by Samuel Gitukui

Technology is a significant driving force in today’s world. It has found its way in virtually every sector of human lives. Today we want to find out about the technology that drives sales and marketing and one that ultimately helps increase business revenue.

These tools, also known as sales enablement tools can help make the work of the sales and marketing team more efficient which translates to more and faster streaming revenue.

But first…

What Is the Meaning of Sales Enablement?

The main function that centers around the design of sales enablement tools is to help the sales people with the right guidance and training to pass on the relevant information to potential clients and effectively close the deal.

These tools touch on different areas which include communications and customer engagement, training, content development and performance analytics.

One way to be efficient in business is to find what works and to repeat and improve on the process time and time again. The same can be said for sales enablement tools. They provide users with a repeatable process which they can follow to raise revenue and to maintain that revenue.

By using such tools, clients are able to find the most relevant information at the most convenient time. They will help to further integrate the actions of the different departments in the enterprise such as production and branding.

Customers are also provided with the perfect avenue to leave feedback which the business can use to improve service.

When and Where Sales Enablement Tools are Used

Note that sales enablement tools can only be used in 3 main scenarios…

1. Content organization and optimization—all the information pertaining to the business sales department such as competitor analysis, decks, email templates and case studies are organized in a neat, easily accessible format. The sales people can get the relevant information that they require fast and easy.
2. Automation—this makes sending messages and emails to prospective customers efficient without the delay of having to wait for a member of the sales and marketing team to reply to emails and messages.
3. Analysis and Reporting—these tools will provide data on which emails got the most responses and provides information on not just how the sales team is performing, but the results of their engagement with clients. The information can then be analyzed and the right adjustments in the operations can be made.

Are Sales Enablement Tools Actually Helpful?

You know what they say, numbers don’t lie. Research has shown that businesses that use sales enablement tools were over 2X more efficient at creating a link between their sales actions to the revenue realized.

These businesses were also 83% more productive, 58% more efficient at retaining their sales people, had 23% better conversion rate and a 32% higher sales team quota.

Sales enablement tools allow managers and business owners to have insight to the actions of the sales team. They can find out what works and what doesn’t and make the necessary adjustments to optimize what works around the entire sales team.

If you are considering investing in sales enablement tools, great choice. The best tools come from companies such as Guru, CloudMap and Clearside. 

by Samuel Gitukui

Anyone, whether successful or not makes excuses. Sometimes a challenge will face us and once self-doubt kicks in we make an excuse as to why we don’t want to face that challenge.

Think about what happened when you last made an excuse. High chance there was a missed opportunity which ultimately meant failure. No matter which target you want to hit, whether it’s getting fitter, finishing a course or starting a new business, excuses go hand-in-hand with failure.

And there are some excuses that are common and are the result of most people failing to achieve their goals. Let’s look at them now.

       1.      There’s no time
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Within that time, we meet people we want to meet, do the things we want to do and see the things we want to see.

The same goes for when you want to start a business. If you are about to make the excuse that you don’t have enough time since you work a nine-to-five, then note that you can always wake up earlier or stay up late. If you really want it to happen, then you will definitely make time.

       2.      I won’t get enough opportunities

Being an entrepreneur is never easy. There is no well laid out path from A to B. you have to make things work. If there’s a barrier, either find a way around it or go straight through it. That’s how you move forward. Successful business people are tenacious and are not about to let a barrier stand between them and their goals.

Telling yourself that there are not enough opportunities is an excuse that will see you give up even before you start.

       3.      What will my family and friends think?

Don’t be surprised to find that your closest friends and family do not support your decisions to become an entrepreneur. If you find you are in such a situation, then you can remove yourself from their negative energy. Do what you believe is best for you.

If on the other hand you listen and go with whatever they think is best for you, then you will not get close to even starting that business.

It is simple to go along with what friends and family are saying as it is an excuse why you shouldn’t even start but it should be enough motivation to start your business and prove them wrong.

