15 cool small businesses that make people healthier, wealthier, smarter, and happier

They're breaking the mold. Jen Rubio, pictured, is the cofounder and president of luggage startup Away. Daniela Spector

 

Shana Lebowitz

Daniela Spector

• Cool small businesses emerge every day across the US.
• We put together a list of 15 small businesses that make people healthier, wealthier, smarter, or happier.
• Those small businesses include the independent bookstore Books are Magic and the beach-bound shuttle service The Free Ride.

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Across the US, new small businesses are popping up every day. And they're rapidly revolutionizing areas like transportation, food, fashion and beauty, and gaming.

We scoured the web and asked our readers to identify some of their favorite small businesses (which the US government defines as employing 500 people or fewer). Below, we've listed 15 of the most innovative.

Since we're largely highlighting reader-nominated businesses, the companies on the list below aren't definitively the coolest small businesses in the country, but they are some of the coolest. Our criteria for inclusion, aside from having fewer than 500 employees, was that the companies had to improve society at large, meaning they make people healthier, wealthier, smarter, or happier. The businesses are not ranked.

Read on to learn about the small businesses that are making the world a better place to live.

NextGenVest

Kelly Peeler is the CEO and cofounder of NextGenVest.

Courtesy of Kelly Peeler

What it does: Helps students navigate the college financial-aid process. Trained college students provide assistance to college applicants via text message.

Why it's cool: The graduating class of 2016 owed an average of $17,126 in student debt (in New Hampshire, that figure shot up to $27,167). But many students aren't necessarily aware of the financial burden they're taking on when they apply. NextGenVest is a way to get timely and accurate information in their hands.

Read more about NextGenVest here.

The Free Ride

Alexander Esposito and James Mirras are the cofounders of The Free Ride.

 Courtesy of Free Ride

What it does: Offers passengers free rides to some beaches in the Hamptons, the Jersey Shore, Santa Monica, and San Diego. How? Electric cars eliminate the cost of fuel and the service is sponsored by advertisers (like JetBlue, seen in the photo).

Why it's cool: Beach-goers no longer have to drive themselves crazy looking for (and paying for) a few hours of parking. Plus, electric cars mean the service is environmentally friendly.

Read more about The Free Ride here.

Eu'Genia Shea

Naa-Sakle Akuete is the founder and CEO of Eu'Genia Shea.

Courtesy of Naa-Sakle Akuete

What it does: This mother-daughter-run business sells high-quality shea-butter products while supporting fair wages for the female workers in Ghana who make those products.

Why it's cool: Eu'Genia Shea donates 15% of its profits back to their female workers in Ghana, either in the form of a retirement fund or an education fund for their children. Each product comes with a personal touch — Akuete and her mother package them themselves in her Brooklyn apartment.

Happy Numbers

Evgeny Milyutin, right, and Ivan Kolomoets are the founders of Happy Numbers.

 Courtesy of Evgeny Milyutin

What it does: Helps teachers personalize math instructionthrough an artificial intelligence-enabled math education platform. The program provides interactive exercises for students and then delivers feedback to the teachers based on the students' performance.

Why it's cool: One-on-one education can be more effective than conventional classroom education, but that's not always realistic. HappyNumbers makes it possible. Plus, it helps smart, high-potential students who are nonetheless struggling (like Milyutin, a physics PhD who had a hard time with math in elementary school).

Read more about HappyNumbers here.

HQ Trivia

Rus Yusupov is a co-founder of HQ Trivia.

 Courtesy of HQ Trivia

What it does: Hosts free, live trivia events twice daily for people all over the world. Winners receive cash prizes.

Why it's cool: HQ Trivia has quickly become one of the most popular gaming apps on the market. It brings groups of friends together over something other than eating and drinking — while giving them a crash course in areas like history, pop culture, and literature.

Read more about HQ Trivia here.

Books Are Magic

Emma Straub, center, at Books Are Magic with Joanna Goddard, left, and Meg Wolitzer, right.

 Courtesy of Books Are Magic

What it does: This independent bookstore in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn is run by novelist Emma Straub and her husband, graphic designer Michael Fusco-Straub. The store hosts literary events and a wide selection of both fiction and non-fiction.

Why it's cool: There's no getting around it: New York City is running out of bookstores. Straub and Fusco-Straub are among a growing group of entrepreneurs trying to change that, to the delight of bibliophiles in all five boroughs.

Amino Apps

Ben Anderson is the CEO and co-founder of Amino Apps.

