#Communication
Five vital communication strategies retailers need right now
Retailers are facing an unprecedented period of uncertainty in the face of the global health crisis. Businesses, brands, employers, and individuals heeding the health authorities’ advice to take the COVID-19 threat seriously are changing how and where they work, live and spend their leisure time, with consequences for every corner of the economy. In the […]
Manager communication strategies that really work
Byline: Stuart Hearn Authentic, meaningful communication lies at the heart of any relationship — whether it be personal or professional. As a manager, effective communication is critical and plays a huge role in terms of employee performance, productivity, trust, engagement and overall morale. In fact, almost every employee issue imaginable can be tied back in […]
Why you mustn’t ignore the virtual workplace
Rising employee turnover remains a significant challenge for Australian businesses. Every time a resignation letter lands on your desk, it will cost you up to 150% of the vacant position’s annual salary to restaff the role. That comes in the form of recruitment and advertising expenses, as well as training costs and lost productivity as […]
Avoid working with A**holes and Why Robots and Smart Machines Won’t Steal Your Future
The following is adapted from a graduation speech delivered earlier this spring to Macquarie University Business School Class of 2017. Where I come from (New York, the US) graduations are referred to as ‘commencements’. However, applying the term commencement to a graduation used to confuse me because commencement means “the beginning of something” whereas a graduation, […]
“We’d lost our voice”: STM Goods’ CEO on the ‘scary’, albeit necessary decision to rebrand
Heading into 2017, STM – a Sydney-based maker of laptop bags and other tech accessories – had enjoyed three years of record growth, fuelled by strategic hires across sales, product development and marketing plus firmer support from long-term retail partners. Not only had its revenue tripled, its global footprint had increased nearly three-fold from having […]
Acting like everyone else gets you nowhere
We are living through a time of unprecedented change in the way we do just about everything. The demands of the modern business world mean people have to constantly adapt while being consistent with their values. Success is becoming less about knowledge or experience and more about how we act as people. This includes how […]
How to generate trust and customer loyalty when your industry is plagued by distrust
If the industry your business operates in regularly appears on the ‘least trusted’ list, how do you create trust to ensure viability? Without trust, it is difficult to turn a profit, let alone grow your business and build your reputation. Are you doing enough to actively foster trust, earn a client’s business and engender loyalty? […]
Public relations: not just a big business game
When I first came to Australia knowing no-one, Public Relations (PR) was one of the main tools I used to build my business. While I still believe in the power of PR, it has evolved dramatically since I first began. Furthermore, it is still being mythologised, leaving business owners uncertain as to how it works, […]
Make 2017 the year for greater collaboration
Like any leader overseeing a large geographic region, I have often found myself meeting with partners in Sydney, attending a customer event in Auckland and joining an analyst briefing in Singapore – all in the same week. Unlike in the past, I have been able to meet these commitments without even having to board a […]
Is your small business a leaky bucket?
A business can be like a leaky bucket. Marketing teams work constantly to pour new customers in the top, spending time and money on campaigns, but if there are holes, customers are always going to leave and need to be replaced. Of course, this is not the functioning of an ideal business model; ideally new […]
Don’t lose business to poor communication
We all know how important it is for a business to master great customer and stakeholder communication through all touch points. If your interactions have a positive impact, you’re more likely to create repeat customers and gain access to the ‘holy grail’ of sales: referrals to others. Get it wrong, however, and it won’t matter if your business offers great products and […]
How to successfully reinvent your business
For long-term success in business, organisations must be open to the idea of reinventing themselves in order to stay relevant in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace. One of the biggest mistakes any business owner can make is to remain stagnant and resistant to change as they fear the idea of losing their original vision and authenticity. […]
Hard data for easy customer conversations
Speaking to customers used to be easy. There was a time when regional banks once knew the names of everyone in town, their birthdays and their favourite drinks on a Friday. And not so many years ago, a big advertising campaign with a small inbound contact centre to fix any small issues, was considered a […]
Top five tips to running your business remotely
There’s nothing more rewarding than running your own business. However, many small business owners will tell you they find it difficult to take time off. Unless you have 100% confidence in your staff to manage things without you, it can be tempting to always be around, sacrificing your personal time to keep the business running. […]
Is customer service a dying art small business can save?
Customer service is a simple concept to grasp. Serve your customers well and they’ll come back, don’t serve them and they’ll go elsewhere. Despite the simplicity the latter is happening. Business is embracing self service to reduce overheads leaving frustrated customers to do all the work. I’m horrified that by 2017 it’s predicted two thirds […]
How to avoid a social media disaster
Do you use social media to grow your business? While social media can have a very positive impact on your business, a social media marketing mistake can be detrimental and even potentially disastrous for your professional image and reputation. Even if you are a seasoned Twitter or Facebook user there are a few pointers to […]
How to increase your Twitter engagement and boost your business
Platforms like Twitter work best if you use them to engage with potential followers and industry leaders rather than seeing them exclusively as a way to promote your message.
The small business success dream: How not to turn it into a nightmare
When reality hits, if we manage to survive the first year in business, we are more than likely living the life of our nightmares, rather than the dream we imagined. What went wrong?
Time-saving social media templates: What to know & how to use
The upkeep of your company’s social media can make or break a brand, keeping audiences aware of your existence and garnering further interest.
Why attractiveness is the key to business success
For most business owners, spending money on advertising seems as risky as gambling, like money put into a slot machine with nothing positive to show for it.
How to work through business obstacles
When it comes to overcoming obstacles to your business success, attitude has a lot to do with it. Here are a few strategies that I have found useful over the last few years…
Seven habits of highly effective marketers
There are a number of qualities and skills you need to be an effective marketer. Marketing requires far more than a degree and an outgoing personality (although both of these are essential!).
Death by PowerPoint: 3D animation breaks the mold
When the Victorian rail animation ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ exploded onto the social media scene last November, the extent of its success was a surprise in the ad world.
3 keys to developing trust in a working relationship
Whether you’re working in a team, leading a team or working with a client, an indispensable factor in being effective is the element of trust.