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5 Simple Online Safety Tips to Protect You and Your Data

The internet can come back to bite you. What you post to your public profile after a night out in college could seem harmless, but it might be the reason you're not hired for your dream job ten years later. Or you might be dealing with hackers, who mine your unprotected information and use it to steal your credit card or identity.

 

Therefore, it's important to stay safe online; you want to make sure your data and information is kept out of the wrong hands. To understand internet safety, it's important to understand what is ssl, and how that has evolved into tls—or the current way internet connections are kept secure. It's also important to follow these tips.

 

Be Careful of What You Choose to Post and Make it Private

There are some things that are just unnecessary in a Facebook or Instagram profile; you wouldn't include the hospital you were born in or how many times a day you eat rice in an "About Me" section. Similarly, it's unnecessary to include your home address or social security number; those are private, and if in the wrong hands, could be damaging. Make sure you're only including necessary information on an online profile, and saving personal details for only when they are needed.

 

On top of that, it's important to keep your privacy settings on. Hackers can learn a lot about you from your social media usage and internet browsing, even if what you're posting or surfing through seems innocuous. Don't forget to take advantage of privacy settings on web browsers and major websites, so that what you put out online stays between you and people you know.

 

Choose Strong Passwords

It's easy to choose a password you know you'll remember, like YourName123 or Password00. However, a hacker will easily guess something that is penetrable; it's worth it to memorize a more complicated password to keep your data safe. A strong password is about 15 characters long, with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. If you're worried about remembering it, write it down and store it in a safe place or use a secure app that keeps a record of all your passwords.

 

Only Online Shop From Reputable Websites

Unfortunately, there are countless fake websites on the internet that will try to sell you cute shirts and shoes only to steal your payment information and give you nothing in return. Before you buy anything, make sure the website you're using is both secure and reputable. A secure website starts with "https," with the s standing for secure; websites will try to trick you with just a "http," but don't fall for it. Additionally, read some reviews from past buyers to make sure the products they ordered were delivered on time and in good shape—if delivered at all. If the website checks all the boxes, then proceed with your shopping spree.

 

Be Careful Talking With Online Strangers

You've definitely heard the horror stories about people being catfished; a woman thinks she's met the love of their life online only to meet up and find that the person was not who they said they were. It is way too easy to create a fake online profile and claim to be someone else, so it's important to be wary of who people say they are online to avoid being disappointed or in danger.

 

Don't Download Just Anything

A big way for cybercriminals to get access to your data is by tricking you into downloading malware, or programs that try to steal your information. Therefore, it's important to make sure what you are downloading is from a secure website, so that you're not downloading anything that can hurt you in the long run.

 

As the internet plays an increasingly large role in everyday life, it's important to know how to be safe and protect your data. Think about future employers or romantic partners—you don't want that embarrassing photo to end up in the wrong hands, do you?

Publish Date: March 1, 2021 11:27 AM


4 Tips To Being a Better Call Center Boss

Your professional aspirations have always included leading people. Since you were young, your strengths have rested firmly in your ability to train, coach and guide others. You are a natural-born leader, so getting that promotion and becoming a supervisor is something you have worked hard to do thus far. The call center is one aspect of the company that you feel confident in leading; however, you may find it difficult to get your employees behind your efforts. What can you do to be the best boss possible? Discover four strategies you can deploy to become a better boss.

 

  1. Delegate Using the SMART System

Some people have difficulty letting go of work, especially when it comes to trusting others to complete tasks effectively. However, as a supervisor, you must lead by example and empower those you oversee to do more. The SMART approach to delegating work is something that has proven to work time and time again. It allows you to create actionable tasks and assign them to those willing and able to perform them successfully. It sets you and your team up for success rather than failure. The SMART system involves:

  • Specific items that you can task to members of your team
  • Measurable tasks allow you opportunities to coach employees and review their work
  • Achievable goals will be set on an individual basis to ensure no one is in over their heads
  • Relevant skills to the call center and the company must be the focus
  • Time-sensitive tasks must be well laid out and deadlines implemented for tracking

Once your team understands their roles and your expectations, productivity and enthusiasm may increase.

 

  1. Don't Micro-Manage Employees

Your reputation is at stake with each issue that crops up. When you delegate work, you want to make sure those you give it to complete it. When your boss sets goals for your team, you want to hit every single one. As a supervisor, yes, you want to watch what your employees are doing, but are boundaries that need setting. Micro-managing every aspect of a worker's day makes for a sour taste. Creating necessary to-do lists to check off, meetings that could be emails and spending too much time looking over shoulders will create an environment of fear. Your charges may start developing negative attitudes and impressions of you. Giving employees space and time to complete their work at arm's length is the best way to show them you believe they are capable.

 

  1. Do Praise and Reward Hard Work

When a call center hits target goals involving turnover time, customer satisfaction surveys, and the like, you should praise those who lead the way. You may believe admonishing those who fall to the bottom is the proper track, but this is not the case. Praising those workers who go above and beyond in a public way demonstrates that you like to give credit where it is due. Developing a reward system that gifts those who hit targets with praise and prizes such as gift cards to restaurants, workwear or cash can motivate even those who seem the most skeptical of your leadership skills.

 

  1. Don't Create Unnecessary Work

You want to create something special that will set you apart from other supervisors at your level in the company. You put your thoughts together and develop systems that you then deploy throughout your own team to test. This may work for a time, but if the new methods involve more work for your team members, they may hesitate to give it the green light. Busy work wastes time and zaps the energy from the tasks that need doing. While you may believe your idea will pan out, be open to accepting the feedback of those who are using it. If your team is not happy with the changes, it will prove a waste of time to roll out on a larger scale.

Remember that you are one person overseeing several. In a high-stress call center environment, you need to prepare yourself for the good and the bad. Becoming better at delegating and empowering your team will go much farther than controlling them.

Publish Date: February 27, 2021 10:35 PM


How the Pandemic Changed Company Culture

In the wake of the pandemic, companies everywhere have had to scramble to stay afloat not only in their fiscal goals, but in their business practices as well. Businesses have had to discover new ways to keep their employees compensated, involved and happy during unprecedented times. It’s become obvious that some things work better than others at maintaining a sense of normalcy for their employees.

The nature of company culture has shifted immensely. Priorities have moved away from in-office efforts to create connections to digital networks as employees began to work from home or operate under the necessary restrictions required to stay open. Let’s take a look at the ways the pandemic altered workplace dynamics, in ways both challenging and beneficial.

 

Adaptability

When confronted with the new challenges of pandemic life, companies were required to make swift, mindful decisions concerning daily operations. Employers were faced with unprecedented challenges in keeping employee spirits up and finding new ways to maximize their productivity and well-being in a time characterized by global despair. Companies that prioritized employee prosperity, both tangible and emotional, by practicing compassion in business were far more likely to see success within their new business models.