Courtesy of Ben Anderson

What it does: Allows users to create apps based on different interests and launch them through the Amino platform. Apps that are popular enough become stand-alone apps in the App store.

Why it's cool: Amino users can find people just like them all over the world, whether their passion is anime or veganism. The website encourages users to "go deep, geek out," bonding with these new friends and creating a product that other people can enjoy and learn from.

Slice

Ilir Sela is the founder and CEO of Slice.

 Courtesy of Ilir Sela

What it does: Lets customers order from local pizzerias (that aren't necessarily on services like Seamless) through a mobile app.

Why it's cool: CEO Ilir Sela's family has been in the pizza-making business for generations. His goal with Slice is to help local pizzerias making delicious pizza stand their ground against big chains making less delicious food, and against online ordering companies that favor those big chains.

Read more about Slice here.

Away

Jen Rubio is the cofounder, president, and chief brand officer of Away.

Daniela Spector

What it does: Creates functional, affordable luggage for modern travelers.

Why it's cool: Away was founded by two Warby Parker alums and the brands are similar: Both offer high-quality, fashionable products at reasonable price points because they're marketed direct to consumer.

Read more about Away here.

Nomad Health

Alexi Nazem is the cofounder and CEO of Nomad Health.

 Shelley Kusnetz

What it does: Helps connect freelance clinicians to work in healthcare systems.

Why it's cool: The US is expected to see a shortage of 90,000 physicians by the year 2025. Nomad Health allows doctors to find hospitals that really need their help. The company's CEO is a doctor himself, who saw firsthand how hard it was to get freelance work and aimed to find a solution.

Read more about Nomad Health here.

MarketSnacks

Nicolas Martell and Jack Kramer are the cofounders and co-CEOS of MarketSnacks.

 Courtesy of MarketSnacks

What it does: Puts out a daily finance newsletter geared toward millennials.

Why it's cool: The founders, former analysts at New York banks, recently made Forbes' "30 Under 30" list. Their goal is to make financial news concise and, most importantly, "digestible." Having started the company as a side job, they know how hard entrepreneurship can be, and so they make it a point to get on the phone every week with entrepreneurs seeking advice and share their wisdom.

Read more about MarketSnacks here.

Sweet Generation Bakery

Amy Chasan is the founder and owner of Sweet Generation.

Ben Schellpfeffer

What it does: The pastries in this New York City bakery are handmade by groups of at-risk youth learning professional skills.

Why it's cool: Sweet Generation is all about giving back to the local community. The bakery partners with schools and nonprofit organizations to offer paid jobs or internships for school credit. Plus, the company uses mostly whole, natural ingredients in their pastries.

AUrate

Sophie Kahn and Bouchra Ezzahraoui are the founders of AUrate New York.

 Courtesy of AUrate

What it does: Sells affordable, ethically sourced, high-quality gold jewelry.

Why it's cool: AUrate was initially self-funded through the founders' savings and through family and friends; the founders wanted to have revenue first, and then raise money based on that proof of concept. Today, the company has expanded its mission: For every purchase a customer makes, the company donates a book to a child in need.

Read more about AUrate here.

Habit

Neil Grimmer, CEO of Habit, pictured.

 Courtesy of Habit

What it does: Provides customers with DNA and other kinds of testing so they can learn more about their specific nutritional needs. Customers also receive personalized recipes from Habit.

Why it's cool: Habit was born out of founder Neil Grimmer's own struggles with health and weight loss. He teamed up with researchers across the globe to help people with similar issues find science-backed solutions that will work for them.

Read more about Habit here.

Our Story Bridal

Jacquelyn Ward and Ana Maes are the co-founders of Our Story Bridal.

Courtesy of Our Story Bridal

What it does: New York City's only bridal consignment boutiquesells designer wedding dresses at steep discounts.

Why it's cool: The founders launched the company based on their own struggles to sell their worn wedding dresses — and to help brides who want to look stunning on their wedding day but don't want to spend their life savings. Designers include Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, and Carolina Herrera, and discounts on dresses are up to 80%.

Read more about Our Story Bridal here.

Management Skills 101: How setting expectations is critical to leadership

Setting clear expectations leads to successful teamwork

How is setting expectations a critical leadership skill?

Research states one of the top reasons for unhappiness in the workplace is communication issues with one’s manager/supervisor. One of the key shortcomings for this case lies with the managers. Very often managers make incorrect assumptions that employees have all of the information needed about what needs to be done, without having been told how things work. Yet, if asked, the employees will give you a completely different picture about what is expected of them. Due to this evident disconnect, the employee fails to deliver the expected results, and the manager ends up blaming the employee. Resentment follows thereafter, leading to poor performance.

