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The blog for Global Call Forwarding has articles on the latest customer service trends, telecommunications technologies, and business news.
Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number
14th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

5 Ways to Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number

challenges international business
14th May 2019 blog, Customer Service, Sales Management

Effective Problem Solving to Build Customer Confidence

Toll Free Number is Boring Woman on Phone
14th May 2019 blog, Business Phone Numbers

Your Toll Free Number is BORING – Here’s How to Fix It

Earn a Reputation Diversity Employment Jobs
13th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

How to Earn a Reputation Based on Credibility in Your Industry

Customer Loyalty Toll Free Number Woman on Phone
9th May 2019 blog, Technology

How Toll Free Numbers Can Be Used to Build Customer Loyalty

Managing a Team Coworkers Office
9th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

Delegating Tasks and Managing a Team

Good Habits for Entrepreneurs Man Drinking Coffee
9th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

Good Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Business Men Shaking Hands Inspire Trust
9th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

Why Inspiring Trust and Trusting Others are Important Leadership Skills

businessman looking at plan on blackboard
21st March 2019 blog, Business Insights

Important Things to Know When Starting A Business

5 Ways to Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number

14th May 2019 blog, Sales Management

Communication is critical in all relationships across the board; not only does that include your mom, your coworker, and your spouse; it also includes your customers. How is your business communicating with your customers? Are you offering your customers multiple ways to get in contact with you? Do you think that an email address is sufficient? Learn five different ways to increase your sales with a business phone number.

How to Increase Sales with Virtual Phone Numbers?

Businesses have been changing a lot in recent years in order to keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape. One thing that hasn’t changed is the need for a business phone number. Nothing will ever replace speaking one-on-one with another human being who knows your business, in and out. If your company does not have its own phone number, then you may be missing out.

1. Uphold Your Brand’s Image

When customers stumble upon your website, before purchasing they will often look to see if there is a contact number on the site. This ensures that if there is a problem with the order or product, they will be able to get in contact with someone who can solve their issue. Email addresses are okay, but having a phone number is much better because it lets your customers know that they can get in contact with you at any time of the day that may be convenient for them. Think of your friends; the ones that are the easiest to get a hold of are the ones that you are going to spend the most time with. As you would build a relationship with a friend, you can also create a relationship with your customers.

2. Use Your Business Number as a Marketing Tool

A business phone number can not only be used as a tool to communicate and make a sales call, but you can also use it to track your marketing efforts. Wherever you advertise your business phone number, whether it is on your website or business cards, you can track where the phone calls are coming from. If you decide to use more than one number or change the extensions, you can place different numbers across each marketing effort. For example, if you were to create a billboard with one of your business numbers, you could track all the phone traffic from that particular number and compare it to the business phone number that is advertised on a flyer. Businesses running multiple campaigns often choose a range of consecutive phone numbers so each channel has its own trackable line while still appearing connected. This makes performance analysis easier without fragmenting brand identity.

5 Ways to Increase Your Sales with a Business Phone Number
Source: Stockphoto.com O#100179306428 – ID#10020014405

3. Use it to Solve Complex Problems

The best way to solve a customer’s problem is in person or over the phone. It is easy when you have this voice-to-voice interaction because a customer can explain their problem in detail. They also will not have to endure long wait times during a chat space or over email. One phone call can solve many issues in a short period of time.

4. Build a Relationship

Outbound calls aren’t the easiest way to make a sale, but it is still possible to do so today. When you make a sales call to a customer, you are able to listen to them directly. You hear what they have to say, how they say it, and you clearly can decipher what they want and what they need from your business. When you can gauge your customers on this personal level, you are able to create a better product to suit your customers’ needs. You will need to invest your time into making these outbound calls and forging these relationships, but it will be worth it to create a better product and see it sold to your original customers and the customers you gain through word of mouth.

5. Easy to Remember

When choosing a business phone number, it is better to choose something easy to remember. A phone number that sticks in the mind of your customers will ensure that you have a steady stream of calls from customers. You can make your phone number easier to remember by purchasing a toll free number or a vanity number, or if you already have a number, think about adding a jingle to the number in commercials and web ads. Adding a business phone number will help you increase your sales.

Effective Problem Solving to Build Customer Confidence

14th May 2019 blog, Customer Service, Sales Management

Having your own business is a competitive environment. One wrong move and you could be losing customers to your competition. That’s why it is essential that your business focuses on problem-solving to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. But what happens when your company makes a mistake, such as not allowing a customer to return a damaged product or putting your customer on hold for a lengthy amount of time? Your customers may take that very personally.

