accounting Archives - Page 2 of 4

Be Considerate Of Team Members’ Opinions

July 23, 2019

Everything you do at your business should reinforce good customer service, including how you handle complaints. I’m not talking exclusively about complaints from clients. Welcome feedback from your team members and respond if there is a way you can make it easier for them to be providers of good customer service. Examine the systems you have in place and scrutinize your procedures to determine if there are ways to streamline and make things smoother for your team members. Sometimes the smallest changes can make a difference. If they are entering information into a database, do they really need to hit
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Which is Worth More: Client Satisfaction or Client Loyalty?

June 25, 2019

Which is Worth More: Client Satisfaction or Client Loyalty? A happy, loyal client might find a lower price elsewhere, but they are more likely to stay with you than a client who is merely satisfied. A loyal client will drive the extra miles when a competitor opens closer to home. They’ll be willing to work virtually or some other way. A loyal client knows that when you make a mistake, it’s not typical. Loyal clients are more likely to tell you when they’re unhappy and allow you the chance to make things right. If your goal is to satisfy clients,
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There Are Two Types of Clients

June 4, 2019

Every business has two types of clients: Internal and external. External clients are the ones who purchase our products and services. As business owners, we place a huge emphasis on providing excellent customer service to keep those clients happy and to keep them coming back. We can’t forget, though, the importance of providing excellent service to our internal clients as well. Who are our internal clients? These are the individuals who play an important role in keeping your business running smoothly. If you are an accountant, your internal clients are those who you need to do your job. Consider the
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Grow Your Brand and Your Business in 10 Seconds

May 7, 2019

Grow Your Brand and Your Business in 10 Seconds We have all been standing or sitting next to someone who looks at you and says: “What do you do?” or “What business are you in?” or “Not seen you at this event before; what made you come?” This is an invitation to make a great impression. This person may need exactly what you’re in business for, or they may know someone who does. Their question gives you two choices, you can: Say something obvious, that produces an “Oh, thanks.” Or you can say something that makes them sit up and
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Improve Your Leadership with This Skills Assessment

April 29, 2019

Improve Your Leadership with This Skills Assessment Good leaders reassess their skills regularly. Whether you’re a veteran or new to leadership, spend some time exploring these questions in detail: Who and what do I influence? Your sphere of influence isn’t defined or limited by your job title. Who asks for your advice? How do your decisions affect other people and different departments? Do people follow your example without being asked? Can I improve my people skills? Leadership is based on personal relationships. How well do you get along with people at different levels? How well do you listen to others?
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Seize Opportunities to Review and Retrain

April 2, 2019

Seize Opportunities to Review and Retrain Why ask why? How do you respond when a team member makes a mistake? Do you know what will happen if your immediate response is to scold an employee or punish them in some way? Next time they make a mistake instead of coming clean they might just opt to cover it up. Don’t beat up your team members when they make an error. Instead, use the situation as an opportunity to review and even retrain. Take time to examine the system you have in place. There just might be room for improvement. There
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Encourage Peer Recognition

March 25, 2019

Encourage Peer Recognition Peer recognition brings team members together and reinforces the principles of great customer service. Have you considered awarding “Atta Boys” and “Atta Girls” to team members based on nominations from their colleagues? Zappos has several ways of honoring standout performers who best epitomize the company’s culture and spirit of customer service. Their peer rewards programs give team members the opportunity to recognize and encourage one another. An example is the “Zollars” program where team members can award one another “Zappos dollars” by filling out a form describing why their colleague is deserving of recognition. Zollars can be
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Give Team Members Something to Remember

March 12, 2019

“Three to Remember” I’m a strong believer in the KISS Rule: Keep It Simple Silly. It is easier for our team members to remember our priorities for Out-Of-This-World Customer Service if we keep our expectations simple and clear. I developed our “Three to Remember” to reinforce the most important principles for serving our clients. We share these often with our team members. Team members learn our “Three to Remember” their first day on the job and will see the “Three to Remember” time and time again in internal emails, company newsletters and repeated in our team meetings. Our “Three to
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Get Your Point Across Quickly in Emails

March 5, 2019

Get Your Point Across Quickly in Emails Email is virtually inescapable, especially in the professional world. In many organizations, it’s essential. Ideally, you should keep yours as concise as possible. Here are some tips for getting your message across efficiently and effectively: Start with a salutation. When beginning a message chain, especially in the morning, a little “hello” or “TGIF” goes a long way. Choose one topic and stick to it. For example, the central topic here is Paul’s vacation; the offshoots are the delegated responsibilities: Hi, all. Reminder that I will be on vacation next week. In my absence:
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Suffering from a Messy Workspace? Five Benefits of Being Organized to Boost Your Potential

June 5, 2018

Declutter Your Messy Workspace to Save Time & Money! Being surrounded by clutter is unpleasing. Maneuvering around your office is like participating in an obstacle course, you have business updates tucked into the contact book, and you can’t locate the flyers you swear you already printed. Let’s face it, being unorganized puts a damper on more than just your workspace appearance. It affects your time, you mood, and your wallet. Being exhausted after a long day is understandable, but taking the time to straighten things out will benefit you more than crashing on the coach with a frozen dinner to watch the premiere of
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