This is why it’s critical for you as a manager to get everyone on the same page, and to set the expectations clearly at the beginning of your professional journey together. In an article1, Kevin Eikenberry describes 4 main areas in which you need to clarify the expectations for your team.

The 4 key areas to setting expectations

Work – It’s imperative for your team to know exactly what is expected of them. There is a basic job description that a person is informed of when they join the team, however the unwritten rules about the level of quality expected in the work, and the depth of knowledge that needs to be exhibited, are what defines a successful work project. What are the boundaries of an employee’s responsibilities? What are and what aren’t the roles of the job? These things include, and even go beyond, the job description. For optimum performance and strong working relationships, these expectations must all be clearly communicated, understood and mutually agreed upon.

Communication – Communication is one of the most critical components of organizational life, and it is far too important to leave to chance. Everyone operates based on their preferences and their habits, which might be in conflict or different from the work habits and preferences of others in the organization. Setting the rules of conduct helps employees navigate the workspace more efficiently and confidently.

What’s the preferred way of communicating, both formally and informally? What needs to be communicated to all, and what can be handled at the employee level? What should be the frequency of communication? What particular information should be shared in each of the different mediums of communication? What are the protocols for communication at different levels – while reporting to the manager or even upper management?

Time – When working in tandem with multiple people on multiple tasks, it’s important to keep track of your time and that of the others working with you. Clarity is required in terms of expected response times to requests from different levels in the firm. Make sure also to clarify what the work-times of other team members are, in case you’re working in a virtual or international team.

Culture –  Defining the corporate culture is an important component to clarify for the team when managing expectations. Be it first time employees or experienced hires, they bring their past experience and habits with them.  If those experiences and habits differ from the organizational culture, non-clarification can lead to poor performance (perceived or reality) and to interpersonal conflicts.  It’s the responsibility of the manager to make sure that the organizational principles, behaviors, values, and overall expectations are clarified.

Evaluating Performance Expectations

After clarifying all expectations, it’s best to have a checklist to affirm whether you and your team are in accord with the expectations. According to John Baldoni2, there’s a 3-question checklist managers should ask themselves:

1. Does your team know what’s expected of them? It’s important to have your team paraphrase what has been told to them. Have a conversation to test their understanding of the expectations shared with them. People may know the specifics, but often lack knowledge about how what they do helps the entire organization.
2. Have you told your team what they can expect from you? It’s important to let employees know that you as their manager are available to them. It’s important they know how and when to reach out to you, and that you are accessible to them as a knowledgeable resource. For new hires, the role would be more as a teacher than as a boss. For experienced hires, you will have to be a coach and help them unlearn and relearn the behavioral and cultural aspects of their job. For the team, you will be the supplier of resources as well as their champion.
3. Do employees know what is expected of each other? In a team everyone has defined roles and responsibilities, so it’s also important that everyone knows how their work affects their colleagues and how to work in tandem to achieve team/organizational goals.

Communicating expectations in a clear way enhances relationships because your team is confident in their manager and can react and communicate directly in all aspects of their position. This clarity prevents employees from having to do rework or getting blamed for not meeting unclear or changing expectations. When expectations are communicated with the right amount of direction or delegation, depending on the person and the situation, employee ownership is further developed.

FOOTNOTES
1Four areas of expectations for great results
2Three questions to clarify – HBR

Power Dynamics – Sitting Strategically at the Conference Table

Alpha or Beta? Which seat you choose in the meeting reveals a lot about your character and your role in the Company.

Have you ever heard of “strategic sitting”? This surprisingly important phenomenon can help you find the best place for yourself in meetings, and the most efficient place for those in the office. 

In the course of your life you will sit often and in many different places: on the couch, at the dinner table, at the movie theater, etc. Have you ever stopped to think about the impact of the seat you choose? Perhaps in these situations it doesn’t matter much, but in the conference room and even on a plane for a business trip, these seemingly small decisions speak volumes about your character, reputation and perceived level of power.

In the conference room

Imagine the following: you walk into the conference room for a meeting, and are greeted by a rectangular table. The managing director sits either at the head of the table or in the middle of the table facing the door. In both cases he can observe who is arriving late and who is leaving early – clearly this is a position of power. On the left and right of the boss are his most trusted colleagues.

