Open Lines Biz Blog

What's Bacon Got to Do With It?

2012-01-29T13:40:00.000-08:00

My sweet husband only gets his favorite breakfast on the weekends. It's not my favorite, but he loves it and I love to make him smile, so I figure over the course of 16 years I've made over 800 bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. A nice deli sandwich bun, lightly spread with canola margarine and broiled to a lovely light brown...topped with a hard fried egg covered with shredded cheddar cheese (melted, of course)...finished off with crispy strips of bacon. Man's favorite food.

Bacon has risen to rock-star status over the last couple of years. Bacon doughnuts, bacon flavored lip gloss, pork belly this and that all over the Food Network. So wouldn't you think there would be some quality control? This is what drives me crazy.

My sister-in-law uses the "dump it all in the pan and it'll work itself out" strategy. I like to prepare the bacon in the microwave - it's super crispy, not greasy, and I feel it's somewhat healthier, somehow. But in order for me to achieve bacon perfection, I need to be able to get the dang stuff out of the package in nice, neat little strips. I've tried every brand...expensive, on-sale, store brand, out of the butcher's case...and still I find skinny little strips mixed in with super thick strips. Either they won't come apart in the first place, or they don't cook evenly, and my husband's perfect breakfast is spoiled by the expletives coming out of the kitchen.

What would happen to all of us in our businesses if sometimes we did things consistently and sometimes we just cut things a little skinny? What if the 16 oz. package really didn't hold a pound of bacon? The latest bacon incident - fresh in my mind because it was just this morning - got me thinking about the parallels. If there's no quality control in bacon, what's next? There are whole restaurants focused on bacon - there's one here in Boise. Wonder if they feel my pain?

I guess the only thing to do is raise my own bacon. No, that won't work. I know me. And I could never convince the neighbors it was a bulldog. What do you feed live bacon anyway?

What About NOW?

2012-01-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of January! How are you doing with your goals so far thisyear? Are you making progress? Are you feeling stuck? How are you talking to yourself?

Dictionary.com defines catalyst as “a person or thing that precipitates an event or change”. Be a catalyst for your own growth!

Rather than get caught up in thinking about what you don’thave that’s keeping you stuck, focus on the resources available to you rightnow – today – and use them to your advantage. Acknowledge your skills and experience. Remember challenges you’ve overcome in the past. Stay connected with your support networks andothers who are invested in your success.

Most importantly, when limiting thoughts pop up and have youconvinced that you can’t achieve your goals, ask yourself this question. “What evidence do I have today to prove thatI can’t?” I bet there is no concreteevidence.

Keeping your focus on what you can do today will help you bea catalyst for positive growth in your own life and the lives of those youtouch. You can do it!

Review and Change Eliminates Stagnant Quo!

2012-01-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

January is a good time to review goals, mission and vision statements. There may be some changes that took place since your last review and some tweaking to be done. Status quo sometimes turns out to be stagnant quo. Are there some things that just are not working for you anymore? What is different in your company or your life this year? When was the last time you inventoried skill sets, products, direction, people and your customer base? What is working well? Where do you want to grow? What do you want to change? Start by reviewing one area at a time, taking on too much will stall progress. Read your vision statement, what does it mean to you? Does it still fit the vision of your company and the direction you want to go? Does your mission statement relay a clear message of how you deliver the product or service you provide and what’s most important? Do you feel in sync with the message you display for the world to see? Are your goals aligned with both your vision and mission statement? A good way to avoid stagnation is to take the time to review and update these important tools.

A toast to getting out of the rut and moving past status quo!

How do you create lasting connections?

2012-01-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Becky McKinstry of Open Lines visited today with Carolyn Holly of KTVB about creating connections to build your business and help your customers build their businesses, too!

Check it out here!

A New Take on SMART Goals

2011-12-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

With the New Year fast approaching, almost everyone I know is thinking about what they want to accomplish next year. Though few express it, I believe there's a bit of overwhelm in the air as we all go about this ritual of committing to goals that will help us better ourselves, our businesses, our health, our surroundings. Why the overwhelm? I think we feel overwhelmed at the beginning of the process for the very same reason we find ourselves on the brink of abandoning ship on many of our goals before we accomplish them - they are things we think we SHOULD do and not things that we truly WANT to
do. Let's turn the overwhelm into overdrive!

