How Do You Handle Angry Customers on Social Media?

Upset or angry customers are a fact of life when you run a business.  No matter what you sell or what industry you are part of, things happen and people have bad days.  What's different now is that customers can express their feelings instantly to the widest possible audience through social media when they are angry with your brand.  Having a great response strategy will help you neutralize the negativity and possibly convert that angry customer in to a real fan.

Have a Plan - Take Pro-Active Steps
As always, planning is everything.  It is important that you have a plan and strategy in place BEFORE a customer takes to the internet or blogosphere.  Create a commenting policy for your blog and have it posted so that you'll have something to fall back on if you have to remove any comments.  All of your team members should be familiar with that policy as well as the procedure for dealing with angry customers or who they should call.

Listen for the Complaints
You cannot possibly respond to conversations that you don't see or know about.  Monitor your social media outlets, your blog, and Google Alerts (it's free!).  Depending on what your business is, you may want to monitor review sites such as Yelp too.  If there is a specific forum that your customers are fond of using, add that to your daily check list.  Your customers are talking whether or not you're listening.  Catching negative comments before they build momentum makes them much easier to deal with.  If you don't have the time to do this level of monitoring, you can assign it to your Virtual Administrative Assistant.

Evaluate
You will have to determine which negative remarks are worth a response.  Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and just move on.  Here are some situations to avoid:

• Complaints that are on very small blogs or forums.  Your response may actually bring more attention to something that would have faded away.
• Blatant attacks that are clearly rude or outrageous.  These are posts that anyone who reads it will see that the poster has a personal problem.
• Interacting with a known crackpot who is only looking to pick a fight.  If the same person complains repeatedly, no matter what you do, don't continue to engage that person online.

On the flip side, do not simply delete every negative comment that you see.  That just causes your community to question your credibility.  Keep your platform as a place for open dialouge as much as possible.  But DO delete comments that are offensive or threatening.

Engage Quickly
Immediately say sorry, whether or not it is your fault.  Offer an apology for their unsatisfactory experience and try to take the conversation off line as soon as possible.  The longer you wait to respond, the angrier the customer gets and the more likely that others will pile on with more negative buzz.  An example response is:

"Hi (customer name).  Thanks for getting in touch and sorry to hear about (issue or experience).  If you send along your email to help@xyz.com, we'll work with you to find a way to help with that problem."

Offer to make it right when you respond.  We all make mistakes, but customers remember how we fix them even more.

Speak Like a Person
Don't use a canned response to every online complaint.  Nothing makes people angrier than feeling like they are being treated like a number and not a real person.  Show empathy, communicate in a friendly tone, use their name, and use your name.  Often simply including a name or picture difuses the situation because the customer has a much harder time being rude to an individual as opposed to a nameless, faceless entity.

Never Get In To a Fight
Anytime you win an argument online, you've actually lost.  All customers remember is that you were combative to another customer who might have had a valid complaint.  They don't want to do business with someone they feel will not take their issues seriously.  Respond to the initial complaint, but don't get involved in a contentious back and forth.  Some things to remember when responding:

• Don't get emotional.
• It's a real person, just like you, on the other side of the complaint.
• The complaint may actually be doing you a favor by pointing out something that needs to be improved in your business.  How many customers felt the same way and just left without saying anything?

Respond On the Same Platform
If the complaint or negative comment came on Twitter, respond on Twitter.  Don't use email to respond to a facebook comment.  Noone will see the response if you post it somewhere else.  When you respond online and in public, you earn positive word of mouth.

Instant access to customers and information can be a double edged sword for businesses.  But with a little pre-planning and a solid strategy, you may be able to turn those angry customers in to loyal fans.

How do I become a Gmail Ninja?

Gmail is a fast growing platform for both business and personal emails.  Google has put together this great list of tips to help you become a Gmail Ninja!

Become a Gmail Ninja

If you don't have the time or inclination to set up these systems, assign the set up to your virtual administrative assistant.  Administrative Business Consulting is always working to get you back to the fun part of your business by helping you delegate the administrative tasks that eat up your day.  Contact us today!

What is a Webinar and How Can I Put One On?

Web conferencing is a service that allows meetings and events to be shared by users in remote locations.  Referred to as on-line workshops or webinars, these events can be used for:

• Meetings
• Training events
• Lectures
• Sharing information on new products and services
• Promoting your business

This dynamic and engaging platform helps you build an audience that will regard you as an expert in your field, as well as keeping your education and travel budgets down.  With a little bit of planning, you can integrate this tool in to your marketing plan.

