business tips

Don't use an email address from your Internet Provider

February 17, 2010

Don't deprive yourself of competitive options available to you or your business.

If you have a domain name IE: mycompany.com, use email addresses with that domain name IE: sales@mycompany.com.

Why? If you choose to use the domain name from your Internet provider IE: info@telus.net or sales@shaw.ca etc, you may be locking yourself into that Internet provider because of the effort required to change email addresses if you do want to change your Internet provider.

You may have email addresses printed on business cards, letterhead, flyers, newspaper etc and changing email addresses is often tougher than changing your telephone number.

If you don't have a domain name and see no reason to have one, use email addresses from providers where changing your Internet provider won't affect you. You could, for instance use Google's email like mycompany@gmail.com. I don't recommend the hotmail or yahoo email options because they have attracted millions of users and as a result they seem to produce more viruses and junk mail than gmail does.

Another great option would be to get an email address thru this domain Perhaps mycompany@castlegar.net (only $20 per year) would be a good solution.

You will now find that there are Internet providers in town other than Telus and Shaw and you may find that their service is as good or often better and their no-contract prices are very competitive by comparison. Also you would not expose yourself or your company to ETF (Early Termination Fees) from the major Internet suppliers that often apply to get the best prices.

Dale Monrad, Webmaster
Castlegar.net

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ConnectIT e-news Daily
30 April, 2007
By Debbie Bermont

Seven reasons to say no to new business

If your company is dependent on larger sales from fewer customers, then you could put yourself at financial risk by taking on the wrong customer. One of the most common mistakes business owners make is to accept money from anyone who is willing to pay for their product or service -- even if the customer is not the ideal fit for their business. Whether you're a startup or a large corporation, taking on a new customer who doesn't match your ideal customer profile can be a big mistake. Here are seven situations that indicate you should say no to new business. If you don't heed this advice on when you should turn down new business you will be in serious danger of having a database of customers that can take your business into bankruptcy.

#1: Your gut instinct says no.
This reason is at the top of the list. Your gut instinct or intuition is the most powerful weapon you own that is always correct & even if it isn't always a logical thought. You should never ignore a nagging feeling something isn't right. When you hear that little voice inside telling you to turn away the new business you should follow it or you could regret your decision later. Here's a common scenario that raises the gut instinct red flag. You're sitting in a new business meeting and everything on the surface seems to be going well but you can't ignore a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You can't put your finger on it but you know something just isn't right and you feel you're not seeing the whole truth. Then your head gets in the way. Your rational voice talks you out of those feelings and instead you dismiss your instincts as ridiculous so you take on the new customer. Ultimately that customer doesn't pay their bills or makes unreasonable demands which take away any profits you could make on the deal. You then realize you should have listened to your original gut instinct. Sometimes there doesn't have to even be a logical explanation why you don't trust the situation. Just remember that if you get that inner message don't let financial greed talk you out of your first impression. Whether you're a business owner, a sales professional, or a corporate executive, your gut instinct is the best resource you have. Listen to it at all times.

#2: The customer does not appreciate the value of what you offer.
While some people make decisions based upon price, the most profitable business for your company will be from customers who appreciate the value of what you offer. Value could include your expertise, credibility, service, knowledge, reliability, and guarantee. Anybody who selects your company based on price alone views you as a commodity, not a valued service. A disloyal customer who is more concerned with price rather than value will switch very readily to any competitor who will undercut your price. Your chances are greatly diminished for repeat business from a customer who doesn't appreciate the value of your products or services.

#3: The customer expects you to invest time and resources into pursuing their business without any financial commitment on their end.
Anyone who is just shopping around and is looking for free advice is not going to be a good customer. You should determine how much time and energy you are willing to spend for free before you ask the prospect to make a commitment. Giving away products or services for free before the prospect makes any financial commitment diminishes the value of your company. It also raises the level of what they expect you to deliver beyond what you would normally offer for a specific price because they have already received something from you for free.

