CEO Tools Blog » more sales http://www.ceotools.com/blog Your source for business management and software Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:19:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 12 Seasons of Business: Get & Keep Customers http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/07/12-seasons-of-business-get-keep-customers/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/07/12-seasons-of-business-get-keep-customers/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:16:54 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=645 Get and keep customers through this protracted economic recovery – so, which customers do we bet on, which will survive and which won’t?  First, keep good credit records on your customers…get financial statements from smaller companies, get them from Dun & Bradstreet and credit raters for larger clients.  Know which will go chapter. Tighten up credit methodologies — see our blog on Abe WalkingBear Sanchez for great ideas. Next get more customers by asking for the order sooner, offering customers price-payment trades, giving more attention than competitors (including after-hours & weekends ways of reaching you).  See our BLOG posting on Top 10 Customer Tools for tips. Best customer wishes, Kraig

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/07/12-seasons-of-business-get-keep-customers/feed/ 0 “12 Seasons of Business” for June 2010 http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/06/12-seasons-of-business-for-june-2010/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/06/12-seasons-of-business-for-june-2010/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:58:05 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=627 June’s “12 Seasons” is all about a new, fresh look at what’s going on in our business world and what our responses probably ought to be.

How, at mid-year, to improve cash, credit, clients?  Well, how about a brand new focus on those three areas:  commission three tiger-teams in your company (or your peer or presidents group) to brainstorm, research the internet, and concoct unusual or maybe untried responses.

Here are some ideas:  1-replace your prompt-pay discount with a prompt-pay rebate, payable the following month (thanks to Abe WalkingBear Sanchez for this idea); 2-ask for cash deposits on orders; 3-teach your customers inventory earn-&-turn and DSO-tracking to improve their cash-flow, and they’ll likely return the favor of prompter pay to you; 4-lease items instead of buying; 5-outsource just about everything. 

We’ll continue to publish tips like these at www.ceotools.com/blog, so please visit our weblog and other great blogs regularly for ideas.  We’re just now publishing the updated “Top 10 Tools for Financing Businesses” which might be helpful to you.

Once again, helping each other through this recession/recovery is our goal! 

With best regards, Kraig Kramers

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/06/12-seasons-of-business-for-june-2010/feed/ 0 WHAT CAUSES SALES – NEW FOR 2010 http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/06/what-causes-sales-new-for-2010/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/06/what-causes-sales-new-for-2010/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:53:54 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=624 ]]> We were asked recently to write an article for Vistage UK (Top CEO organization there) on What Causes Sales and if you just click on that link you’ll have two pages on how to make this KING of Tools work for you.  You’ll grow your business faster and more consistently, causing more profit, once you get into this tool.  So please jump on it now…we guarantee results!  With very best profit-making wishes, Kraig

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/06/what-causes-sales-new-for-2010/feed/ 0 jjhill.org = Best Internet Business Info! http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/05/jjhill-org-best-internet-business-info/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/05/jjhill-org-best-internet-business-info/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 19:00:38 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=620 One of my very favorite websites for getting information from the web is the James J. Hill Reference Library (go to www.jjhill.org and leave a request at info@jjhill.org — years ago, their CEO spoke to our Vistage (CEO) group and said that if they already had done the research, they would provide us with that info gratis.  Well, it still works and whenever you are looking for something the Vistage website or our own www.ceotools.com website doesn’t have, try them.  I did just that to find the list of BEST MANAGEMENT FILMS of all time and received a comprehensive answer.  If you’re interested in those films, just click on www.ceotools.com or go to the following additional sources:  Forbes Ten Greatest Business Movies  http://www.forbes.com/2002/12/16/cx_da_1216bizmovies.html

 MSNBC Top 10 Business Movies  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5497582 

As always, hope this is helpful!  Very best, Kraig

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/05/jjhill-org-best-internet-business-info/feed/ 0 Why not? Introduce New Products/Services…how to http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-introduce-new-productsservices-how-to/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-introduce-new-productsservices-how-to/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:55:19 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=609 Why not…introduce new products and services to get more volume?  Many smart companies are betting on this now.  An example might be to extend your offering beyond selling them software to installing, customizing, or integrating the software; while this has been done in that industry, could you apply it to your industry?  What if you researched wht others are doing in other countries, other markets, other industries like yours just to get some ideas?  You might just get a great, new idea. — Please leave your comment below to add to these thoughts!