Determine your format
There are several available formats for running a successful webinar.  Take a look at this table for tips on how to choose the right one for your presentation:

	Description	Pros	Cons
One Speaker	A single presenter speaks, demonstrates, and answers questions from the audience.	Fewer people to coordinate and train on the webinar tool.	Lone presenter is more likely to become authority at the “front of the room” which may create reluctance to ask questions.
Interview Style	Interviewer asks a set of predetermined questions.	·         More engaging to hear multiple voices. ·         Interviewer asking questions often encourages audience to do the same.	·         More people to train and coordinate. ·         Scheduling run-through and webinar may be more difficult.
Moderated Panel Discussion	Multiple people on the line at the same time, with a moderator facilitating the discussion.	Offers variety of voices and perspectives.	Can be challenging to keep panelists from only talking among themselves.
Interactive	Audience members participate fully via instructor-led exercises and facilitated discussions.	Participants receive deeper understanding of topic because they’re fully engaged in dialogue and exercises.	·         Can only accommodate a small group. ·         Requires experienced teacher/facilitator.

Fill Roles

Once you have determined the style, then you'll need to fill the appropriate support roles for the webinar.  Basic roles are:

• Organizer/facilitator - this will be the person who schedules the session, creates the visuals, invites the attendees, tracks the participants, and follows-up afterwards.  You can take this role on yourself, or delegate it out to your Virtual Administrative Assistant so you can concentrate on being the expert.
• Presenter/subject matter expert - you will generally be filling this role, but you can draw on others in your field for the interview or panel discussion style of webinar.
• Assistant - during the actual webinar, you need to have an assistant that will help it run smoothly.  That person will be answering technical/logistics questions, running the slide show, and gathering other information that the presenter will need.  Again, this is a perfect role for your Virtual Administrative Assistant.

Plan Your Visuals

Webinars are a platform that relies on audio and visual content to get your message across.  Instead of having text heavy slides, use interesting visuals that illustrate your topic.  Have an intro slide that shows log-in information as well as logistic information like how to ask questions.  If your are using one of the multi-presenter formats, have a slide that introduces all parties with pictures if available.  Include a brief overview of the agenda and topics that will be covered.  When you are going to be referencing web sites or tools, try to include live versions or screen shots of those things.  Use interactive exercises like polls and Q&A sessions to keep the audience engaged.  Remember, your audience will probably lose attention if your presentation is longer than 30-60 minutes so build your presentation accordingly.

Pick a Provider

There are many providers (and growing) for putting on webinars.  You can use services such as DimDim.com, Yugma.com, GoToWebinar.com, or any provider that you are comfortable with.  Things to keep in mind when deciding are:

• How many people will be accommodated
• Cost of the service
• Does it have the features you need
• How is the audio portion handled
• Can you record the session for future viewing

Once the provider is set, don't forget to practice at least once with all the presenters and your assistant to make sure you're familiar with the tool.  Don't make the actual webinar the first time you log-on and try it out.  You want to be seen as the professional and expert to your customers.

Schedule & Invite

Now you're ready to schedule the session and invite your attendees.  The most effective days for webinars is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during the afternoon.  Set yourself a goal for invitees and attendees remembering that most webinars achieve a 30% attendance rate.  Your invitation should be targeted, somewhat personal, and sent at least 3 times to be effective.  Promote your webinar through your website, social media outlets, and blog to reach the widest possible audience.  Have your autoresponder send a thank you email and registration confirmation to each participant that signs up.

Follow-up

Everyone that took the time to participate in your webinar trusted your advice on and was excited by the topic that you chose to speak about, don't let that opportunity pass you by.  Follow-up the webinar with some value added contact that will cement your name and business in the customer's mind.  You can send each participant a copy of your presentation with additional text and exercises, you can give them a free service such as a short consultation, or you can add them to an exclusive newsletter or website access list.  This is a great chore to outsource to your Virtual Administrative Assistant.

The marketplace is quickly changing and customers are always seeking a more personal connection with the businesses they frequent.  Webinars are an excellent way to build your following and your reputation as an expert in your field.  Take the opportunity to differentiate yourself from your competition and dive in to the wonderful world of webinars.

A Virtual Administrative Assistant Can be Your Productivity Partner

Small business owners often find themselves mired in administrative tasks the take them away from their true function as CEO of their company.  You might be spinning your wheels doing day-to-day tasks that need to be done, but don't generate any revenue for your business.  Hiring a good Virtual Administrative Assistant, like Administrative Business Consulting, can help move you from overwhelmed employee to super-productive CEO.