 

The world was faced with innumerable unknowns, requiring businesses to reconnect with their core objectives and roll out solutions within a matter of days, and often even hours. Never before have businesses been faced with challenges that necessitated such acute flexibility. As health and safety information shifted and evolved over the course of days, weeks and months, so have companies’ approach to business practices.

 

Transparency

In the challenging, uncharted territory of business management in the context of a pandemic, company’s have had to lay bare their capacities for optimal function. Companies’ financial status was made vaguely known as employees looked to their management teams for compensation and job security during shutdowns and furloughs. Digital information and capability to shift business to an online forum revealed the limits of a company’s technical prowess, while human resources departments scrambled to find ways to assist employees in the transition to their new, temporary normal.

 

More than ever, both business weakness and strengths were revealed to their employees and the general public. Companies that maintained an honest, genuine dialogue with their employees about their ability to recoup after the initial blows to their business have been far more likely to keep a satisfied, stable team company-wide.

 

Communication

Quite suddenly, employees all over the world were thrust into a world of uncertainty. Workers with stellar sales records, perfect attendance and stable employment unexpectedly began to worry intensely about the future of their employment, and whether they would remain employed at all. Though companies didn’t instantly have all the answers, businesses showed up to provide any and all relevant information about operations with anxious employees. This increase in straightforward, sympathetic communication did wonders to ease the minds of their loyal employees.

 

The various forms of company communication shifted as well. Virtual meeting rooms, digital conference calls and more frequent emails replaced in-house meetings and face-to-face interactions. Employees could connect with coworkers and management from the comfort of their own office using workplace forums and virtual connections. Client meetings were held virtually, and nearly all business was done over the internet -- a stark contrast for many companies whose business models involved person to person interactions as part of their company practices. Digital file storage also became a new normal for many companies, providing ease of access for both employees and management.

 

Creative Compensation

In order to help their employees feel compensated, many companies facing financial strife had to come up with new and unique ways to assist their employees in the transition and beyond. Many companies were able to pay their employees full wages, even during times of shutdown. Other companies offered to invest further into employee retirement plans, or spelled out promises of economic relief through government assistance designed for struggling businesses.

 

When financial compensation was out of reach, many businesses turned to alternative ways of caring for their employees. Through helpful and mood-boosting emails or subscriptions to online services like fitness programs or meditation apps, businesses had the opportunity to make moves to take care of their employees in ways they hadn’t previously. Businesses who assumed some responsibility for their employees’ mental and physical health were more likely to take unique measures to keep their workforce happy, well and, therefore, productive.

 

Scheduling

Working from home is nothing new, but if a company left behind abandoned conference rooms and empty water coolers after shutdowns, they have had to rethink the way their daily functions would take shape. While some companies could function nearly identically to their pre-pandemic schedules, others had to develop entirely new day-to-day functions to stay abreast. Company time was spent in a variety of different ways, even for those who maintained the same or similar work hours.

 

Through digital connections, many companies found that they were able to work more efficiently as a team within their workday. Meetings held over the internet were notably shorter and more concise without sacrificing productivity. Some employees who began to work from home noticed they were able to complete the same work in a shorter amount of time than they had when working in the office.

 

On the contrary, some companies were forced to cut hours for many of their employees, and had to scale back work time as a whole. As stores, businesses and firms slowed their operations, the general workforce saw drastic cuts in total work hours. Even if they weren’t occupied with work tasks, employees of all kinds found themselves at home far more often.

 

Training

With less face-to-face interaction, regular peer-to-peer training took a backseat. Instead, training new employees, or keeping up with retraining current workers, has looked very different. Employees have had more accessible access to various training materials, keeping employees as sharp and on their game as possible.

 

In-house training videos, socially distanced demonstrations and virtual one on one meetings took the place of prior training methods, and virtual training has its own advantages. Many employees have felt more connected with their virtual mentors, and were able to complete training during times they were at peak focus. Access to on-boarding programs, training videos and mentor contact information allowed workers to brush up on their skills and dive further in depth by referencing back to training material when a question or challenge arose.

 

Reorganization

A company’s entire team may have been restructured, introducing new task forces or shifting responsibilities from one department to another. Supervisors found themselves reaching out to employees more directly and frequently than before. Many employees saw a change in their job descriptions, both adding and subtracting responsibilities.

 

The structure of a company evolved to suit the needs of operation during a pandemic, and this required a focus shift, too. Departments previously focused primarily on financial goals had to begin finding ways to connect with their sales teams on a personal level as well as a professional level. As company expectations altered, work responsibilities conformed to the new demands of organization, and new, modified tasks fell on the home office desks of their employees.

 

Overall, employees saw a great number of positive changes during pandemic employment. Employees reported a greater sense of belonging, honesty, transparency, and involvement within their workplace, and those who adapted with flexibility saw company culture thrive despite its challenges. Such safety and reliability provides an invaluable sense of safety for workers in a world filled with uncertainty.

Publish Date: February 26, 2021 11:59 PM


5 Steps To Targeting Your Ideal Customer

If you're running a business, effective marketing is key to your success. There's no other way around it in this visually-driven age. One of the most important things for you to do as part of your marketing is to accurately target your ideal customer. This process can be one of the most enjoyable parts of getting your business going — don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed! The creativity and problem-solving you do as you create your ideal customer will serve you well as your enterprise begins to grow. Here are several steps to take to bring your ideal customer into focus.

Identify Your Client

There are numerous aspects that make up a human being. What determines their choices to relate to content, look for products, and decide on services? This is the most basic level of identifying your client. It's an early step toward understanding their choices, motivations, and hesitations. Sketch out the following: personal background (include education level, family background, and age), mindset (include lifestyle, values, and attitudes), and work experience (their type of industry, resume, and track record). Want to understand how a particular set of customers think and feel? Search for terms like le-vel thrive reviews for a good overview.

Know Their Story

Imagine that you are your ideal client, and imagine what you might do in the course of a day. Bring all of your senses in — it's necessary to do so in order to get this part right. Where do they look for information? What podcasts, videos, and blogs do they listen to, watch, and read? What websites do they visit? What types of online communities do they join? What's their role in their community in real life? What are the problems they face? While every customer obviously won't have the same story, this step will help you listen and empathize with each potential client's personality and path.

Understand Their Journey

Speaking of personality and path, it's time to take an even deeper dive into the life of your ideal client. Take some time to envision their past and future life trajectory. What is your customer wanting to accomplish? Get specific. Write down goals and challenges. Also, think about what "success" means on their terms, even if it's something outside the norm. What might be some of the solutions that you would offer? How is your journey similar or different? All of this helps you put together what is most valuable for your ideal client, and decrease the likelihood of your having to resort to trial and error. It also helps you to identify the best topics to address and fine-tune your content.