Building Confidence while Problem Solving for Customer Satisfaction

Your business should be focused on keeping the customers’ confidence because once you lose the confidence of a customer, you can lose everything that you’ve worked for. According to marketwatch.com, Comcast, Wells Fargo, American Airlines are the companies with the worst reputations. How did they get placed on that list? The reasons range from poor customer service, cutting employees’ salaries, cutting jobs, and in the case of BP, it is still reeling from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, which tarnished their reputation beyond repair. If you have found that your business is suffering from poor customer service reviews, public relations, or consistency, you could be in danger of losing your customers. When you lose your customer’s confidence, it can cost you everything. If you think you may be at risk of losing customers, you need to inject trust back into the relationship.

Loyal customers can make or break a business because returning customers account for much of your profits. Additionally, they are great for word-of-mouth marketing. Losing the trust of a customer who pays money for your product or service means that you could permanently damage the reputation of your company. If you’ve made a single mistake or just suffered a miscommunication, there may be a way to win your customers’ trust back. If you don’t want to see the end of your business, here are some key tactics to execute to regain that trust.

1. Effective problem-solving techniques

To begin problem-solving, you must find out where the leak is. Once you have figured out the source of your issues, you can take steps to rectify the problems. Sometimes you will get customers that are open about the issues that they have and will voice their opinions directly to you. However, many customers will simply switch to your competitor without saying a thing. You can find out feedback from these customers by asking customers to fill out surveys, following up with your customers after a purchase, scanning Yelp for reviews, and reaching out to once-regular customers who haven’t purchased in a while.

2. Take responsibility

Once you’ve found out where you’ve gone wrong with a customer, it’s time to own up to your mistake. Never get defensive with a customer or blame the issue on something else. Apologize so you and the customer can move on. Think about it, if you were the unsatisfied customer, would you want to the company you’re giving your money to, to get defensive when you contact them with a problem? Absolutely not. Apologizing is always the best solution.

3. Remedy the situation

While an apology is the first step to begin to remedy a situation, the next task is to rebuild the trust. Be sure that you do this by ensuring the problem never happens again. There might be a flaw in one aspect of your business, and if you do not fix this issue, you may have future problems with other customers. Retain feedback while you source out the issues and make the appropriate changes, that way you know that your business is on the right track.

4. Offer the customer something for their troubles

Problem-solving issues, so it never happens again may help you to retain other customers and help you offer excellent customer service. But if the problem was very bad, then you may have to do more to regain the customer’s confidence. Provide the customer a gift along with your apologies such as a discount or a free sample. This little act of giving shows to your customers that your business will go above and beyond for their customers’ happiness.

Your Toll Free Number is BORING – Here’s How to Fix It

14th May 2019 blog, Business Phone Numbers

It’s not a secret that it’s much easier for people to remember vanity numbers over the average phone number or toll-free number. Vanity numbers are making a comeback in popularity for large and small businesses alike. Any business can benefit from using a vanity number, so here is a deeper look at what they are and what they offer. If your toll-free number is boring and you are ready for an upgrade, read on!

If your toll-free number is boring – Use a vanity number!

Vanity numbers work exactly like toll-free numbers, only you can customize the number to reflect your business or products. For example, 1-800-Flowers lets you know exactly what you’re getting when you dial them.

Vanity numbers have all of the benefits of a toll-free number, plus they are easy for people to remember. The more people who know your number by heart, the more often you will receive calls, and the more sales you can make. Vanity numbers are still at no cost to the customer, and they can be used for marketing purposes. Vanity numbers can be placed on billboards, and the drivers whizzing by can read your ad and remember your number on their commute to work. You should also be advertising your number on your website and business cards. Customers and clients prefer the companies they do business with to have a phone number. This is because they know that they can reach your company at any time and be greeted and helped.

Why are words easier to memorize?

According to cognitive neuroscientists, when a customer wants to remember a telephone number they heard or saw, they will use their “working memory,” which is the “voice” inside of their head. The one you hear when repeating something to yourself silently, so you do not forget. However, repeating something over and over to yourself does not guarantee that you will remember it. While your brain works to try to memorize a number, anything can come along to distract you. Whether it is a crying baby, a barking dog, or a car horn honk, things are always around to distract you from what you want to be doing. This is why we will forget a sequence of numbers no matter how hard we try to remember them. The best way to remember a telephone number is to link the number to something meaningful or memorable. This puts the number into our long-term memories, instead of the short-term ones, which are quickly forgotten. For example, if you associate a phone number with a word, then that word will bring up a picture in your head, which is precisely how vanity numbers work.

