Or maybe just 15 ways your business could be optimized to appeal more to the folks you’re missing but would like not to miss.
- You don’t revisit your business plan regularly to re-align your current needs.
- You have one way and one way only to contact you.
- You advertise once a week with no surprises.
- You silo your teams.
- You don’t see the people, just the numbers behind the people.
- You haven’t updated your website since 2004.
- You offer just one payment option.
- You cut corners on investment.
- You don’t measure results properly.
- Your reinvestment budget pays for your weekend cottage.
- Yours is the only voice in the company.
- You think automated phone trees are the best thing since sliced bread.
- You don’t consider social media.
- You ignore the smaller fish for the blue whales.
- You’re recognizing the compartments of this list you’re currently reading.
Any to add?
I have one more to add to that.
16. You don’t reply your customers
I had exp in those before. Wanted to get a clearer explanation on something and they didn’t bother to reply my email. So I didn’t buy from them.
.-= Aaron?s most recent blog post …10 Reasons Why I Personally Recommend CoTweet =-.
Great point, Aaron. It’s all well and good looking for new customers, but it’s your existing ones that keep you in business.
Agree with you, thanks for the list Danny.
Excellent list! This will be very helpful as I transition to running my Drupal development business full time.
.-= Brian Altenhofel?s most recent blog post …Integrating Social Media Into Your Website, Part I =-.
We only suck for 2.5 reasons!!!!
17. All decisions come from the top
Thanks for the early Saturday Morning Review Mr. B!
.-= Michael Schechter?s most recent blog post …Meet the Newest Addition To Honora- Design Director Julie Lamb =-.
Nice addition fella – the bane of all dictatorship businesses. 😉
Don’t know if it is really that, just think many business often do not encourage or have a mechanism for the little guy to speak up. Besides, you covered dictatorships in #11 🙂
.-= Michael Schechter?s most recent blog post …Meet the Newest Addition To Honora- Design Director Julie Lamb =-.
Danny, I really wish that sometimes you would come out of your shell and say what you’re thinking :).
TBH, this is a list some folks don’t want to read, but one that most all of us should.
18. You spend millions on creating a corporate brand instead of surfacing the rock stars at your company and letting their halo be your corporate brand.
.-= Justin Goldsborough?s most recent blog post …Hillman?s failure one we can all learn from =-.
Yeah, I need to work on my boldness for sure, mate 😉
Another great addition – the great thing about cultivating the talent from within is that they’ve “grown up” with the company. You can’t buy that kind of gold.
Thanks for making this list, Danny. Every business should read this and make sure they AREN’T making one of these mistakes.
One thing I might add: You don’t treat your employees as your first customer.
If you treat your employees as if they are cogs, unable to be human, or easily replaceable – it will reflect in how they treat your customers.
Just something to think about.
.-= Andrew Weaver?s most recent blog post …31 Reasons Your Team Has Lost Trust =-.
Great point, mate – who better to convince your customers of your value to them than your “internal customers”?
I’d rather do business with a company that knows employee names, as opposed to employee tax benefits…
If you sell your employees on what you’re selling, they’ll have a much easier time selling it to your customers. When your customers see your employees believe it and are sold on your product – guess who buys? Oh, and guess who wins? We ALL do. 🙂
.-= Andrew Weaver?s most recent blog post …31 Reasons Your Team Has Lost Trust =-.
True, mate, very true. You know who seems to do this well? Disney. And the user experience from that comes across in every aspect.
You’re right. Also – I would add Zappos to that.
.-= Andrew Weaver?s most recent blog post …31 Reasons Your Team Has Lost Trust =-.
To Add to the List:
16.) You don’t respond to your customers.
17.) You don’t make it easy to contact you.
18.) You spend more time worry about your competition instead of worrying about what your customers want.
19.) You don’t form relationships with other businesses or your customers.
20.) You don’t offer any useful advice about how others are using your product, why your product is great, or why I need your product.
Number 20 is a great one, Leslie. Sure, your product might look great, but seriously, what does it do and, more importantly, what does it do for me?
