MANAGEMENT r'NEGIES ..... • ........... ^•••••

is a consultant and advisor with Process 7hrik ng LLC, a management consui6ng firm in New Albany and an adjunct professor at the School of Engineering Technology at Eastern. Michigan University Contact him at tirri@processthinkfng. corn.

is the Director of Strategic Accounts for GPAgied an international maintenance and ratability consulting and training firm. Contact him at ccoison@gpellied.corn.

sweat the small stuff

Four small things with big effects

SMALLTHING NO. 1: GOING DIGITAL If you are not using digital means to

acquire data, you are losing customer loyalty and operational efficiency.

When was the last time you visited a medical professional for services? Remember the forms you were asked to complete? Four, five, maybe six different forms. And the "best" part? Some 25 percent of the same ques-tions are asked on each one and you must answer over and over again. ropy and paste is one technology that even Apple does not make available via pen and pencil.)

Weave come across one local health

practice that has found a better way: When you visit Family Allergy and Asthma in New Albany, there are no paper forms to waste your time. You have provided your information via computer before your office visit and — the hest part of this experience —you enter the data only one timel

Not only do you spend less time com-pleting forms but you spend less time in the office when you arrive. And, of course, there is a noticeable improve-ment in the practice's internal operat-ing efficiency since it no longer must transfer all of your data from paper to computer.

A small thing, but the improved satis-faction can be mighty big.

3MAL1THING NO. 2: SUPPI' 'OUR SUPPORT STAFF Examples of Small Thing No. 2

abound, but the most frequent occur-rence that we see is when businesses fail to place enough importance on some of the functions that are often labeled nonproductive or nonessential back-office tasks.

As a result, secretaries, assistants and the like seem to be the first positions to be eliminated when economic times get tough.

Until we are faced with the fact that this work is. indeed, essential and that we will have to expend even more mon-ey and time to accomplish it through other means, we seldom realize how important these roles are.

end that's not to mention the effect on your business if a customer is negative-ly impacted by those cost reductions.

"Five-dollar savings" too often become pricey expenses Penny wise is, indeed, pound foolish.

BY TIMOTHY R. WEILBAKER AND CHRIS COLSON

Competition for your goods or services is fiercer now than ever before. Never in the history of commerce have consumers had more choices of how or where to spend their money. Consequently, with all due respect to Rich-ard Carlson and his best-selling Don't Sweat the Small Stuffapproach, we believe that the small stuff is exactly what businesses must sweat in order to succeed.

32 Business Soinc,

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MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES NOW •-••••• 041 L., NS • ell •••••• .... .01.1,11 0.0 111•■••••• ••■•• NO • WO ■••■•• ■••••• VD MN •••-■••••••• ••••••■•■■••■•••

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These days, anything less than instant gratification equals instant loss flimsiness. With nearly infinite choices on the market and, for that matter, choices of market, what sets your business apart is your ability to retain even the smallest of competitive advantages.

For example, you go to the store for an item. Your expecta-tion is that the store will have the item and you will purchase it and continue on your day's schedule.

What happens if that store (the longtime receiver of your loyalty) does not have your item in stock?

In the past, consumers would merely wait for the item to be delivered in a day or two. Today, however, there are many other options. If your usual store does not have what you want; you will seek a competitor who might and you will even pay more money if necessary in order to satisfy your need.

Your expectation of acquiring the item today would be held against the first store.

You might think, They should have known that I might need the item. They should carry something like this item —everyone needs this item periodically."

The lesson to be learned: Modern customer loyalty is great-ly determined by a business' ability to fulfill that customer's expectations of instant gratification.

SMALLTHING NO. 4:TREATING INDIVIDLI LIKE INDIVIDUALS

One service company we know often tried to squeeze po-tential clients into a fixed "mold," offering the same services, delivering those services hi the same manner and ignoring the desire of the potential client to be viewed as a unique individual with unique needs.

For companies to be successful they need to listen first and then be flexible enough to customize a path to their custom-ers' uniqueness. The service company we just mentioned ad-opted this strategy and saw responses improve dramatically

Key thought to ponder. Each of us (as an individual and as

an organizational consumer) wants to believe that we are

unique even if we do have similarities to others.

Yes, we know there are more than four small things to be re-membered by businesses today, but the psychosocial experts proved some time ago that we humans remember only a small list of items. That you remember what we have written is one small thing these two columnists are sweating!

Modifying the real estate industry's location, location, location" directive to suit our own selfish needs, the answer to business success is 'details, details, details.' Stop focusing on only the major-value features of your goods or services. Sweat the small stuff and begin the journey to success.

Don't let your business's mailed message get delivered to the circular file!

Statistics show magazines g arn er greats. attention from consumers.

Magazine advertising moves readers to eclat. Magazines dceninate in the decision-outing process, strengthating brand familiarity and purchase intent. Magazines

have a shell life of 60-00 days with

readers often ref erringto than multiple

times, giving advertisers the oppcitunirty

is multiple expcsures.

• Nis. ltdarrarti Ciasereh 2104

liusinesource Contact us tod a r to see how you can plate your products aril services to Southern Indiana Business Source. CALL: 812-20-2148 E- MAIL: Steveitozarovicli@situsinesssource.com

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