Politeness as Branding

If you're in the service business, you need to make sure your employees practice some very basic activities of politeness. In addition to being good customer service, this is great for your branding. Remember, your "brand" is everything you do and how you are perceived. 

Some people will know these things due to previous experience. Some through training. Some through common sense. But you cannot assume that your employees know what you consider to be the important element of politeness with clients. 

Here's a video where I talk about What Would Your Mother Do?

Many new employees simply don't have the experience of of older employees. Not knowing the little things that matter in customer service is NOT a function of age. It's a function of experience and training. If you want your technicians to spend thirty seconds chatting with the person at the front desk, you need to tell them that. If you want them to park at the far end of the client's parking lot, you need to tell them that.

This is part of your culture and your branding. As part of your culture, existing technicians will train new technicians in all these little things. As part of your branding, your clients will see that your employees are well mannered - and that helps their perception of you.

Check out the video, subscribe to the channel, and post comment here or on YouTube.

:-)

How to Approach Clients with New Ideas . . . and the Power of Being Different

Clients will never ask for "Different" - But being different is the most important thing you can be.

I posted two videos recently on the theme of being different.

The first one is about How To Approach Clients with New Ideas. After all, clients will never ask for something they have never heard of, they don't understand, and they can't describe. It's your job to take new ideas to your client.

Be The Teacher for Your Clients

Remember Henry Ford: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Your clients can not ask for something they don't understand.

For example: You need to educate your clients about cloud services, why it's better for them, and how you are able to provide them with great services in this new environment.


The newer video (just posted today), I look at how you can Lead with Different. This is a pretty simple process. First, you need to ask clients why they love you. Is it because you're the cheapest? Probably not!

Lead with Different

Clients might love you because they trust you, you talk to them in business term, you don't make them feel stupid, etc. Next, after you know why your clients love you, do more of that! Dig in and make your business all about the things your clients love.

And don't be afraid to be different. After all, it's what makes you stand out!

:-)

Next Cloud Roadshow: Miami - February 23rd !!

Please Join Me on the 2017 SMB Roadshow!

Next U.S. stop: Miami!

Note: The Feedback from San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas has been GREAT! Check out the comments on my YouTube Channel.


This all-day seminar will be 100% education. No vendors on site. No booths or up-selling. Just education on my very successful "Cloud Five Pack" and how we make 73% profit on our small clients. Details at SMBRoadshow.com.

The show is $999 at the door - but there's no excuse to pay that.

For one month before each show, you can get in for only $799. 

- which is CHEAP since:

1. You probably don't have to travel far to find a city near you.
    
2. You only need to sell ONE client on this package to make your money back
    
3. This really is a business model you can execute right away. One guy from the "dry run" we did of this seminar was able to create an offering and sign two clients within TWO business days of the event! 

www.smbroadshow.com

Sessions Include:

	Read More . . .

 - Cloud Services in Small Business - 2017

 - The Cloud Five-Pack

 - Cloud Migration

 - Implementation

 - and MORE!


Seminar Objectives

This is a workshop - which means you will leave with some real-world goals, and the tools to implement them.

We will cover the strategies for creating a powerful and profitable cloud service offering for the small business market. My managed services businesses have been selling these bundled cloud services since 2008. In fact, it’s one of the things that helped us thrive during the recession!

This is NOT a 30 thousand foot overview. We will discuss:

• Specific products and services
• How to bundle them
• How to maximize profit
• How to combine cloud-based and onsite options
• The best way to integrate your onsite server
• Managing multiple accounts
• Specific scripts for implementing your “Cloud 5-Pack” (or whatever you end up selling)
• How to change/upgrade the bundle
• Tiered pricing options
• Click-by-click setup and integration
• Selling the cloud bundle
• Bandwith realities - and why you do NOT need massive bandwidth for a successful cloud integration
• ... and more!

The handouts include VERY detailed instructions for configuring your bundles, implementing services, and migrating clients to the cloud. About 150 pages - spiral bound and available for download.

www.smbroadshow.com

Target Audience

This all-day seminar is intended for any IT service provider who wants to sell very profitable cloud-based services to small businesses. The ideal end-user client is anyone with 1 to 20 users.

You can certainly sell these services to larger companies - and this seminar will give you all the tools and strategies to do that - but larger companies tend to have slightly different requirements.

The basic cloud bundle is intended to provide all the technology a small company needs, including email, storage, backup, anti-virus, spam filtering, patch management, and remote support. You will learn how to up-sell this to include telephones, security monitoring, and other services.

The overall goal is to help you create a combination that is reasonably price for the client and hugely profitable for you.


Bonus Membership

We have created an exclusive Facebook page, open only to people who attend this seminar. It is a place to discuss the strategies presented in the seminar, share their experiences, exchange documents, and so forth.

Once you register for any city, and pay your tuition, you will have access to the Facebook group.

Another great reason to register early! 

Cities Include:

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - February 21st Miami, FL - February 23rd New Orleans, LA - March 21st Tampa, FL - March 23rd Los Angeles, CA - April 25th San Diego, CA - April 27th New York, NY - May 16th Philadelphia, PA - May 18th Seattle, WA - June 20th Portland, OR - June 22nd Chicago, IL - July 25th Detroit, MI - July 27th

London, UK - August 15th Manchester, UK - August 17th Edinburgh, Scotland - August 22nd Dublin, Ireland - August 24th Nashville, TN - September 19th Atlanta, GA - September 21st Adelaide, Australia - October 10th Melbourne, Australia - October 12th Sydney, Australia - October 17th Brisbane, Australia - October 19th San Jose, CA - November 14th Oakland, CA - November 16th Las Vegas, NV - December 8th

Sign up early and save. 

www.smbroadshow.com

- - - - -

Special Invitation to join me at the Trinidad show:

:-)

Next 5-Week Course: Making the Most of QuickBooks in an I.T. Service Business

Making the Most of QuickBooks in an I.T. Service Business

Taught by Rayanne Buchianico, Author and Coach

- Five Tuesdays - February 7 - March 7, 2017 - Register Now

- All classes start a 9:00 AM Pacific

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QuickBooks is QuickBooks, right?

Well . . .

QuickBooks has to be set up right. Then it has to be used right. Then you need to have specific processes for the kinds of things you do in YOUR business. QuickBooks has some great interview-based setup parameters that differentiate between a "service" business and a storefront.

But QuickBooks does NOT have a configuration setting tailored specifically for a technology consulting business! There is no "MSP" option when you install QuickBooks.

In this class, Rayanne walks you through several processes that are geared toward the kind of business you run.

This class provides unique content from unique teacher! Rayanne is a managed service provider from Tampa, FL. She is also an accountant and an Intuit certified ProAdvisor. In addition to her MSP business, Rayanne helps I.T. consultants to take control of their finances and understand their own business at a deeper level

Topics for this class include:

• How to track and claim a credit for sales tax paid to vendors on products for resale
• Maintaining HAAS equipment and recording income and expense properly
• Tracking direct labor and overhead payroll expenses
• Creating and maintaining a purchase order system
• Managing customer deposits, retainer payments, and unearned revenue
• Action plans for success

. . . and More!

Delivered by Raynne Buchianico, Financial Coach and QuickBooks Advisor. Rayanne has been an MSP - managed service provider - for many years and advises MSPs on how to get the most out of their QuickBooks and PSA integrations.

Includes five weeks of webinar classes with related handouts, assignments, and "office hours" with the instructor.

This course is intended for business owners and managers. It is particularly useful for the Service Manager or Operations Manager.

Only $259