To Whine or not to Wine? You Decide.
By Linda Fayerweather

If you are not working ON your business at least 5 hours a week, then maybe on your way home tonight you will want to pick up some cheese and crackers so when you “whine” you won’t be doing it on an empty stomach. In Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth Mastery as entrepreneurs, we are reminded to work ON our business and not IN our business. In reality, the business owner with less than 15 employees will often not have the luxury to spend all her time ON the business. Here are some questions to start your thinking beyond the day to day work:

1. When will you spend 3 hours planning weekly? Is it scheduled?

2. What can you do this week to create a better tomorrow? (write it down)

3. What core competencies do your employees possess which can be leveraged to affect sales growth? (write them down)

4. What is the number one bottleneck in your business that is holding back growth of sales, profit or both? (Document these)

5. If you had to price everything your employees and you do on an invoice for your customer, how many of these items would your customer recognize as value-added?

These questions are key to helping create a sellable business that will thrive - with or without you. Carving out some time each week to plan and reflect will lead to a better tomorrow and maybe a celebration with wine and not whine.

How is your business doing? Knowing where your business is right now, will help you concentrate your efforts on your future - get your Sellability Score. ScoreCard

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Linda L. Fayerweather, MBA EA
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
Helping businesses build the asset of their dreams since 1986
419.897.0528

Effective Customer Communication
By Tiffiny Fayerweather

Have you noticed lately when you have a complaint to a company the voice on the other end offers a cheap discount and ends with “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Since when will it be okay to give three free months of a service that does not have anything to do with fixing the original issue? It would be like offering a grape to someone with a rotten watermelon.

Effective listening is not something that is done by offering freebies and an end all company question that goes nowhere; it is actively listening with the intentions to solve the root of the problem. When you treat customer problems the same way every time, you begin to cheapen your loyalty and make your customers feel less valued.

So how can you help your team communicate more effectively with a complaining customer? Remember what you were taught before crossing train tracks? That’s right you savvy business leader, Stop, Look and Listen!

Stop – Stop what you are doing. No one can communicate effectively while they are trying to finish another task. Background noise should be kept to a minimum in customer service areas.

Look – Look at the problem from the point of view of your customer. If it is worth their time to call, it should be worth your time to look into. Take notes and share them with all relevant parts of your business.

Listen – Listen without interruption. Use intention of understanding, not just intentions of replying. Keep focused on the customer’s issues and confirm to them that you understand what the complaint is about when they are finished.

Once you really understand the complaint, you can start the process of asking questioning to gain a deeper understanding of the issue.

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Tiffiny Fayerweather
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
Helping businesses build the asset of their dreams since 1986
419.897.0528

A little Inspiration for Fellow Entrepreneurs/Wantrepreneurs
By Jeff Mendelsohn

This past week I came across a blog post on Shopify. It contained 12 TED talk videos that were meant to inspire fellow Entrepreneurs/Wantrepreneurs. The one that stuck out for me the most was Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action. It really struck a nerve with me. In the video Simon talks about the Golden Circle when it comes to a business. The picture is three circles inside each other "Why, How, What". He goes on to say most people (in terms of an employee and/or customer) know What they do, some people know How they do it, and very few people know Why they do. Very few people know Why they do what they do because most companies communicate from the outside in. They are busy saying what they do."We make computers... we make soft drinks... we do this... want to buy it!"

It is when a company communicates from the inside out, that's when they become more successful. I won't go into too much more detail because it is a very good video that I suggest you watch.

It really got me thinking about Changing Lanes and Liquid Mechanix Studio. I know why we do what we do. For Changing Lanes, we want to help people build successful strong businesses. Even deeper than that is we want to help people build a better class of businesses. A business that people will look up to and inspire to be like. But do we actually say that and do you actually know that? Doubt it, I think most people just know what we do.

I suppose this article is calling us out but I don't want Changing Lanes or Liquid Mechanix Studio to become just another mediocre business. Nor do I want your business to be mediocre. So hopefully like the videos did for me, it will also inspire you to do something great with your business.

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Jeff Mendelsohn
Changing Lanes LLC
www.ChangingLanes.biz
Helping businesses build the asset of their dreams since 1986
419.897.0528

Upcoming Events WEN Business Trade Show Date: Thursday, September 27, 2012 @ 3:00 PM Details: The Women's Entrepreneurial Network (WEN) annual Business Trade Show and Social is just around the corner. Take this great opportunity to showcase your business and meet other businesses at the WEN Business Trade Show and Social on Thursday, September 27, 2012 3:00 - 7:00 pm at the beautiful WW Knight Nature Preserve, 29530 White Road, Perrysburg, Ohio. Not only will your guests have an opportunity to shop at your booth, they are also invited to a wine tasting, with appetizers provided. We encourage you to invite your clients to this event to ensure that it will be a successful afternoon. Table Registration & Sponsorship A limited number of tables are available and registration is now available online or by calling 419-536-6732. Deadline for registration is September 20th. Cost: No Charge to View the Vendors - Booths start at $60! Details and registration at: WEN Trade Show

Contact Details Changing Lanes, LLC 422 W Broadway Maumee, Oh 43537 419.897.0528 By Email