       4.      I am happy with where I am and what I have

What you are actually telling yourself is you don’t want to work any harder, but then sugar coating it to make it sound more appropriate.

Granted, more material things is not a guarantee of happiness but more often than not, it provides you with comfort and with the right mindset gives you a better life. Never settle, and always strive for more.

       5.      I’m worried about taking the risk

Taking risks is a part of doing business. There is no way around it. If your current venture scares you and you are worried that you may not be able to pull it off, keep in mind that even if you decide to go for the next idea, this second idea will still come with its own set of risks.

To be an entrepreneur also means rising above your fears and worries.

by Summer Worsley
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Love it or hate it, English has become the world’s lingua franca* and its current position as a communication powerhouse is unlikely to change anytime soon.

For this reason, most businesses online these days choose to have an English language version of their website available, even if the business is not from an English-speaking country.

But with so many varieties of English to choose from, which one should you pick for your company or business?
 
The many varieties of English 

A given language, such as English, often has multiple varieties. In many ways, it’s technically more correct to speak about Englishes instead of English.

From the colloquially informed Australian variety, to the formality of written Indian English, in English we have a language chameleon. One that has been shaped, crafted and changed by the nations who use it.

Did you know that there are around 65 sovereign nations who list English as one of their official languages? Add to this the 30 odd non-sovereign nations who use English in the same capacity, mix in the world’s English creoles and pidgins, season with emerging Englishes, and the result is a linguistic stew like no other.

For the most part, Englishes are mutually intelligible.  Meaning that a speaker from one place can easily understand a speaker from another. That said, it’s also possible that being offered a “switcha” (lemonade) in Nassau, Bahamas would confuse many other native speakers. And being “aksed” (asked) a question in New Zealand would cause many an English speaker to do a double take.

Each variety of English is enriched by local slang, phrases, and pronunciation. But this is all speech, isn’t it different when it comes to text?

In terms of writing, vocabularies are merging thanks to the rise of globalisation, but many idioms remain unknown. Moreover, grammatical constructions used in one variety may be completely unused in others.

And while a heavy use of contractions (it’ll, she’ll, don’t and the like) might be completely acceptable in one variety, even in a formal text, they would be frowned upon in other varieties. For example, Australian English favours contractions and a conversational style, including in government texts. British English, on the other hand, shows less use of contractions.
 
Know your bottle-os from your offies 

Language does not exist in a vacuum. And any language, or variety of that language, is always inextricably linked to culture.

For this reason, it’s important that you gear your English-language texts toward the clientele you’re aiming to convert. It’s no good peppering your texts with regionally specific idioms and vocabulary that are going to be misunderstood by your readers. At best you’ll lose your customer base, at worst you’ll come across as inept and untrustworthy.

This is not to say that you should steer clear of all colloquial language, just that you need to make sure that it fits the audience you’re targeting. It’s no good referring to, for example, a “bottle-o” * or an “offie” * when your readers will only understand “liquor store”.

Colloquial language is a powerful tool for business when used correctly. In fact, studies have shown that the correct use of localised forms of language in text can result in a more positive reception that plain, formal writing would.

Essentially, you can seem more likeable and approachable by making sure that your texts encompass and embrace the culture you’re writing for. Language has a large part to play in terms of social cohesion and your marketing can tap into this and turn it to your advantage.
 
Forget about minding my Ps and Qs, should I Z or S? 

Here in the digital realm we are witnessing an epic battle of sorts. It seems that half of the pages you read these days are written in American English, and the other half, this page included, are written in British English.

Should you capitalize or capitalise on the changing tides of English or not? There’s no correct answer to that question, but once again, it pays to pay close attention to who your market is. Across Europe the preferred form of English is British English. In fact, the European Union uses this variety for all its English-language publications and translations.

But when it comes to international business, northern American English is far more common. Because globalisation is driven in large part by business, it is entirely possible that in the future we will be swapping ‘s’ for ‘z’ and dropping ‘u’ from many of our words. Good news for those who already write this way, bad news for those of us who are somewhat attached to our colourful variety.

