Business.com |
- WhatsApp Business Signals a Change in Business Communication
- Switching CRMs? 3 Tips to Make it a Hassle-Free Transition
- Study: What Job Seekers Want
- Why Your Business Should Be Focused on Single-Use Coupons
- Getting Ready for Your First Trade Show? Here's How to Prepare
- Text Message Marketing: Tips, Tools and Services
- How to Revive Your Company's Dying Intranet Site
- 4 Tips for Writing an Effective Performance Review
- How to Help a New Employee Relocate
- 4 Signs You Need a Customer Engagement Platform
| WhatsApp Business Signals a Change in Business Communication Posted: 30 Apr 2019 01:00 PM PDT  WhatsApp is by far the world's most popular messaging platform. With over 1.5 billion active users, the Facebook-owned service is one that businesses can't ignore as a potential connection point to customers. The main premise of WhatsApp Business is that it allows organizations to quickly message with current and possible customers, similar to other messaging options from Apple or parent company Facebook. The app is currently available for Android, with reports that an iOS version is in the works. Messaging has become a default way that customers communicate with a business, be they new or returning customers. Creating a business profileMuch like with other social networks' business services, you create a profile specifically for your business. The process is pretty straightforward, akin to creating an account with your standard social service: Register a phone number, input your business's name, website, email and a short description of what your business is about. Depending upon the nature of the business, you may not always have the bandwidth to respond to each message directly. With WhatsApp Business, you're able to create quick replies for situations that warrant them, such as delivery confirmation or offering a coupon. Similarly, automated messages can be used for such communications. For example, you can compose a greeting that serves as an introduction to your business, or blast out an instant message when someone contacts you for the first time to let them know you'll respond as soon as you are able. Similar to organizing your email messages, WhatsApp has a label system so you can organize chats and return to them if needed. Diving deeperFor those who want to go beyond the basics, the WhatsApp Business API enables organizations to build more complex tools. For example, you can permit customers to make a purchase or inquire about an existing order through WhatsApp. The API can also integrate with Facebook advertising tools so customers could contact you directly from an advertisement. The company touts that large organizations like Uber and Booking.com have found ways to better connect with customers via WhatsApp. Using the API also gives your business more detailed metrics about your customers and can help you tailor your messaging strategy more effectively. As with any widely deployed API, third-party companies offer their own solutions that integrate with their own suite of messaging tools. Messaging customers the right wayFacebook has been keen for business users not to go overboard with pestering their customers through WhatsApp. Answering key questions, providing order updates and shipping confirmations, or using automated answers for more basic questions like business hours are most likely to get a favorable response. Businesses are cautioned not to routinely send an overbearing number of offers or other overinvolved messages. In the U.S., iMessage and Facebook Messenger have higher usage than WhatsApp, but the service is dominant in many regions of the world. In many countries, it's the default way that people communicate. Even if you're a local operation without an international presence, being available through such a large messaging platform can be an important conduit to communicate with customers. Use the new Product CatalogFacebook announced at its annual developer's conference that it is introducing a new Product Catalog for WhatsApp Business users that will be available later in 2019. Users will be able to offer an online catalog of their products through the app. Few details have been released yet, but it does appear that businesses will be able to add information such as title, description, a URL link and SKU of their products, in addition to showing an image of the product. "This is going to be especially important for all of the small businesses out there that don't have a web presence, and that are increasingly using private social platforms is their main way of interacting with their customers," said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Additional reporting by Matt D'Angelo. |
| Switching CRMs? 3 Tips to Make it a Hassle-Free Transition Posted: 30 Apr 2019 12:00 PM PDT  Before making a switch, you first need to determine whether the software itself is the problem. Businesses switch CRMs for various reasons, but in my experience, the decision often comes down to poor user adoption. If it's not clear to your staff members how — or even why — to use the CRM, then don't expect them to be eager participants. Perhaps that's why failure rates for CRM projects hover around 33%, according to a 2017 analysis. And when CRM installations take a nosedive, they not only fail to deliver profitable growth, they can also damage long-standing customer relationships. Deciding whether to switch CRMsThe main job of a CRM is to organize leads and keep communication flowing. So, if leads are slipping through the cracks and miscommunication is constant, you're not getting your money's worth out of the software. Before trashing your CRM, however, take the time to investigate the source of the issue. Audit the CRM software and setup. Is the issue user adoption or lack of standards for data entry? Perhaps the system is missing key features your company needs, which is a common reason people choose to switch CRMs, according to a survey from Capterra. After identifying the problem, you can decide whether you simply need to retrain your team, tweak the system's set up, or start thinking about a new platform entirely. For example, if you've already tried every onboarding technique you can think of but your staff members are still struggling to use the CRM, it's probably time to start over. This time, though, be sure to involve your end users in the CRM selection and implementation process. Look for something that's user-friendly. After all, Salesforce found that 72% of CRM users say they would trade complex functionality for usability when it comes to the software. What's more, if you can't afford your current system or you're paying for features that you don't need, it might be a good idea to cut your losses and find a system more suitable for your team and budget. Leaving your current CRM provider can be expensive, but making the switch is worth it if you're paying more for a system you don't use. Benefits outweigh the costIf you decide to upgrade your CRM software, the main costs you'll face are time and internal effort. You'll need to spend time researching and choosing a new CRM, import all your data, add in your customizations and integrations, and train your whole team to use it. You can simplify the process if you have a clear idea of what you want, your data is easily accessible, and you follow these three steps:
If your CRM system isn't performing the way you expected, you must first determine why. If retraining and more customizations don't do the trick, then switching to a better system may be the best way forward. Doing so will be challenging, but with a renewed focus and these few tips for getting everyone on board, it can be a smooth transition that's well worth the effort. |