What if we made our goals about making shifts that truly build on our strengths and cultivate new habits that support our growth? What if we kept our thoughts about ourselves positive? Just because there's something you could do better or something else that you need to start or stop doing altogether doesn't make you a miserable person or a failure if you have to go at it more than once. Be kind to yourself on this journey!

As I'm putting my goals in place for 2012, I've decided to not only make them SMART goals, but to make them energizing goals. I truly want to achieve these goals because they're MY goals - they mean something to me, I know that achieving them will make me feel great and open my mind to fresh possibilities.

Here's a new way to look at SMART goals:

Specific/Simple: Be specific, but keep it simple. Don't be tempted to make things more complicated than they need to be. We can change the world by starting with our own little piece of it. If gaining control over your paperwork happens to be one of your goals, "getting more organized" isn't a goal...it's a wish. Commit to a system that will help you operate more effectively. For example, each time you return from a networking event, immediately enter the contact information and pertinent notes for all the people you met into your database. Then file or toss the cards. No piles of business cards all over your office and wondering why you have them a month later.

Measureable/Meaningful: Why track something that doesn't have a real impact on your life? As you think about your sales goals for the New Year, quantify absolutely everything. How many appointments do you need to gain one new account? How many new accounts do you need each week to meet your goals for the year? What will it mean to your life and your business to meet your goals? Think about all the benefits, not just the monetary ones. How will your life improve when you're not buried in mounds of paper and worried about what you've forgotten to do?

Attainable/Authentic: Here's where the SHOULD's should be tossed out the window. Not only do your goals need to be attainable, but for you to succeed, they need to have heart. Your heart. What do you truly WANT? What will make you feel successful, satisfied, confident, worthwhile? Authenticity is the key to unlocking your greatness.

Relevant/Rejuvenating: If your goal is really important to you, you'll find a way to achieve it. And because you begin with the end in mind, getting there will be half the fun!

Time-Based/Timeless: Funny about us humans...we're so time-conscious, if we don't give ourselves deadlines, we can just procrastinate ourselves out of doing something. Either we do it by MM-DD-YY or we assign it the "whenever" designation. We all know that doesn't work. Give it a date and make it something that will make an impact well beyond the foreseeable future. Maybe you want to shed a few pounds or exercise regularly each week or start an IRA. Achieving those goals can impact your life forever.

I know we can achieve what we really set our minds on!

To Great Success in 2012!

Get Social!

2011-12-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

Image by budcaddell via Flickr

Social media continues to rise as a key component of overall marketing strategy. Great time to get started if you haven't already...chances are your competition has!

Check out this report.

How to Build a Successful Sales Team

2011-12-02T18:39:00.001-08:00

Becky McKinstry, owner and founder of Open Lines Training visited with KTVB's Carolyn Holly today on her "It's Your Business" segment. Check it out!

Training Your Sales Team

Top 5 Ways to Beat the Holiday Momentum Busters

2011-11-23T10:08:00.001-08:00

Image by betsyweber via Flickr

Yes, Santa Claus is coming to town, but I highly doubt that his bag is full of new clients for us…no matter how good we’ve been. Don’t be lulled into believing this is the time of year to slow down and kick back. This is actually the perfect time to kick your business up a notch or two!

1. Close all the business you can before year-end. What have you done to make a compelling case for your prospects to see the advantages of buying now?

2. Make sure the pipeline is full going into 2012. Have you checked in with your existing clients to see how satisfied they are with your product or service? If there was a problem, did you swiftly and courteously correct it? Have you asked for referrals?

3. Take an objective look at your systems and processes. Do they support your business-building efforts? Are opportunities to provide value and say ‘thank you’ to your client base part of your process?

4. Check your attitude. How do you respond when you get a ‘no’? Are you focusing on the right stuff and truly hearing what your clients need?

5. Write down your goals and dreams for next year. What do you need your business to look like in order to create the life you love?

Use the last few weeks of this year to your advantage, and start 2012 prepared for the best year ever!

The Giver Mentality

2011-11-17T11:17:00.001-08:00

Image by betsyweber via Flickr

How do you sell your products and services?

Are you getting the results you want?

Do you work with strategic partners who serve the same target market?

How do you add value?

Do you know how to be a good referral partner?

It all comes down to giving more than you take and focusing on relationships instead of selling.

Remember to ask people what they need and how you can help them.

Remember to share information with your clients that is pertinent to their business.