First you will need to determine what your core functions are.  What are the activities that

are billable, actually bring in revenue, or set your business up for growth in the future?  Those are the things you should be concentrating on, and you should be delegating the rest.

Many productivity management techniques recommend a "brain dump" activity. This is meant to be a time where you simply capture all of the items in your head and on your to-do list, either hand-written or typed. Those items can become task lists, calendar appointments, or project folders.  A Virtual Administrative Assistant can help by organizing all of the information you've captured in to their appropriate locations.  Simply email your notes to the VAA, and she does the rest.

Blogs and social media are activities necessary to build your business, but the minutia of putting them together may not be a productive use of your time.  As the CEO, you should focus on the content of those posts.  Your VAA can then be assigned to handle the formatting, editing, tagging, SEO optimization, and final posting.  This same idea can be used for presentations and email campaigns.

Other activities that may be eating up your billable time and that are tasks that can be outsourced include:

• Travel and event planning
• Research for articles or marketing
• Setting calendar appointments for meetings and sales calls
• Anything that can be automated

Part of being a productive CEO is to identify your strengths and delegate the rest.  Fire yourself from jobs someone else can do and promote yourself to jobs only you can do.

 

Creating an Effective Sales Kit

Most small businesses have a website (if you don't, you should!).  That platform is an excellent way for potential customers to find you and get your basic information.  A good sales kit is an effective tool to help educate prospects about your business and will move them from leads to customers.

The main reason to meet with a client in person is to understand their needs and how your business can fill those needs.  The first (and most important) item in your sales kit is your active listening skills.  Think of the meeting not as a sales call, but as a fact finding expedition.  The client will usually tell you what services will help them the most.  Ask questions and keep track of the answers.  If you're paying attention and taking notes, you can easily present them with solutions based on what they've told you.

Since this packet will be the face of your business that you leave with the prospect, don't skimp on the materials.  Have folders, letterhead, or any other static pieces professionally printed.  You can print any pricing sheets (or items that may change frequently) on letterhead using a laser printer.  A sales kit is also a good place to put promotional marketing materials such as pads, pens, and calendars with your company's logo and contact information.

The first page a prospect needs to see in the packet should highlight your business's unique story and how you are different than the other companies delivering your service.  Use this as an opportunity to set yourself apart from your competition.  Make your organization stand out as the obvious and reliable choice.

Other items to have in the kit are:

• Current sales literature (brochures, sale flyers, business cards, etc.)
• List of frequently asked questions
• Diagrams or exercises to demonstrate your services to the prospect
• Testimonials from or list of past satisfied clients
• Press releases
• CD Roms or DVDs highlighted your services
• Proposal

You can put these together yourself, or you can have a Virtual Administrative Assistant service such as Administrative Business Consulting get these items ready for your meetings.  A good way to think of your sales kit is as a hard copy of your web site information.  It's something you can leave with the prospect so that it can be referred back to at their convenience.  

Getting the Most Out of Business Cards

Being a small business owner and a member of many networking and community groups, I find myself the recipient of many business cards.  These are full of information for connecting with potential customers and vendors.  Handling those cards (and my own business cards) can help grow my marketing reach and my client roster.

First let's talk about how to use your own business cards to increase your networking effectiveness.  You should keep a handy stash of your cards everywhere; in your purse or wallet, in your car, on your desk, and anywhere you might run in to other people.  Invest in a nice holder for your cards so that they stay wrinkle and crease free.  I bought a nice little metal holder for $3 from my local Target store, but you can find leather holders or even ones that have engraving on them.  The key point is to get something that you will actually carry around with you.

Make sure that your cards are clear and present a clear and professional image.  Have easy to read contact information.  I've included a QR code on my cards that allows smart phone users to simply scan all of my contact information using their camera.  I used a free on-line QR code generator, but there are also apps available that will do the same thing.  If you have team members working for you, get them their own business cards.  They will act as another arm of your marketing plan.

Be generous when it comes to handing out your cards, hand them out at least two at a time.  Don't get cards that are so expensive that you are loathe to give them away.  You should feel comfortable posting them on bulletin boards, using them to introduce yourself at social functions, and using them as scrap paper to give people notes on.  Another good idea is to include a business card with all of your correspondence, even when you're paying bills.

Then there are all of those business cards you collect from others along the way.  Sometimes they may feel overwhelming, and you just push them aside.  How many of you have a stack of rubber banded business cards that has been sitting in your desk for months?  Don't let those opportunities pass you by!