In any case, both are easily understood by all readers so long as you pay attention to those pesky bits of vocabulary which don’t cross the Atlantic as easily as the grammar seems to have done.

Oh, and make sure that stylistically your texts don’t alienate either audience. American English does no favour passive sentence construction or long sentences with multiple clauses. And the very notion of “gotten” being a word will send many a Brit running for the OED.
 
Sounds like a lot to take in? If so, keep your focus on the business side of things and let us worry about the words. We like to keep them front and centre (center?) around here.

For further information on how to supercharge your marketing materials and really tap into the national psyche of your target audience, get in touch with us to find out how we can help.
 
 
 
*We’re sure the irony of this usage is not lost on the French
*Bottle-o – An Australian term for a shop which sells alcohol.
*Offie – Backformation from ‘off-licence’ a shop which sells alcohol.

by Samuel Gitukui

The best kind of management will focus on providing employees with a chance to grow and develop. The people you hire should feel cared for and needed as opposed to managing them with fear of punishment and job loss when they don’t hit targets.

And when such employees fail to perform to full potential, they need to be provided with an opportunity to redeem themselves. They are human after all, and mistakes abound. But what happens when they fail to prove themselves when they are given a chance to?

For anyone who has been in management long enough, there are always those employees that keep repeating the same mistakes, and once called in to explain themselves, there’s always the “I’m sorry” response.

A good manager will still not rush to reprimand the employee, but some tough love is crucial to remind them that there are consequences to their actions.

Whether it’s that person who is always late for a meeting or that guy who always has such good ideas that he thinks he can get away with disrespecting his co-workers and when asked about it always pulls the sorry card, it’s pretty obvious the behavior cannot be encouraged.

Simply saying “sorry” doesn’t make things right. People need to own up to their actions and find a plan to make sure it doesn’t persist. What matters is that the employee shows a change in behavior. A good manager puts in place a good support system and puts their employees on the right path before serious consequences happen.

So, how should the employer approach such matters?

1.      Make them aware of their behavior

It is never a good idea to shame employees in public or in front of their co-workers. Instead call them in for a meeting and point out that you have a noticed a pattern of behavior that is less than appropriate. Also make them aware of their sorry pattern and ask them how they are willing to solve the issue.

There could be a health issue or a family situation going on. This is why it is always in order to approach such matters from an empathetic point. Show compassion in such a case and involve HR to provide the employee with all the resources they need to overcome their challenges.

If the problem is coming form the employee’s own negligence, it is still not a reason to be harsh. Start from a position of empathy and work your way up to tough love.

Let them know that the behavior is not fair to the business, or the other employees, and will not be tolerated and that it needs to stop. Otherwise the employee will be left with no choice but to face the consequences.

2.      Support the employee to find a solution

Some problems may be just habitual such as coming to work late and missing meetings. Solving them shouldn’t be too complicated. Sit down with the employee and go back on the scenario to find the cause of the issue. More often than not, the answer lies in changing and improving on the timing by getting rid of unnecessary morning tasks or waking up earlier to avoid traffic.

Take for example someone who is regularly getting to the office late. You can begin by finding out their morning activities such as getting kids ready for work, dealing with traffic or the time they wake up. Most of these can be solved by just waking up earlier than usual.

On the other hand, if someone keeps missing their deadlines, there is a chance that they are simply over-promising on the results or are not good on time management. You can get them to try and set more achievable goals and how to better manage their work and time.

As a manager, when you show workers that you are willing to help them deal with their problems, this is usually enough motivation to improve.

3.      Analyze and understand the project management process

Sometimes the problem is not very much with the workers but with the set-up of the organization. Is there enough free flowing communication? Is the employee’s behavior a reflection of what is actually happening in the department? All this needs to be carefully looked into.

A good manager is aware of the possibility of issues within his own organization and that worker performance could be indicative of this. By solving the underlying problem, you can solve it from the roots for a better-performing workforce.

Sometimes the solution could be as simple as getting a coffee machine to prevent workers from rushing to the nearest coffee shop every so often.