Remember to say thank you....
thank you for your business...
thank you for the opportunity to earn your business...
thank you for the referral...
thank you for thinking of me...

ASK

LISTEN

APPRECIATE

It Doesn't Have to Be So Hard

2011-11-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

I meet with clients all the time who are struggling with the very systems that are supposed to make their lives easier. They've got CRM's, smartphones, processes, tracking mechanisms, calendars, reminders, you name it...and they still feel more overwhelmed and less organized than ever. Technology is great, but technology overload can be paralyzing. The best systems in the world won't work for you if you don't use them.

My suggestion is to stop and take a good objective look at two things: 1) what details are critical for you to manage in order to be productive in your business on a daily basis, and 2) how do you work best? I'm a visual person, so I need to have my most important tasks and projects right in front of me when I'm working. I use a combination of high tech and low tech solutions...writing down certain details cements them for me. Some of my colleagues think it's funny when I break out my old-fashioned planner, but hey, it works for me.

As we all cram more and more into already packed schedules and sometimes cluttered minds, it's important to keep the things that can be simple...simple.

A great friend and mentor of mine shared this tidbit with me some time ago, and it pops up for me almost daily. Maybe it will help you. When you're responding to an ever-changing list of shifting priorities, details to be managed and other demands, evaluate them using this criteria: What's ESSENTIAL? What's EFFECTIVE? What's ENOUGH?

Put your energy into what's essential and effective and enough to support your workstyle and business.

Are you thinking about starting your own business?

2011-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

According to the US Census Bureau, more than 18 millionpeople in the US are self-employed. Butthe SBA reports that only about 44% of new businesses survive four years. Why do most people take the leap intobusiness ownership?

Given the state of the current employment situation in ourcountry, people who have lost their jobs often feel they would create a bettersituation for themselves if they were in control. They are burned out on the restrictions andlack of freedom that most traditional jobs offer. And the illusion of security, that existswhen you work for someone else, is just that…an illusion. There are no commitments in the “at will”employment community, and benefits that companies once considered a cornerstoneof their cultures, are disappearing because of rising costs. Aside from freedomand control, probably the number one reason people decide to start their ownbusiness is because they offer a service, or they’ve invented a product thatthey’re passionate about. And the onlyway they can engage in their craft is if they’re independent. Our economy andour psyche are totally ready for the courageous individuals who take the plungeto bring to market their unique take on a service or a new product that couldpotentially create more revenue to pump up our local larders.

How can they prepare themselves? They may make the best product, or have themost innovative service and of course, they know their product or serviceinside out and backwards. But if theydon’t know the business basics, they will end of up part of the 56% that don’tmake it beyond four years. A must readfor anyone contemplating starting their own business is The E-Myth Revisited. Author Michael Gerber explores the differencebetween working in your business – what you do. And working ON your business – how you do what you do. This is the information that not enough ofthe 18 million take the time to check out, and contemplate, and incorporateinto their business plans.

Yes, you may have invented the next best thing to slicedbread, but if you don’t have systems to run your business…if you don’t have amarketing plan and a method for executing it…if you don’t have a clue how tosell (and the thought of selling makes you feel geechy…), recognize that if youwant to be one of the elite 56%, you should first assemble a team ofprofessionals who have the experience and passion to do the things you aren’ttrained to do or interested in doing. Soyou can continue to invent the next best thing…and the next…and the next.

If You Build It, They Will Come

2011-10-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

We’ve all experienced this dilemma. You have a new prospect for your product or service, and you’ve had an initial meeting. Hopefully you learned something about your prospect’s problem and the perceived consequences to him or her if the problem isn’t solved. You believe you can solve it.

Now what do you do? You don’t want to annoy them by calling everyday, but if you don’t stay in contact on some regular basis, you don’t stand a chance of earning their business. So, what do you do?

First of all, don’t give up. Most people do after reaching out to their prospect only one to three times. The fact is, 50-80% of all new business is developed after the fifth, sixth or seventh contact. The key is to make the right kinds of contact with your prospect that focus on building your relationship with them.

Think of ways you can provide value to your potential client. Have you read an article that is related to their problem? Share it. Maybe you know of another business that needs your prospect’s product or service. Introduce them. Know of a networking event that would expose them to business opportunities? Invite them.

Focusing on the relationship with your prospect will position you as their business partner and a perfect fit when they need a solution that you can provide.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=659

Rest, Recharge, Revitalize!