#4: The customer does not treat you in a courteous or professional manner.
Profitable business is based on strong relationships between you and your customer. This doesn't mean your customer has to be your best friend, but in essence your best customers will be those who respect and value your professionalism. Anybody who constantly questions your recommendations, nit-picks at your pricing, or questions your credibility or judgment, is not interested in developing a long term relationship with your business. There is no opportunity for trust here. Your business is being viewed as a commodity and the customer is clearly showing they do not value your business or want to establish a long-term relationship.

#5: The customer asks for products or services you don't provide.
There are times when someone will approach your business for products and services you already provide and will also request additional products or services you don't already provide. They value your relationship and ask you if you would be willing to venture out into new opportunities. If this new opportunity is a stretch on your capital resources or your existing operational structure, or it is not congruent with the mission of your company, it is best to decline this business. Before you instantly accept a new challenge and opportunity make sure it will not stretch your resources and develop into more headaches than successes for your company.

#6: The customer's requests are too large for your operation.
If a company approaches you to provide something that stretches beyond your current capabilities to produce, consider the cost to expand your operations versus the profit potential. Take into account any new capital expenditures, additional employees, training expenses, material costs, and the opportunity costs of other business lost while you are meeting the needs of this new customer. Controlled growth for your company is more manageable and typically more profitable than a large increase in business within a short time frame if you are not currently set up to manage that quick growth.

#7: The customer does not share the same values as you.
The right customer for you is someone who shares your values. It will be very apparent by the manner in which the customer treats you if you share common values. Don't lose sight of your company's mission and values even if it means turning down potential business. When you compromise your values to pick up new business it will not result in profitable business for your company in the long run.

© Source Communications 2007 Debbie Bermont is president of Source Communications, a marketing consulting firm. Debbie is a leading expert on helping businesses reduce their marketing costs and accelerating their sales growth. For more information go to www.outrageousbusinessgrowth.com or call (619) 291-6951.

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BILL GATES' SPEECH TO A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS Bill Gates' speech, love him or hate him, he comes pretty close to hitting the nail on the head with this! To anyone with kids of any age, or anyone who has ever been a kid, here's some advice Bill Gates recently dished out at a high school speech about 11 things they did not learn in school. He talked about how feel-good politically correct teachings has created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept has set them up for failure in the real world. Here's what he said: Rule 1: Life is not fair-get used to it. Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3: You will NOT make 40 Thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone, until you earn both. Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure. Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping - they called it opportunity. Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. You have to do that on your own time. Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

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DON’T HIDE BEHIND THE EASE OF E-MAIL E-mail has become one of the most pervasive and effective communication tools for today’s small businesses. Almost everyone working in a business these days has access to e-mail and uses it regularly to keep in touch with customers, suppliers and co-workers. However, increasing numbers of people are using e-mail as a means of avoiding communication, rather than enhancing it. Let me give you some of the more common examples. A sales-person trying to drum up new business stops cold-calling and relies completely on e-mail for prospecting. A customer service rep receives a complaint from a customer, and instead of speaking to that customer on the phone or in person, avoids direct contact and sends an e-mail response instead. A supervisor is having problems with an employee’s performance, and rather than sitting down with the employee to discuss the situation, sends the employee an e-mail when his or her cubicle is just 10 feet away. A supplier submits a proposal as requested, then receives a standard rejection by e-mail, after normal business hours, instead of a personal phone call. In today’s technology-obsessed work, we need to remind ourselves that face-to-face or voice-to-voice communications are still more effective - from a communication standpoint - than electronic communications. Why? Because they provide the opportunity for two-way communication, clarification and - most important - relationship building. E-mail has its place, of course, it’s great for following up after an initial contact. It’s ideal for sending proposals or quotes or specs on a project. It works well for standard information or notices. But it isn’t suited to every situation. And it shouldn’t be used as a crutch to avoid conflict or unpleasant tasks, or to shirk responsibilities. Used in the right way, e-mail can help boost sales, enhance customer service, improve staff productivity and make your business more cost-efficient. Used in the wrong way, however, it will have the opposite effects! (Original article appeared in the Costco Connection (Sept/Oct 2003) preprinted with permission of author Wayne Forster, Halifax based international speaker) Email: wf@wayneforster.com

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