4.      Look at your own behavior

Do you yourself as the leader play the sorry card? Perhaps this is where your employees learnt it from. Before you commit to solve certain behaviors from the workforce, ensure that you are not under the same pattern.

For example, you cannot try to convince your employees to get to work early if you are getting late. It makes no sense. Neither can you reprimand them on a behavior that you do yourself. What we are saying here is, be a leader who leads by example.

As a leader, if you work hard and show empathy when your employees make mistakes, you will encourage this behavior in them as well. Bullies beget bullies.

There’s another big problem that can easily affect the employees’ performance—financial strain.

Money, or the lack of it can be a cause for a lot of stress in all of us. It can be the reason for anxiety which can then be brought to the work place. Employees experiencing financial challenges will show a drop in their performance.

And to prove just how much money is a significant factor in our daily lives, research has shown that up to 72% of people think about their financial situation and get stressed during some time in their day. 22% of people admit to being at some point highly stressed about the money issue.

When the workforce is not satisfied with their pay, there is high absenteeism, low morale, low levels of production and high employee turnover, not good for business.

To deal with such a situation, a good manager needs to ensure that there are measures in place to help keep the employees free of anxiety and stress caused by money.

The financial situation of the employees is yours to deal with

Compared to earlier times, research continues to show that employees are continually facing more money issues, are in more debt and they are unable to save enough. Many employees continue to be worried about whether they will be able to afford their lives after retirement.

And stress affects the well-being of both employees and the business in more ways than one. Not only will they show less productivity, less performance and more absenteeism, they are also more likely to suffer from diseases due to lower immunity. This means more days off work.

Lets recap. This is what you can expect as a manager from a workforce that is experiencing high financial stress:

1. Absenteeism - there will be more sick leaves and just more days off work.
   
2. Presenteeism - this situation is quite interesting. While an employee may be physically present at work, their mind is focused on their problems, which means that they will not be able to function properly.
   
3. Conflicts at work - workers will often be easily agitated which can cause more conflict issues between them and the other employees.
   
4. Health issues - stress reduces the body’s immune system which further causes more strain on the employee through higher hospital bills.

How to provide the employees with financial wellness

Businesses should provide their workers with programs that provide information on how to be financially stable. Tools that help the workers to become more stable by showing them how to save and invest their money will help take off the stress that is brought about by financial uncertainty.

This will have long lasting effects to the business. The employees will feel part of a family and their motivation and loyalty will rise.

Let’s consider some of these financial benefits that the business can offer.

1. Life Insurance - your employees will feel better knowing that there will be a lump sum offered to their beneficiaries in case of their death. It provides them with peace of mind and can help attract talented job seekers to the organization.
   
2. End of service benefits - these are given to the employees in the event they leave the organization, whether during contract termination or if the employee so choses to leave.
   
3. Disability benefits - accidents are unforeseeable and can really put financial strain on someone. When the company offers disability benefits, the employee can rest easy knowing that they are covered in case of any injury or accident that could put them off work for some time.
   
4. Retirement benefits - these are different from end of service benefits. They mostly involve savings and are a great way to ensure employee loyalty.
   
5. Financial education programs -these teach employees how to invest their earnings and how to better save for the future.

Good management is a key role in ensuring the business performs at its optimum. Workers are the most valuable resource and a good manager will see them motivated enough to take the organization to new levels.

by Samuel Gitukui
​
Maintaining good customer relations should be a no-brainer for anyone in business, especially with the intensive business courses and information out there at the convenience of anyone who wants to learn.

Good customer relations create loyalty which means that you can expect clients to keep coming back. The opposite is true as well. A dissatisfied customer will likely seek out a competitor. But to put things into perspective, let’s consider some figures, shall we?

Did you know that up to 89% of customers will quit on a company simply because the service was less than ideal? Customers have also been shown to be 4 times more likely to move to a competitor due to a lack of proper service.