Oddly enough, some sequences of numbers are easier to remember for humans than other number sequences. Many American citizens have an easier time remembering a number using the series 1776, as that is the year that America gained independence from Great Britain. A citizen that is not from the US will not have that ability, unless they studied American history or it is important to them for another reason, like a date of birth. If your toll-free number is boring, it won’t stick as much as a number with a more familiar number sequence.

Now that you understand how vanity numbers can work for your business, you can begin your research into choosing the right one for your business. So how do you go about finding the number that you want? It can be tricky, because some of the best number and word associations are already claimed, such as 1-800-CONTACTS. Nonetheless, you can still find a vanity number that will get the job done for you. The first step is to brainstorm a list of numbers and words that would work for your business, and then you can search for these numbers. Some of them may already be taken, but Global Call Forwarding will work with you to find you the best number. One way Global Call Forwarding looks out for its customers is that they offer other toll-free prefixes. So if you won’t budge on a word, then you can make an exception from 1-800 to other alternatives such as 1-855 or 1-866. The popularity of alternate toll-free prefixes is rising, and more people are becoming aware that 1-800 isn’t the only toll-free option. All you need to do is use a little bit of creativity, and you will be on the fast track to success.

Related: Examples of Popular Vanity Phone Numbers

How to Earn a Reputation Based on Credibility in Your Industry

13th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

There are a number of traits that can help a business earn a reputation to become more successful. Credibility is at the top of that list. Credibility means others look to your company as a reliable source and if others rely on you, they trust you and do business with you, and this propels your business ahead.

Being credible means that you establish and nurture a very specific set of qualities. It really doesn’t make a difference which type of organization or industry you are in – these qualities work the same across the board.

Learning How to Earn a Reputation for Credibility: Step by Step.

If you are serious about establishing yourself as credible, here are some tips regarding how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry:

1. Build trust: If you are wondering how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, you have to start with trust. In order to cultivate credibility, you have to build trust, earn it, and maintain it. If people like you, they will trust you and they will be more willing to do business with you. The trust you build with your market is more important than your bottom line.

2. Become an expert: Being competent within your industry means having the ability to analyze a situation and develop several potential solutions. Being confident in your capabilities is important so that others know they can count on you.

3. Consistency: Another important tip regarding how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry is related to consistency. Everything that your company states and does should be consistent. The messages that your organization is sending out, the actions that you take as an organization, and the things you allow in your organization should all be in complete and total alignment. In figuring out how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, this should be carefully considered as people do not trust a person or company that “flip flops.” They feel safe with consistency, knowing what to expect, and whom they can rely on.

4. Authenticity: In mapping out how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, you need authenticity. When trying to earn trust, you cannot rely on the “fake it until you make it” approach. This will lead to disaster. The basis for establishing yourself as a leader and your business as a leading organization is a solid foundation that offers others long-lasting stability, no matter what challenges are faced.

5. Sincerity: Being credible equals being sincere. This means that you don’t necessarily say everything that you think, but you do mean everything that you say. True sincerity requires commitment and a willingness to be unmovable and straightforward no matter what.

6. Respect: Truly considering the feelings of others could mean everything to them. Treating others with respect because they deserve it and understanding why that is important is paramount. Respect earns credibility.

7. Accountability: In order to establish credibility, you have to be accountable for your actions and decisions. When making mistakes, it is important to own up to them and correct anything that stands as an error.

8. Loyalty: Credibility is connected to serving and protecting others. When you have the best interests of others in mind, and this is clear, this tends to build loyalty and credibility.

9. Honesty: In figuring out how to earn a reputation based on credibility in your industry, it is extremely important to be honest. Total transparency is a fundamental keystone to business and it is at the core of credibility.

10. Communicate: Communication is at the core of establishing credibility. This means that you need to make sure you are effectively communicating the vision of your business, helping your market to understand what sets you apart from your competition, and helping to carry your brand message through each of your marketing initiatives. This is also important within your organization, in building credibility with your staff and other team leaders.

