mistake #1

Prejudging your customers.
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but too often business owners prejudge their prospects and customers before ever talking with them. How many times have you met someone and thought, “I doubt he can afford my product,” “She looks like she’d be impossible to work with,” or “This person isn’t my ideal client”? Rather than prejudge and dismiss what could be your next best customer, suspend judgment and take the time to get to know each prospect.
 

Mistake #2

Taking too long to follow up.
If someone calls or emails to inquire about your products or services, how long does it take you to reply? Many business owners think it’s okay to reply within three days, but you really need to do it within 24 hours. After all, if they’re contacting you, they are likely contacting your competitors as well.
 

Mistake #3

Not working with someone because of imagined slights.
If someone is having a bad day, they may say or do things that you think are meant in a mean way. For example, a prospect may ask, “How did you get into this business?” But because of their demeanor that day, or because they’re rushed, or because of any number of other reasons, their question might come across to you as though they asked, “How did you of all people get into this business because you certainly don’t look smart enough to do this?” Never take anything a customer says or does as a personal attack. It usually isn’t.
 

Mistake #4

Making prospects and customers feel unimportant.
People want to know that they’re more than just another sale to you. They want to feel that you really care. For example, one business owner was stumped as to why one of the company’s best customers stopped buying. Finally she asked the customer what happened, and the customer explained that in the past the business owner had had always taken her out to lunch once per quarter, and they hadn’t done that for nearly six months. As a result, the customer felt that she no longer was important. Upon hearing this, the business owner promptly took the customer out to lunch, and she got a sale. Therefore, take an active interest in your customers. Remember their birthdays and anniversaries. Do whatever you can to make each customer feel special.

Mistake #5

Not letting your staff handle important issues.
When there’s an issue with a customer, can your staff take care of most of the situations? Or must everything wait for you to resolve it? When you make customers wait for you to get an issue resolved, you’re giving them extra time to stew over the situation and get angrier. Instead, give your staff the training and tools to handle whatever situation arises so they can make the customer happy right away. Remember, you want your customers to always leave happy and with all their issues resolved. That’s the best way to ensure repeat business.
 

Mistake #6

Being inflexible with your hours.
We all want life balance, but sometimes work is not a 9-5 job. You have to be flexible if you want to get the sale. That means if you have a good lead or a customer who is ready to spend money now, you may have to work late. So be open to returning phone calls after business hours or even meeting with a client on a weekend. You can balance it out by taking time off another day.
 

Mistake #7

Waiting too long to make an important decision.
In business, the speed at which you can make an important decision is critical to your success. Opportunities won’t wait until next month, next week, or even the next day. To prosper, you have to take action quickly. For example, if you interview someone who seems perfect, make an offer immediately. If you wait, another company will also think the person is perfect and hire them. Or, if you have an opportunity to sponsor an event at a good price, secure your spot. When you hem and haw over the ROI of the decision, by the time you make up your mind all the sponsorships could be bought. Trust your gut when it comes to decision–making; it’s usually right on.
 

Mistake #8

Making it impossible to find your contact information.
Make sure your contact information is easy to find. On your website, your phone number and email address need to be prominent on every page. Nothing frustrates customers more than wanting to contact you but not being able to because they can’t locate your phone number on your website or in your email signature. Even the most eager customer will eventually give up and call your competition simply because they made their contact information visible and easy to find.

Mistake #9

Using cheap marketing materials that make you look bad.
Your marketing materials tell a lot about your company—not just in the words on the page, but also in the overall look and feel of the piece. Take a good look at your current marketing materials. Do they look professional? Are there misspellings? Do they properly represent you? When your marketing materials look like an amateur created them, or when they’re riddled with errors, you send the message that you’re unprofessional and incapable of delivering quality work. Make sure your marketing materials present you in the best light.
 

Mistake #10

Being rigid with your contracts.
If your business uses a contract with customers, it’s definitely an important part of the transaction. However, just because it’s important doesn’t mean it can’t also be flexible. If someone requests a change to the contract, consider it. If it’s something small, give in to it. Realize that sometimes people just want to feel as though they’ve won—that they negotiated a good deal. So if the change they want is small and not that important to you, let them have it. And rather than give them more time to think about it while you reissue a new contract, allow them to simply handwrite in the change and initial it. The quicker the contract is executed, the sooner you’ll get the sale complete.

Pam Lontos is president of Pam Lontos Consulting. Pam consults with businesses, speakers and authors in the areas of marketing, publicity and speaking. Pam is a past vice president of sales for Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting where she raised sales 500 percent. She is the founder of PR/PR Public Relations and author of I See Your Name Everywhere: Leverage the Power of the Media to Grow Your Fame, Wealth and Success. www.PamLontos.com