13 business mistakes to avoid

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13 BUSINESS MISTAKES TO AVOID

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13 Business Mistakes to Avoid (or Lose your Clients) Any good business should take care of its clients. A business which loses its clients (individuals or other businesses) is heading into bankruptcy or any financial trouble. In stand-alone businesses or businesses participating in procurement, these mistakes are often made to the detriment of the company. Here are some business mistakes to avoid and put a stop to company’s decline. Not in constant touch. A good business should consult their clients on a regular basis. Being in touch means being ready to receive feedback, asking how they feel about your products or services and suggestions. Give active service and anticipate their needs or problems. When dealing with long-time or big clients, get people to regularly communicate with them. Keep in mind: communication with clients is one tool to avoid mistakes. Rudeness. There is a saying that the ‘customer is always right’. This is not always true but a certain respect is given to the client. It doesn’t matter what a client’s personality or perceived impression is; they should be treated and valued. Thinking low of them might lead to offense and clients thinking low of the business. A lousy customer service. A client might be in love with your product or service but a lousy customer service will definitely make them turn to your competitors. Don’t make the mistake of hiring just anyone or not providing training for your customer service. Clients would forgive a fast remedy to a mistake, but not to a concern that has been dragged too long. No follow-up. Business doesn’t end when a client purchases a product/service. Follow-up the transaction and get feedback from the customer. Customers have the liberty to choose another business/product/service for their needs and a bad experience gives them a reason to do so. No compensation for bad experience. There are many consumers who can forgive a business if they can get something in return for bad experience. Compensation can be a free product/service, a discount or an alternative item. Being automated. Clients, especially when asking for info, want people to communicate with them, not automated messages or very long phone recordings. Client requests and problems are not automated and people take time just to get someone who is willing to listen and help them. A higher product price. Clients often go for the cheapest product or alternative. If you are going to raise your prices, justify the cost to the client. In addition, you could give incentives to the customer to keep buying the product/service at its higher price. Taking clients for granted. Every business has their classification of customers. Often, many businesses take their long-time and loyal clients for granted, assuming that they will remain patrons.

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Page 1: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

13

BUSINESS

MISTAKES TO AVOID

Page 2: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

1. NOT IN CONSTANT TOUCH

Page 3: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

A GOOD BUSINESS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR CLIENTS ON A

REGULAR BASIS. BEING IN TOUCH MEANS BEING READY TO

RECEIVE FEEDBACK, ASKING HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT YOUR

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES AND SUGGESTIONS. GIVE ACTIVE

SERVICE AND ANTICIPATE THEIR NEEDS OR PROBLEMS.

WHEN DEALING WITH LONG-TIME OR BIG CLIENTS, GET

PEOPLE TO REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. KEEP IN

MIND: COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENTS IS ONE TOOL TO

AVOID MISTAKES.

Page 4: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

2. RUDENESS

Page 5: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

THERE IS A SAYING THAT THE ‘CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS

RIGHT’. THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE BUT A CERTAIN

RESPECT IS GIVEN TO THE CLIENT. IT DOESN’T MATTER

WHAT A CLIENT’S PERSONALITY OR PERCEIVED

IMPRESSION IS; THEY SHOULD BE TREATED AND

VALUED. THINKING LOW OF THEM MIGHT LEAD TO

OFFENSE AND CLIENTS THINKING LOW OF THE

BUSINESS.

Page 6: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

3. A LOUSY CUSTOMER

SERVICE

Page 7: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

A CLIENT MIGHT BE IN LOVE WITH YOUR

PRODUCT OR SERVICE BUT A LOUSY CUSTOMER

SERVICE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THEM TURN

TO YOUR COMPETITORS. DON’T MAKE THE

MISTAKE OF HIRING JUST ANYONE OR NOT

PROVIDING TRAINING FOR YOUR CUSTOMER

SERVICE. CLIENTS WOULD FORGIVE A FAST

REMEDY TO A MISTAKE, BUT NOT TO A

CONCERN THAT HAS BEEN DRAGGED TOO

LONG.

Page 8: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

4. NO FOLLOW-UP

Page 9: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

BUSINESS DOESN’T END WHEN A CLIENT

PURCHASES A PRODUCT/SERVICE. FOLLOW-UP

THE TRANSACTION AND GET FEEDBACK FROM

THE CUSTOMER. CUSTOMERS HAVE THE

LIBERTY TO CHOOSE ANOTHER

BUSINESS/PRODUCT/SERVICE FOR THEIR

NEEDS AND A BAD EXPERIENCE GIVES THEM A

REASON TO DO SO.

Page 10: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

5. NO COMPENSATION FOR

BAD EXPERIENCE

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THERE ARE MANY CONSUMERS WHO CAN

FORGIVE A BUSINESS IF THEY CAN GET

SOMETHING IN RETURN FOR BAD EXPERIENCE.