Understand Their World

For your purposes, "the world" of your client has to do with their sphere of influence — both personal and professional. Where does your ideal customer plug in? Do your best to construct that reality. What is the lingo they use? Think about social networks of all kinds that your client is part of. Consider how well your natural style of communication lines up with theirs. If it's a good fit already, that means less work on your part. Marketing is all about sincere, well-targeted communication. Determine if your style of spoken and written communication aligns in an authentic way.

Consider How You Fit In

If you want to make this process as effective as possible, go through the previous steps and apply them to yourself. Be honest yet gentle as you do so; you'll gain valuable information that will help you for years to come. You might find that your ideal customer is a perfect fit — or you may realize that it's necessary to tweak things in order to run your business in a more harmonious way. If you're going to be in it for the long haul, that's a big consideration.

Targeting your ideal customer involves careful investigation. Try these steps for rewarding results.

Publish Date: February 26, 2021 10:31 AM


4 Tips For Insurance Agencies to Increase Good PR

Creating a good reputation for your brand can be tough going in a variety of industries, and insurance is one of the toughest. But it's vitally important for insurance companies to present a friendly, familiar face to the world, and for their message to be clear and easy to understand. This article will give you a few tips for increasing PR for your insurance agency, and hopefully win some new business along the way.

1. Use Social Media

Some brands make the mistake of thinking they're unable to use social media for PR campaigns. After all, who wants to follow an insurance agency's page on Instagram, or like their posts about insurance quotes on Facebook? But neglecting to have a presence online means you'll be missing out on a gigantic portion of the population, who communicate mainly via social media. If you drag your feet getting your agency a profile, you'll soon be left behind.

Invest capital in hiring a social media or brand manager, who can create strategies and post on the agency's behalf. You might be surprised by the number of followers you can get by opening the lines for clear communication between the company and the people it serves. By interacting with your customers and not being afraid to answer questions on these platforms, you'll develop a reputation for honesty and openness, which can go a long way towards creating a successful brand.

2. Keep it Simple

One of the biggest mistakes insurance companies make when creating their website or marketing materials is using the complex language of their trade in the actual copy for the materials. The average person, who you're hoping to attract, will not be able to understand this language on the face, and will most likely give up in frustration. Boil your message down to a few clear and easily understandable points. Consider passing it through a focus group before releasing to the public to get feedback on the overall effect of the message.

You want to sound, above all, friendly and honest. Coming across as less intimidating than your competitors will earn you a lot of new business and loyal clients. People are looking for experts to handle their insurance, but at the same time need to feel like your agency is approachable. Keep your complex lingo and professional terminology for the board room, and keep it simple for the PR campaign.

3. Think Outside the Box

Creativity may not be the first thing people think of when they hear "insurance", but keeping your approach to PR fresh is a vital part of making campaigns a success. Just look at Geico's Gecko for an example of creative thinking that resulted in a brand becoming instantly recognizable. Sure, their ads may not include a lot of information about their insurance options, but they provide the basics and create an impression that will last a lifetime.

This is what you want to achieve with your branding, and to achieve this you need to constantly encourage your marketing and PR teams to think outside the box. Don't be afraid to try out new ideas, and get your ideas from everywhere.

4. Use the News

A lot of events occur on a daily basis that could provide a great framework for a message from your agency. Try tying press releases to current events by providing tips on what others could do in a similar situation. News agencies and others who cover current events may even seek you out as a source if your agency gets a reputation for being experts on, for instance, recovering from property damage. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities and you may end up with a perfect opportunity to present your solutions.

These tips will help your agency become a more relevant and exciting option for those looking to buy insurance for the first time or those looking for something new, and will give your company a real leg up on the competition.

Publish Date: February 26, 2021 2:00 AM


7 Ways Artificial Intelligence Is Impacting the World

Artificial intelligence is changing the way people around the world live. By automating tasks that used to be performed manually and solving problems in ways that used to be impossible, AI has both created new opportunities and challenges. These are seven of the ways AI is impacting the world.

  1. Makes People Safer

Artificial intelligence has been a key component of developing new safety technology, such as the Fleet dash cam. This vehicle camera system provides in-cab notifications and a driver behavior coaching system that helps fleet managers spot and correct unwanted driver behavior. It can also detect when drivers are falling asleep or taking their eyes off the road and issue in-cab alerts to get the driver back on track. Versions of this technology have also been employed in passenger vehicles to promote safe driving.

  1. AI Puts Personal Assistance in Your Pocket

Artificial intelligence powers digital personal assistants, such as Siri and Alexa. These devices use machine-learning to get better at predicting and understanding user requests. Siri allows Apple device owners to use their voices to search for information, get directions, issue commands on their devices and more. Amazon's Alexa functions as a smart home hub. In addition to performing many of the same functions as Siri, Alexa allows users to shop on Amazon using voice commands and control their smart home devices.

  1. Makes Self-Driving Cars Possible

Smart cars, such as the Tesla, can't completely drive themselves yet, but they do have advanced self-driving features. All Teslas are capable of emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and collision warning. The Tesla autopilot feature gives the cars limited self-driving capability, such as automatic driving on highways, auto lane change, auto parking, assisted traffic light stops and the ability to summon your car in a parking lot. The cars feature other perks such as location-aware automatic garage door openers, auto-dimming heated side-mirrors and custom driver profiles. The company is working on additional options, such as the ability to autosteer on city streets.

  1. Improves Customer Service

AI is being used in technology, such as Cogito, to improve the ability of phone professionals to interact with customers. This system fuses machine learning with behavioral science to make phone interactions more productive.  Boxever employs AI to improve customer experiences in the travel industry by creating "micro-moments" designed to delight. AI-powered chatbots are making it possible for companies to assist customers no matter what time of the day or night it is. These bots also collect data about customer interactions, helping businesses improve customer service.

  1. Understands What People Want

The predictive abilities of AI are also being used to help companies predict what customers want. Luxury travel concierge company, John Paul, utilizes AI to better understand the wants and needs of customers. Netflix uses AI to figure out which movies and television shows you will want to watch next based on your previous reactions and choices. Pandora does the same thing with your musical choices. Pandora's AI utilizes a database of 400 musical characteristics of every song to help determine what you want to listen to.

  1. Improves Online Shopping

Amazon's transactional AI is part of what has made the company so hugely successful. Amazon uses data about customers' purchasing habits to predict what customers will want to purchase next. The company even has plans to start shipping products to customers' doors before they even order them, though the technology is not there yet.

  1. Keeps Your Environment Comfortable

Thermostats that can be programmed to turn off and on automatically based on user settings are old hat. Smart thermostats, such as the Nest, take this technology to a new level by using AI to learn when and how you will want the temperature adjusted in your home or office.

Advances in artificial intelligence are making new products and services available every day. From automating mundane tasks to keeping drivers safer on the road, AI has had a huge impact on the way people live their lives.

Publish Date: February 25, 2021 7:57 PM


10 Tips for Creating a Thriving Small Business

Becoming a small business owner is an exercise in the American Dream. Finally, you can be your own boss and create a company rooted in your values and visions for the world. You have the concept and the understanding of what it takes to get to where you’d like to go, but putting those things into practice can seem like an insurmountable task.