Earn a Reputation Woman on Laptop
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100070154817

Credibility Builds Better Business

Credibility as a business leader allows your staff to look at you as a reliable resource for decision-making and information. A leader that is credible has gained the respect of their peers and their staff by displaying positive and strong attributes. Credibility translates into improved employee morale, improved staff performance, and the ultimate success of an organization. Credibility is essential in building relationships within your industry as a business leader and as a brand.

Whether you own a brick-and-mortar shop, a virtual consultancy, or another kind of business, all businesses need to display honesty and credibility in order to gain trust and earn a reputation based on credibility within the industry they are in. Credibility has to be earned. It takes time and consistency to establish it, along with an effort to maintain it, but it is necessary on the ultimate path to success.

How Toll Free Numbers Can Be Used to Build Customer Loyalty

9th May 2019 blog, Technology

As your business grows, you may notice that your current phone number can’t handle the influx of new customers. Or maybe you’re missing out on customer calls because you’re using a landline and your customers are upset that they have to pay to call your business in order to make customer service calls. Perhaps you don’t want to take business calls on your personal phone line anymore. When these thoughts begin to creep in your mind, it’s time to think about getting a separate business line. Doing so can help increase customer loyalty and business credibility.

Benefits of a Toll Free Number for Customer Loyalty

So what is the best option for a separate business line? A toll free number has several benefits for a small business. The number one benefit of a toll free number is that it is a great way to begin building a loyal customer base.

Toll-free numbers or 1-800 numbers, as you may remember them as, grew in popularity in the 90s, but they are still prevalent today. One of the reasons is that they are a free way that your customers can make customer service calls to your company with. A toll-free number also gives your business the ability to reach a national audience no matter how small your company is.

So how does a toll free number build customer loyalty?

Recognition

Toll free numbers are easily recognizable, and therefore people have an ingrained trust of a business with a toll free number. Toll-free numbers have been around long enough that people know that they won’t get charged for calling one and therefore have no qualms about making a phone call to your business when they need to.

Branding

Toll free numbers were created to serve the people of the business that uses them. It also helps to brand your company as a trustful company because a company that chooses a toll free number is associated with a larger company. You get access to an entire nation of customers, too. You can take the number and advertise it on all of your marketing materials. From business cards to billboards, when people begin to see your number everywhere, they will start to recognize your brand and associate the number with your company.

Customer Service

Toll free numbers up to the ante on your customer service. Most people prefer to interact with a live human on the phone when they have a problem with a product or service. They want to speak with someone right away, and they want their issues handled immediately. When you refer to the web for customer service there can be delayed responses. Choosing to staff a friendly customer service representative will do wonders for your business because it helps to put an angry customer at ease. Since many of the issues in a company can be solved over the phone, your customers will be happy with the swift response time and help. You can also offer support to your customers around the clock. Only with a toll-free number can you provide 24-hour customer service which in turn builds customer loyalty.

Customer Loyalty Toll Free Number Call Center
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100185868144

Did we mention it’s free for customers?

Again, customers do not want to have to pay to call a business that messed up their order. A customer service line should be free if you want your business to be taken seriously.

Memorable

Choosing a vanity number for your toll free line can also make your company much more memorable. Using a vanity such as 1-800-FLOWERS shows your customer base exactly what you are selling. Even if they forget the name of your company, they’re not likely to forget a vanity number like that.

It’s better than emails

When customers are frustrated with your company, no matter how polite you try to sound in an email, it is not going to come across well to an angry customer. Customer service lines are the best way to handle upset consumers. A brief email is no match for a charming human on the other line.

Trustworthy

If you are running an e-commerce website, people may be wary of your business. Many of these e-commerce sites are untrustworthy and sell damaged products. When your e-commerce company provides a customer service phone line, a person is more inclined to trust your company because you have provided them a way to get in immediate contact with your business in case something goes awry.

Delegating Tasks and Managing a Team

9th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

One of the primary tasks of an entrepreneur is to delegate tasks and managing a team. Without proper delegation, business owners run the risk of using up too much of their energy, ensuring burnout and inefficiency.

Effectively Managing a Team with GCF

Luckily, modern business models have made it incredibly easy to manage their staff, especially with the recent innovations made in telecommunication. In this article, we’ll take a look at several ways to delegate tasks efficiently using Global Call Forwarding’s telecom solutions.