| Posted: 30 Apr 2019 11:50 AM PDT 
What does the average American job hunter want and need in a time of economic growth and falling unemployment numbers? That question, among others, was on the minds of researchers at Zogby Analytics as they worked on the 2019 Job Seeker Nation Study. Commissioned by Jobvite, the annual survey attempts to better understand what workers look for in today's job market. Touching on topics such as job hunting and the #MeToo movement, the study attempts to define what matters to workers and their potential employers. While experts assert that we're currently in a "candidate-driven job market," that doesn't necessarily mean finding better employment is easy for many of the country's workers. Researchers found that factors such as who you are, the stage of your career and what matters most to you also play a major role. [Related: What Job Seekers Want in the Hiring Process] On the huntWhen looking at the state of the U.S. economy, there's plenty to be excited about. Earlier this month, government officials at the U.S. Department of Labor announced that approximately 196,000 new non-farm payroll positions were filled in March, knocking the unemployment rate down to 3.8%. Even though more jobs are opening up and unemployment numbers should continue trending downward, researchers found that 45% of survey respondents currently looking for work said it's harder to find it this year than it was in 2018. The number of individuals who said finding a job was "much harder" was higher among rural workers (27%) than their city-based counterparts (17%). Those without a college degree (21%) were more likely to say their job hunt would be harder than their college-educated counterparts (16%). Industry was also a factor, researchers said, as people working in the mining (72%), real estate (56%) and transportation (53%) industries said securing a job this year was more difficult. Conversely, 20% of respondents said finding a job seemed easier this year. Those individuals included people with college degrees (20%), people living in major cities (20%), and people who work in high-skill industries like technology (26%), telecommunications (23%) and marketing (22%). People who reported making more than $300,000 also said finding a job was "much easier" this year (26%). The survey also found that more part-time workers are looking for full-time employment. According to the survey, 59% of respondents who reported working part time said they wanted to work more hours. Today's job seekerThe job market currently largely favors candidates, and the 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey reflects that notion. According to researchers, approximately 19% of workers said they turned down a job after signing an official offer in the past, marking an eight-point uptick. While dropping out right before starting a new job would seem counterproductive from a job hunter's standpoint, officials said 58% said they did so because they received a better offer elsewhere. Similarly, 29% of respondents said they left a job within the first 90 days, the most common reason being that their day-to-day responsibilities were not what they expected. This action was more likely among younger workers (34%) than older workers (23%). These figures are particularly interesting when compared to the fact that just 47% of respondents said they believe a job description accurately outlines a position's actual responsibilities. Job seekers also reported valuing career growth as the most important factor when looking for a new job. It's the first time that career growth (61%) outranked other major factors, including compensation (57%) and healthcare and retirement benefits (58%). Younger workers were more likely to value career growth (65%), while unemployed job hunters were less likely (51%) to rank career growth above other factors. Researchers also found that men were more likely to consider growth within a company (66%) than women (57%) when searching for new opportunities. Women were more likely, however, to value flexible hours (39%) and remote work than their male counterparts (29%). Once they've been offered a job, 60% of respondents said they were at least somewhat comfortable negotiating compensation, which is up from 51% last year. One-third of respondents (33%) said they negotiated their current salaries, with 83% saying they received higher pay. Changing as an employeeOfficials said they learned that a majority of today's workers have taken advantage of educational or professional courses since getting their latest job. College-educated workers (62%), city workers (53%) and already-employed individuals (53%) were most likely to continue their education. Respondents without a college degree (62%), those living in rural areas (54%) and unemployed respondents were least likely to take more courses. While job satisfaction (68%) may have improved from last year (61%), most respondents said they were open to finding other opportunities, even though there was a higher percentage of satisfied employees who said they weren't looking for a change (19%). Approximately 57% of workers said they applied to at least one job in the last year without intending to leave their current position. |
| Why Your Business Should Be Focused on Single-Use Coupons Posted: 30 Apr 2019 11:00 AM PDT  It is important to keep these fundamentals in mind when considering the power of single-use coupons. Coupons succeed best when you can segment your customers into their appropriate marketing phase: acquisition, engagement or retention. You want to deliver different offers to each segment and ensure that those offers are only delivered to specific individuals. For example, the rich offer you present to try to win back a customer is likely going to be very different than the retention offer you present to a lapsed customer. In addition, you want to make sure that the retention coupon that you deliver, for example, via text messaging marketing promotions, cannot go viral. Similarly, you may want to present offers to prospective customers as an incentive to join your SMS marketing list, but you want to make sure that no one other than new members can receive and use those SMS coupons. When you use coupons strategically, you create SMS marketing lists built to last. This is why the use of customer-centric, single-use coupons makes so much sense. A well-conceived, properly executed customer-first strategy using single-use coupons can pay significant dividends across the marketing lifecycle by supporting acquisition, engagement, and retention. The benefits of single-use couponsRetailers are moving away from multi-use promo codes because in many cases, both they and their customers realize these special "coupons" aren't special at all. They are simply unlimited offers that customers can reuse frequently. Which ends up hurting the retailer. They may have their place as a promotional tool, but they often do little to engage or retain a customer. On the other hand, there are multiple appealing and powerful benefits of single-use coupons, which have been found to deliver higher coupon redemption rates:
The use of targeted, more focused and higher value single-use coupons could be the key to unlocking the value of an existing campaign. Understanding single-use couponsTo understand the benefit for retailers and consumers alike, it helps to know the difference between single-use coupons and traditional ones.