When it comes to small businesses, getting them off the ground is a triumph, but thriving is another story. Heed these tips to improve your small business and start working on building the company you’d always dreamed of.

  1. Get the Capital
    Perhaps the most important aspect of growing a business is getting the funding you need to make your vision come to life. Acquiring money to invest in your business is an ongoing process, and in the early days you’re not likely turning much profit. From investors to small business loans, there are a variety of resources available for getting the funds necessary to maintain and grow your company’s operations.

If your company is young or in its earliest stages, it’s smart to allocate funds from other work endeavors to establish a firm financial foundation and get your business started off on the most solid foot possible. Business owners face many unexpected setbacks during startup, so having a solid savings account reserved for these obstacles will ensure future success.

  1. Refine Your Vision

You started a business because you saw a need in the marketplace and believed in your ability to fill it. Over time, that passion that inspired you to start things up in the first place can fade. The ever-changing marketplace and evolving consumer behavior can create a lot of uncertainty for business owners, especially when it appears that what worked for you once may not work again.

Make sure that your vision and objectives are as clear as the very first day you applied for a business license. Establishing a solid brand early on goes a long way in ensuring longevity and making your work as meaningful and you’d hoped it would be. Keep your vision in mind when you make any decisions and, if needed, write it down so you can refer back and connect to what got you started in the first place.

  1. Focus on Service

Your customer’s trust is paramount to growing your business, and the most effective way to establish that report is through excellent customer service. You can’t run your business without your clients, and without their interest and investment in your company, you couldn’t put food on the table, either. When designing your company’s objectives put their experience at the top of your priority list.

Customers will be far more inclined to spend their resources on businesses that feel personal, accessible and respectable. It may seem as though your product speaks for itself, but companies can only succeed when they have both excellent products as well as amazing customer service. Personal touches like email newsletters, seasonal promotions and solid purchasing policies have the power to turn casual browsers into lifelong customers.

  1. Divide Your Resources

Creating a budget isn’t just a task reserved for your bank accounts. Scheduling and budgeting your time, energy and equipment is necessary to run your business smoothly and effectively. With all the demands of the marketplace, small business owners can become stretched thin incredibly quickly. Plan ahead to make sure no penny, or minute, is unaccounted for.

When setting up some business parameters, keep both short and long term goals in mind. You may find that your money is best spent on online advertising, or that it’s best for you to spend time answering client questions or connecting with your audience instead of generating lead ideas. However you spend your resources, employ every effort in meaningful and effective ways to more quickly and efficiently realize your goals.

  1. Get Online

We live in a truly digital age, and an impressive amount of our life’s happenings occur over the internet. Since so much of today’s society happens from screen to screen, a company’s solid online presence is no longer negotiable. It’s important to become acquainted with all the ways a business can maintain a presence online, including social media, advertisements, email chains and websites.

Over half of all web traffic is accessed via mobile devices around the world, so it’s especially important to have a presence that is mobile-friendly. Websites that look like watered down versions of your desktop site are too cumbersome for the average consumer to navigate. Users should have access to your business across multiple platforms, which gives your company several channels to utilize to get your name and products into the living rooms of people all around the world. Make sure you’re aware of the benefits and limitations of each online platform, or you’ll risk alienating or losing potential customers by appearing disconnected or out of touch.

  1. Create a Good Team

A small business owner wears many hats in the beginning, and slowly but surely has the resources needed to start assembling a team to help with daily operations. It’s difficult to put your company and brainchild in the hands of other people, but finding the right people to add to your crew is crucial to its growth. By handing off tasks to your employees, you not only increase the likelihood that they will be done with careful and dedicated attention, but you also free up some of your time to focus on what you need to do next.

Once you’ve found people you can trust, keep them in the loop at all times. Thorough training and frequent check-ins keep your company’s vision fresh in the minds of your team. It’s not all business and paperwork, however. Finding and maintaining a team you trust takes some additional investment on your end. Employees are more likely to do their job and do it well when they feel empowered, trusted and cared for by their employer.

  1. Stay Consistent

Though it can be tempting to rebrand to keep up with the trends, inconsistency will only erode trust with your customers and send them away to do business with your competitors. Customers will come to your business when they know what to expect and can rely on the quality and consistency of both your brand and your products. Without consistent values and tenets, your clients won’t see your company as a solid, reliable place to turn to.

Sticking to your brand message can not only help to take the guesswork out of marketing intentions, but it also establishes customer loyalty that results in returns and conversions that spell profits for your business. Every customer service interaction, advertisement campaign, social media post and product that you generate should reflect a solid identity.

It’s important to note that change and evolution is an important part of a thriving small business, and adapting to customer needs and trends will keep your company evergreen and relevant. Major departures from brand voice or product quality, however, do more to hurt your profits. Decisions to evolve and adapt should remain in alignment with your company’s core values and identity rather than compromise them.

  1. Think to the Future

Small business owners pour a lot of themselves into their companies, and with so many resources invested, staying afloat for years becomes personal. When metrics and consumer data is calculated in real time, it’s easier than ever for small business owners to think ahead. Your company has a bright future, regardless of present status. There is always a way to press on and move forward.

Look inward and think about where you’d like your company to be in five years. You may hope to get your products into the hands of wholesalers or you may have a few financial goals on the horizon. Once you have a clearer vision of the future, break down large goals into smaller ones, and find a way to take steps in your business every day to bring you closer to what you’re after.

  1. Stay Well-Rounded

Your chosen industry existed long before you found your place in it. In order to stay current and informed in your business practices, take time away from your company to work on it. Getting caught up in the day-to-day operations of your company can cloud your perspective and even slow your company’s growth. It’s important to step back and take a look from another angle.

Give up a little time periodically to attend conferences, read educational resources or meet with a mentor. There are many free or inexpensive resources available for business owners in all fields, many of them accessible through your phone. However it’s done, just make sure to schedule time away and stick to it.

  1. Live a Little

Though it takes up a great deal of your time, you have a life outside of your business. When you work hard, you earn the right to play hard, too. When it seems like all you do is work, it can feel like you don’t have any time for the things you used to love. Time spent in things you love can provide some much needed relief, so when you get back to work building your empire, you’re ready to handle whatever comes your way.

Publish Date: February 25, 2021 6:23 PM


Tips For Motivating Your Customer Service Team

Customer service is the foundation of any business. Whether you own a small online shop selling custom shirts, a local plumbing company or a chain of the best brunch restaurants in town, you must have an impeccable customer service team in order to have a successful business. You may have the best prices but if your customers have poor experiences that do not get resolved, they will not be back. As such, it is essential that your customer service team members stay motivated to do their best for the consumer. Below are recommendations for keeping your customer service team motivated and focused so they can provide best-in-class service to your patrons.