One might initially think this arrangement is mere coincidence, or habit-motivated, however American psychologist Sharon Livingston would say this is no coincidence. Livingston has surveyed more than 40,000 bosses and employees in their “conference seat behavior”, and found that there was a clear, though unspoken, order to the seats chosen in meetings. “This is a meaningful picture of the respective power structure”, says Livingston, “that every employee should keep in mind.” Executive and professional coach, Dr. Richard Winters, breaks down the best place to sit for how you’d like to be perceived in a given meeting.

On a business trip

Seating arrangements are not only important in the office, but also during business travel. Where, for example, should you sit as a power-conscious executive on a plane? Naturally as far forward as possible, states Livingston, “near the pilot, the head of the plane”. And it doesn’t stop there, what is the optimal place of power in a taxi? According to Livingston the optimal position is on the right hand side in the rear of the car. At this position, you can fully enjoy more space while still commanding authority.

Seating arrangements in large offices

n recent years more and more offices are moving to an open floor plan, with management moving out of their “corner offices” and having constant interaction with subordinates. Some companies are even taking it a step further – determining who sits next to whom in an effort to get the most from their employees.

A study by Cornerstone OnDemand¹ claims that there are three groups sitting in any particular room: quality workers, who tend to work slower but have better quality, generalists, who are mid-range producers, and productive workers, who tend to produce more at a lower quality. According to the study, the best results are achieved when the generalists are grouped together, since they operate on a similar wavelength, and the quality and productive workers sit together. Though the quality and productive workers think and produce differently, their talents are complementary and they can influence and rely on one another

The result: In a study taking place over a two-year period, and in a company of 2,000 workers, this type of arrangement resulted in a 13% increase in productivity, and a 17% increase in effectiveness.

Sitting – Standing – Sitting – Standing

As important as where you sit is how you sit. Prolonged sitting is not healthy, however neither is prolonged standing. What’s the solution? A mixture of the two. Experts at the Federal Institute for the Occupational Safety and Health recommend a “standing-sitting dynamism”. In other words, a mixture of sitting and standing throughout the workday is the ideal. Convertible standing desks can certainly ensure that you are making the transition from sitting to standing often enough. Maintaining optimal health in the workplace will ensure that you keep your positon of power for many years to come.

¹https://www.cornerstoneondemand.com/rework/rearrange-desks-increase-revenue-study-finds-seating-charts-impact-performance

Power of Emotional Intelligence in Sales — How Can it Help?

Emotional Intelligence is a vital skill that you need to master if you have chosen sales as a profession. Getting hijacked by your emotions can crash your sales career; as you need to think critically, act rationally and solve the problems of your customers which is difficult if you are a slave to your emotions.

Being a sales professional, you need to think clearly and act smartly to contribute to the revenue growth of your company. To create a good rapport with your clients, you should be able to understand and manage yours as well as their emotions.

Emotionally intelligent sales reps have been able to excel in sales as they know how to find a way out in difficult situations. They are positive, open-minded, empathetic, self-motivated and know how to handle criticism.

• A study of over 40 Fortune 500 companies revealed that salespeople with high emotional intelligence outperformed those with medium to low EI by 50%.
• At Pepsico, employees who were identified as emotionally intelligent spurred 10% more productivity
• At L’Oréal, sales professionals hired based on their emotional intelligence out performed their peers by $91,370 at the end of the first year.

Scale your sales by mastering the art of emotional intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the power that can help sales professionals succeed in the realm of sales. The below reasons will explain how:

EI makes sales reps more authentic in their conversation

Emotionally Intelligent sales professionals know how to take charge of their conversation. They don’t fall prey to their emotions while communicating with the clients. It helps in having an effective and meaningful interaction to reap profitable results.

Sales personnel with high level of Emotional Intelligence can create positive sales relationships as they know what they want and how to convey their message to the client without causing any blunders or misunderstanding.

Emotionally intelligent sales professionals are even good listeners. They attentively hear to the customer’s issues and formulate the next course of action while the person is speaking.

High EI sales reps are personally accountable

Knowing your strengths as well as weaknesses by being self-aware and taking accountability of your action is necessary to survive in the competitive sales scenario. Emotionally intelligent sales reps don’t play the blame game to save themselves, they take ownership of their mistakes and work dedicatedly on improvements. They try to find solutions to tackle issues instead of excuses to escape from it. This helps them in performing better and takes them closer to their sales goals.

Emotional Intelligence makes them more socially competent

Emotionally intelligent people are socially competent; they possess a perfect balance of social awareness and relationship management skills. They understand other’s motives as well as behavior which helps in cultivating a good relationship, especially while dealing with valuable clients.