Providing a secure single-use coupon experienceEffective single-use coupons require both distribution security and redemption security, which have been lacking to date. Without these security protocols, consumers are able to receive an offer more than one time, potentially receive offers that were not intended for them, and redeem them more than once. Single-use coupon systems can be configured to support omnichannel coupons so that consumers can only redeem the coupons online or in-store. Once redeemed, the coupon is no longer valid. This adds perceived value to the offer while protecting the retailer. Any viable single-use coupon distribution system must be able to generate millions of unique promo codes, personalized for each customer, for use in all physical and digital channels. It must also be able to operate at high speed and offer real-time redemption. It should be backed with the technology, capabilities and experience to deliver not just a secure, but seamless single-use coupon experience. With these issues resolved, customer-centric, single-use coupons become a key tool in acquiring new customers, actively engaging them, and retaining them for the long run. For any coupon strategy to be successful, it needs to be customer-focused. Give the customer what they want, when they want it, and the way they want it, and your odds of success multiply.
|
| Getting Ready for Your First Trade Show? Here's How to Prepare Posted: 30 Apr 2019 09:00 AM PDT  There are a number of steps you need to keep in mind before jumping right into your first trade show. How much you want to spend, which shows to attend and how you want your booth to look are among some of the major steps you need to focus on in your planning stages. Here is a list of the major checkpoints you need to keep in mind before going in full throttle into your first trade show: Setting a budgetThe budget is the most crucial aspect of any marketing activity. It defines how you come across to your target audience Do you want to be seen as a stingy company, or one that doesn't mind spending some extra money for a quality display? Keep in mind that buying all of your displays isn't a must. One way to save some money is to rent your exhibit booths, which are easily portable and easy to install. This allows you some extra room to play around with your budget. A lot of participants make the mistake of not setting up a specific budget. This often results in added expense and numerous cost overruns. Choosing a locationThe location of the trade show plays a vital role in attracting the right target audience. Many major trade shows have a fixed venue and do shows at the same venue repeatedly. While these shows might draw the largest audiences, they are often the most expensive to participate in. You should start researching shows well in advance, so if you do want to participate in one of the well-known shows you can take advantage of any early bird discounts. This will make sure that you don't end up overspending at the last moment. Also, some locations are bound to close quickly so you need to seal the deal quite early. Preparing your teamThe sales and the marketing team members you send to the show are vital to your end goals, as they are the ones who are going to drive the conversation between your brand and potential customers. You should consider some added training sessions so they can brush up their skills before the actual event. The training might range from learning how to address the questions of visitors, to managing the booth display setup during the event. They should also be ready with backup plans in case of an emergency type situation and they can't proceed as planned. Developing marketing materialsYou will have to create all your marketing related collateral well in advance. You must ensure that all those who visit your booth walk away with a flyer or a brochure. This will help ensure that your brand's name is easily recalled at a later date. You might also consider building an event-specific landing page on your website to spread the word about your upcoming participation. Capturing new leadsThe whole objective of going to a trade show is to land more business. You have to make sure you have a solid lead generation strategy in place. Your strategy should include creating a landing page on your website, printing new business cards and having some branded swag freebies you can hand out during the event. You also should have dedicated team members who can handle all queries and categorize them as hot, warm and cold leads. This will help make sure you have them properly prioritized for follow-ups when the show is over. Setting your goalsBe ready with a clear picture of what business goals you want to achieve from the trade show. Your goals may be to get new leads in order to generate more business. Or, your goals may be to not only land more business but also create a better brand impression. Since you won't close all of your deals during the show, don't forget to keep revisiting your return on investment figures if you are able to close new business in the days and weeks following the event. Creating your booth design and displaysYour presence in the trade show has to be impressive enough to pique the interest of those walking by. The best booths feature things like pop up displays, tension fabric displays, custom printed table throws and LED backlit displays. Using these types of display can easily create a lot of curiosity among those attending show. The more people you can get to check out the display, the easier time your sales team is going to have in converting that curiosity into some who is ready to buy. Remember that the booth design is what essentially will represent your brand during the length of the trade. With that in mind, you need to put a lot of thought into choosing the material and conceptualizing the whole design. ConclusionAs you start participating more in trade shows you will gain more experience and might end up creating your own unique list. Every trade show will be a new learning curve for you, which is good for your business. Also, don't be afraid to get in touch with trade show experts who have assimilated years of expertise and can guide you on how to tackle the complexities as a first-time participant. Most of them will be more than happy to give you trade show related consultation for free. |