Post Quotes

Whether your team is answering a phone call, responding to an email or meeting with a fellow team member, you want their priority to always be doing what is best for the customer. With all the daily tasks and assignments your customer service team tackles, it is easy for them to lose focus and go through the motions without truly evaluating what is best for the consumer. A great way to recenter their attention is with customer service motivational quotes. By posting inspiring quotes specific to their jobs, this serves as a source of encouragement, as well as a reminder as to why they are there and what their goals are. Send out a motivational quote in the morning email to your teams, include one in your company newsletter, frame them around the office and encourage your employees to share their favorites.

Offer an Incentive Program

An incentive program is a fantastic way to encourage your team to put their best foot forward. You want each of your patrons to feel as if they are the most valued client in the company, and your customer service team is going to make that happen. What better way to motivate them than with prizes? Everyone is driven by something different, so the best way to determine what incentives your team wants is to send a survey. Offer a few different options in the poll that you have previously determined your company can offer, and leave space for employees to write suggestions. Some options include extra paid time off, gift cards, an overnight stay at a hotel or a membership to a company, such as a local museum or a meal delivery subscription. Get creative with what you offer. Just make sure it is something the employees will want.

Get Feedback

As the team that works with your consumers day in and day out, these employees have a significant perspective on what customers like and do not like. You need to take time to get the team’s feedback on what they are seeing from the customers. Are there particular products customers like? Similar issues being reported? Discuss these types of questions with the team. You will also want to discuss what areas of the business and systems are working well and what areas can be improved upon.

 

Meet with team members one-on-one every other week, or you can meet as a team and have an open forum for feedback. Either way, make sure you meet on a regular basis. Doing this will not only make your employees feel heard and show you value them, their work and their input, but it will also give you steps to improve your customer experience.

Remove Red Tape

Nobody likes struggling to do their job due to stringent and excessive rules. However, bureaucratic red tape can have a particularly negative impact in the customer service world. These team members are working directly with patrons who are giving you money; if your employees are constantly running into barriers where they cannot solve problems for your clients, this is going to anger consumers and likely stop them from using your business again.

 

Therefore, you must ensure your customer service team can take action when needed. Nothing is going to break them down like dealing with upset and angry customers all day and not being able to resolve the problem. For example, a customer calls in frustrated that their product arrived damaged and they are demanding a new one at no extra charge. Your worker should be able to completely resolve that situation then and there. If your employee has to go through multiple levels of approvals to get the customer their product and shipping free of charge, this is only going to delay a resolution and cause further aggravation to the client.

Offer Flexible Scheduling

Another great way to motivate your team is by allowing for flexible scheduling. All of your customer service employees likely have other commitments outside of work. It can be difficult for them to complete a lot of these commitments when they are bound by a standard eight-to-five job. Allowing them flexibility in their work schedule shows you trust them to get their work done and allows them to fully focus on the task at hand when working, versus worrying over how they are going to make it to a doctor's appointment.

 

While flexible scheduling is a sensible perk for your team, it needs to be done strategically to ensure clients are still taken care of. Have your customer service manager work with each employee and develop a schedule based on everyone’s needs. This might look like different start times for everyone, such as some people working from six to three, some from seven to four and others from eight to five. Additionally, if someone needs to leave for a bit during the day, do not make them use paid time off. Simply have them tell the manager ahead of time so he or she can ensure sufficient coverage is scheduled during that break. While everyone might not get their perfect schedule all the time, having more flexibility will make a big impact on employee's attitudes at work.

Award Bonuses

A performance-based bonus is an excellent way to incentivize your customer service team to give 100% every day. Create a form with different questions regarding what the employee accomplished throughout the year; ask for specific examples. At the end of the year, have the employee submit the form for review by their manager. Finally, the manager and staff member should meet one-on-one to discuss both the employee’s and manager’s feedback. A bonus will be awarded based on the performance review.

 

The bonus structure should be clearly laid out prior to the employee submitting their review. This structure could be as simple as three options: exceeds expectations, meets expectations, not meeting expectations. Bonus amounts will vary depending on which category the person falls into. Or you can create a more detailed structure, such as a rating from one to five. Again, regardless of what setup works best for your business, ensure the employees know what the requirements are prior to submitting their performance review.

 

Your customer service team is the bedrock of your company, yet the job can be very challenging, stressful and oftentimes thankless. Each day brings with it new customers and new obstacles for the team to handle, and without encouragement and support from management, your team will become frustrated and disheartened. Use the above recommendations to inspire and motivate your customer service team, and they in turn will provide your patrons with outstanding service!

Publish Date: February 25, 2021 5:29 PM


The Importance of CRM in Marketing

Marketing is a key aspect to any business. It helps to broadcast your brand, draw in new customers, and boost sales by focusing on popular products. Your marketing efforts shouldn't be solely focused on selling items, though. In fact, a large part of your marketing budget should go to customer relationship management (CRM). In a nutshell, this is the practice of tracking what your customers like and buy to know how to better serve them. It can be accomplished through email newsletters, special discounts, or post-purchase surveys to name a few. Getting in touch with your clients is incredibly important to the success of your business for a number of reasons.

 

How It Works

To understand why a CRM is a good investment, you first should understand how it works and how it can fit into your sales culture. A CRM is a type of system that gives you valuable, data-driven insights about your customers. It can show purchasing trends, how much people spend on average, and even what items they leave behind. Having this type of detailed information about your customers' behavior can be an invaluable indicator of areas of your business that are working and those that are struggling. With this information you can better market to niche groups, profile the interest of certain age groups, and change certain aspects of your customer service to see better feedback and results.

 

There are a few different types of CRMs you can choose to implement in your business. Outsourced systems are usually some type of web-based subscription you pay into so a company can collect and analyze your data for a monthly fee. Off-the-shelf options are pre-made databases that often run in tandem with other popular programs you may use in your business. Custom CRMs are great for large companies that are looking for specific data, because they're tailored to exactly what the business owner wants and needs. Finally, there's even a combination of outsourced and customized for people who need specific data but don't have their own team to monitor and interpret reports.

 

Learning Your Customers

One of the best tricks of business is learning your customers, which is why CRM is so important in sales industries. If you know who your client base is and what they're looking to buy, you have an edge on the competition. Now you can keep up with their purchasing trends and anticipate their next move. This means you can offer exactly what they want exactly when they want it and be on the first wave of a new fad. Getting ahead of material movements is a great way to boost profits and gain recognition because everyone will be looking to you for the next cool thing.

 

Another great aspect of using CRM software is that you can organize all of this customer information in one convenient space. Your software or database will house not only the raw data it collects, but also the tables and graphs it generates so you can easily read the information and see the direction of various trends. This can save you tons of time and effort because you don't have to sift through multiple applications to input, analyze, and generate visuals of your data. Having everything organized allows you to optimize and streamline your sales and marketing strategy so you can be on the ball through every change in taste.

