The Flashpoints » Ask JK Harris

Ask JK Harris: Keeping Salespeople Motivated

admin — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:24:18 +0000

Q. We’ve got a good sales team, but keeping them motivated is a challenge. What do you suggest?

A. It’s not up to you to keep someone else motivated. In fact, you can’t motivate someone else. What you can and should do for your salespeople is to create an environment in which they find it easy to motivate themselves. Understand that people are motivated by different things—some are motivated by money, some by material gain, some by recognition, and the list goes on. Take the time to learn and respect what motivates each individual and then design a program that delivers those motivators.

Be sure all of your salespeople have goals—and that includes short-term, mid-range, and long-term goals—so that they can stay focused and directed. Work with them to set goals that are motivating for them as well as beneficial for the company.

Finally, even though you can’t motivate someone else, you do set the tone and the pace. Your team will only be as enthusiastic as you are and they’ll only move as fast as you do. Be a leader they can be excited about following.

Do you have a question for JK Harris? Visit www.AskJKHarris.com to submit your question or e-mail it to info@theflashpoints.com. If we use your question in a future newsletter, you’ll receive a complimentary autographed copy of Flashpoint: Seven Core Strategies for Rapid-Fire Business Growth.

Ask JK Harris: School newspaper ads

admin — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:30:33 +0000

Q. I’ve been asked to run an ad in my child’s school newspaper. Is this a good use of my marketing budget?

A. That depends. If your target market includes the students and teachers at your child’s school, then it could be. But in most cases, ads in school newspapers, yearbooks, and similar publications will not show a decent return on investment. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t place those ads. If you want to show your support for the school, buy the ad — but do it with the knowledge and understanding that what you’re really doing is making a donation to the school, not an investment in advertising.

Ask JK Harris: Introvert Entrepreneurs

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:19:51 +0000

Q. I’m an introvert. I know I have to network if I’m going to grow my company, but I hate it. I’d rather be in my office working. What do you suggest?

A. Welcome to my world! I’m an introvert. I’m happy spending long hours alone in my office, crunching numbers and doing strategic planning. When I’m not working, I’d much rather be at home reading a book by myself than at a party with a lot of people. But networking is an essential part of being in business today.

Even while I recognize the importance of networking, I question the value of events that more closely resemble speed-dating cocktail parties than opportunities for real business interactions. I recommend joining the civic and business groups your prospective customers belong to. Attend meetings and take your time getting to know people. Join your major industry association and attend its events so that you know what’s going on in your industry and among your competitors and suppliers. You can also network online, using social media outlets such as Facebook and LinkedIn—these are perfect networking vehicles for introverts.

As you consider the people who will staff your company, be sure to bring extroverts on board—people who will enjoy getting out there and doing the networking you don’t like to do. When it’s appropriate, make it part of their jobs descriptions and reimburse them for association memberships and other costs.

Do you have a question for JK Harris? Visit www.askJKHarris.com to submit your question, or send it to info@theflashpoints.com. If we use your question in a future newsletter, you’ll receive a free autographed copy of Flashpoint: Seven Core Strategies for Rapid-Fire Business Growth.

Ask JK Harris: Keeping up with Technology

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:39:45 +0000

Q. Technology is advancing so rapidly it’s hard for me to keep up. How to you stay on top of what you need for yourself and your company?

A. I don’t try to do it all myself, and you shouldn’t, either. Technology has driven huge changes in the way most companies operate and you have to be receptive to that. Pay attention to what’s going on in your industry and how your competitors and suppliers are using technology. You can learn a lot just talking to people over breakfast or lunch at a civic or business club meeting. But once you know the trends, let your IT team—whether that’s on your staff or you use a consultant–handle the details. Let them know your technology decisions must be based on good business sense and they should be prepared to make recommendations backed up with evidence of why it will be good for the company.

Ask JK Harris: Advice for Non-Profits

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:26:01 +0000

Question: Can I apply the business strategies in Flashpoint: Seven Core Strategies for Rapid-Fire Business Growth to a non-profit?

Answer: Absolutely! In fact, I highly recommend it. When it comes to operations, there is very little difference between a for-profit and a non-profit company. You need to market, you need to know your customer (donors and recipients of whatever your non-profit does), and you need to operate efficiently. The strategies in Flashpoint will work just as well for a non-profit of any size as they do for profit-making entities.

Ask JK Harris: Online Reputation Management

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:19:31 +0000

Question: We’ve had customers post complaints about us on the internet. In some cases, the complaints were accurate but we were trying to make it right. In others, the customer was wrong and put things online that weren’t true. How should we deal with negative things written about our company on the internet?

Answer: The internet has revolutionized the way smart companies hand public relations and image. Customer complaints posted on the internet—valid or not—don’t go away. You have to get more positive information about your company out there than the negative, and you need to do it in a way so the positive content will show up higher in search engine results than the negative.