Time of Day Routing

One of the more popular add-ons that aids delegation for subscribers to Global Call Forwarding is “time of day routing.” As implied by the name, time of day routing redirects inbound calls based on when the call is placed. This means that you can delegate tasks by the department, for example, when another group is in a meeting. Similarly, you can redirect calls with the time of day routing to ensure that even outside of regular business hours, customers can get in touch with a representative from your organization to answer their inquiries. This helps offset overwhelming your team with an abundance of callers daily, spreading the workload around.

Also, time of day routing enables your business to outsource inbound calls out of business hours to call centers that are located in more favorable time zones. For instance, if you have a business in New York, you’re probably aware of how few hours of overlap there are between London and your headquarters. To cover those early morning hours and late afternoon calls, time of day routing can enable your business to employ a call center in the United Kingdom.

White Listing & Black Listing

Using Global Call Forwarding’s whitelisting and blacklisting capabilities can focus on which department and staff members receive calls from various sources. For instance, you may want to keep your sales team whitelisted to ensure that only important company calls are made between departments. Or, you may want your accounts receivable department to blacklist problematic callers that can gum up the workflow. By limiting and enabling different parts of your company’s communication networks, your business is more easily managed and a natural flow of delegation is possible.

Managing A Team Woman on Phone
Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100158068988

The Use of Directories

Having a directory for your phone system automatically delegates inbound calls to the appropriate sources. By empowering your customers and clients with the option to self-select through your directory, each part of your organization and individual staff members have a higher likelihood of receiving inquiries from the appropriate caller.

Global Call Forwarding offers many customizable ways to create a functional directory system for your organization. These include IVR and PBX. PBX, short for Private Branch Exchange, helps create a system where customers can dial their choices numerically. For instance, using it, you can add extensions for key staff members for high-priority calls. IVR, or Integrated Voice Response, allows customers to use voice recognition technology to navigate through your directory. By having the ability to reach a staff member directly through your company, communication is easier when it comes to assigning tasks (especially in comparison to email, which may contend with important messages relegated to the SPAM folder).

Voicemail to Email

Voicemail messages are important for communication in your company, particularly when contacting staff members that have a busy schedule. However, they can be hard to access for team members on the go. Being able to access emails, however, can be an easier option. That’s where Global Call Forwarding’s voicemail to email service can make delegating through emails a cinch. When enabled, voicemails are immediately converted to mp3 files.

The advantages of voicemail to email are numerous. First, having a reference document for team members helps make sure your orders are carried out to your specifications. Second, it opens up access to documents that can be easily duplicated from user to user. Third, these voicemails can help log information and serve as a backup.

Simultaneous Ringing

Simultaneous ringing is just as the name implies: when a virtual phone number is dialed, devices connected to a particular virtual phone number ring at the same time. While this feature enables customers to have a minimum wait time, it also helps ensure that each available employee can handle incoming customers. For large volume businesses, simultaneous ringing is a must, but it can also serve as a great benefit for workplaces with a number of employees performing different roles. For instance, a call may be answered by a secretary, salesperson, or a customer service agent – which helps evenly distribute the workload depending on your team’s current availability.

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If you are interested in learning more about how Global Call Forwarding can make delegating tasks throughout your business easier, be sure to explore our website. You’ll find in-depth topics that can answer your questions and spark new ways for your business to manage itself effectively.

Good Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs

9th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

Tips for Good Habits for Entrepreneurs

You’ve probably heard the phrase that “humans are creatures of habit.” For good or for bad, it is true. Some habits make us happy and successful while others take up too much of our time or make us unhealthy or unhappy. It is essential for entrepreneurs to develop good habits that can make them successful and effective in their careers. Good habits help us to work smarter, work smoother, organize, and assist us when making effective decisions. If you are unorganized, lazy, or putting too much effort in other things, then perhaps you have not cultivated many good habits. So what are some good practices for entrepreneurs to make them more effective? Read on to discover some great habits that you can easily streamline into your everyday routine.

Visualize your goals

Well-thought-out plans often work out better than ones that you pursue right away without taking time out to think. Visualization is a way to expand your creativity; it’s like daydreaming; only more organized with a specific goal in mind. Take a little bit of time out at the beginning of your day and decide on how you wish for your day to pan out. Think about the people that you want to interact with, which deals you want to close, even how you want to interact with your family that day. This little exercise can help make your day go by much smoother, and you can use visualization on your work, too. If you’re stuck on a project, take a breath and visualize your end goals, let your subconscious mind take over and let it show you discoveries. We all can imagine and be creative, but some of us have to work on it more than others. Visualization is an easy way to work at expanding your creativity.

