How to get the basics right to grow your business

Written by Clare Whalley from Meta4 Business Coaching

Statistics that will shock you.

• A whopping 48 per cent of business enquiries are not followed up with.
• 72 per cent switch their cameras off during meetings. (Whilst this statistic relates to employees, I’m sure you’re seeing this happen – as I do – during networking meetings all the time.)
• 59 per cent of customers may not return to a business due to poor branding, which is often caused by a bad customer service experience. Refer to the first stat!

If you are running a small business, you absolutely want to get it right – first time, every time.

These mistakes are all completely avoidable, and two out of the three are at no cost…

How to handle all enquiries and increase your sales

If you half celebrate and half panic each time a new enquiry lands in your inbox/DMs and procrastinate over how to respond (and before you know it, a week or more has passed), then it’s time to create a system for handling your enquiries in a timely and professional manner every time.

Create an email template that you can send to an enquiry (save it as a draft, so you can use it repeatedly).

Include any marketing collateral or a link to your testimonials that would be useful for the enquiry to review. Make it easy for them to take the next step. Your email can be slightly personalised each time, but this template will remove the overthinking and, most importantly, the procrastination!

Make meetings count

Ever attended a Zoom meeting and been completely preoccupied? Me too – many times during Covid. To be forgiven.

But now, if I’m choosing to give my time to a meeting, I’m fully present. I move my phone out of the way, otherwise I can easily get distracted.

If you attend a networking meeting online or in person and see a fellow business owner dressed for the pub or on their phone all the time, do you want to do business with them or would you ever refer business? No. It’s that simple. Let’s lead by example, unmute, be present, and dress for the role.

Refine your brand and messaging

Does your brand reflect how you want to be perceived in your marketplace?

If you’re unsure, reach out to five of your most trusted business connections and ask them, “What three words come to mind when you see this brand?” This will give you all the information you need about what changes need to be made.

Overall, getting the basics and foundations right will allow you to grow and scale. Ultimately, do you want to grow your business? Do you want to maintain a good reputation in your industry?

Let’s lead by example and show our fellow business owners how to do great business that gets results.

Book in for my complimentary Kickstart Session – a one hour call to give you clarity, focus and guidance on your best next steps in business.