2011-10-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am so fortunate to be able to spend my days doing work that doesn't feel like work. Connecting with and helping other people is as natural to me as breathing, and I couldn't survive without it. I'm grateful for this passion I was given, and for the wonderful people that come into my life on a daily basis.

I am guilty, however...sometimes those closest to me...those who most feel the repercussions when I get so deep into a project that I forget to eat...have to take me by the shoulders and lovingly remind me to "stop now" and take a break already. Reluctantly at first, I heed the message. Then my logic of course kicks in and I remember that I'm really not going to give my best to anyone else unless I give to myself first. Ah, thank goodness it was a wonderfully productive week and it's Friday!

Seize the weekend, my colleagues! Take care of you so you're ready for another round come Monday. Whatever you find restful, do it. Whatever recharges your batteries, plug into it. Whatever revitalizes your passion for your work, reconnect with it!

You bring the spark to what you do like no other person in the world. Stay fired up!

Photo by Bill Longshaw:
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=341

Go Ahead...Jump Into the Fishbowl!

2011-10-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

If you haven’t started using social media to market your business, don’t wait another day. Even Facebook has evolved from a way to connect with old friends and collect farm animals to a dynamic business-to-business marketing tool, a way to announce new service offerings with lightning speed, see what your competition is up to in real time, and research prospects and potential employees at virtually no cost to you, except for your investment of time. We’ll discuss that in a minute…

Social media guru, Jeff Bullas, has amassed some staggering statistics on the use of various social media platforms. Would you believe…

• One in every nine people on Earth is on Facebook ( This number is calculated by dividing the planets 6.94 billion people by Facebook’s 750 million users).
• More than 250 million people access Facebook through their mobile devices.
• More than 2.5 million websites have integrated with Facebook.
• 30 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook each month.
• YouTube has 490 million unique users who visit every month (as of February 2011).
• If Facebook were a country, it would be the world’s 3rd largest (after China and India) and 2x the size of the US population.
• 80% of companies use social media for recruitment. 95% of them use LinkedIn.
• 71% of all companies use Facebook for their businesses. 39% of all companies use blogs for marketing.

(For more, read Jeff’s entire article here.

LinkedIn is a must do for businesses and is typically viewed as the ‘professional’ social media site, although Facebook is becoming more of a player with the advent of ‘brands’ and ‘companies’. YouTube allows you to produce your own video marketing messages and Twitter is like a mini-blog…you share what’s on your mind (hopefully, pertinent information) 140 characters at a time (that should keep you focused!). Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Twitter, and haven't found it to be as effective for businesses as blogging and keeping an updated LinkedIn presence.

Now...back to the time element involved in all of this. While social media should be a component of your marketing strategy, be careful not to make a career of it. Just like surfing the net, it can be addictive and time-sucking if you don’t manage yourself appropriately. The point of using social media, as with any other marketing tool, is to create interest in your business...leave your prospects wanting to know more about your company and what you do. You want your profiles and postings on the sites you use to drive traffic to your web site and entice people to contact you.

So, if you’ve resisted jumping into this 21st century practice which I like to call ‘fishbowl marketing’, think again. How else can you potentially reach a Super Bowl- sized audience with the click of a mouse and not spend a dime? Have fun, make it count and let us know how it works for you!

Slaying the Social Media Dragon

2011-10-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

Where on your schedule does is say update blog, create a business Facebook and check LinkedIn updates? If you are like most businesses who have just ventured into the social network maze or have been struggling with it for a while, finding the time and the topics to keep up can be a challenge. At Open Lines Training we have recruited an expert to get us up to speed and make sense of the current social media highway madness. Patricia Geesaman, Marketing and Content Specialist has taken on the challenge to keep the flow of information coming out to you in short and concise bytes. She is also offering her expertise as a content specialist consultant to help businesses get up to speed on this crazy mass media train ride. Look for fresh new postings every week. Watch for news of how to be a member of the boardroom, upcoming training workshops and helpful tips to help keep your customers interested. If you are ready to slay the social media dragon, email patricia@openlinestraining.com to request information and share your social media stories. Since social media is here to stay, we just as well get good at it!

