When the economy grows, is it time to let clients go?

We will be facing an interesting dilemma as the economy turns around. As we are starting to see an increase in new business, we'll be stressed over how we can handle that influx. How many people do we add? Where do we find the right people?

Maybe the right people are already at your company.

Those really good people may be floundering working with customers that are unprofitable, unwilling to be a partner or who are just plain demotivating. Right now, you may be grateful that you have any business with these customers. But as the economy picks up, you won't be.

One option that will be staring us in the face will be: which clients do you let go so you can "trade up?"

I say this with no attitude whatsoever. It is simply a reality that a good business will need to face.

Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond
www.labov.com

Aunt Peggy was right

I had an Aunt Peggy. She was a great lady, but she was a bit salty at times. I remember asking her who she was going to vote for in a Presidential election. She snarled at me and said, "It doesn't matter, they're all the same."

I was appalled. But then again I was ten years old at the time.

Of course, all politicians are not the same. But from a business perspective, she had a point. No matter who is in office, no matter what party is in control, we in business have to deal with it. And since they're politicians, they will meet the same fate all politicians face: at some point you're "in" and at some point you're "out." While all that's going on, we still have to run our businesses.

As business people, we need to focus on running our businesses and taking care of employees and customers. The political stuff will happen whether we want it to or not. No politician or party will ruin your business or make your business. Our businesses are our responsibility.

I believe it's inappropriate to stand on a soapbox and politicize about what party is the best for a company. It doesn't matter, like Aunt Peggy said. We need to deal with it and do our best and save the politicking for someone else.


Barry LaBov
President LaBov & Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com

Little things big, Big things little

The Internet has changed the way we buy stuff. We know more about a product than ever because we can research it ad nauseum via the web. In fact, more often than not, we know more than the sales person at the store when we're shopping. We're all becoming a little more savvy and maybe a little more skeptical.

Look internally at your company. The most valuable people do one thing:

The best people make big things little. They do a great job and don't brag. They land a deal and they show appreciation to the employees and the client.

The weak performers make little things sound big. They have a nice phone call with a prospect and they make it sound like a sale. They talk about little things--how long a meeting goes, what pleasantries a client gave them--and they make it sound huge.

Today, we're savvy. We know that unless a client decides to choose us that we have not made a sale. We know that a 90 meeting without a decision being made is not necessarily a success.

The best performers focus on the result and not how they look or appear. Which makes them appear to be even better.

Barry LaBov
LaBov and Beyond Marketing Communications
www.labov.com