| Text Message Marketing: Tips, Tools and Services Posted: 30 Apr 2019 09:00 AM PDT  Today's consumers are so bombarded with marketing campaigns, advertisements, and communication from brands that they have become adept at controlling when they receive those messages and often disable notifications from social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Because of this, text message marketing, also called mobile marketing or SMS (short message service) marketing, is on the rise as a way to reach your customer base in real time with a near guarantee that your message will be read. As with email marketing, text message marketing requires customers and clients to opt in to the service. Once they sign up and provide their mobile phone number, businesses have the right to send them text messages about what's going on with the business. The key to text message marketing is to regularly engage customers and build a two-way dialogue with them. There are three main features that businesses can use to increase the back-and-forth communication:
Benefits of text message marketingText message marketing is a unique opportunity to connect with your customers on an informal basis, said Leslie Crews, senior content strategist at Blurban Planner Co. "[Text message marketing] reduces the pressure of conventional correspondence like email or snail mail and helps to reduce the pressure already inherent to sales. People buy from you because they feel comfortable." Plus, the average American checks their phone every 12 minutes, which lends itself to a nearly 98% open rate for text messages – much higher than the 20% average for email campaigns. And text message marketing eliminates the risk that your messages will land in the Spam folder. Engagement marketing is becoming the order of the day as consumers are rejecting traditional marketing techniques in favor of companies that connect with them on a personal level, and what's more personal than a text message? There is a concern that mobile marketing is invasive, but Maria Kiagias, founder of Social Gold, said that responsibility and restraint are key. "It's how you use it that counts," she said. "Get in the mind of your customer [and] don't abuse the technology." How to use mobile marketingFirst and foremost, get written permission from your customer to send them text messages (see below for more on laws governing SMS marketing). Next, decide what you are going to send to those who opt in. Make sure it's pertinent to both your target audience and your business, and keep it short – no more than 200 characters. Because it's a text campaign, you don't have to worry about curating graphics or being overly clever. Brevity is key. Be mindful of when and how often you're texting. Do so within business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and no more than once or twice a week. "Do not spam your customers with messages," said Bryan Heredia, founder and CEO of MyGoGoStore. "If you do, they'll just end up ignoring you." You should also strive to make it worth it for people to opt in to receiving texts. "You want your text message channel to feel like an exclusive VIP club for your customers," said David Hamilton, chief growth artist at Oppilo. "Offer exclusive access to new products and special deals." Text message marketing lawsIt is critical for a business to get permission before sending out text messages to current or prospective customers. Pizza giant Papa John's found out the hard way when they were sued for $250 million for sending out 500,000 illegal text messages. In the end, the pizza company settled the class action lawsuit for a reported $16.5 million. As of October 2013, businesses are required to follow new regulations passed by the Federal Communications Commission. According to law firm Perkins Coie, businesses must abide by certain rules when obtaining customer permission, including that:
The consent form also needs to be clear that the business is not requiring the signature and signing is not a condition of any purchase. Businesses that violate the new FCC laws face between a $500 and $1,500 fine per message. Text message marketing servicesBefore choosing a text message marketing service, businesses should look out for several things. In addition to the ability to send different types of messages, including autoresponders, surveys, polls and coupons, the service should have reporting tools to help businesses gauge how effective their campaigns are. Reporting tools enable businesses to track conversations they're carrying with customers, as well as track data keyword responses, poll results and delivery rates. The service, which should be easy to set up and use, should also have extensive help and support options should a business run into problems. Top services provide support via phone, email, and live chat to deal with immediate needs in addition to offering online documentation and video tutorials to help businesses handle issues they may encounter. With so many text message marketing services available to businesses, it can be difficult to find one that best fills their needs. BusinessNewsDaily's sister site, Business.com, has done extensive research on text message marketing services. Among the various services, Business.com ranks EZ Texting as the best option for its ease of use, range of features and intuitive dashboard. The service also offers an extensive feature set, including analytics, automation, contact management, customization and more. Other services highly rated by Business.com are SlickText, which has an easy-to-use interface and excellent customer service; SimpleTexting for its flexibility and variety of tools; and Textedly, which is easy to use and beginner-friendly. Additional reporting by Chad Brooks. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article. |