When you see a complaint online, deal with it directly, as quickly as possible. Do your best to resolve it. But recognize that you won’t always be able to make every customer happy, and even if you are able to reach a solution that satisfies the customer, you may not be able to get the complaint removed.

I recommend that you get someone on your team, either a staff person or a consultant, who understands online reputation management and can develop and implement a strategy for dealing with what’s said about you online—and keep that strategy up to date. This isn’t a fix-it-and-forget-it process. It’s a constant battle and takes vigilance on your part.

At the same time, you need to develop a thick skin. When you’re in business, people will say unkind and untrue things about you and your company. Do the best you can to get the truth out there, but don’t let the attacks get to you personally.

Ask JK Harris: True Entrepreneur

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:15:47 +0000

Question: Do you agree that a “true” entrepreneur should start a business and then sell it when it is up and running after a couple of years?

Answer: Not necessarily. I call someone who does that a serial entrepreneur, which is what I am. I start or buy a business, get it running and profitable, and then I get bored and go looking for new challenges. Sometimes I sell those companies, sometimes I turn them over to a management team and continue to own them but am not active in the day-to-day operation. Not every entrepreneur does things the way I do. There are plenty of true entrepreneurs who start and build businesses that they continue to run for decades. Consider the family-owned companies that are kept in a family for generations—the people who start, inherit, and run those operations year after year are as much entrepreneurs as I am. They just have a different operating style.

Ask JK Harris: Responsibility & Entrepreneurship

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:12:22 +0000

Question: Sometimes I have a love/hate relationship with my company. I love owning the business, but sometimes I hate the responsibility. How do you cope with those feelings?

Answer: To use a cliché, when you own the company, the buck stops with you—every day, all the time, no matter what. If you can’t deal with that, you need to get a job. With that said, however, I also believe that as an entrepreneur, your most important responsibility is to take care of yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of your company.

Taking care of yourself includes making sure you are physically and emotionally healthy. Eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest, and see a doctor when you’re not feeling well. And if the stress is getting to you, don’t be embarrassed to get counseling. Most important is to make time for your family and friends. Relax and get away from the business with people you care about. Be available to them.

Another element of taking care of yourself is building a team that can run the business whether you are there or not. I understand that’s not likely to be the case in the start-up stage, but once your company is up and running, you should be able to take time off and know that things will be fine when you return. Take breaks so you can come back energized.

If you’re taking care of yourself but still having a problem with the responsibility that comes with business ownership, you might want to reconsider your position. You might be more suited to an executive or managerial place in someone else’s firm than owning your own.

Ask JK Harris: Debt Service

JK Harris — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:58:40 +0000

Question: Our company has accumulated a considerable amount of debt in the last couple of years. It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with the payments. Business is still okay and I think we can survive the recession, but the debt service is killing us. Any thoughts other than bankruptcy?

Answer: Bankruptcy should always be your option of last resort. Yes, you can use bankruptcy to reorganize and many companies have emerged from bankruptcy stronger than ever, but you should exhaust every other alternative first. Two strategies to consider are:

• Contact your creditors to see if they would be willing to renegotiate the terms of your debt. Most will be willing to reduce payments, extend due dates, and reduce interest rates if you ask.

• Negotiate a reduction of the debt. If you have access to any cash, contact your creditors and ask if they’ll accept a lower amount than what is owed as payment in full if you pay cash now or within a short period, such as 30-90 days.

With both of these strategies, know what you want before you contact the creditor. Don’t just call and say, “I’m having trouble, can you help?” Tell them specifically what you want and can handle. And be sure to get the agreement in writing.

Expect either of these strategies to have a negative impact on your credit rating, but it won’t be as bad as a total default or a bankruptcy.

Ask JK Harris: Automation and Staffing

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:49:05 +0000

Question: I’ve considered automating certain functions of my business, and one of the results is that it will reduce my staffing needs. That will save money and increase productivity, but it also means I’ll have to lay off good people who have been loyal employees. I don’t want to do that to these folks, especially now when it will be hard for them to find other jobs.

Answer: Sometimes you have to do things that are painful in the short-term to strengthen and grow your business for the long-term. It’s never easy to terminate people, especially when they’ve done nothing wrong. But your priority has to be the overall health of your company, because if you aren’t staying profitable, you can’t stay in business.

Be honest and compassionate about what you’re doing. Don’t try to keep it a secret—you won’t be able to, and you don’t want to give the rumor mill a chance to get going because people will always think things are worse than they truly are. When the time to make the terminations arrives, do it with care and respect, and offer as much support as you can in terms of outplacement counseling and other assistance.

The upside to this type of downsizing is that it gives you a chance to clean house, to get rid of people who are not a good fit for your company or who aren’t performing at the level you need. Of course, it’s a good idea to consult with an employment attorney before you begin the notification process to make sure that you are in compliance with all application laws.