Get a head start to your day

Early risers are usually the most productive people. If you’re the type of person who can barely get out of bed in the morning, try to figure out what it is that’s keeping you from jumping out of bed, ready to tackle the day. Most people are exhausted when they get out of bed, but usually starting the day with a trip to the gym or just some jumping jacks can get you out of that funk. If you think that your problem may be because you’re not getting enough sleep, go to bed earlier. Turn off all electronics a few hours before bed, don’t eat anything right before bed, and save the stimulating conversation for earlier in the day. It also helps to avoid alcoholic beverages before bed, which can interfere with your REM sleep cycles. People who arrive to work before everyone else also tend to get more work done before all the others shuffle in.

Good Habits for Entrepreneurs Business Woman on Phone
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100005666678

Create a schedule and stick to it

Successful entrepreneurs know that work is essential and that they need to finish a certain amount of tasks in a day before they can move on to other things like socializing. But socializing is also vital for all humans. Make sure that you are scheduling yourself well enough that you have time for both. Yes, it is essential to get all of your work done, but it is also important to get up from your computer and schedule time to connect with the humans around you.

Simplify your life

Create a practical routine for yourself instead of overpacking your schedule. Don’t take on heavy workloads that you know you can’t tackle. Taking on too much work will overwhelm you with stress. Simplify by setting limits for yourself, such as working only during a specific part of the day. Minimizing your tasks in an efficient matter can help free up space to focus on the important things.

Keep a journal

Writing in a journal is a great way to keep all of the necessary things you need to remember in one spot. You can use this paper to write down your thoughts, dreams, ideas, make lists, write out your goals, etc. Anything that is important to you or strikes you as interesting – write it down. This might seem unnecessary since you have a phone and computer that you carry around already, but writing helps you to connect with more existential pieces of life. Journaling can also help improve your emotional intelligence. Seeing goals in your handwriting will have more of a profound effect on you than keeping them in a document you never open on your MacBook.

What are some of the habits that you apply in your daily life that have made you more successful?

Why Inspiring Trust and Trusting Others are Important Leadership Skills

9th May 2019 blog, Business Insights

To trust others and to inspire trust in others is a top trait to look for when finding a leader for your team. It’s not an easy thing to learn; it is dependent on the ability to stabilize a precarious scale that can easily tip in one direction or another. For example, those that are too trusting can get duped very quickly, and those that don’t trust enough will lose the faith of those around them. Even great leaders have lost the trust of their followers at one time or another. However, the key is to know how to gain that trust back.

Personality Traits for Leadership

Many different personality traits make up a great leader. However, trust is among the most important. If you can get the handle of balancing trust just right, then you can become an inspiring leader.

The Importance of Trust

The first thing that a successful leader must do is be trustworthy themselves, which means that they must be able to inspire those around them to trust them. Being known as an honest person can help with difficult situations, especially in the event a crisis needs to be remedied at work.

Another aspect of gaining trust at work is that trust works both ways. Everyone around you won’t trust you until you believe in them yourself. You may have the reputation of a trustworthy person, but that is shot if you begin to show to your team that you do not trust them to make decisions or work on certain things. Managers who behave in this way are often overworked because they don’t believe in anyone enough to lean on them when the person in management has been given too much work for them to handle on their own. When a manager doesn’t trust his team enough to lighten his own workload, then he will become drained and begin to victimize himself. When a manager refuses to trust his employees with tasks, the work environment can start to tip unfavorably. The employees will become lazy or demoralized.

A photo of a leader building trust within his team.
Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100030374487

A More Effective Team

Leaders who can inspire trust will be much more successful. These people have an understanding of how to organize their work and strategize what is placed in front of them. They know their team members’ strengths and weaknesses which means they can delegate work tasks accordingly. These managers are well-liked by their teams because no one is afraid to approach these people with a problem. They feel like their voice is heard and that inspires workers to be more outspoken and excel faster since they are more comfortable at their job. Managers who trust others also learn about those that they work with. With knowledge of everyone’s abilities, these managers create the most cohesive teams. And the bottom line is that managers who inspire confidence and trust help build morale throughout the entire company.

The fine line between trusting and going overboard is thin, and those in managerial and leadership positions should be conscious of this. When a leader trusts their employees too much, the employees will often see how much they can get away with under this leader. All leaders must still do their due diligence in spotting the moments when an employee will take advantage.

