Guidelines for *Staying* in Business

Written by Robert Brents


As "soloists" -- entrepreneurs, webpreneurs, SOHOs, HONOs (Home Office, No Office), or plain old small businesspeople, we must remember that without a business, i.e., a profit- making business, we have a hobby -- & we have to go get a job-job just to payrepparttar lousy bills.

Furthermore, without clients, we don't have a business. In order to survive and get that new client or return business, we need to establish guidelines in dealing with clients.

1. The client or prospective client is never an interruption of your work. The client isrepparttar 106563 reason you are in business. The client must have your complete attention. Do not multitask while speaking with your client or potential client.

2. Always greet clients and prospective clients with a friendly smile or hello. Clients are people, and they like friendly and pleasant contact. They will usually return it.

3. Call clients and prospects by name. It is important to call your clients and their staff by name. Keep name and contact records of your clients. Before calling or visiting a site, pullrepparttar 106564 record and study it.

4. You arerepparttar 106565 company. Inrepparttar 106566 eyes ofrepparttar 106567 client, you represent your business. If you are one ofrepparttar 106568 lucky ones who have several techs working for you, training them well will reflect on your company and you. Ditto your receptionist, or whomever answers your phone.

5. Never argue with a client. From his or her point of view,repparttar 106569 client is always right. Be a good listener, agree when you can, and do what you can to make your clients happy, even if it involves a freebie (a small one). It is more valuable to give a free service and keep your clients than lose them. Most ofrepparttar 106570 time. As one of my consultant buddies taught me several years ago, "Sometimes, no work is better than bad work."

6. Don't be afraid to say, "I don't know" (once in a while). If you don't knowrepparttar 106571 answer to a client's question, say, "That's a good question. Let me see if I can find out for you." Evenrepparttar 106572 most skilled IT professional can't remember everything. Become an expert on where to findrepparttar 106573 answers to your client's questions. Be sure to respond in a timely manner. Remember,repparttar 106574 client pays your fee.

PLORK: Creative Laziness, Part 1

Written by Robert Brents


If you work for someone else, when wasrepparttar last time your boss said to you, "I think you're working too hard. I want you to take some time off a just loaf around. In fact, I insist. We'll even pay you for it."

Even less likely, if you're self-employed, when wasrepparttar 106562 last time you said to yourself, "I need to kick back a bit here. I'm pushing way too hard. This 'free agent nation' gig is killing me. I think I'll takerepparttar 106563 day off tomorrow and do nothing."

HA! Not very likely, right? Almost all of us have this built-in mental driver that says something like, "Sloth is a sin. Laziness isrepparttar 106564 easy, downward path that leads away from growth, progress, and prosperity."

HOGWASH!

Properly applied, laziness does not have to berepparttar 106565 opposite of that constant, frenzied rushing around trying to get everything done now Now NOW! Keeping your nose torepparttar 106566 grindstone isrepparttar 106567 surest way to prevent your creative imagination from producing great new ideas.

You don't have to be rich (however you define that) to take a day off and creatively loaf. Read this out loud: "If I slow down for an instant, it will all go downrepparttar 106568 drain." Doesn't that sound ridiculous? You know in your gut that's just not true.

BACK OFF, VARMINT!

I started applying this concept when I was 'working' as an Intranet project manager for a major university. When 10-hour days weren't long enough to solve allrepparttar 106569 problems and deal with allrepparttar 106570 crises, I started working 12-hour days. When THAT wasn't enough, I started working weekends. When my wife told me she was thinking about leaving me because I was never home, I stopped working weekends. The crises didn't get solved, but they didn't get any worse either!

Then I started working at home on Wednesdays. I answeredrepparttar 106571 phone and sent emails, but I told people I wouldn't come in. Startlingly,repparttar 106572 crises inrepparttar 106573 office conveniently waited for my returnrepparttar 106574 next day, or else people on my staff started solving some of them.

Then I really got bold. I started relaxing on my day off. I was still "working", but on solutions, not fire-fighting. Astoundingly, I got much more "work" done inrepparttar 106575 remaining four (10-hour) days than I had ever gotten done in five - or six or seven!

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