借節日漲士氣的7大招數
????本文為與《創業者》雜志的合作內容。原文最初發表于Entrepreneur.com網站。 ????又是一年之始。假日的狂歡已經過去,現在到了認真工作的時候了。不過在我們深入考慮目標、策略、戰術和財務預期之前,先看看在2015年,我們可以如何借助一些節日傳統行為來提升公司的利潤。 ????1、慶祝 ????“我們開瓶酒!”——我和客戶以此作為暫停一會兒來慶祝的暗號。為什么呢?因為“干杯”意味著兩件事:肯定過去的進步,表達對未來的期望?!拔覀冏龅谜姘簦楂@得更大的成功干杯!” ????我們常年需要這種促人奮進的能量,所以不要再等到2016年開始時才慶祝,至少每個月都找個理由來“開瓶酒”吧。 ????2、感恩 ????在節日期間,我們會想起有多少需要感激的事物。在商界,表示感恩同樣可以產生強大的力量。盤點你在職業生涯中一切要感激的事物:所有你聯系的人,所有你積累的經驗,所有你招待的客戶。猜猜你做了什么。你梳理了你的資源,可能還會發現一些沒有得到開發的資源:你忽視的人,沒有發掘的才華,沒有提升的技能,沒有咨詢的客戶評價。開發這些資源,你將會有更多理由來“拔出軟木塞”,并在下一次盤點中更加心存感激。 ????3、寄賀卡 ????現在你也許很容易記起上一次收到帶有郵票和手寫地址的賀卡的情形。但到了3月,你也許得翻出3個月前的記憶,才能想起被別人花時間思念的感受。 ????如果對你來說確實如此,那么對于那些對你的公司至關重要的人來說,也很可能是這樣。他們也許是你還沒有與之合作的潛在顧客,也許是你還沒有與之深談的推介來源,甚至有可能是為了追逐更大目標而離開公司,但只要你保持聯系就依舊是你最好的人才和客戶源的前員工。任何出現在你感謝清單中的人,也許都應該收到你心血來潮的賀卡。 ????4、送禮物 ????你知道擺放在牙醫診所的糖果什么時候最多嗎?猜對了,就在感恩節和新年期間。那是因為普通牙醫會給牙醫專家推薦業務,所以每年他們都能收到那些獲得推薦的診所送來的禮物??赡苡行┲S刺的是,大部分禮物都是糖果。 ????禮物在一年的任何時候都能讓人感到親切。實際上,出人意料的禮物更能營造這種感覺。你沒有必要買大禮,也許只需要在客戶身上花點額外的時間,或是費點心思了解員工的喜好。禮品的心意比價值更重要,但這份心意卻能在你與公司的推介伙伴、潛在顧客、員工和朋友建立關系時發揮莫大的作用。 ????5、聚會 ????不是那種不醉不歸的聚會。除了在少數幾個行業,這種聚會對你的名譽可沒什么好處。但在節日期間,我們會花更多時間來聯系好一陣子沒見的朋友,出門閑逛也只為了敘舊和更好地了解彼此。任何人都可以組織社交活動,但組織聚會來建立業務關系的關鍵在于,拋開動機,專心交往。 ????6、反思 ????每年我們都要辭舊迎新,許多人都養成了回顧過去一年的習慣。但在商界,我們通常會直接進入分析模式。對企業所做的SWOTT分析不會顯示我們自身的優勢、劣勢、機遇、威脅和趨勢。研究公司的運營狀況、利潤空間、銷售管道或市場趨勢,無助于你了解最大的優勢和機遇,以及最大的劣勢和威脅。這一切得從你自己開始反思。 ????7、下決心 ????大多數人都在實現新年決心方面屢戰屢敗,導致他們最后再也不下決心了。那是因為他們并不真正確定自己有決心做那些聲稱要做的事情。甚至還有更多人沒有意識到,下決心并不是一次性行為,而是會不斷重復的日常行為。在元旦及剩下的364天中保持堅定,可能在明年的這個時候,你就會發現自己的許多問題已經得到了解決。(財富中文網) ????譯者:嚴匡正 ????審校:任文科 |
????This post is in partnership with Entrepreneur. The article below was originally published at Entrepreneur.com. ????Here we are at the beginning of a New Year. The revelry of the holidays is behind us, and it’s time to get serious and get back to work. But before we get too deep into goals, strategies, tactics and financial projections, let’s take a look at how you can turn some traditional holiday practices into greater profits in 2015. ????1. Celebrations. ????My clients and I use the phrase “Pop a cork!” as a cue to stop and celebrate. Why? Because sharing a toast does two things; it recognizes progress and potential. It says, “Wow, something great happened, and here’s a toast to having more of it!” ????That’s the kind of energy we need to keep us moving all year long, so don’t save your celebrations for the beginning of 2016, find a reason to pop a cork (real or virtual) at least once a month. ????2. Gratitude. ????We’re reminded, during the holidays, of how much we have to be grateful for. Expressing gratitude can be a powerful exercise in business as well. Take stock of all the things you have to be grateful for in your professional life. All the people you’ve connected with, all the experience you’ve accumulated, all the clients you’ve served. Guess what you’ve done. You’ve inventoried your resources. And you’ve probably uncovered a few that are undeveloped; people you’ve neglected, talents and skills you haven’t leveraged, testimonials you haven’t asked for. Develop those resources, and you’ll have more reasons to say “Pop a cork” and even more to be grateful for the next time you take stock. ????3. Sending cards. ????Right now it’s probably easy to