 

Keeping Existing Customers

It's no secret that keeping existing customers is cheaper than finding new ones. They already know and trust your brand, you already know how to get in direct contact with them, and you have a record of what items they like, have purchased, or were interested in. The data surrounding existing customers is worth its weight in gold if you know how to use it. That's where CRM steps in. In addition to tracking and analyzing data, a CRM can also help with customer interactions. Things like generating and sending newsletters, sales notices, or satisfaction surveys. This helps to flesh out the emotional side of your customers that can't necessarily be tracked through purchases and online activity. You can even integrate social media platforms and website chat functions into a CRM so that you have a better account of how you directly interact with your customers.

 

Knowing your strong points and interacting with every customer can boost loyalty to your brand. Think about the items you purchase, whether online or in stores. When you get that thank-you email or paper coupon slipped in your bag after check out, you feel like you've contributed to something and helped someone out. This is the same feeling you want your customers to have when they hit purchase. Every time they get that positive feedback, have their questions quickly answered, or get a response to their comment on social media, they feel seen and heard by your brand. Now they'll likely start making more bulk purchases and recommending you to friends because they trust your company.

 

Organizing Leads

When you're working in a sales-driven business, it can get tricky to keep track of all the people you've reached out to directly or what marketing campaigns were targeted to whom. This is yet another great reason so start using CRM. The CRM softwares can help you to log and track leads throughout the entire sales cycle. You can entire specific business names, who the decision maker is, their contact information, when you contacted them and how, and what their response was. Having all of this information at the click of a button can make prospecting much more streamlined and successful. It can help you to focus on warm or hot leads and keep the best potential clients organized all in one place.

 

Having notes handy is also great when you're working with a large team who all reach out leads during the week. If one employee calls a lead on Monday and gets a negative response, the person who calls them on Wednesday will know to try a different approach based on the notes attached to that lead. It's also great for keeping track of your contact with existing clients. For example, you can filter through all of your customers to see who hasn't made a purchase in the last six months, and reach out to them with a discount or sale announcement to try to get them back to your store.

 

Automating Marketing

The last reason CRM systems are incredibly important for businesses is the automation options they present. Gone are the days where you risk forgetting to send out the weekly newsletter or make a post on social media. With a CRM you can automate all of your outreach campaigns so you never meet a deadline. You can either upload what you want sent out and schedule it for a date and time, or with some systems you can allow it to pull from your branding and marketing material and generate an email or social media post. Ideally, you would have a marketing person specifically dedicated to dealing with this area of campaigns who is constantly scheduling new posts to keep your online presence relevant and up to date.

 

You can even automate the prospecting process by using certain artificial intelligence tools. Take cold calling for example. You can have a computer generating calls to a list of contacts and delivering a scripted message to everyone who answers. Then, you can track which marketing leads were transferred into sales through the call list.

 

Customer relationship management is a key component in business success because you can learn about your customers, keep existing customers, organize your leads, and automate your marketing.

Publish Date: February 22, 2021 12:53 PM


5 Steps To Targeting Your Ideal Customer

If you're running a business, effective marketing is key to your success. There's no other way around it in this visually-driven age. One of the most important things for you to do as part of your marketing is to accurately target your ideal customer. This process can be one of the most enjoyable parts of getting your business going — don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed! The creativity and problem-solving you do as you create your ideal customer will serve you well as your enterprise begins to grow. Here are several steps to take to bring your ideal customer into focus.

Identify Your Client

There are numerous aspects that make up a human being. What determines their choices to relate to content, look for products, and decide on services? This is the most basic level of identifying your client. It's an early step toward understanding their choices, motivations, and hesitations. Sketch out the following: personal background (include education level, family background, and age), mindset (include lifestyle, values, and attitudes), and work experience (their type of industry, resume, and track record). Want to understand how a particular set of customers think and feel? Search for terms like le-vel thrive reviews for a good overview.

Know Their Story

Imagine that you are your ideal client, and imagine what you might do in the course of a day. Bring all of your senses in — it's necessary to do so in order to get this part right. Where do they look for information? What podcasts, videos, and blogs do they listen to, watch, and read? What websites do they visit? What types of online communities do they join? What's their role in their community in real life? What are the problems they face? While every customer obviously won't have the same story, this step will help you listen and empathize with each potential client's personality and path.

Understand Their Journey

Speaking of personality and path, it's time to take an even deeper dive into the life of your ideal client. Take some time to envision their past and future life trajectory. What is your customer wanting to accomplish? Get specific. Write down goals and challenges. Also, think about what "success" means on their terms, even if it's something outside the norm. What might be some of the solutions that you would offer? How is your journey similar or different? All of this helps you put together what is most valuable for your ideal client, and decrease the likelihood of your having to resort to trial and error. It also helps you to identify the best topics to address and fine-tune your content.

Understand Their World

For your purposes, "the world" of your client has to do with their sphere of influence — both personal and professional. Where does your ideal customer plug in? Do your best to construct that reality. What is the lingo they use? Think about social networks of all kinds that your client is part of. Consider how well your natural style of communication lines up with theirs. If it's a good fit already, that means less work on your part. Marketing is all about sincere, well-targeted communication. Determine if your style of spoken and written communication aligns in an authentic way.

Consider How You Fit In

If you want to make this process as effective as possible, go through the previous steps and apply them to yourself. Be honest yet gentle as you do so; you'll gain valuable information that will help you for years to come. You might find that your ideal customer is a perfect fit — or you may realize that it's necessary to tweak things in order to run your business in a more harmonious way. If you're going to be in it for the long haul, that's a big consideration.

Targeting your ideal customer involves careful investigation. Try these steps for rewarding results.

Publish Date: February 22, 2021 12:31 AM


How to Transform Your Customers Into Advocates

The best form of marketing is not always found in traditional advertising models. Sometimes it comes straight from your tried and true fans.

 

So when it comes time to take your business to the next level, consider establishing a brand ambassador program to transform your most satisfied customers into your most loyal word-of-mouth advocates. Not only will it ensure a stable stream of reliable business; it will also engage new customers along the way.

Here are six ways to turn your customers into advocates. You will no doubt find these tricks of the trade to be some of the most profitable decisions you make for your business.

 

Perfect Your Customer Service

The first step to establishing a successful ambassador program begins with good service. Consumers are much more likely to sing your company’s praises if your customer service exceeds their expectations.

This can be as simple as streamlining the sales process for them or being transparent about an unexpected delivery delay. It also requires in-depth knowledge about the product and an overall helpful attitude.

Proactive service not only earns customer loyalty; it also leads to organic word of mouth referrals. Once your clients share their overwhelmingly positive experiences with their friends and family, those friends and family members are more inclined to become clients as well. Consumers don't necessarily purchase a product because an advertisement told them to do so; they choose a product because someone else recommended it.

 

Personalize Everything

Once your customer service is perfected, it’s time to take it to the next level with more personalization.