Socially competent sales reps don’t rush, they take the right move when time is ripe. They can easily decipher client’s need and address their concerns on-time. Such sales professionals are client-centered, they are focused towards delivering good buying experience to build lasting relationships.

Emotionally Intelligent sales reps can handle criticism

Sales professional with high EI are smart enough to handle criticism calmly. They don’t sidestep the issue or get discouraged, but face it with confidence. Neither do they retaliate angrily to a negative comment, instead they reflect and try to improve on their weak areas.

Emotionally intelligent sales reps value their customer so instead of offending them, they try to understand their point of view and appreciate their opinion. They look at criticism as an opportunity of improvement which helps them in upgrading their performance and being more successful.

Wondering how to boost your emotional quotient?

Take the help of the below tips

• Develop emotional awareness by identifying the circumstances that trigger you to react
• Reflect on yourself in tranquility to analyze the reason for certain behaviors
• Increase your ability to empathize to get closer to your clients
• Have a positive outlook in difficult situations
• Put yourself in other’s shoe and try to understand their point of view

Closing thoughts

Working on emotional quotient can help you create better relationships with your customers. A detailed information regarding your customers’ pain points, likes and dislikes will help you understand your clients in a better way. We hope this article helps you utilize the power of emotional intelligence and acts as a key to your sales success.

For which you can take the aid of tools like Salesmate CRM that helps you in collecting and centralizing customer’s information. You can even track the interaction they had with your company for having a deeper analysis. This will help in understanding them and their buying behavior to render utmost customer satisfaction.

https://goo.gl/PSou6A

25 способов завоевать доверие клиента

Одно дело — поймать клиента на крючок, другое — удержать его. По мнению инвестора и предпринимателя Джона Рэмптона, повышение доверия потребителя должно быть всегда в приоритете у бизнеса. Те покупатели, которых вы так долго и упорно пытались заполучить, могут незаметно исчезнуть. Как их удержать? 

Чтобы клиенты не исчезали, Джон Рэмптон предлагает прислушаться к 25 советам, которые помогут повысить доверие клиентов к вашей компании:

1. Расскажите о своих ценностях

Чтобы создать прочные отношения со своими покупателями, вам необходимо разделять с ними общие ценности. Исследование Corporate Executive Board, в котором приняли участие 7000 потребителей из США, которые сумели выстроить взаимоотношения с брендом, показало, что 64% клиентов указывают общие ценности как основную причину таких отношений. Общие ценности — это, безусловно, лучший драйвер. Если вы хотите, чтобы ваши клиенты были лояльными, обязательно сообщите им, что стоит за вашим брендом.

2. Предоставляйте безупречный клиентский сервис

Это очевидно, не так ли? И этот пункт стоит повторять неоднократно, поскольку именно отличный клиентский сервис способствует выстраиванию длительных отношений с клиентами и помогает избегать неприятных сплетен. Это то, что отличает вас от конкурентов. Компания Zappos смогла создать доверительные отношения с покупателями именно благодаря клиентскому сервису. Но как можно его улучшить?

Для начала нужно научиться слышать клиентов и своевременно реагировать на их просьбы. Представитель вашей компании всегда должен быть доступен для потребителей. Убедитесь в том, что они знают электронный адрес, номер телефона и страницы компании в социальных сетях. Вы должны делать все возможное и невозможное, чтобы вызывать у клиентов восторг.

3. Будьте откровенны

Иногда в работе возникают сложности. Вместо того, чтобы отрицать проблемы, будьте честны со своими клиентами. Когда в 2013 году в компании Buffer (агрегатор информации, позволяющий автоматически публиковать посты в различные соцсети – прим. ред.) вскрылись проблемы с системой безопасности, она оповестила всех клиентов о ситуации, предоставила обновления и ответила на возникшие вопросы.

4. Создайте ощущение принадлежности к сообществу

При наличии такого огромного количества социальных медиа глупо их не использовать и не создать свое сообщество. Ведь сообщества — очень эффективный способ выстраивания коммуникаций с клиентами. Они также мотивируют пользователей создавать контент. Вы можете попросить клиентов выложить в Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest или другие соцсети фотографии того, как они используют приобретенный у вас продукт.

5. Возьмите у них электронные адреса

Электронная почта — одна из самых простых возможностей оставаться на связи с клиентами. Когда они совершат покупку, попросите у них электронные адреса, чтобы вы могли сообщать им о новинках или спрашивать их мнение о приобретенном продукте. Эта информация может быть использована для улучшения качества и повышения удовлетворенности клиентов.