| How to Revive Your Company's Dying Intranet Site Posted: 30 Apr 2019 07:00 AM PDT  Turn the clock back to the 1990s, and the concept of an organization launching its own corporate intranet site for employees was a hot topic. Spurred on by the explosion of the internet and greater use of technology as a communication medium in the workplace, many businesses were excited by the prospect of an advanced technological tool with which to communicate directly with their employees. Fast forward to today, and you won't be surprised to hear that the notion of the corporate intranet site is fading, and more than that, it is very unpopular in organizations that are still using it. This seems to be a global trend that is common across all industries. What are corporate intranet sites?Essentially, intranets were designed to be a virtual meeting place for employees. They allowed employees to keep in touch with business developments through news updates, share information and knowledge, and work more collaboratively with colleagues across other departments. The idea was that all important and useful company information was housed in one place for maximum ease and efficiency. Corporate intranet sites grew rapidly in popularity, but have been slowly declining for a number of years now. Why are intranet sites fading away?At face value, the decrease in popularity of intranets is puzzling. The benefits are clear on paper, and there's no doubt that the business world is continuously moving towards a more streamlined, collaborative ethos, with technology being a key factor. However, look more closely, and there are some fundamental flaws with the concept of intranets and how they fit in today's modern workplaces. First, it's important to recognize that it's not the collaborative nature of organizations that has changed – if anything, this focus is increasing and shows no sign of slowing down. It's actually the type of digital consumption that employees engage in that has changed. This is the big reason behind the fall of intranets. Many organizations now offer remote working in one form or another, allowing employees to be less desk-based and have greater autonomy in terms of where and how they conduct their working week. This style of working has led to an increased reliance on instant messaging and social media apps to provide the instantaneous communication that is so vital in many workplaces. Traditional intranet sites don't offer this form of real-time communication. Instead, they are focused on published information that is only updated periodically. For the fast-paced nature of many businesses these days, this information is often deemed out of date or out of touch by the time it is read. Another important factor to be aware of is the concept of information sharing within teams and across organizations as a whole. Intranets are seen as areas of static data, usually with an information-giver (the company) and an information-receiver (the employee). Increasingly, teams are now looking for ways to share their creative ideas, data, and results in real time. Teams often like to participate in online face-to-face meetings or idea sharing sessions that are more spontaneous in nature. Smarter, more collaborative software is needed to facilitate this new-age working style. What is the future of the Intranet?Does all of this mean the intranet as we have known it can no longer add value to an organization? While it's certainly the case that the traditional style of intranet sites from 10 or 20 years ago is probably no longer fit for the majority of companies, it's not to say that there aren't great opportunities to make them work in today's modern organizations. If your business has an intranet that is stale, under-used, and out of touch, think creatively about how it could work to meet your business' and employees' needs once again. Many organizations are shifting from the concept of an intranet to a digital workplace. A digital workplace functions in many of the same ways that an intranet did, but it is much more dynamic. Users can post information, have conversations, manage projects, automate processes, and quickly find information related to their core work. Modern digital workplaces will replace intranets to facilitate your organization's ways of working Thus allowing your teams to collaborate both virtually and face to face easily, as well as share ideas and communicate instantly. It lets you be smart about how to create engaging and interactive content, rather than having your intranet be all about one-way delivery. Digital workplaces will also seamlessly connect with other software and systems to be the hub in an entire digital ecosystem. Not only will it be more relevant and well-informed, but it will naturally encourage your employees to use it regularly. In short, your corporate intranet site can still live to see another day, but making the switch to a digital workplace ensures that it works for your employees' new and ever-evolving needs is the only way to ensure its long-term survival. |