Personalization is key to developing a trusting, more personal relationship with your clients. To do this, just treat them like a friend: Use their name when you communicate with them, send them a birthday or thank you card, and take note of their personal and professional milestones, be it an anniversary, the birth of a new baby, or a move to a new office space.

 

Another way to personalize your customers’ experience is by communicating with them on their preferred channel. Telephone, e-mail, text message, social media, in person and live chat options should all be available to them. This way, you can keep them informed while also signaling to them that their time and business are of value. They’ll feel like VIPs in no time.

 

Share Stories

One of the best ways to further build your advocacy base is to ask your most loyal customers for testimonials and feedback. This shows them that you care about their opinions and that they have a say in improving your brand for the better.

 

Ask them if you can share their stories on your website and social media pages. Better yet, encourage them to post comments and interact with your content on their own social media channels.

User-generated content is a free and fruitful way to spread brand awareness. It also helps you identify which customers have the best chance of becoming  successful brand advocates.

 

Identify Advocates

When surveying your clients for feedback, don’t neglect to ask them if they are likely to recommend your business to their friends and family. This is a great way to identify potential advocates from your pool of customers.

 

Anyone who responds with a "very likely" should be enlisted as a brand ambassador and given responsibilities catered to their strengths. For instance, if they have a large social media following, employ them to increase brand awareness on their profiles or involve them in an upcoming launch campaign. Alternatively, if they are leaders in their local community, get them to invite their friends and peers to your next trade show or event.

 

Reward Loyalty

Create further ambassador buy-in by establishing loyalty and referral programs. Reward their loyalty with discounts, complementary products or exclusive access ahead of the general public.

Likewise, referral programs have the opportunity to satisfy current customers while also attracting new ones. For every referral they send your company, repay your brand advocate with additional discounts and free products. They’ll never go to another competitor again.

 

Brand ambassador programs are an infallible way to grow your business. In the end, if you invest in people, they will invest in you.

Publish Date: February 22, 2021 12:30 AM


Helpful Tips to Keep Your Information Safe While Shopping Online

There are more than a few reasons to shop online today. You can find countless bargains, a bigger selection of items, and maintain social distancing guidelines that have been ordered since the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

While this is true, there are still some people who are hesitant to shop online. Their main objection to this is the security of their personal information. There is good news. Today, shopping online is safer than ever before. However, you can still take some steps to ensure the security of your personal information while shopping online.

 

Use Websites You Are Familiar With

It is best to start your online shopping adventure with a trusted site. Sometimes, search results may be rigged to cause you to click on untrustworthy sites – especially if you move beyond the initial few pages in the SERPs. If you know a site, it is much less likely to be sketchy or try to rip you off.

 

Go with names you know and watch out for businesses or sites with misspellings. These are some of the oldest tricks out there used to steal personal information. While the sites may look legit, you have to pay attention to the details to ensure they really are.

 

Look for a Lock

You should never purchase something online using your credit card from a site with the SSL – secure sockets layer – encryption installed. This is a minimum requirement. You will be able to tell if the site has the SSL because the URL for the site will begin with an "HTTPS" rather than just an "HTTP." You will also see an icon of a locked padlock, usually to the URL's left side in the website address bar or on the status bar under it (this depends on the browser you use). Today, HTTPS is considered standard – even for non-shopping sites. Google actually flags pages that do not include the additional "S" as being "not secure." If you find a site that does not have this, go somewhere else.

 

Avoid Oversharing

There is no online store that will ever require your birthday or Social Security number to sell you something. However, if a nefarious individual gets this information, they can do quite a bit of damage. The more that scammers know, the easier it will be for them to steal your identity. Make sure you are giving minimal personal information. Remember, sites are breached all the time, so the less information you give, the less that will be put at risk.

 

Safeguard Your Computer

People who want to steal your information are not sitting around waiting for you to give them this data. Sometimes, they will provide something extra to help this process along. You can invest in malware or an antivirus program to help avoid this. You can also use a comprehensive security suite, which will help ensure your computer is as safe as possible.

 

Ensure Your Wi-Fi Is Private

If you plan to shop online from a public location, you need to stick with trusted networks. Along with using a trusted network, consider using an Amazon Prime VPN to safeguard your private information even further.

 

Use Your Mobile Device

Today's big-name retailers – and even some of the smaller ones – create apps that make shopping safer and easier for their customers. Using an app on your mobile device, you can feel confident that your information is protected and safe.

 

As you can see from the information here, there are countless ways to protect yourself and your information while you are shopping online. Be sure to keep the information and tips here in mind to get the best results possible. Also, if you are worried, start slow. Buy something and see how it goes. Once you see, there is no huge risk, and you will be more confident in moving forward and buying items online in the future. Being informed is the best way to make the most of online shopping.

Publish Date: February 22, 2021 12:28 AM


What's the Best Way To Motivate Your Sales Team?

Motivating a sales team can be challenging but the payoff is well worth the effort. Increased revenue for your business, higher morale, and better employee retention are just some of the benefits. As a leader, it is up to you to find the winning combination of efforts that lead to a happy, successful sales force. There is no one-size-fits-all strategy, but there are proven methods to consider implementing.

 

Show Them the Money

One of the oldest and most effective motivators is to offer sales bonuses. Money can be a great incentive to increase performance, but you need to have a carefully thought-out compensation plan if you want to maximize your team's achievements. What the bonuses are based on and how you will calculate them are just two of the basic questions you will need to answer before rolling out a financial reward system.

Keep in mind that no amount of money will make up for poor management. A negative work environment in which people feel uncomfortable or unappreciated will have them looking for the exit no matter how attractive an occasional bonus may look.

 

Set Them Up for Success

Before you can expect your sales team to perform well, you need to make sure they have all the necessary tools for success. Set clear expectations with well-defined goals so that no one has to guess what they are supposed to be doing. Evaluate your training and development program to make sure everyone has the skill set and resources they need. If team members are struggling in a certain area, find ways to provide refresher training or set aside extra time for some one-on-one coaching.

 

In addition to ensuring everyone has effective training, be sure to provide clear and ongoing feedback on performance. Whether you meet weekly, quarterly, or somewhere in between, provide honest and helpful input to each member of the team. If goals are not being met, develop a plan for getting back on track and express your confidence that they will be successful. A leader who communicates clearly and offers support when needed is incredibly motivating.

 

Demonstrate Your Respect

As Aretha Franklin sang, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me." A true leader treats everyone with respect always. Communicating honestly and often is one way to show respect, as is listening deeply to others' ideas and concerns. Your team members will feel motivated to go above and beyond when they know they are not just a cog in a wheel but a valued contributor to a shared mission.

 

Another way to demonstrate respect for employees is to take the time to identify and recognize the unique skills and talents each one possesses. Whenever possible, find ways for people to utilize their special abilities in work projects and assignments. Being able to shine by having their uniqueness spotlighted and appreciated by others can be a great motivator for team members.