6. Используйте социальное доказательство

Эйлин Ли, партнер венчурной компании Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, описывает феномен социального доказательства на TechCrunch как «позитивное влияние, возникающее, когда кто-то узнает, что другие что-то делают». Это хороший способ помочь новым клиентам узнать больше о вашем продукте и вашей компании.

Чаще всего для достижения социального доказательства бренды используют один из пяти способов:
— экспертный (статистика, которой делится источник, заслуживающий доверие);
— «звездный» (одобрение знаменитостей);
— пользовательский (отзывы покупателей на различных сайтах);
— «мудрость толпы» (вспомните знаменитую баннерную рекламу McDonald’s «Обслужили более миллиона гостей»);
— «мудрость друзей» (приглашение друзей в Facebook поиграть с ними в игру).

7. Превышайте ожидания

Скорее всего, вы уже слышали такое выражение: компании должны обещать меньше, а делать больше. Следовать этому правилу очень просто — нужно всего лишь превышать ожидания. Если вы пообещали клиенту, что представитель созвонится с ним в течение 24 часов, а представитель звонит всего через 6 часов, то вы уже превысили ожидания покупателя. Одним словом, делайте то, что вы обещали сделать.

8. Не пренебрегайте нынешними клиентами

Пытаясь привлечь новых покупателей, вы легко можете забыть об уже имеющихся. Чтобы не разочаровывать лояльных клиентов, убедитесь в том, что ваш продукт со временем не потерял значение для них.

9. Признавайте свои ошибки

Ошибки случаются у каждой компании, а у клиентов сейчас есть много возможностей поделиться опытом взаимодействия с вашей компанией через интернет. Не ищите оправданий и не реагируйте слишком эмоционально на звонки и сообщения о каких-либо проблемах. Вместо этого используйте площадки, на которых эти сообщения появляются, в свою пользу — для того, чтобы разобраться в неприятной ситуации.

10. Нанимайте правильных сотрудников

Сотрудники играют очень важную роль в процессе завоевания доверия клиентов. Сотрудники, которые соответствуют корпоративной культуре, охотно делятся своими впечатлениями о работе с друзьями, семьей и клиентами, которых обслуживают. Убедитесь в том, что они прошли нужные для работы тренинги и обладают всеми необходимыми инструментами для качественного обслуживания клиентов.

11. Будьте ближе

Исследования показывают, что персонифицированные электронные письма имеют больше успеха среди клиентов, а сделки благодаря им заключаются в 6 раз чаще (исследование 2013 Email Marketing Study компании Experian Marketing Services – прим. ред.). Вы можете называть клиента по имени, поздравлять его с днем рождения, предлагать скидку на годовщину начала его нахождения в «статусе» клиента вашей компании. Клиенты ценят такие письма. Должны ценить их и вы, ведь они помогают создать эмоциональную связь.

12. Будьте экспертом

Представьте, что вы покупаете новый телевизор, но у вас возникли некоторые вопросы. Где бы вы приобрели телевизор: в компании, которая ответила на все ваши вопросы, или в компании, которая не смогла этого сделать? Скорее всего, вы поддержите ту компанию, которая помогла вам разобраться со всеми вопросами. Если вы хотите привлечь и удержать клиентов, вы должны быть экспертом в своей области. Убедитесь, что сотрудники осведомлены обо всем и делятся своими профессиональными знаниями.

13. Говорите правильные слова

Правильные слова и фразы могут мотивировать клиента. Например, в английском языке есть пять убедительных слов: «вы», «свободный», «потому что», «немедленно» и «новый». Если вы используете эти слова в заголовках, темах электронных писем или звонках, вы можете увеличить шансы на привлечение клиентов.

14. Поощряйте клиентов

Если вы хотите дать клиенту повод вернуться, используйте метод пряника. Вы можете просто предоставить скидку на следующую покупку или угостить его напитком после десятой покупки.

15. Просите дать обратную связь

Откуда вы можете знать, нравится клиентам ваш продукт или нет? Что они думают о сервисе? Если вы не обладаете такой информацией, как вы можете что-то изменить или улучшить? Когда клиент совершает покупку, просите его оставить отзыв через анкету, высланную по почте, или на вашем сайте.