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-introduce-new-productsservices-how-to/feed/ 0 Why not? Value Engineering: improves customer & cost http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-value-engineering-improves-customer-cost/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-value-engineering-improves-customer-cost/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:51:48 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=607 Why not…institute “value engineering” into your products and services. Make products that give the customer more, but actually cost you less.  The classic example is improving the packaging of your product to be easier to open or extract the product from, while reducing the packaging cost (yes, it’s do-able for almost any product or service — been there, done that)!  Why not brainstorm this with your employees and your customers? – Please share your comment below to enhance these ideas!

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-value-engineering-improves-customer-cost/feed/ 0 Why not? In-Source to you What’s Not http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-in-source-to-you-whats-not/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-in-source-to-you-whats-not/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:47:58 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=605 Why not…offer customers cost-reduction by outsourcing what they do to you?  Saves them and grows your volume!  For example, if you do marketing communications, maybe you could do all of their mark-com for a customer instead of just doing their advertising. — Please provide your comment below to add to these ideas!

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/04/why-not-in-source-to-you-whats-not/feed/ 0 Why not? Substitute with Lower Cost Offerings http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-substitute-with-lower-cost-offerings/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-substitute-with-lower-cost-offerings/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:44:54 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=603 Why not…substitute costly services for less costly (niche into smaller, more specialized jobs)?   Maybe do much smaller jobs and create a niche which your larger competitors haven’t wanted to be in; example might be do remodeling construction instead of major projects.  Why not brainstorm this with your key people to see what might be do-able here? — Please leave your comment to add to these ideas below!

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-substitute-with-lower-cost-offerings/feed/ 0 Why not? Combine or Unbundle to Grow http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-combine-or-unbundle-to-grow/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-combine-or-unbundle-to-grow/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:42:00 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=600 Why not…combine your product/service offering, or un-bundle them, to create more sales?  Let’s say you’ve always included ongoing, free, anytime support services with your product or service.  What if you created a FAQ list with really appropriate answers, organize the list of FAQs to be easily searched, provided it on a CD as well as your website, and then charge for real-person extra support after the first two calls?  What typically happens is, customers adapt to this, already know how to use FAQs (even though you never had them before) and figure out most of the answers thedmselves.  And what you’ve done is help them to help themselves (they better understand your product/service) while cutting your costs, even if you never charge them for the real-person support (which I do recommend you don’t charge them). — Please leave your comment to add to these ideas below!

]]> http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-combine-or-unbundle-to-grow/feed/ 0 Why not? Use Price to Improve Value http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-use-price-to-improve-value/ http://www.ceotools.com/blog/2010/03/why-not-use-price-to-improve-value/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:38:40 +0000 ceotools http://www.ceotools.com/blog/?p=598 Why not…instead of adjusting price, adjust the amount you sell for the price?  For example, a pound of coffee isn’t anymore; it’s somewhere between 11 and 12.5 ounces.  Maybe you feel it’s sneaky to increase price this way, but it’s being done everywhere, right or wrong.  If the customer still perceives value, it’s probably okay.  Another idea: airlines, banks, and others have long been adding “fees” instead of just increasing price.  Again, right or wrong, it is what is taking place in the world and is now coming to be accepted.  The real question is:  how can you BEST increase your price, and still assure the customer gets a proper price-to-value deal?  Food for thought, analysis, trial, and implementation. — Please add your comment below to improve these ideas!

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