 

Along those same lines, be sure to celebrate achievements, big and small, every chance you get. Check out some tips for creating a culture of appreciation and put some to work for your team. On the flip side, when something goes wrong, as it inevitably will, speak privately to the people involved. Cheerlead in public, coach in private.

 

Lead With Integrity

At the end of the day, motivating your sales team comes down to one person, you. Model the behavior you want to see from your employees. People can see right through insincerity and hypocrisy, so if your actions do not match your words, you will not be trusted. To lead a successful team, you must step up as the role model for everyone.

 

Inspiring your sales team to excellence requires a combination of strategies, some financial, some interpersonal, and some internal. By providing incentives when appropriate, effective training and coaching, respect, and a little fun along the way, you can step to the forefront as the awesome leader of an outstanding team.

Publish Date: February 21, 2021 11:49 PM


6 Cutting Edge Technologies in Company Transportation

The transportation field has been one of the most important areas of innovation throughout human history. From the wheel to the locomotive to the car to the plane, transportation has helped organizations to organize increasingly advanced logistics. This continues to happen at an ever-accelerating pace. These are some cutting edge technologies to watch for your company’s transportation.

1) Self-Driving Vehicles

Perhaps the most important technological improvement currently in development is self-driving vehicles. In a few short years, vehicles have gone from being almost completely human-controlled to being able to self-drive on highways and some other settings. This is a massive change that will likely have enormous effects on transportation.

According to Tesla, the brand is getting close to truly autonomous vehicles. Even if their estimates are off, we can expect to see some major advances in the near future. It may not be long until there is no need for drivers to move goods and people around for your company.

2) Driver Assistance Technologies

A part of the push for self-driving vehicles has been a significant improvement in driver-assistance technologies. Vehicles can intelligently help people stay safe and help them get around more efficiently. These technologies can be great from a business perspective. For example, they can help to reduce insurance premiums by lessening the likelihood of accidents.

Additionally, they can help to keep people safe. Which is always a good thing both from a moral and business perspective.

3) Advanced GPS

Global positioning systems have improved significantly over the years. One of the most noteworthy changes in recent years has been the switch to phone-based GPS systems. With infotainment options such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto, there has been more room for significant advances in consumer GPS.

We have also seen improved GPS for fleet vehicles. Whether you operate trucks, vans or busses, you can be confident that your drivers will always know where to go. Plus, there are plenty of great features that can help businesses to stay more organized with their logistics.

4) Machine Learning for Logistics Optimization

One of the most important “behind the scenes” improvements in transportation has been algorithm-based route planning. Machine learning is making it easier than ever to optimize logistics. ML systems can analyze the performance of different routes more rapidly. With the power of ML, you can plan routes that save time and money.

There are other areas of logistics that can benefit from ML too. For example, it can be used to determine the optimal load for different vehicles. Better yet, it can be used to analyze multiple logistical factors together, finding combinations that would be missed by other systems.

5) Connected Vehicles

Vehicles are more connected than ever before. Tesla has led to some serious improvement in this area with their over-the-air updates. It is likely that some similar systems will start to appear on the market from other manufacturers.

The upshot of this for businesses is easier maintenance of their vehicles. Additionally, there are some other advantages to connectivity. For example, vehicles can be more easily given up-to-date routing and logistical information. Organizations being more connected often means smoother and more agile operations.

6) Electric Vehicles

Finally, it is important to note the explosion of electric vehicle options. This provides businesses with some interesting opportunities. First, they can reduce their environmental impact by cutting down emissions and using more renewable fuels.

Additionally, they can improve their transportation fueling systems. In a traditional setup, vehicles need to be fueled using pumps with significant amounts of fuel stored on-site (or they need to visit fueling stations at a higher cost). With electric vehicles, the fleet can be plugged in whenever they are at “home base.” This can make it easier and cheaper to keep company vehicles ready for the road.

Learn More

Discover more about cutting-edge transportation technologies. These innovations could help your business run its transportation logistics better.

Publish Date: February 18, 2021 1:46 PM


Entry Level Government Jobs in California

Government work provides many benefits that anyone would like to take advantage of. However, this means that government jobs are in high demand, so you’ll have your work cut out for you even getting an entry level job. If you stick to your guns, you can eventually land an entry level government position in California. Here’s what you need to know.

Finding the Right Position for You

The best way to succeed in any line of work is to find an occupation that works for you. Therefore, it’s important to search diligently for a position that fits your entry level qualifications and sounds like something in which you could excel. The best way to find government work is by using USAJOBS, because it will allow you to create a singular profile that can be used to apply to many different positions. However, you can instead of use CalCareers to limit the scope of your searches to California positions only. Making an account on one or more of these platforms is advised, because the high demand for the roles and the high demands of applicants may result in multiple attempts per applicant, often to multiple positions.

Knowing What To Expect

Government work is necessarily different from other jobs you may have had, and it’s important to understand those differences in order to adjust to them. One thing that’s worth noting in particular is that California break law is not mandated for public, or state, employers. Likewise, daily overtime is a state law, but it’s not legally mandated at the government level. In most cases, the state’s labor laws for the private sector are honored, but this isn’t something you can take for granted. It’s worth noting that there are exceptions to this general rule. In addition, an important distinction is that, where overtime pay is denied, comp time is often used instead. Comp time is essentially paid time off that equals the amount of overtime an employee has worked. This is effectively like getting paid double instead of the standard time and a half, but you’re paid later for work you don’t have to do, instead.

Understanding Restrictions

There are many ways in which the rules of working for the government differ from working in the private sector that need to be understood if you’re interested in a state job. For example, many US states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana medicinally and/or recreationally. Despite this, the use of marijuana of any kind for any reason remains illegal for government employees. Drug testing is a different story. While random drug screenings used to be fairly commonplace, they’re being reduced or phased out in many industries and in most government jobs. Drug tests are generally only performed if there is a reasonable suspicion of drug use that affects an employee’s performance. However, there is an exception to this rule for certain jobs in which drug use can be expected to interfere with public safety or national security. In these roles, you can expect to be tested randomly with no warning.

It’s important to note that working for the government necessarily means being a representative of the government, and that means that looking professional is a major priority. Business or business casual attire is a must for any government job. Likewise, the standards for grooming and hygiene are at their peak in state occupations. The grooming side of things mostly affects men, and the restrictions are more or less what you’d expect. Men should keep their hair short and neat, and facial hair is generally not approved of, but it is often allowed. The hygiene requirements are fairly simple and fall in line with the majority of jobs in the private sector.

A government job can seem like a dream job to some. The pair is generally quite good, and the work has a higher baseline of importance compared to many entry level positions. However, these roles aren’t given to just anybody, and it takes a dedicated individual to learn what’s required of them and execute on it. These tips can help you prepare yourself to be the ideal applicant.

Publish Date: February 17, 2021 7:15 PM

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