Once you look at things from this angle, then you can’t help but see just how important it is to maintain good customer relations. Let’s consider some helpful tips on how to create and maintain an ideal relationship between business and customer.

1.      Communication and Support

Studies have shown that customers are willing to pay more for better service. As much as getting the product is the main goal, the whole experience matters.  

Ensure that the customer service team is able to anticipate and engage the clients at the moment they walk in looking to make a purchase.

Some people just want to see what is on display so that they can make a purchase later on. Once you provide the best experience and support, there is a high chance that they will come back.

Word of mouth gets around fast and soon the cumulative good service offered will attract more and more clients.

2.      Don’t Stop There, Make Improvements

It is simple to see any interactions with a customer as a one-off experience, but the loyalty strings attach and go far beyond the doors of the business.

This is why it’s important to keep finding new ways to make the experience for the customer more engaging, interactive and satisfying.

It will all add up eventually as your client base starts to increase.

3.      Provide Ways to Get Feedback

Getting feedback is one of the best ways to find out how customers are interacting with the business and the products. You can then take this information and make the necessary changes to optimize on the customer experience.

This should be a continuous process with regular feedback analysis and adjustments. It will help to maintain a happy client base throughout the running of the business.

4.      Prioritize on the Customer Feedback

Research also shows that customers who complain especially on social media want a quick response in under 60 minutes. This information can help put in place measures to record the time when the feedback was sent and deliver a response within the shortest time possible. Priority should be given to the earliest feedback.

5.      Provide All Customers with the Same Level of Service

Traditionally businesses would give priority to their largest customers. However, considering that 70% of all purchases are made based on how clients are treated and the quality of service received, it makes sense to treat customers the same way across the board.

Whether it’s individual buyers or large corporations, providing them all with a good high-quality service will ensure they stick around.

by Samuel Gitukui

As marketers we have an underlying urge to maximize our potential and this means trying to appease as many customers as possible. While it sounds logical, things couldn’t be furthest from the truth.

You simply cannot be everything to everyone and as a marketer, you cannot be in a position to make every one of your customers happy. Saying no may be difficult, but sometimes it is the right way to go.

With the ‘yes’ mindset where marketers are trying to provide the best service and products to everyone, we naturally go for a broad range of products with less specific features. Why? Because we feel more secure that way, like we are not putting the business in any risk by saying no.

But There’s Actually a Risk

By offering a broad range of products, customers cannot identify with the brand and are unsure of what the business actually stands for. This means there will be less customer loyalty as they are more likely to turn to more specific brands that they can identify with.

After a long time spent on trying to appease clients, the business becomes less efficient as it is now using all its resources but isn’t really performing at full potential.

So, what is a savvy entrepreneur to do?

Get Specific

This is the first step towards improving on your businesses efficiency. Hone in on one or two skills that you are really good at and focus most of your resources to these. It will give you an edge over your competitors and help clients identify with your specific brand.

Define Your Target Market

You should next know who will appreciate your skills the most. Yes, the market just got smaller, but you now have a chance to build on customer loyalty. You will not be average at a large number of skills, but professional at a few specific ones.

Once you know who your target customers are, you will be able to tailor your services and products to best meet their needs and expectations.

Strive for Customer Loyalty

You are now focused on who you want to serve. It’s now time to put strategies and measures in place to ensure that your customers remain loyal.

A good following will keep buying from your business over and over again. They will also pass the word out of the amazing benefits that your business offers.

And remember, it is far much easier to get business from loyal customers than to get a new one.

Remain Innovative

Never settle. You want to have an ‘ideas’ pipeline to keep your business innovative and evolving. Customers will remain interested and the business will be at par or even ahead of the competition and will not be left behind.

The longer your customers remain interested, the more they will keep buying from your business.

Show Support for Your Customers

This is an excellent strategy to build even more trust and foster more loyalty from your client base. Your business should show that it is living amongst its employees and should support their social, economic and sometimes political views.

While this may be difficult as it may alienate some, you also stand a chance to pull in more customers since people will view the business as a healthy and important member of the community.