InVision

Plan Coach Develop

Things to Double your Revenue

in Five Years

Daniel Paulson, CEO | InVision Business Development and Marketing, LLC

CONTENTS
Five Things to Double Your Income in Five Years
Executive Summary 3

First Develop a Clear Plan

Second Get the Right People

Third Create Great Communication

Fourth Provide Outstanding Customer Care

Fifth Measure the Right Things

One More Thing

Conclusions

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About InVision Business Development

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PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It seems like an all too familiar message: sales are squeezed, costs are increasing and profits are dropping. In a tough economy with increased competition, you have to do things better than the rest. Being good isnt good enough. Yet we often find ourselves walking a balancing act between service and quality while trying to meet our customers demands. How will you place your business on the path to success and continued growth?

As the person who is running the company, your role is a complex one. You are a leader, a disciplinarian, a visionary, and a motivator. Your responsibilities are tied to stakeholders that expect performance. Profits lead to growth which strengthens your community, provides jobs and keeps our economic engine running. Each day you have to find ways to continually improve. In spite of all the challenges leaders face, there are tremendous opportunities to be had. Many executives are just satisfied with the norm; doing things just well enough to get by. Others are bound by their environment. They seem unwilling to change because they believe what happens around them is totally beyond their control. A small handful of leaders do not follow this path. They choose to change their future and step outside the comfort zone that keeps others tethered to what might have been. Achieving growth in todays market requires following a few simple steps. But those steps arent always easy. They require patience and determination. It also means you have to create a culture that will except nothing less than the best. This white paper shares the five things needed for creating a top performing organization. When followed, the results can be tremendous. Double digit growth year after year. The ability to attract, and retain, top talent. The capability of creating a team of people that are engaged, driven, hard working, and innovative. Along the way, you may even have a little fun. They include: 1. Develop a Clear Plan 2. Get the Right People 3. Create Great Communication 4. Provide Outstanding Customer Care 5. Measure the Right Things

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

First:

DEVELOP A CLEAR PLAN

When someone asks you, What do you do?, what do you tell them? What if we asked that same question to a member of your team? Can everyone on your team explain the difference between you and your competitors? Does your staff know the critical goals to be accomplished over the next twelve to twenty-four months? Most important: does each team member know the role they play in the success of the company? Having a concise plan in place will address these questions and many more. After all, knowing where you are going will get you there much quicker. A good planning process goes beyond the basics of what needs to be done by when. It defines your organization and sets the foundation to create something truly different from what other competitors may offer. It also helps you paint a clear picture for your customers regarding why you are the better choice. The plan is a unified message that gives everyone direction and helps you measure your outcomes. A great plan starts with a Vision. A statement of what you wish to become. It provides meaning for you and your staff while helping guide your decision making process. What you do will either move you closer or further away from what you want your business to be. When decisions about people or equipment are placed in the context of your Vision, the choices on investing become much clearer. Values also define why you are different. They (Values) help you and your team determine how they will act. These traits become the moral fibers of your operation and help align your products and services with customers that share the same values as you. After all, you want the best clients to become your cheerleaders. Because great customers, when treated with exceptional service, become great advocates for your work. Goals define the path to success. They help create a process toward your Vision and provide measurable steps to completion. Goals also help give your team purpose. By directing responsibility to team members and holding staff accountable, you more effectively delegate projects that are often left on your desk with limited time to complete them. Having goals helps your team increase their value while adding value to your company.

Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.
-- Jack Welch

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

Second:
Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.
-- Stephen R. Covey

GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE

There isnt enough that can be said about hiring the right person. When you consider the investment in time and other resources, a poor hiring decision can be costly. For example, one poor hire can cost you as much at $840,000. Bottom-Line Costs* Hiring Costs + Total Compensation + Costs of Maintaining Employee + Disruption Costs + Severance +

In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words: people, product and profits. Unless youve got a good team, you cant do much with the other two.
-- Lee Lacocca

Mistakes, Failures, and Missed Business Opportunities = $840,000 * Based on an office manager making $62,000/year and has been terminated after 2.5 years. (data provided by Recruiter.com)

Hiring decisions often focus on technical skill over how the employee fits based on attitudes and values. Ask any seasoned manager, when it comes to making personnel changes, a person hired for their technical aptitude is often let go because of their attitude. Keys to Making Good Hiring Decisions Conduct multiple interviews Get your team involved Ask questions about past experience Use behavioral assessments to understand communication and motivation Listen to your gut instinct

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

Third:
The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
-- George Bernard Shaw

CREATE GREAT COMMUNICATION

What is said and what is understood are often two different things. While it appears communication should be as simple as telling someone what they need to know, it is often lost because of a lack of mutual understanding. Communication involves so much more than words. To make things even more complex, people process information differently. In fact, the actual words that are said only make up about seven percent of our communication! Too many times has it been said, But I told my staff what I wanted!!, and got a different result. Effective communication goes beyond the basics of what is said. It involves developing a keen understanding of human behavior from changes in expression and posture to differences in pitch and tone of voice. Great communication involves applied understanding, which means repeating the message over and over again using different methods. By reinforcing behavior and addressing different learning styles, desired outcomes can be reached. When communication is done correctly, several advantages are observed: Costs are reduced due to fewer mistakes Sales are improved as better connections are made with customers and trust is developed Harmony in the workplace as misunderstandings are avoided Unified direction: Shared meaning. Shared understanding Reduced frustration Reduced stress

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

Fourth:
If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.
-- Jeff Bezos CEO, Amazon.com

PROVIDE OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER CARE

Everyone talks about customer service but how many deliver a level of service that creates instant recognition for a company? The challenge facing most practices is the level of service is within basic customer expectations. With budgets tight and competition high, buyers are more demanding than ever. This means it is critical for your business to elevate the customer experience beyond expectation. When you think about companies with great customer experiences, what comes to mind? Typically great service organizations work hard to predict customer needs. They address problems immediately. By going beyond the basics of customer need, they work hard to create a wow experience. Getting customers excited about you is a bigger challenge. By the numbers, a patient with a bad experience will tell about 8-10 people compared to 2-3 people for a good experience. Factor in online ratings and social media and the numbers go up dramatically. This is why managing your reputation is so important. Customer loyalty can produce significant profits. In fact, just a five percent increase in customer retention will generate an additional 25% to 125% in profits. It is far less expensive to keep the customers you already have when compared to the costs of attracting new ones. Other facts to consider: 89% of customers do business with a competitor following a poor customer experience 1 73% of customers trust recommendations from friends and family vs 19% that trust direct mail 2 86% of customers will pay more for a better customer experience 3 Only 26% of companies have a well-developed strategy in place for improving customer experience 4 43% of people feel less inhibited about complaining once they get online 5

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

1. Rightnow Customer Experience Impact Report 2. Forrester Reasearch Blog 3. Rightnow Customer Experience Impact Report 4. Econsultancy Multichannel Customer Experience Report 5. www.emarketer.com

Fifth:
Its a very, very tough market. So unless you do a really good job, you buy the right products from the right manufacturers, you service the customer, they keep coming back, they bring their friends in, its all about numbers, numbers, numbers.
-- John Ilhan

MEASURE THE RIGHT THINGS

One of the great things about technology today is our ability to collect data. One of the bad things about technology today is our ability to collect data. While this may seem a little bi-polar, it has relevance to almost every company. We have the ability to measure everything. Our customer managment software allows us to gather information about each cliet, how they were acquired, their buying habits, when they last bought from us, etc. We are capable of tracking inventory, error rates, cost data and the list goes on. Today, marketing has become easier to measure with social media. SEO, online tracking, and other services will measure your influence online. We have reached a point of data overload. So knowing what to measure is extremely critical because many of us love data and this over abundance can lead to something called Analysis Paralysis, or the inability to make a decision with too much information. Making use of information involves understanding what information is critical to whom. To make the information useful, having the CEO, leadership team, and staff responsible for blocks of data relevant to their position. For example, the CEO should have a keen understanding of high level operations. His/her leadership team should supply the critical data relevant to their divisions or departments while the front line tracks the data points most relative to their positions. The list has been simplified for this white paper, but it should give you an understanding of accountability for information. Breaking accountability into smaller chunks allows the company to manage, track, and utilize a large amount of information effectively.