Here are 4 easy steps to getting the most out of a business card that you get:

1. Put it in context - Make notes on the back of the card about the event and details of your conversation.  Also note any follow-up or action items that you promised during the encounter.
2. Store it in a set place during the event - Put the cards collected either in your wallet, purse, or notebook pocket so that you can easily access it later.  Keep these cards separate from your own cards to avoid having to rifle through a stack to hand your's out.
3. Review the card after the event - 24 to 48 hours after the exchange, review the card for context and any action items that need to be completed.  Loading the cards in to your address book is key at this juncture.  You can then either send a follow-up email or even a handwritten note.  Entering the cards and sending notes is a great assignment for your Virtual Administrative Assistant service such as Administrative Business Consulting.
4. Connect to your new contact - Find the new business or person on LinkedIn, facebook, or any other social media platform that they are active on.  Connect to them and ask them to connect to you.  This will grown your marketing reach even further.

Now for the elephant in the room--REFERRALS.  When you hand out your cards, don't be afraid to ask for them.  It can be as simple as saying, "I'd really appreciate it if you would pass my information along to anyone you think might benefit from my services."  This gets the other person thinking about what you do and who they know.  And offer them the same.  Let them know that you will keep their card handy and that you will let others know about their business.  You're more likely to get referrals from someone who feels like you'll give them out.

Now dig that stack of cards out and start connecting!

Ideas for a Dynamic Fall Planning Conference

I'm loathe to admit it, but we're heading in to the fourth quarter of the year.  Now is the time to look back on what your goals were at the beginning of the year and how far you've come towards meeting those goals.  It is also a prime time to start planning for the future and setting yourself and your team up for success in the future.  A good way to do this is to get your team together and hold a fall planning conference.

Getting away from the office and setting the strategy as a team is a powerful tool in helping your business get to the next level.  Planning two half-day sessions with a dinner in between can build your team's relationships and help everyone to get on board with where you want to go.  A sample agenda could be:

• 12:00 PM     Lunch
• 1:00 PM       Recap of the Year
• Struggles
• Successes
• 3:00 PM       Team Building Exercise
• 5:00 PM       Dinner
• Team Recognition/Awards
• 8:00 AM      Breakfast
• 9:00 AM      Goals for Coming Year
• 10:00 AM    Action Plans & Assignments
• 12:00 PM    Close

A fall planning conference away from the office gets your team away from distractions, rewards them for their hard work over the past year, and gets their creative juices flowing.  Some ideas for a location are a local hotel, a restaurant with private rooms, or even someone's house.  The most important thing is to eliminate the interruptions so your team can really be productive.

Including a team building exercise adds some fun and laughs to your meeting.  If you're not familiar with facilitating these exercises, businessballs.com has some great free ideas.  Other ideas, if you're not comfortable with these activities, you could also:

• Assign a top-selling leadership book to be read ahead of time and have everyone discuss their take-aways
• Hire an outside speaker to motivate or train your team
• Any activity that will build report among your people

A dinner where you recognize the accomplishments of your team from the past year is a fun way to recognize the work they've put in for your business.  Try to keep track throughout the year of good work and bring it up during the dinner.  It's even fun to have individual awards such as top sales person, best attitude, etc.  Certificates are easy to format and print from most word processing programs, or you can have small trophies or plaques made at a local vendor.  You'll be surprised at how proud your team members will be to display these items on their desks after the meeting.

The most critical portion of the meeting is the goal setting and action planning phase.  As the leader, you should spend time before this meeting seriously thinking about where you want to be in the next year and how you'll get there.  Present your ideas first, but then ask for your team's feedback.  They might have even loftier goals than you've thought of.  Let them take responsibility for the different action plans that you develop.  Once they have ownership, it's much easier to hold them accountable throughout the year.  Take good notes during this section and compile them to be handed out to the team later.

This whole idea may seem a little overwhelming if you've never done it before.  It takes planning, scheduling, and time to gather materials.  The idea of all that extra work could put you off of the idea entirely.  But you don't have to do it alone.  You can hire Administrative Business Consulting to make all the arrangements and deliver the materials.  They can also research vendors and activities for the meeting.  You would simply give guidance on budget, preferred location, and activities and Administrative Business Consulting can do all the rest.  Compiling the notes and sending out the follow ups can be assigned to Administrative Business Consulting as well.

Once you implement this as a regular feature of your year, you'll find that your team looks forward to it.  A fall planning conference can become the highlight of your year and can get you off to a great start come January.

Being More Effective on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the number one professional networking site on the web.  There are currently over 160 million users worldwide, with an average age of 45 and an average income of over $91,000.  It is a potential gold mine of referrals for your business.

LinkedIn is intended to be a place where you present your professional image, as opposed to your personal image that you use on facebook.  There are are several ways that you can use this vast network of professionals to do this:

• Maintaining business contacts
• Getting introductions
• Posting recommendations for contacts
• Getting referrals for your business
• Checking references on potential employees or associates
• Receiving industry news
• Finding, posting, and forwarding jobs

The main tool to connect with people on LinkedIn is your profile page.  It is important to make it BEEFY!  What I mean is that it needs to be rich in content and engaging to get noticed.  Tell your story with details including all of your accomplishments and milestones.  Include any references to your business in print and on-line media, any awards you or your business has received, and any certificates or credentials that show you are an authority in your industry.  Every word in your profile is keyword searchable, so be sure and include your top terms somewhere in the profile.

When potential customers look at your profile, they will be comparing it to the profile of your competitors.  You need to be current and engaging to keep yourself on the top of the list.  Use a photo that is a true representation of yourself.  The most effective profile pictures will be professional head shots done recently.  You can also add videos to your profile using the Google Presentation or Slideshare apps within LinkedIn.  This adds extra pop and sets you above the competition.  Also, take a minute to personally welcome and acknowledge your new connections.  It develops the relationships you're trying to cultivate through LinkedIn and gives you an edge on your competition.

Joining professional and interest groups on LinkedIn lets you share in professional conversations about your industry or those that you're looking to get in to.  Taking part in groups will also grow your sphere of connections to include people you might not have had a chance to talk to previously.  When you do join, participate in the conversations to help get you and your brand notice.  These are also a good place to share info on events you might be putting on or blogs that you write.

This may seem like a lot of extra work to add to your already full plate.  But if you set aside a little time each week to work on it, you will reap great rewards.  You can also hire a virtual assistant service, such as Administrative Business Consulting, to help you set up a manage your LinkedIn profile.  That set up would let you have the best of all worlds.

What Can a Virtual Administrative Assistant Do for Your Business?

When the idea of hiring a virtual administrative assistant comes up, the most common question that occurs is "what would I have a VA do for me?".  The answer will be different for each individual client, but here's a list of possibilities to get your creative juices flowing:

Administrative Support
Email organization                                                 Travel arrangements
Voice mail response                                              Coordinate conference calls
Coordinate appointments                                      Contact updates & tracking
Calendar management                                          Business card scanning
Data entry                                                                Excel spreadsheet building
PowerPoint creation                                              Report generation
Email & mail campaigns                                       Thank you & greeting cards
Website content updates                                       Blog posts
Internet research                                                     Supply ordering
Management of team meetings                            Communication management
Mail merges

Meeting & Event Planning Support
Create & send email or regular mail - announcements, invitations, thank you letters
Set up logistics - meeting rooms, AV needs, meals, overnight rooms, vendors
Manage guest lists
Receive & track responses via phone, fax, or email
Track attendees
Follow-up with non-responders
Create meeting agendas & support materials
Collate & ship materials
Research & order giveaways

Marketing & Sales Support
Social media management                                    Mailing label creation
Email newsletter sending                                       Sales packet mailing
Compile mailing lists                                               Distribute & track surveys
Follow-up calls

This list is in no way exhaustive, but you can see that a Virtual Administrative Assistant can be a valuable right-hand person in the operation of your business.  For more information about how to hire a Virtual Administrative Assistant and how the arrangement works, check out the web site of Administrative Business Consulting.

Using Technology to Stay Competitive

As a small business owner in today's fast paced world, it is vital that you understand and utilize advanced technologies that are available to you and fit with your business.  Technology, used correctly, can help increase your business efficiency and even expand your operations.

Accounting
Gone are the days where a one-man shop had to keep financial records in a hand-written ledger book.  There are a myriad of options in accounting software and services that can help you see your profits and losses at a glance as well as set-up and track a budget.  Even if you use a CPA or bookkeeper, it is nice to have all your records in one place to give those professionals at tax time.  Some of the great options available are:

• Freshbooks - On-line and easy to use (my personal favorite)
• Quickbooks - Both on-line and hard copy available
• Outright.com - On-line service

Calendar & Email Management

Most business owners are reliant on functional calendaring and email solutions.  The advent of cloud-computing technology has made it possible to access your calendar and email from either your laptop, smartphone, or tablet equally well.  These new services also allow you to delegate your calendar and email management to your virtual administrative assistant like Administrative Business Consulting.  Here are the most popular options:

• Outlook.com
• Gmail and Google Calendar

File Sharing Platforms

Many teams are not located in the same building, let alone the same state, anymore, but you may not have the need (or capacity) for a stand alone network solution.  You may be working with clients and contractors, like your virtual administrative assistant, spread over large geographical areas and in different time zones.  This requires you to have a good, central place to share files and work collaboratively.  Cloud-computing has made these services easy to access and use across your different devices.  Some options include:

• Microsoft Office Skydrive
• Google Docs
• Dropbox

Technology is an integral part of every successful business.  There are solutions available for not only the large corporations but also for the small operations like yours and mine.  Most of these services are either free (to a certain point) or will allow you to run a free trial to see if it is a good fit for your business.  Embracing possibilities and new ways to be productive will help you secure your success in a rapidly changing business environment.

Creating Outlook Email Templates

Has this happened to you recently?  You're typing an email and you get the feeling that you've done this exact thing before.  When you look back at your sent items, you realize that you have typed this email message before.  Actually you've typed it about 10 times in the last week.  Outlook has a quick and easy way for users to create email templates that allow you to speed through those standard emails.

The first step is to write out your standard email.  It could be information that you send to potential new customers, the thank you message you send to colleagues after a meeting, or the appointment reminder that you send before meeting with a client.  If it is something that you send frequently with only minor changes for personalization, then it is a great candidate for an email template.  Open a message pane in Outlook and type out your email with a subject:

Next, instead of hitting the "Send" button, click on "File".  Choose "Save As", then "Outlook Template" from the "Save as type" drop down menu:

Now you're ready to start using your new Outlook email template.  Next time you need to send out this standard email, choose "New Items" from the ribbon at the top of Outlook.  From that drop down menu, you will opt for the "More items" and "Choose form".  Change the "Look in" field to "User templates in file system" and you will see the email template you created.  Double click the name of the template, and your email pops up ready for editing and sending.

If you don't want to spend your time setting all of your standard email templates up, you can outsource this task to a service such as Administrative Business Consulting.  Hiring a virtual administrative assistant can help get your Outlook organized and get you back to the core of your business.

Setting Your Business Apart in the "Thank You Economy"

Gary Vaynerchuk's 2011 book "The Thank You Economy" showed business owners that the rise of the Internet and rapid fire social media has given customers their voices back.  Their opinions, positive or negative, are communicated immediately and vastly on places like facebook and Yelp.  This new paradigm requires that businesses project authenticity, originality, creativity, honesty, and good intent in order to created loyal customers.  Loyal customers refer more business by word of mouth, spend more money with you, forgive mistakes, and offer real suggestions for improvement.  An easy way to start building that relationship is by expressing appreciation to those customers with thank you notes.

Saying "thank you for your business" sounds obvious, but think about this: when is the last time you received a thank you card from someone you do business with?  Or really any communication that wasn't about your bill being due?  The simple strategy of sending a hand-written thank you note will make a huge impact with your customers and lets them know how much you really value their business.  While this seems like a no-brainer for new business, don't forget about your existing customers.  Those long-term buyers need to be given the VIP treatment as well because we all know it is cheaper to keep customers than it is to try and bring in new ones.

In this high-speed, electronic world, there is something special about a hand-written note.  It makes your customer (or vendor, employee, excellent sales person, etc.) feel like they matter to you and your business.  Keep short notes on customers you've interacted with or vendors you've recently met with.  Then you can go back once a week and write out those notes to be mailed.  You can also email that information to a virtual administrative assistant service such as Administrative Business Consulting to have the cards written and mailed.  Services such as ABC will provide cards, hand writing, and mailing for a per card fee.

Once you have thank you cards down pat, consider personal birthday or other seasonal cards for your top clients.  Try to touch customers at least once a quarter with a message that is not just a mechanism for selling products or services.  You will set yourself apart from your competition and your customers will think about your business in a whole new way.

Work/Life Balance Hacks from Liz Pearce

This is officially the first weekend of summer in my book, and that means I'm thinking about ways to achieve that ever elusive work/life balance.  As a business owner, parent, spouse, etc. that can sometimes be a struggle.  Geek Wire writer Liz Pearce has compiled this list of great hacks for reaching that holy grail of all busy people.