| 4 Tips for Writing an Effective Performance Review Posted: 30 Apr 2019 05:40 AM PDT  A performance review is incredibly valuable for both employee and employer to learn more about what is and isn't working, identifying areas for growth and planning for the future. A strong review can be difficult to write, however, especially for managers, who are often not given enough guidance on what an effective and comprehensive review looks like. We spoke to business and HR professionals to find out how managers can write great performance reviews that support their employees. 1. Provide regular, informal feedback.While performance reviews are typically scheduled to happen once or twice a year, feedback should not be limited to that short period of time. You should be offering consistent assessments throughout the year so there aren't any surprises. "Don't catch your people off guard in a performance review," said Erika Rasure, assistant professor of business and financial services at Maryville University. "This should not be the first time that they are hearing from you that they are not performing as expected. Be clear in writing [and] sending calendar invites and setting expectations and the tone for the meetings." You should also make sure to take constant notes on employee performance, especially when there are no performance reviews on the horizon. "Employees deserve a robust assessment of their work for the entire period being covered," said Gary Schneeberger, founder and president of ROAR. "Far too many performance reviews are based only on what the manager can remember from the last few weeks before the evaluations are due to HR. Managers have to be intentional about taking and filing notes." Additionally, you might change your strategy if you're only addressing issues or employees who aren't performing as well as others. You don't want to neglect workers just because they don't need as much guidance. In fact, if you don't express your gratitude, they might lose passion or motivation. "Highly valuable employees who do their job and do it well are often not the priority of concern in performance review cycles, resulting in missed opportunities to communicate how much the organization values the drive and the results of the top performers," said Rasure. "An unexpected 'keep up the great work' email, a quick phone call or text sends a consistent signal to your employee that you are paying attention and value what they do." 2. Be honest.No worker is perfect, and there will always be room for improvement. Decide what is worth addressing and don't hesitate in doing so. If there is an issue that you know is affecting you and your team, you shouldn't avoid it. Tiptoeing around the subject won't get you anywhere. James R. Bailey, professor of leadership at the George Washington University School of Business, said to be honest (but not brutally) with workers. Deliver feedback in a way that you would want to receive it if you were the employee. The discussion is crucial and unavoidable, so choose an appropriate approach and stick with it. "If someone is a poor performer and you don't squarely address it, know that everyone else in the office knows that the person is a poor performer, and [employees] will brand you as weak or cowardly for not addressing the situation," Bailey said. Managers should also demonstrate and expect clarity, said Leon Rbibo, president of Laguna Pearl. "There needs to be crystal-clear clarity on both sides of the table, both in what the manager expects from the employee moving forward and in what the employee needs from the manager." Without clarity, Rbibo said, nothing you do discuss during the evaluation will help the situation, and you'll find yourself discussing the same topics at the next performance review. So be clear, be honest, and remember that nothing will change if it is not addressed. 3. Do it face-to-face.The written review should be a brief but direct overview of discussion points, making for a more nuanced face-to-face conversation. Schedule a meeting in a coffee shop or out-of-office location to provide a comfortable atmosphere. If you're reviewing remote workers, schedule a video chat so you're still having a live conversation. This approach leaves room for discussion and feedback on their end and prevents any miscommunications. "The only way to deliver performance reviews is face-to-face, with ample time to present and process, listen and respond," said Bailey. "It's just too important to relegate to email or telephone. Doing so would send a signal that you didn't care enough about the subject to even take the time to meet." After outlining any shortcomings or mistakes, take the time to discuss resolutions to those problems, and push employees to comment on the issues you raised. 4. Use tangible, pertinent examples.When discussing areas for improvement or things an employee has done well, make sure you have clear examples to reference (this is where having notes over a long period of time comes in handy). "If you've got nothing to refer to, then you're speaking anecdotally," said Rbibo. "This prevents clarity and understanding. If an employee is falling behind in certain key performance areas, point to one or two specific examples and address how you'd like those handled differently in the future." Having examples will prove to the employee that you are paying attention to them as well as add credit to your expectations. 5. End on a positive note.Don't leave the review without mutual understanding and respect, and don't let any employee feel like they're in the dark going forward. "Use the review process as an opportunity to set attainable goals specific to addressing the expectations the employee isn't meeting but which also makes the employee feel like they have a clear, reasonable plan of action that can get them back on track," said Rasure. Encouraging your employees and expressing your appreciation gives an added boost to a primarily good review, or lifts your employee's spirits after a somewhat negative evaluation. Positive reinforcement and constructive feedback can go a long way in giving workers the confidence and drive they need to perform even better. 6. Choose your words with care.Pay close attention to how you phrase your evaluations. Here are five words and expressions that will help you effectively highlight an employee's contributions, based on James E. Neal Jr.'s book Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals (Neal Publications, 2009).