remember the last time you received a physical card, with a stamp and a handwritten address. But by March you’ll probably have to think back three months to remember how it felt knowing someone took the time to think of you. ????If it’s true for you it’s probably true for some people who are important to your business. They may be prospects you haven’t worked with yet, referral sources you haven’t talked to for a while, or even ex-employees who’ve gone on to bigger things but might be your best source of talent and clients if you keep the relationship fresh. Anyone who showed up on your gratitude inventory should probably go on your “just because” greeting card list. ????4. Giving gifts. ????Do you know when you’ll find the most sugar in your dentist’s office? You got it, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. That’s because general dentists refer business to dental specialists. So every year they get an avalanche of gifts from the practices who have received their referrals. And, as ironic as it may be, most of those gifts are sweets. ????Gifts are sweet any time of year. In fact, they’re even sweeter when they aren’t anticipated, or expected. You don’t have to give big gifts, it might just mean spending a little extra time with a client or making a small contribution to a cause you know an employee holds dear. It’s more than the thought that counts, but it’s the thought that counts the most in building meaningful relationships with your referral partners, prospects, employees and friends of the business. ????5. Parties. ????Not the drink until dawn kind of parties. With the exception of a few industries, those probably won’t do much for your reputation. But during the holidays we take more time to reconnect, see people we haven’t seen for a while, and hang out with no agenda except catching up or getting to know each other a little better. Anyone can put together a networking event, the real key to building business relationships by hosting get-togethers is to let go of the agendas and simply connect. ????6. Reflection. ????Each year as we say “goodbye” to the old and “hello” to the new, many of us have made a practice of reflecting on the year past. But in business we usually go straight into analysis mode. What a SWOTT analysis of the business won’t tell us is our own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and trends. Yet, the greatest strengths and opportunities, as well as the greatest weaknesses and threats, aren’t going to be found in looking at operations, or profit margins, or sales funnels or market trends. You’ll only become aware of them by looking at leadership. And that begins with you. ????7. Resolutions. ????Most people have “failed” on their New Year’s resolutions so many times they’ve given up on making them. That’s because most people don’t really make sure they have the resolve to do what they say they’re going to do. Even more people don’t realize that resolving isn’t a onetime activity, it’s a daily practice that becomes easier with repitition. Keep resolving, on New Year’s Day and the 364 days that follow, and you’re likely to find a lot of your problems resolved by this time next year. |