1. Invest in your relationships the way you invest in your 401(k) - Make small, regularly scheduled investments with your spouse, friends, and family.  Have weekly date nights, monthly girls night out, and specific activities with your kids.  Use the same rule of thumb that you use with your dentist or hairdresser: never leave one social appointment without scheduling the next.
2. Pay for services, not stuff - I don't have much of a handbag budget, but I do have a budget for someone to help me with the yard.  You might only have one pair of boots, but you have your administrative tasks contracted out every month with Administrative Business Consulting.  As a rule, try to spend your resources on things that free up time instead of take up space.
3. Treat your home like you do your inbox: get rid of everything you don't truly value - Trying to save every birthday party goody bag toy, outdated magazine, old t-shirt, and random piece of paper adds a small amount of friction to tasks you try to accomplish at home.  And that can add up to a significant emotional burden of guilt when you're trying to spend quality time at home.  Try to get rid of 15 things every single day.  They could be pieces of junk mail or old leftovers in the fridge.  Each little, frequent act of de-cluttering will also lower your stress levels.
4. When it comes to parenting, comparison is the root of all unhappiness - The constant deluge of advice and product recommendations from email lists, blogs, and books can add to your anxiety.  Try to shut most of them out and focus your energy on what is actually going on within your own house.  You can pick puzzles together over more costly lessons, drawing pictures at the kitchen table over elaborate trips to Disneyland, and bowls of warm popcorn while watching a family movie over dinners out.  Quantity time is just as valuable as quality time.
5. Conquer meal planning and you can conquer the world - That question of "what am I going to make for dinner" is a huge stress point in the lives of most working parents.  You may have to run to the store or you just end up picking up fast food.  To cut down on this issue, take one day and and plan your meals for the week.  You can download many helpful one-page planning sheets that then turn in to your shopping list.  This will allow you to go to the store once and not have to think about what you're making for dinner each night.
6. Allow yourself at least one vice - Remember that no one is perfect and allow yourself at least one indulgence for whenever the stress gets to you.  Mine is watching Dr. Who, put it could be chocolate, reading, taking a bath, or whatever makes you feel better and gives you time to recover and get back to your to-do list.

Now that you're armed with some great tips on getting a little calmness back in your life, go out and enjoy the summer!!

Tips for Public Speaking

When asked what their biggest fear is, a majority will say that they are more scared of public speaking than they are of dying.  That means that at a funeral, they'd rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy.  I used to be in that same boat, but after four years as a member of the Untwisted Tongues Toastmasters club, I've learned to embrace the opportunity to speak in public.

Most people would define public speaking fairly narrowly as giving a presentation or speech in front of colleagues or other large group of people.  But public speaking comes in to play whenever we have an interaction with another person.  It includes situations like answering a question during a weekly staff meeting, talking to a potential client about your business, or meeting a new person during a social gathering.  Toastmasters International has compiled a list of helpful tips to control nervousness and give more effective presentations.

Know Your Material
Having an in depth grasp of your material adds to your confidence level when speaking.  This will help you get back on track if you lose your place during the speech and will add a level of authority with your audience.  A comfort with the material will also allow you to use a conversational tone while interjecting personal stories and humor.

Practice. Practice. Practice.
Rehearse your speech out loud, using any visual aids and equipment that will be part of the presentation.  Practice with a timer and revise as necessary to fit in to your time allotted. 

Visualize Yourself Giving the Speech
While you are practicing the mechanics of your speech, visualize yourself delivering it in a successful way.  Imagine yourself using a clear, confident voice and the audience responding in a positive manner.  This will put your thoughts in a comforting place and will boost your confidence.

Know the Audience
Make sure you know who will be making up your audience.  Depending on your topic, you may need to alter your message or technical information to fit the people in attendance.  Knowing who you'll be speaking to will also go a long way towards building your confidence.

Know the Room
If you are speaking in an unfamiliar place, give yourself time to look at the room and its set-up.  Try to arrive early so that you know where you will be standing in relation to the audience and how your visual aids will be seen.  Also test any equipment you will be using during the rehearsal time.

Realize That People Want you to Succeed
Like I previously said, most people are afraid to speak in public and therefore understand all too well how nervous you are.  They want you to succeed at giving a great presentation.  The audience knows how you feel and are already on your side.

Don't Apologize During the Presentation
Most of the mistakes and stumbles that you perceive as glaring during the presentation usually are not even noticed by the audience.  If you make a mistake during the speech, just move on without mentioning it.  Often they audience won't even notice that anything was wrong unless you draw attention to it.

Use Your Visual Aids Effectively
Make sure the visual aids are not taking away from your spoken message.  Slides should be concise and easy to follow.  If you need help creating an effective presentation, you can hire a service such as Administrative Business Consulting to build the show.  Remenber, don't turn your back to the audience and read from the slides or flip chart.