Richard Grote, author of How to Be Good at Performance Appraisals (Harvard Business Review Press, 2011), said that instead of using terms such as "good" or "excellent" in a review, employers should opt for more measurement-oriented language. In an interview with Hcareers.com, Grote noted that action words like "excels," "exhibits," "demonstrates," "grasps," "generates," "manages," "possesses," "communicates," "monitors," "directs" and "achieves" are more meaningful. Performance review examplesGood: Your responsibility as a coachSchneeberger remembered an intern who refused to accept her review because the ratings were not all "exceeds standards." "Her reason for the protest was that she tried really hard," he said. Knowing her boyfriend was a basketball player, Schneeberger then asked the intern if his working hard at every practice automatically meant he should start, and she was quiet. "I pointed out that my job was the same as his coach – to help her get better so she could figuratively get off the bench and into the game as she embarked on her career. I needed to teach her how to get better – and I couldn't do that if she was already perfect." Bad: Lunchtime evaluationSergei Brovkin, founder and principal of Collectiver, recalled a manager who held very informal, unhelpful evaluations. "[He] would do it once a year, during his lunch, while working on emails," he said. "That was one of the reasons I left the company." Bad: False positivityMike Cox, president of Cox Innovations, spoke of a time when he was serving as an HR leader and had a colleague come to him with the decision to terminate an employee. Upon reviewing the employee's performance evaluations, Cox could not see any evidence of poor performance or mistakes. "I was told that the employee was performing poorly at the time of the review but was considered very important to an ongoing project, so [they were given] an inaccurately positive review to avoid demotivating a critical period in the project." Cox advised against terminating the employee until a fair evaluation was given, but the employee was terminated anyway and wound up suing for wrongful termination, leading to a costly settlement for the business. Additional reporting by Sammi Caramela. Some source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article. |
| How to Help a New Employee Relocate Posted: 30 Apr 2019 05:00 AM PDT  Or, if you're the business owner and this is your first experience hiring someone who will relocate, you need to decide if you're willing to provide any sort of relocation assistance or moving allowance and exactly what that will include. Workers are willing to move for the right jobA recent study from staffing firm Robert Half found that 62% of the more than 2,800 workers they surveyed would relocate for the right job. It also asked more than 2,800 senior managers about their relocation packages and found that 34% have increased their offerings, though 30% don't provide this resource at all. You're not required to offer a relocation package, but if you don't, it might be more difficult to recruit top talent, as a candidate may decide that the expense and hassle of moving offsets the benefits of working for you instead of their current employer. Whether you offer a relocation package or not, you want to be upfront with this information and communicate it to your candidate early – don't wait for them to ask about it. This lets them realistically consider what resources they'll have to assist with the move as they make their decision to accept or decline your job offer. If you plan to offer relocation assistance, you (or your HR specialist, if you have one on staff) need to discuss the specifics with your candidate after you extend a formal job offer. You should detail what your relocation package includes in writing, but it's not enough to email it or mention it to your prospective hire in passing when you extend the job offer; take the time go over it on a phone call to ensure there aren't any misunderstandings about what is and isn't included. Relocation assistance makes it easier for top talent to accept your job offerThe benefits of offering a relocation program is that it increases the likelihood that your top candidates will accept the position with your company and feel good about their decision – and your business – as they start their new job. It also reduces the chance that they'll back out, which saves you the time it would take to look for a qualified candidate all over again. Here are some of the things you can do to help your new hire relocate. Fly them out for a visit or two. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) suggests offering site visits to your new hire get them excited about moving to your city and to give them the chance to start looking for housing. "Relocation programs usually allow site visits so the employee, and possibly a spouse, can see the new office, tour the community, and learn about schools, housing, and other local services. Policies can set the lengths of these visits, but a minimum of two days is common." Provide a relocation allowance. If you can afford it, offer your new hire an allowance to offset some of their moving expenses. Companies provide this money either upfront as a lump sum payment or as a reimbursement after the employee submits receipts for certain relocation costs and travel expenses. Be flexible with the start date. Yes, you need your new employee to start as soon as possible, but if they're moving for the job, it's probably going take longer than the normal two weeks that you would expect from a local hire. Talk with your new employee about what relocating entails, and set a realistic timeline for when they'll be on location and ready to work. CapRelo, a relocation management company, says you should regularly compare your relocation package with those offered by your competition. Here are some of the features that are commonly included:
Some relocation packages also include allowances for temporary living expenses, storage costs for household goods, child care costs and trips home. They may help find employment for a spouse and schools for children. If the employee's home sells for less than the purchase price, the company may also provide a loss-on-sale allowance. What if your newly relocated employee quits?Relocation costs can be very expensive for employers. A blog post for TRC Global Mobility cites a study from Worldwide ERC that says the "average cost for a company to relocate a current homeowner employee within the U.S. is $79,425." Even if you don't spend nearly that much money to help your new hire move, it's not unreasonable to worry that your new hire will quit shortly after they're settled in your city, and you'll lose the money you invested in their relocation package. Before you disburse any relocation funds – either as a lump sum or a reimbursement – to your new employee, have them sign a relocation contract or repayment agreement that says if they leave your employment, or are fired with cause, before a certain amount of time with the company (typically two years), they will be required to repay the money you spent to relocate them. What if your business can't afford to offer a relocation package?Not having a relocation package isn't necessarily a no-go for prospective employees. Robert Half Senior Executive Director Paul McDonald says, "Besides receiving corporate incentives to move, there are a number of professional and personal reasons workers may opt for a change of scenery, including a higher salary, better perks, more affordable cost of living or advanced job title." So, if you're lucky, your candidate may have been hoping to move to your city anyway and just needed to have a job lined up before taking that step. One thing you can do to make your new employee's relocation easier – that won't cost anything – is to give them local insight into their new city. Here are some examples of the types of information you could share. Housing advice. If you know a good real estate agent, introduce them. Also, share advice about the local real estate market, such as average home or apartments costs, and tips about which parts of the city have good neighborhoods for different demographics. For instance, if they have kids, tell them where the best schools are, or if they're single, tell them which part of the city has the best social scene for young professionals. Also, if any are sketchy areas that should be avoided, that's good information to share too. Or, if your employee won't have time to rent an apartment or purchase a house before their first day in the office, recommend nice extended-stay hotels or help them find an Airbnb rental in a good neighborhood. Transportation advice. Even with the handy navigation apps on our phones like Waze and Google Maps, a local's tips on the best ways to get around are welcome. What are the easiest and fastest ways to get to the office from their new home? If you live in a drivable city, are there roads to avoid at certain times of day? If there's no parking at the office, what are your best options? If you live in a city that relies on public transportation, what are the closest subway, bus, or train stops; how far are they from the office; and how much time will it take to get to the office? Do they need to arrive at a certain time to avoid rush hour? Are there certain subway lines or bus routes that are notoriously unreliable? Recommendations for nearby stores and services. Sure, your employee could research this stuff on Yelp, but having a local's take can save them some time. Share the following helpful information with your new employee.