Missing Pieces

2011-09-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Missing Pieces in Processes
Evaluating processes is a good way to see what is missing in your business. Look at every area and make notes of the strengths and weaknesses. Patterns start to emerge with scary consistency that show in most cases the patterns are tied directly to the business owner or manager's own strengths and weaknesses. This is where an objective point of view becomes very important. Bring someone in to review some of the areas you have concerns about and get a different viewpoint or suggestion on how the process could work better. This creates a well balanced business floor plan that can be tweaked and improved upon as you grow. Don't be afraid of change or moving forward to try something new. Not everything may work, but in the long run your business will keep a competitive prospective and adding the types of services that matter to your customer base.

Find Success From Within

2010-01-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

We love the start of a New Year. It brings hope and energy and renewal to most of us. It is a chance to review what is important, how we spend our time and evaluate balance in the things that matter most. Often we get lost in the details of the day to day activities. We can be good at planning the priorities but how do we keep them in the right order? Often we get on the permanent schedule of other people's to-do lists and can't seem to get off. In the beginning of the day we have a perfectly executed plan that somehow gets derailed in the first hour. When we realize that success comes from within, we learn that all the plans and good intentions will not stick unless they are attached to our core values and dreams. If you are feeling frustrated and even lost it could be because you are going through the motions without really knowing why. Our WHY for doing what we do starts from within. Determine the authentic path that you once dreamed about and evaluate the key areas of your life like your career, community activities, family time, spiritual time and overall well being and see how they line up with that path. Going through the motions is not very satisfying if you are not looking at the bigger picture and long term goals. What you do today ripples through many of your tomorrows. Look at your eating habits, family time, TV time, and work time. How has the past affected today? Are you on track with your long term goals? Are you healthy, are you happy? What about your relationships, are they deep and caring or casual acquaintances? This year, take some time to soul search and re-prioritize what matters most to you. Get off the roller coaster of cramming in too much and stick to the things that build and achieve the lifetime dream stuff.

Re-Energize Your Business

2009-09-08T14:19:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of ways to add energy to your business. First and foremost, be prepared for Change. The economy fluxuates, employees come and go, products and services are being updated or outdated and change is required for business to grow. The next thing on my list is Attitude, it affects everything in business. Ever notice how one negative person in your company can drag down everyone if you let them? Raise your awareness of the attitude atmosphere, is it healthy and fresh or polluted with negative vibes? Next, freshen up your company's Processes, maybe the old way of doing things is not the best way anymore. Can you be more efficient? Is there a different way to do things that makes more sense? Are you getting ideas from people who you share common goals with? Are you letting people or things stay in place longer than you should? Are you and your employees utilizing your strengths and doing things that you enjoy? Have you crossed trained to fill in if a position becomes vacant? Have you reviewed job descriptions lately? Now, let's add Enthusiasm to the list, do you still have it or has it been put on a shelf to gather dust with some of those great ideas you use to believe in? Becoming cynical is the number one enemy in business. It takes the life out of the dream. Gather up all the great stuff you believed in when you first started working and throw it back out there. Get up in the morning with full intentions of making things happen. Negative thoughts and discouraging emotions will prevent success. So raise your awareness, embrace change, stay positive and enthusastic and review your processes. Use these tools to re-energize the workplace and rock your world!

To Network Be a Information Gatherer

2009-08-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

It's easy to find a comfort zone in networking. You show up, tell a few people about your business and call it a day. That kind of comfort zone probably does not give you the results you are looking for. Before attending a networking event, determine what you want to accomplish and who you want to meet that can help you grow your business. Networking works best when you find others who work with the same type of clients you do but is not a competitor. By working through the crowd and asking good questions you will discover those people who can help you and you can help them. Your referrals grow by 40 to 60%. A trusted referral is a warm market contact. The new relationship grows faster because someone they trust recommended you. Visit http://www.openlinestraining.com/ for training information.

Give Good Synergy

2009-05-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

Effective networking is a learned skill. Often a networking event is dominated by people running around to see how many individuals they can dump information on. Talking fast is not the best way to network. Listening makes sense. Asking questions makes sense. Adding value as you work to build relationships makes sense. Connecting and gathering information is a good way to network. Organizing the information and staying in touch with the people you meet will add customers and referrals to your business. Evaluate your actions at the next networking event you attend. Spend time being interested in others. Make notes on the back of the their business card so you remember the highlights of the conversation. Schedule follow up calls to learn more about them and see if there is a fit for you to work together or refer others. Be on the look out for ways you can help others build their business. It always comes back to you and will build solid relationships along the way. Good luck as you add quality and information gathering to your next networking event.