Keep a lookout for managers and leaders who put too much intention behind being well-liked in the office. A manager must maintain a delicate balance between likability and being dominant.

When looking for types of managers who would excel in a leadership position, always look to those who are trustworthy and inspire trust. It is essential that the people you choose to lead your company are balanced and honest. These people must also be aware that trust can be broken. Again, it is all about balance when choosing the right leader for your company. They must understand that the reality is that although they might be a trustworthy individual, that does not mean that every person around them is as well. You must be able to decipher between giving someone the benefit of the doubt and letting them get away with something.

Important Things to Know When Starting A Business

21st March 2019 blog, Business Insights

Starting a new business is an exciting venture and a constant learning experience. Undoubtedly, there will be lessons learned and mistakes made along the way. Still, there are rules every new business owner should follow, regardless of their industry.

Read on to learn five important things to know when starting a business.

You Need A Business Plan

This is first in the list of important things you need to know to start a business because it will be the foundation of your decisions and success. You know you will start a business, but your business plan will give you a specific outline of deadlines you need to hit, financial goals, and advertising strategies.

Some new business owners think a business plan is only necessary for financial support from outside sources, but this isn’t the case. A business plan is an invaluable tool that helps you sort out the big and small details that, if overlooked, could be detrimental to your business. Your business is your passion. Analyzing that passion strategically keeping financial projections in mind will strengthen with your branding.

Word Of Mouth Will Always Be Valuable

While various forms of advertisements are effective, word of mouth will never lose its popularity or value. This is one of the most important things to know when starting a business because people trust the word of people they know personally.

We all see up to 5,000 ads daily aimed at influencing our purchasing decisions. This constant exposure to advertisements means that businesses must be creative and show the human side of their brand.

If you use traditional ads, compliment them with behind-the-scenes stories, user-generated content, or vlogs. You could also share customer testimonials to prove the positive impact your business has on customers and in your market.

You Must Evolve With The Market

As a new business owner, you shouldn’t feel compelled to know it all from the start, but it is important to know the basics and to keep up with the ever-changing landscapes of business and technology.

When you’re starting a business, you can’t live in the past. Tactics that worked in 2015 may not be effective today. The business world is fast-paced and marketing strategies are always changing to meet the desires of customers. Research your industry frequently to learn the latest trends works so your business won’t be stagnant or left behind.

Remember these key pointers:

  • Keep your website updated
  • Invest in digital marketing
  • Make sure you have the right tools to keep you and your team organized
  • Use reliable phone services and email to stay in contact with global customers
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Pick A Niche You Enjoy

There are numerous reasons to attribute to the fact that 50% of small businesses fail after 5 years. One of those reasons is burnout for solopreneurs. But this burnout doesn’t always occur because there’s too much to do it in too little time.

Burnout sometimes happens when new business owners enter a niche for the money or convenience without enjoying the work. One of the major benefits of owning a business is doing what you love while serving as a valuable resource for customers.

Here’s another important thing to know when starting a business. Is the industry you’re entering personally fulfilling? Before starting your business, take the time to find out what you would love doing every day and dedicate yourself to making that business a reality through your business plan.

Make Things Convenient For Customers

There are many things that can make a business unrelatable, such as confusing messaging, inconsistent branding, or poor customer service. Your business will not be successful if people can’t relate to you.

If your business becomes known for poor customer service, it’s unlikely that you will continue to profit. Avoid this by letting your business be a safe space for customers to express their concerns and issues without hassle or long delays.

Of the most important things to know when starting a business is that having a virtual phone number can give you a competitive edge. A virtual phone number allows you to work from remote locations while retaining full communication with your associates and clientele. Remember: you and your team should be should be knowledgeable and patient to provide solutions that add value for customers.

Also, recall that one of the most important things to know when starting a business is word of mouth marketing. Customers always appreciate quality service and are more likely to give personal referrals. This will help your small business to grow quickly.

Delegate Tasks Accordingly

Scalable solutions are important for every business. Being a new business owner means your business won’t stay the same size as you implement strategic growth methods.

As your business gets bigger, you won’t be able to handle everything without support. Everyone you hire will serve as a representative of your brand. Therefore, it’s imperative to establish a team with the same vision and work ethic.

As we conclude the list of important things to know when starting a business, we recommend automating small, repetitive tasks and allowing trusted staff members to use their innate skill sets to contribute to the company’s success.