COMPENSATION CAN BE A FREE

PRODUCT/SERVICE, A DISCOUNT OR AN

ALTERNATIVE ITEM.

Page 12: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

6. BEING AUTOMATED

Page 13: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

CLIENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN ASKING FOR INFO,

WANT PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM,

NOT AUTOMATED MESSAGES OR VERY LONG

PHONE RECORDINGS. CLIENT REQUESTS AND

PROBLEMS ARE NOT AUTOMATED AND PEOPLE

TAKE TIME JUST TO GET SOMEONE WHO IS

WILLING TO LISTEN AND HELP THEM.

Page 14: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

7. A HIGHER PRODUCT

PRICE

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7. A HIGHER PRODUCT PRICE. CLIENTS OFTEN

GO FOR THE CHEAPEST PRODUCT OR

ALTERNATIVE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO RAISE

YOUR PRICES, JUSTIFY THE COST TO THE

CLIENT. IN ADDITION, YOU COULD GIVE

INCENTIVES TO THE CUSTOMER TO KEEP

BUYING THE PRODUCT/SERVICE AT ITS HIGHER

PRICE.

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8. TAKING CLIENTS FOR

GRANTED

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TAKING CLIENTS FOR GRANTED. EVERY

BUSINESS HAS THEIR CLASSIFICATION OF

CUSTOMERS. OFTEN, MANY BUSINESSES TAKE

THEIR LONG-TIME AND LOYAL CLIENTS FOR

GRANTED, ASSUMING THAT THEYWILL REMAIN

PATRONS.

HOWEVER, A NO THANK-YOU, BAD SERVICE OR

PERFORMANCE FROM THE BUSINESS CAN GIVE

THEM REASON TO SWITCH FOR A BETTER

COMPANY.

Page 18: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

9. NOT GIVING INCENTIVES

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MANY CLIENTS WOULD OFTEN PATRONIZE A

BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT THEY ARE

TREATED WELL. DEPRIVING SOME WELL-

EARNED CLIENTS OF INCENTIVES OR REWARD

PROGRAMS WILL MAKE CLIENTS FEEL THAT

THE BUSINESS DOESN’T CARE.

Page 20: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

10. COURTING TOO MUCH

CLIENTS

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BUSINESSES LIKE TO HAVE CONSTANT TRAFFIC

TO BOOST THE SALES.

HOWEVER, NUMBERS AREN’T ALWAYS THE

SOLUTION. RECRUITING CLIENTS TAKES WORK

AND IT MIGHT EVEN DISTRACT FROM

PROVIDING TO THE PRESENT CLIENTELE.

RATHER THAN HOARD ON CUSTOMERS,

TREAT THE PRESENT CLIENTELE BEST AND

THEY MIGHT JUST KEEP THE BUSINESS AFLOAT.

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11. THINKING THAT THE

COMPETITORS AREN’T

WATCHING

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THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR BUSINESS

MISTAKES TO AVOID. ANY BUSINESS IN ANY

NICHE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ON THE LOOK-OUT

FOR COMPETITIONS IN THE SAME NICHE. ANY

MISTAKE ON YOUR BUSINESS PART IS AN

ADVANTAGE TO THEM. ALSO, COUNT ON THE

COMPETITORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY

KNOW HOW YOUR BUSINESS OPERATES AND

DEAL WITH THE CUSTOMERS.

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12. UNDER PERFORMANCE

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TO ENTICE CUSTOMERS AND EVEN OTHER

BUSINESSES, A COMPANY WOULD OFTEN

PROMISE A LOT OF THINGS AND SOMETIMES,

END UP WITH LESS. THIS SCENARIO GETS

COMPLICATED SINCE CLIENTS DO HAVE A

CERTAIN EXPECTATION THAT HAS TO BE MET.

CREATING AN IMPRESSION AND EXPECTATION

SHOULD BE PROVEN WITH ACTION OR ELSE,

PEOPLE WILL FIND OTHER COMPANIES THAT

CAN DELIVER.

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13. LYING

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CLIENTS LIKE HONESTY, NOT LIES. THEY DON’T

LIKE BEING SOLD TO SOMETHING THAT THEY

DON’T WANT OR NEED. THEY ALSO DON’T LIKE

BEING MADE A FOOL DUE TO AN ERROR THAT

THEY DIDN’T MAKE. LYING TO A CLIENT IS

ALMOST AN INSTANT DEATH WISH FOR ANY

COMPANY. IN ADDITION, THEY WILL LEAVE

FRUSTRATED AND NOT GOING TO COME BACK

AGAIN.

Page 28: 13 Business Mistakes To Avoid

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