16. Будьте надежны

Заслужите репутацию надежной компании. Это значит, что, если вы обещаете доставить покупку в течение 48 часов, вы должны уложиться именно в этот временной период. Если вы обещаете клиентскую поддержку 24/7, то убедитесь, что сможете ее обеспечить. Если что-то в вашей компании меняется, а вы этого не предвидели, дайте клиентам об этом знать и будьте с ними откровенны.

17. Проводите с клиентом больше времени

Разговаривая со своими клиентами, вы можете достичь сразу несколько целей. Во-первых, вы выясните, почему они выбрали именно вашу компанию. Эту информацию можно использовать для рекомендательных характеристик или кейсов. Во-вторых, благодаря общению вы можете следить за уровнем удовлетворенности клиента.

18. Облегчите клиентам жизнь

Вас не должны все время волновать только продажи. Существует множество интересных и нестандартных возможностей для продвижения продукта. Например, если у вас магазин бытовых товаров, вы можете снять полезные видеоролики или отсылать ежемесячные письма с советами по обустройству дома в стиле «сделай сам».

19. Прогнозируйте проблемы

Безусловно, рано или поздно возникают проблемы. И вы должны уметь их предвидеть, чтобы заранее предпринять необходимые меры. Возьмем для примера банк, который информирует клиентов о том, что их баланс близится к нулю. Клиенты получают предупреждающее SMS-сообщение, чтобы потом не разбираться с долгами.

20. Будьте гибкими

У каждого клиента могут возникнуть проблемы индивидуального характера. Допустим, ваш магазин предоставляет возможность вернуть товар в течение 30 дней, а клиент не смог уложиться в этот срок, потому что был в отъезде. Вы можете пойти ему навстречу и оформить возврат.

21. Не забудьте об автоматизации

Автоматизация некоторых процессов очень удобна. Она помогает экономить время и позволяет не отвлекаться от клиентов. Например, вы могли бы высылать по электронной почте подробное руководство тем, кто приобрел продукт или услугу. Это помогло бы снять некоторые вопросы покупателей и высвободить часть времени сотрудников по работе с клиентами.

22. Упростите реальную коммуникацию

Несмотря на то, что технологии помогают покупателям искать необходимую информацию о вашем продукте или услуге, вы не должны полностью прикрываться ими. Время от времени вам придется общаться с клиентами напрямую. Убедитесь, что контактная информация доступна на сайте и что на мобильном сайте есть кнопка вызова в один клик.

23. Просите оставить отзывы и рекомендации

Сегодня отзывы и рекомендации имеют большое значение. Исследование Local Consumer Review Survey 2014 компании BrightLocal показало следующие результаты:
— 88% потребителей читают отзывы, чтобы определить качество;
— 85% потребителей специально изучают порядка 10 отзывов;
— 72% потребителей признаются, что благодаря положительным отзывам они больше доверяют компании;
— 88% потребителей говорят, что доверяют онлайн-отзывам так же, как и личным рекомендациям.

Поэтому не стесняйтесь просить клиента отставить отзыв или мнение о продукте или услуге.

24. Удивляйте клиентов

Как правило, клиентов заставляет возвращаться что-то неожиданное. Есть один очень интересный пример. Отвечая на звонок клиента, представитель компании Rackspace во время разговора услышал, как клиент пожаловался на то, что проголодался. Тогда он перевел звонок в режим ожидания, чтобы заказать клиенту пиццу. Разговор продолжался еще примерно 30 минут, и тут в дверь клиента позвонили. Представитель посоветовал быстрее открыть дверь, так как за ней стоит разносчик пиццы. Клиент был в восторге.

25. Предложите программу лояльности

Не ограничивайтесь обычной системой поощрения клиентов, запустите программу лояльности. Например, можно рассмотреть одну из следующих стратегий:
— Создайте систему приобретения очков. Клиенты зарабатывают очки, которые можно обменять на подарок.
— Предложите многоуровневую систему. Сначала предоставьте небольшую награду, а со временем увеличивайте ее размер.
— Берите плату за VIP-преимущества. Подумайте о чем-то вроде Amazon Prime.
— Поддерживайте программы, которые совпадают с ценностями клиента.
— Объединитесь с другой компанией для каких-либо активностей вне вашего бизнеса.
— Предложите игру. Кто не любит играть в игры?
— Поощряйте давних клиентов наградами и преимуществами.

Ukrainian M&A recorded double-digit growth

Overall, Ukrainian M&A recorded double-digit growth in both the number and value of deals announced in 2017: activity increased by 22% to 67 deals, with a combined value of USD 1 bn, 37% higher than the previous year. - KPMG Ukraine

Innovating in Zeroes: Skype Co-Founder finds Lessons in Failure

“No one really thought it was going to work but, actually, it went okay.” That is how Jonas Kjellberg, entrepreneur and investor, described the sentiment around one of his most famous ventures — Skype.

