Habit forming. We all know that phrase. But, did you know that for adults to acquire a new habit, it has to be a conscious activity for 21 days? Then, on the 22nd day, it becomes habit. If you are like me, I go through my day doing so many things unconsciously; I have to consciously check that I got them done. With all of these unconscious activities, there is little room for new ones. That’s why the gazillion New Year’s resolutions that we plan on doing often fall by the wayside within a month.
Try this:Try one new habit at a time. If you take the 52 weeks in a year and divide by 3 weeks (21 day period) you find that you can develop 17 new habits each year. Think about it – that’s a LOT.
My first resolution is to get my emails under control. I have started to schedule when I check my email inbox – 4 times a day. Wouldn’t life be grand with email under control? It’s vital to communications, but it can be a big time-drain. So, it’s my top SMART business priority.
Is your information and your business at risk? Theft, natural disasters, fires, broken water pipes, computer failure, viruses, and errors can torpedo your computer data and leave you scrambling to access critical information. The Small Business Administration noted that 85% of small businesses that lose their data close their doors within 18 months.
How many times have you called people only to hear that they can’t access their information because their computer “crashed”? Or, their system had a “melt down”? To me, that raises red flags: small thinking, lack of vision and safeguards, and questions about viability of their product or services.
With today’s technology, protecting your data IS protecting your business. And, with all of the options out there – there is no excuse. Be sure to backup your computer data frequently, and store that data in secure locations on- and off-site. There are so many ways to back up your data – DVDs, CDs, external hard drives, memory sticks, and external servers are a few.
If you haven’t done a backup, stop now! Assess your computer system and files and back up your data, documents, financial information, applications, contact list, and database – the information you take for granted will always be at your fingertips. Then, create and keep a backup schedule and continue with daily, weekly, and yearly backups.
The next time I hear “My computer crashed and I lost my data,” is the time I change vendors. Reliable vendors and partners all fit into a winning mix, When SMARTBusiness Matters.
It costs more money to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer; if you want to increase sales, start with your address book. Are there more services or goods you could be selling to current customers, or have you come up with any ideas on how to offer them creative solutions to reach their business goals? Can they refer you to any other businesses or individuals who may need your services? Set aside a half-hour a day to check in with lapsed customers. Are there new products or services you can offer them? Are you now in a better position to offer better prices, services, or quality than your competitors?
And, when you reach the end of your Rolodex, try tapping a good client. When was the last time you called a good (reference-able) client and said: “Mark, this is Kathy. Will you do me a favor? Can you go through your Rolodex and give me 10 names and numbers of people you recommend that I call to introduce my services?” How can they say “no”? You will find that most people want to help.
When SMARTBusiness Matters, all you need to do is: Just Ask
Communications priorities sure have changed as email tries to take over our professional and personal lives. We are all inundated with emails. It’s overwhelming. We need to be selective – we understand all of that and do our best. Yet, it doesn’t stop with emails. There are those which I call the email permutations: texts, tweets, IMs, Facebooking, Pings, etc. And as if that’s not enough, there are the pre-recorded phone calls, cluttering the way for the poor sales person who does attempt to make cold phone calls (I still have a soft spot for them). Then, there is snail mail. And, between all of those, there are the many phones and voice mails we seemed to be chained to – for whatever reason.
The dilemma is: how to respond?
Let’s put them in perspective or – dare we say – priority with a corresponding responsibility when you are on the receiving end.
The personal phone call (or voice mail) – When I want to speak with someone, I pick up the phone and call them. It still has the most professional impact, and personal interaction goes a lot farther than any other means of communications. Yes, I know the college kids today mostly communicate via text message, but that should change in the workplace. At least I hope it does!
Responsibility: Call me old fashioned, but if someone takes the time to call me personally, I return the call. I may not be able to do it immediately, but I do respond. It’s professional courtesy. And, people don’t forget.
The personal email – Amidst all of the email clutter, there are emails from people who just feel more comfortable sending an email. Or, maybe it’s the best way they can communicate. I’m a perfect example. While I would rather pick up the phone to communicate, sometimes I run out of hours in the business day. Being a business owner, my day doesn’t stop at 5pm. As a night owl who is productive when the phone stops ringing, I can crank out a lot of responses and outreaches via email.
Responsibility: If someone takes the time to send me a personal email, I either respond via email or phone. It may take me a while to either get to it or find the time to craft an appropriate response, but I usually respond. I say ‘usually’ because with the number of emails (400 or so a day), some can get inadvertently lost in the ever-growing inbox or deleted in the semi-weekly purge.
The rest – And then there is the rest of the story. Depending on your chosen method (or generation) of communication, you brand yourself by your outreach and by your response.
Responsibility: No matter what your choice of communication, your response brands you. It demonstrates your image, professionalism, and respect for clients, colleagues, and business associates.
Your Professional Business Courtesy makes the difference When SMARTBusiness Matters.
I was talking to a friend the other day about writing. I told her that to me, being a writer is like being an artist, a musician, or a comedian—you either are or you aren’t. It’s one of those innate things that you can’t learn or successfully mimic, and you certainly can’t get rid of it. It’s who you are.
Regardless of the position I’ve held, writing has always carried me through. This past year, I’ve moved from full-time writing to strategic development and operations infrastructure. It’s been great fun but has represented a major change in the way I work—I’ve gone from telling stories in a narrative form to telling them via a much more analytical concept. But, I’m still telling a story.
No matter what you do, you’ve got a story to tell. We’re all writers in our own way—every interaction communicates something. What are you really saying? Are you telling people that you’re open to change and ready to make a difference, or are you conveying the status quo? Do you invite a dialogue or subtly shut down communication?
People pick up on much more than you think—with more than 90% of our communications being conveyed non-verbally, your story is more than your words. You’re telling it right now, make sure it’s a good one.