Tips for Planning a Successful Meeting

In business life, we are often called upon to put together a meeting.  It could be a department level one day event or even a multi-day event that requires hotel rooms and dining options.  If you've never been in charge of planning and executing an event, don't panic!  There are some simple steps to follow that will help you come out looking like a star.

Ask Questions
The very worst thing you can do when planning a meeting is assume that you know what is expected.  You will need to ask questions, lots of questions, in order to put on a successful event.  Some basics that need to be established are:

• Budget of event
• Date(s) and time(s) of event
• Preferred location and second choice
• Theme of meeting or event
• Number of attendees and guests
• Meals that will be provided
• Any special entertainment or decorating needs
• AV needs for presenters
• Materials needed for participants
• Meeting room set-up
• Hotel rooms needed

This will give you an excellent starting point for planning, but do not stop asking questions.  The event will continue to evolve as planning goes on, so always be clarifying the details.

Set Up Agenda and Get RSVPs
One of the most difficult things to manage when putting on an event is keeping track of attendees.  It is best to get the agenda set up and sent out to the proposed attendees as soon as possible.  You should plan on having to send this out at least twice, and possibly more, in order to get the most accurate head counts for meals, seating, and hoteling.  It is also very effective to get it out in more than one way.  Send it via email, snail mail, and even by phone in order to reach the most people.

Track Budget and Attendees
Once you have the basics figured out and have made contact with your location, then you will need to start tracking the budget and attendees.  Administrative Business Consulting has put together a great budget and rooming list template that automatically calculates your meeting budget.



Double Check Everything Before the Event
The final tip is to always double check your plans at least a week before the meeting and once more a day or two before.  This will help you get a handle on what items are still unsettled and need to be finalized.  Make sure you know who your site contact will be and meet with that person before the meeting begins.  And last but not least, take a deep breath and enjoy yourself.

Hiring an Administrative Consultant

You've taken the leap and decided to hire an administrative consultant to help take that work load off your plate.  But chances are that you're not clear about what you want done and how to find the right organization to delegate those chores to.  Here are some good things to think about when looking for that perfect fit.

Simple administrative tasks are the easiest to delegate and quality or timeliness of work is the key measure of success.  These tasks tend to revolve around documents or files and can include things like:

• Typing, document formatting and proof-reading
• Producing presentations, newsletters and fliers
• Web research, data gathering and to-do lists
• Maintaining tracking spreadsheets

Small and medium sized businesses often outsource tasks requiring special skills that they either don't have the expertise or time to do themselves.  It might be something that is done only once a year or something that is very time consuming.  Examples could include:

• Planning a large meeting or event
• Creating a facebook page or blog
• Updating a web site

The administrative professional you hire will offer a variety of skill sets that can be used to accomplish these tasks and more.  Now you will need to find the right fit between that professional and your business.  Here are a few tips for finding that resource:

• Check the web site of your potential administrative professional - The web site of an administrative consultant represents her business.  Is it organized and well-designed?  Does it feel welcoming and professional?  Was there helpful information and resources available on the site?  This can be a good clue as to what sort of service you will receive from the consultant.
• Look in to the experience of the administrative consultant - You will want to seek out a consultant who is committed to serving your needs and expectations.  Check to see how long she has been in business or how her background lends itself to what you are looking for.  Testimonials are a good way to gauge the abilities of the administrative professional, but if she is new to the business a solid resume can give you the same information.  Referrals from  others you know is also an excellent source.
• Have an in-person consultation to establish personality fit - Most administrative consultants will offer potential clients a free initial consultation.  She will meet with you to go over what your specific needs are and the services she offers which can handle those tasks.  During that consultation, ask questions and listen to her questions to make sure that you are on the same page.  If it doesn't feel like a good fit, be up front and accept the same from the consultant.
• Be aware of pricing - Administrative consultants generally charge anywhere from $35 to $100 per hour or on a monthly retainer based on a certain number of hours per month.  This may seem like a large range, but remember that you are hiring a right-hand person to represent your business and take on those vital administrative tasks to keep you going.  Think about your own business: you know you aren't the cheapest and you wouldn't want to be.  You want to deliver quality and that expertise comes at a price.  An experienced, professional, discreet administrative professional will allow you to focus more on your core business and save you money in the long run.

A good example of an administrative consultant web site and service is Administrative Business Consulting.  Explore the web site and see what things you like and what things would fit well with your business.  There are a lot of things to consider when making this fundamental change in your business.  But the benefits can certainly outweigh the cost and consideration when you find just that right fit.