Kjellberg has always been interested in disrupting traditional systems, and he recalled some of his business successes and failures at the 2017 European Investment Conference in Berlin, offering plenty of advice for budding and experienced entrepreneurs alike.

“The truth is, I lose more than I win,” he said. Among Kjellberg’s near-misses: a stint at a company that was failing fast. He could not figure out how to drive enough sales to keep it afloat. With his tail between his legs, he turned to his father, who put him in touch with a friend who was particularly successful in sales. The advice he received was so simple, he struggled to take it seriously: “Knock on 100 doors, get 10 responses, get one sale.”

“Sales is actually super simple — it’s math,” Kjellberg said. Today, when he looks for companies to invest in, he focuses on how they innovate in sales. All of the successful companies he’s worked with have built a compelling sales proposition.

“This is a science that most companies neglect,” he said. “The successful ones make it an art form.”

Innovating in Zeroes

Kjellberg introduced the audience to the concept of innovating in zeroes. What does it mean to innovate in zeros? Cut down your costs in ways that your competitors haven’t yet figured out.

For example, Airbnb has innovated in zeros by cutting out all hotel maintenance costs. How much does it cost Airbnb to clean one of its listed apartments? Nothing. How did Amazon innovate in zeros? It cut the costs associated with brick-and-mortar stores.

Skype is a prime example of this phenomenon as well. While traditional telecommunications companies invested in infrastructure, Skype piggybacked on the internet connections users already paid for to place calls.

Another way in which Skype cut down on costs: dropping customer service. Customer service can eat up a lot of a business’s capital and still leave customers unsatisfied. As Kjellberg noted, he was “often more angry after talking to customer service” than he was about the original problem. So he and his team made it impossible for users to call Skype.

While it’s a bold move to remove all customer-service options, many organizations havemigrated their customer-service models towards chatbots, another method that is cheaper than hiring rooms of human agents.

Extra Zeros

In some cases, innovation in cost cutting just isn’t possible. Kjellberg says the question you should ask yourself then is, “If I can’t innovate by zeros, what can I do to put an extra zero behind my price?”

But driving sales is not always enough to guarantee a successful long-term business. One of Kjellberg’s notable failures came before his time at Skype, and taught him the importance of understanding what users want — not just what boards want.

Kjellberg served as vice president of Bertelsmann for Lycos Europe, the second-largest search engine at the time. The same day he joined the organization, Google was founded. When the topic of buying Google came up, the company’s lawyers advised the board against it. Google was “totally overvalued, there is no business model,” they said.

“Google always talked about delighting the user,” Kjellberg said. “My motto had always been, ‘Always delight the shareholder.’ Users are something you bring through the door.”

Lycos tried a different model in an effort to fight off the challenge from the upstart search engine. “Do you think it was a success?” Kjellberg asked. “No. It was an epic failure. The company was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and now it’s gone.”

What did Google do differently? “They just made a better product,” he said. “And if you’re a simple sales guy, that’s not fair.”

The Friction-Free Story

There is another way to look at the success of companies like Google: through the message they send to potential customers. What is the friction-free story? If you don’t know what your message is and can’t explain it internally, there is no way your potential customers will understand it. If you’re at the head of the table and don’t know what your company is selling, how do you expect your employees to know? This concept parallels another partner of innovation, what Kjellberg calls “tomorrow’s delight.”

Tomorrow’s delight, Kjellberg says, is looking ahead to see how the market will change and getting in front of it, rather than sitting back complacently as other companies catch up and beat you at your own game.

He used the example of Volvo, “the pinnacle of Swedish engineering.” Volvo built its reputation and its friction-free story at a time when safety features constituted a unique selling point for an automobile. But Volvo didn’t change its messaging when safety became a commodity, and every car came equipped with the same features. After poor performance, Volvo was sold to Geely Holding Group, a Chinese automotive manufacturing company. Now, Kjellberg said, it’s “‘Scandinavian designed,’” and doing quite well.”

Business leaders should always be aware of what both established and upstart competitors are doing and how they may compete for the throne. More importantly, they should also understand why customers come to them in the first place.

In the end, success is relative. Its measures are as varied as the people setting them. Kjellberg defines it based on his own experiences: “Success is going from failure to failure with the same enthusiasm.”

By Candida DaFonseca