Cheers!
Great list, Danny. Adding to your #5 & 11, and Leslie’s #18 & 20:
21. You speak “highfalutin”.
Your communications are too busy trying to sound impressive and important, and don’t resonate with your customers. Straightforward, personable and compelling will always stand out.
.-= Kat Jaibur (@katjaib)?s most recent blog post …What’s Stopping You? =-.
Ha! “Highfalutin'” is such a great word, Kat. Not enough of us use it – perhaps we should. 🙂
You have a “Product” mentality not a “People” one.
Push the product, screw the people.
.-= Frank Dickinson?s most recent blog post …Just For Today. =-.
Right. Get the people aspect right, and guess what happens?
13-A) You don?t consider social media.
13-B) You consider Social Media but don’t update, use, or respond to customers posting on it (a little piggyback on #16).
I am sick of seeing businesses who jumped on the social media bandwagon because everyone else was and don’t even try to use it properly.
Interesting take on why many businesses fail or aren’t succeeding to their optimal potential. I am commenting on behalf of a web programming company called I.T MONTREAL and I specifically agree with # 2 You have one way and one way only to contact you, #6 You haven?t updated your website since 2004, and #13 You don?t consider social media.
Many businesses who have websites often forget to post more than one way to be contacted. Some websites only opt for posting a phone number (disregarding email), or the other way around. This can definitely shorten your number of contacts through your website. Also many businesses open a website but often do not maintain it. A website should be updated frequently to adhere to present news about the company. When a consumer visits your website and sees it has not been updated since 2004; this isn’t a good impression. Lastly you must consider social media. I fully agree with ”Erin Wiles” that social media should be considered not only because everyone else is doing it but it has to be maintained and updated frequently, you have to respond to customer postings, ect.. or else, whats the use?
In turn, Many of the comments posted on this page have been very interesting to read through; and is definitely worth the read for anybody who owns or manages a business.
* Comment edited by Danny – Thanks for the insightful viewpoint from a web developer’s angle, I appreciate it. I did have to edit the rest of the comment, though, as it became a little too “salesy” – something I try and avoid here. Hope you understand, and thanks again.
Ok, ok, where are the cameras? I know no “Danny Brown” (if that is your real name) who has worked for the same people I have. Yet, you would’ve had to, to create this list. Oh wait. You mean other companies are making these mistakes too? Oh I see. Well kidding aside, this is a sensational post for reason others have nicely described. I just want to add that paradoxically, I cannot share this – yes the point of this exercise – with leadership because it would hit too close to home for me to maintain my job security. In other words, I can’t tell them what they’re doing wrong for fear that they would shoot the messenger, which incidentally, could be #16/17/18: you think you know more than you do about your customers, your industry, your business. Thought this one seems to be similar to #11.
Anyhow, the list is stellar for those leaders who are evolved business professionals capable of laughing at themselves, their shortcomings and their failings. But what do I do to transmit this very message to the other 99% of CEOs? Thanks Danny. I enjoyed this.
.-= Scott Dailey?s most recent blog post …scottpdailey: @mvolpe, RE: @hubspot blog: consider making it easier to credit (ala RT) your contributors as well as the blog post? =-.
Dammit, Scott, you’ve rumbled me – I’m actually Perez Hilton’s “sensible” nom de plume. 😉
The funny thing is, lists (whether this one or similar) can often help. They’re not meant as direct criticism – more a pointer on how your business can go from just acceptable to knocking everyone out the park.
But, like you say, more often than not the defense mechanisms spring into play. Shame, really.
Cheers for unmasking me! 😉
#16) Most companies spend too much time on a business plan that is outdated the moment the ink on the paper dries. We prefer to focus our time on a Business Outline and creating great content.
Love the “Business Outline” mindset, Spencer – far easier to have an outline and plan around that, as opposed to a rigid plan that you haven’t put any forethought into should things go pear-shaped.
Cheers. 🙂
16. You don’t belong to your local Chamber of Commerce!
@TriCitiesCoC