2009-03-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

Building Relationships in a Tough Economy
Attracting and keeping customers is an art. It requires us to get out of our own head and think more about the people who we want to attract to our business. If we use a networking event as an example, you start up a conversation with someone you just met. Did you find out about their hobbies, their families and something about their business before you started sharing information about you and your business? When our thoughts are dwelling on our own agenda of business, rarely do we leave a positive impression. To find out if a new contact is a qualified prospect for you, it is important that you learn as much as you can about them. Win-win situations are created when two people meet and find they have a service or product to share. Not everyone is a customer but everyone can be a referral source when you work to build relationships first. Leaving good first impressions starts with tonality and body language. Pay attention by raising your awareness in how you may be perceived. Ask friends to critique your tone if you come across to abrupt. Most people are not aware of how they sound. Next ask interesting questions that draw in a prospective client. Questions that help you learn more about them. Business today is based on the long term relationships we build. Make it a point to network everyday and give more than you receive. Go through your files and evaluate who would be a good referral for someone in your network. Your business will grow even in a tough economy when we work together to help each other.

2009-01-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and may it prove to be more prosperous than you expect. When our business or jobs are in question, we often panic and lose our way. Don't let that happen to you. Instead remind yourself of the goals you set and how much you have already accomplished. Learn to adjust to the changing times, watch expenses, run leaner than usual and don't give up. Have a brainstorming session on ways to grow business. Go find where your customers are hanging out. Now is the time to be proactive, efficient and productive. Be careful how much news you watch or read and make your own agenda to keep moving forward. There are many ways to market your business that are cost effective. Grow referrals, find industry partners and work your plan. Remember the reasons you do what you do. Don't allow outside influences to take away the things you have worked hard for. We often help companies to gain a more positive prospective and find ways to grow their markets. If we can be of assistance please call us at Open Lines Training 208-850-6526 or e-mail openlinesinc@msn.com.

2008-11-03T11:24:00.000-08:00

November 20th - Growing Your Business with In-Depth Customer Service Workshop!
Drive your business to a new level with the kind of energy that is contagious and breathes new life into your business. Open Lines Inc is teaming up with the Meridian Chamber of Commerce to offer you a dynamic workshop to strengthen the bottom line by using a consistent customer service program. Create customer loyalty, offer your employees the tools to be exceptional. Seating is limited so call 208-888-2817 to reserve seats today!
December 4th - Line up Your Ducks Business Clinic!
Learn ways to stabilize your business finances and how to use a floating CFO to keep your business on track from the experts at Source Capital and Consulting. Learn tips to find new customers, get referrals and create customer loyalty with tools from Open Lines Inc. Keeping a close eye on revenue and expenses is mandatory, can you simplify the process? Build on your organization with the keys that will drive your business to the next level. You can e-mail your request for more information or a registration form to openlinesinc@msn.com.

Network to a Better Economy

2008-10-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

If you are following the news, the gloom continues. Do you have a choice but to be swept along with the tide of recession? In business, we do have some options that we can control. Here are three areas you can focus on to prevent losing momentum. First, incorporate on-going training for your staff. Teach them how to be more effective when attending networking events and how to be interesting to others. Sharpening customer service skills is another business booster. Come up with creative ways to make customers feel special. Practice effective greetings that leave an impression. Now, set your intention, know the direction you are heading when building your business. Many business owners struggle to get focused and end up bouncing all over the place sending mixed messages to the company as a whole. Check your business plan and established goals to stay on track. Don't give up on good ideas before they have had a chance to take hold. These suggestions can be powerful tools to grow business even in a slow economy. Contact Open Lines Inc for more information at openlinesinc@msn.com

Open Lines Biz Blog

What's Bacon Got to Do With It?

What About NOW?

Related articles

Review and Change Eliminates Stagnant Quo!

How do you create lasting connections?

A New Take on SMART Goals

Related articles

Get Social!

Related articles

How to Build a Successful Sales Team

Top 5 Ways to Beat the Holiday Momentum Busters

Related articles

The Giver Mentality

Related articles

It Doesn't Have to Be So Hard

Related articles

Are you thinking about starting your own business?

If You Build It, They Will Come

Rest, Recharge, Revitalize!

Go Ahead...Jump Into the Fishbowl!

Slaying the Social Media Dragon

Missing Pieces

Find Success From Within

Re-Energize Your Business

To Network Be a Information Gatherer

Give Good Synergy

Network to a Better Economy