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

ONE MORE THING

The Five Things shared in this paper will, when followed, allow a business of virtually any size significantly increase its revenue. In many cases, it is very possible to double income in a short period of time. All too often, we rely completely on others to produce the results we desire. The key to making the process work starts at the top. Whether you are a CEO, and the difference is you. Your behaviors, your attitude, and your own accountability drive the company and its results. To produce the outcomes you want begin with the Eight Commitments.

The First Commitment - Ownership You own the results that are produced from your business. It starts with owning your own actions and being aware of how they influence the outcomes of others. The Second Commitment - Learn Pursue the habit of lifelong learning. It is what you dont know that blocks you. Make every effort to expand your knowledge of expertise. But go beyond your technical skill. So much more of what you do is about communication and human behavior. Make sure to invest in the other skills that make for a successful practice. The Third Commitment - Accountability If you really wish to achieve the maximum potential from your practice, be accountable to someone. Accountability will help you stick to the task and meet your deadlines. Seek out an accountability partner. Hire a coach. Tap into the knowledge of others and their ability to make sure you deliver what you promise. The returns far outweigh the costs. The Fourth Commitment - Application It is amazing what emphasis we place on gathering knowledge when the application of knowledge is far more relevant. Do not hesitate to try new concepts as you would learning new skills in your area of technical expertise. Running a business takes as much effort as practicing your trade.

The Fifth Commitment - Change Change is the only constant. Doing things over and over again while expecting different results is insanity. Committing to change in others also involves committing change to yourself. The Sixth Commitment - Persistence Few things done once are ever repeated. The change process involves learning new habits which conflict with old ones. Change can be a rollercoaster of successes and failures. Knowing when to keep riding and when to get off are crucial. The Seventh Commitment - Praise Celebrate your successes more than acknowledging your failures. The quickest way to demotivate yourself and your staff is only placing awareness around the problems. Proper planning and positive reinforcement will deter negative feelings which result in relapsing old habits. The Eighth Commitment - Fun You should be passionate about what you do and you as a leader should bring that passion out in others. Enjoy your work and it will seem less like work. Enjoy the people you work with and everyone will notice, including your customers.

PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223

2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

CONCLUSIONS
This white paper has shown several critical factors to significantly increasing your revenue in a short period of time. In order to grow during these difficult times, the application of this knowledge is essential to growing your practice. Take the time to read this paper multiple times to understand the concepts. Share with members of your management team and discuss how you may apply this to your business. Understand, if you are not focused on sales growth and working to continually improve your business, you will lose valuable clients to your competition. As important as this information is, statistics show only a small percent of leaders will actually implement these concepts fully. The change is up to you!

About InVision Business Development

We published this white paper to help C level executvies and business owners understand what it takes to promote business growth without significantly increasing costs. Additional benefits are less stress on the management team and happier staff providing better quality service for customers. In our experience is that while these tactics are understood by many of those involved in leadership and operations, few possess the skills necessary to implement these ideals on their own. To find out how to implement these tactics in your company and generate revenue far greater than you previously thought possible, feel free to contact us at 608-4670223 or at info@invisionbusinessdevelopment.com InVision Business Development P.O. Box 45920, Madison, WI 53744 608-467-0223 www.plan-coach-develop.com
PO Box 45920 Madison, WI 53744 plan-coach-develop.com | 608.467.0223
2013 by InVision Business Development. All rights reserved.

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