Ideas for things to do and places to see. Help your employee discover the best of what your city has to offer. Share information about popular venues for upcoming sporting events, concerts, plays, or other cultural events; museums; theme parks; zoos and other attractions; and national or regional parks. |
| 4 Signs You Need a Customer Engagement Platform Posted: 30 Apr 2019 05:00 AM PDT  Spurred largely by the convergence of e-commerce and social media, consumer expectations for digital retail are on the rise. Companies, such as Amazon, are offering free express shipping and free returns, while platforms like Facebook and Twitter have made it possible for consumers to personally connect with huge brands and share their experiences with their peers. While it's not always easy for brands to contend with sky-high expectations, the best businesses are seeing this as an opportunity to earn a loyal, engaged customer base. However, for consumers to engage with a brand, the brand has to first engage with consumers. Deploying a customer engagement platform is a critical step in the right direction. Ultimately, consumers across all generations want to feel like their favorite brands are their friends. They want to feel understood and appreciated, and they want to be able to trust brands. From a business standpoint, a customer engagement system can help bring your relationships into focus, allowing you to map out the best way to build up those relationships. A customer engagement platform can transform how your business interacts with customers — and how they respond. Here are four signs your business could benefit from a customer engagement platform: 1. Your workforce is disconnectedIt doesn't matter how good the individuals in your sales and marketing departments are; if they aren't working with the same customer information, they aren't operating as effectively as possible. Imagine that a customer calls your contact center with a complaint, and then the next day, your sales team calls and asks that customer to renew his contract with your company. That happens when your teams aren't connected. With a modern customer engagement system, sales might still opt to make that call, but the salesperson will do so knowing the details of the complaint. Ready with an explanation for the customer about how the company is going to address the complaint head-on, the salesperson will have much better results. And because a holistic customer engagement platform will allow everyone to see the issues customer support handles, marketing can also make any adjustments to messaging that the team deems necessary. 2. You don't know your customersCustomers demand personalization and businesses that deliver it have a huge advantage. Not only can personalization increase customer satisfaction, but it also contributes to higher purchase volume and, thus, increased revenue for the company. Personalization frequently starts with product recommendations, like when Amazon suggests products to go along with orders you've recently placed. However, product recommendation algorithms aren't a solution in and of themselves. To personalize effectively, you need to know what your customers are looking for. Netflix uses a recommendation algorithm to suggest shows and movies based on a user's viewing history, but the company actually goes a step further. Even the movie thumbnails and artwork changes based on user behavior. Netflix customizes its homepage for each individual customer. Practically anyone can use personalization in their sales and marketing, but it's important for that personalization to be data-driven so it resonates with the audience. Research from Accenture suggests that 44 percent of consumers experience frustration when companies deliver irrelevant marketing content. 3. You only have one or two channelsWhen a new technology emerges, your customers don't conduct a cost-benefit analysis to decide whether it's worth their time. They adopt it and move on, and they expect businesses to do the same. For example, nearly 90 percent of global customers want to interact with companies via messaging, but only 48 percent of businesses are equipped to meet that demand. This disconnect also applies to other channels — including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and many more — and it's costing you customers. However, it doesn't have to. A modern customer engagement platform will provide an omnichannel solution, allowing you to adopt communication channels as quickly and easily as your customers do. 4. You can't keep up with the timesMore than half of customer contact center leaders worry that their systems will be unable to meet the demands of the future, according to a report by Dimension Data. For many companies, these fears are already being realized — and the time to act is now. Papa John's, for example, turned to a customer-centric approach to turn around sales numbers that had been declining for four consecutive quarters. Current data indicates that the effort is worth it. Among businesses that have completed a digital transformation that emphasizes the customer experience, 77 percent enjoy cost savings and 74 percent report a boost in revenue, according to the Dimension Data report. A customer engagement system is a good way to bring your business into the digital era, which can provide big benefits across all departments in your organization. According to research from Forrester, eliminating the cost of legacy platforms and processes in customer communication can contribute to an average savings of $1.1 million. By investing in a new customer engagement platform, you have little to lose but wasted time and unnecessary expenses. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Business.com. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment