Business.com |
- 5 Ways Small Tech Companies Can Thrive During COVID-19
- Why In-Location Experiences Matter More Than Ever
- Working From Home: 10 Tips to Improve Work-Life Balance
- How Your Ineffective Hiring Process Is Wasting Time and Money
- 11 Successful Work From Home Traits
- Automated Email Sequence Examples
- How GPS Tracking Can Boost Your Business
- SMS Polling for Business
| 5 Ways Small Tech Companies Can Thrive During COVID-19 Posted: 12 Jan 2021 12:53 PM PST  Over the past year, the pandemic has posed many challenges for companies everywhere. Small businesses have been hit extra hard, given that the loss of just one client or purchase can have a huge effect on their operations. As the CEO of an SMB software company, I know that small technology companies have been dealing with a looming fear that their sales will flounder as organizations scale back from additional spending during these budget-strapped times. However, our team at Axxerion has experienced quite the opposite. We've found that by changing a few of our strategies, we have been able to stay afloat – and even thrive – during the pandemic. In fact, our current clients have been renewing their contracts, new prospects are flooding in, and organic SEO traffic to our website is consistently increasing. Below, I've summarized five key takeaways from our success that other small tech companies might find helpful. 1. Don't panic.It's normal to feel overwhelmed with fear and panic about the health of your small tech company during these uncertain and volatile times. There are just too many unanswered questions and worst-case scenarios to consider: What if niche technology and software is not top of mind for organizations right now? What if we lose major clients? Will we go out of business? Although it may be hard, it's best not to go down that dark rabbit hole if possible. One way to gain some hope is to consider the facts. Luckily, they are actually in our favor. The truth is, many companies are still actively searching for and ready to purchase new software and technology products not just despite the pandemic, but because of the pandemic. According to The New York Times, the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation throughout our society, thanks to the fact that the number of Americans working from home has jumped to 50% (compared with a mere 15% before the pandemic). Organizations and individuals now need all different kinds of technology to optimize their remote working and living experiences. The new tech-savvy habits of companies and consumers mean that small tech companies aren't going anywhere. In fact, small tech stocks for companies such as Fastly and Zscaler have skyrocketed during the pandemic. Keep these facts in mind whenever the doubt and panic starts to creep in, which should help you stay motivated and optimistic about the prospects of your business. 2. Reframe your products.Appealing to a broad audience is never the best strategy for a small business. It's always best to differentiate your product offerings and then target specific markets. This is especially important for a small tech company riding the waves of a global pandemic. Now more than ever, it is critical to package your products as a specific solution to a specific problem – the problem clearly being the COVID-19 pandemic. It's important to think about how your product or even a single aspect of your product offers a unique solution to the challenges the pandemic is creating for organizations and/or consumers. From there, it's important to launch a marketing campaign solely around the rebranding of your product in light of COVID-19. You can do this with new content, sales scripts, FAQs and landing pages on your website, and perhaps even new changes to the product itself if you have the time and capacity. [Read related article: How to Futureproof Your Niche Business During the COVID-19 Crisis] In the case of Axxerion, we pivoted from the narrow focus on our bestselling CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) products to shine a light on our space management software offering and how it can help employers transition their workers safely back to the office during a pandemic. We also started emphasizing the safety and sanitization benefits that result from using a CMMS rather than the basic asset maintenance features we usually promote. As a result, we've gained considerable new traffic for our space management software, and some prospects even ended up buying both the CMMS and space management software modules. This is because we created a sense of trust by showing that our company had thought about how the pandemic affects customers and how our product could help. 3. Focus on SEO.With tech conventions, conferences and in-person networking out the window for the time being, it can be stressful thinking about how to spread the word about your SMB tech company on a larger scale. But this actually creates a perfect opportunity for you to spend your time on an important, cost-effective channel for lead generation and branding that does not rely on in-person interaction: SEO content marketing. Content marketing not only helps your company website rank higher for key search terms on Google, it's also an invaluable opportunity to establish your company as an expert in the niche sector of your tech company's product. Did you know that 75% of people never move past the first page of search results when they are looking something up on Google? That's because potential customers find companies with websites that appear on the first page of search engine results more credible and reputable. Considering that 61% of internet users research products online before purchasing, it's essential for small tech companies to invest in SEO efforts for their websites. Your company can create lots of different types of content that can help with SEO, such as blog posts, whitepapers, client case studies, videos, and guest posts on prominent news outlets and websites. It's easy to find contractor writers at affordable prices on sites like Upwork and Thumbtack. If your budget is tight, it should only take your own team a few hours a week to write some content on the topic that you all know best: your product. The content does not have to be sophisticated or elaborate. Clear, concise content that explains the value of your product is most effective. 4. Nurture existing clients.If it's hard to secure new sales deals during the pandemic, it's imperative for you to make sure your current clients are happy, ensuring that they renew their current products or buy other products from your company. Check in with your clients to see how they are liking the product and if they have any questions. Offer them free training and discounts on other merchandise. Create an incentive program that encourages existing or past clients to write reviews of their product experience on your website or on other review sites like Capterra, Google My Business, or Amazon. Nurturing your client relationships builds a sense of trust with your clients that large companies often can't replicate. In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, 86% of people in the U.S. trust small businesses, while only 55% trust big businesses. This is a great chance for your company to turn your current clients into evangelists that will spread the word about your products. 5. Be patient and persistent.The sales process is a lot slower during a pandemic. Prospects that are close to purchasing are suddenly put on hold because a stakeholder has come down with COVID-19. Interested buyers keep having to reevaluate their budget and get back to you. The list goes on and on. In our experience at Axxerion, though, the stall doesn't mean the sale has come to a full stop. Being both patient and gently persistent with prospects can pay off in the long run. Set reminders in your calendar to check in with stagnant prospects biweekly or monthly. Offer them a chance to sign up for your company newsletter (if you don't have one, now is a great time to get that project going) so that they can stay on top of the latest product offerings and deals. Another great way to reel back in distracted or skeptical prospects is to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. This assures prospects that your company is confident in its product and wants them to have a good experience. Once prospects are knee-deep in the free trial, they often feel better about investing in the full product. Running a small tech company during a global pandemic is daunting – there's no doubt about that. Many challenges will present themselves, but remember that your business is not directly headed for failure. Technology has become an essential component of our pandemic work structures and lifestyles. If you can use a few key strategies to take advantage of this new reality, you may find that your small tech company not only survives the pandemic, but finds new ways to thrive. |
| Why In-Location Experiences Matter More Than Ever Posted: 12 Jan 2021 12:00 PM PST  The tug-of-war for customers' dollars between in-location businesses and competitive online merchants is more contentious than it's ever been. Between COVID-19 lockdowns and a consumer base hyper-concerned with convenience and safety, those who manage in-store experiences have had to flex their muscles in the past year to avoid ceding ground – that is, losing customers (potentially for good). To shift the momentum back in their direction in 2021, those who manage in-location experiences will need to study and cater to the needs of consumers as they are today. Catering to the consumer of yesterday or the consumer as they wish them to be is foolhardy. Our State of Consumer Behavior 2021 report reveals much about the current state of the consuming public as we head into 2021. We found out that brand loyalty is at a premium: 48% of respondents said they have replaced products they typically purchase at physical stores with online competitors' products. We also confirmed that COVID-19 has discouraged consumers from visiting businesses in person, as 40.3% of respondents decreased their visits to physical locations in the past year because of COVID-19 fears or lockdowns. It's not all doom and gloom for offline businesses. Nearly half of consumers polled (46%) still prefer in-location experiences over online ones and are willing to visit a physical location, so long as the price and experience are worth strapping on a mask and going (local ordinances permitting). The directive for in-location businesses has never been clearer: Don't just provide the customer a product or service; give them an experience that they will not soon forget. Consumers have spoken: In-location experiences matter.Think about what distinguishes visiting a business in person different from visiting it online. The product or service offerings may generally be the same. Prices may be comparable. So what makes them different? It's the experience. Cracking open a laptop and browsing a webpage is a fundamentally different experience from visiting a location in person. Respondents to our report echoed this sentiment. The two leading reasons why respondents said they prefer in-location experiences to shopping online involve the experience itself. The ability to touch, view, and try products (33%) and the overall experience of visiting a physical location (26%) remain the greatest benefits of going to a business in person rather than visiting one online. In a time when work and dropping the kids off at school may no longer be excuses to get out of the house or apartment, in-location experiences can fill a glaring experiential void. They still have to be stellar, purposeful experiences, but the opportunity is clear. It's up to those who manage physical businesses to decide whether the customer experience in their store, gym, restaurant, entertainment venue, or other location will be more or less appealing than a digital alternative. In-location experience management is an essential discipline.Would you believe that bringing customers through your business's doors could actually be a bad thing? Per the report, 58% of respondents are very likely to tell others about a negative in-location experience. Word spreads like wildfire, which means that you could undermine your business if you fail to provide friendly customer service, an uplifting atmosphere, a COVID-safe environment – the elements of a positive customer experience. The science of maximizing the in-location customer experience is known as "in-location experience management." It is the discipline of creating, managing and scaling the experiences you deliver to customers who visit your physical locations. An experience can include an interaction with an employee, a self-checkout kiosk, and even the digital sign explaining how a customer can receive discounts and rewards through a loyalty program. Effective in-location experience management is more critical than ever, considering the challenges owners and operators of physical locations face heading into 2021. Among the tools at in-location experience managers' disposal are immersive environments, live events (when permitted), and interactive screens – including displays, TVs, tablets, and kiosks that a customer can interact with at a physical location. Simply using these tools is not enough, though. They must be part of a comprehensive strategy for enticing, impressing and retaining customers with consistency. The key to a cohesive, memorable in-location experience is functionality. An in-location experience should serve a specific purpose within the broader goal of steering customer behavior to achieve your business objectives. With that in mind, here's a step-by-step guide to in-location experience management. Step 1: Determine the type of in-location experience you will create.Putting a descriptive name to an in-location experience can help you define its purpose. These are some specific types of in-location experiences:
Step 2: Identify the customer behavior you want to influence.By identifying the ways you hope to shape customer behavior, you establish a metric for the success of your in-location experience. These are some behavioral changes that you may aim to achieve through in-location experience:
Step 3: Determine your target objectives.Consider the following objectives that in-location experiences can aim to address:
Step 4: Identify the key results of the experience.For each objective, identify the metrics you will use to track progress. Gauging the success of your in-location experiences is critical to continually improve your approach and maximize your budget. These are some key results you can use to measure your success:
Step 5: Deploy and deliver the experience at scale.Test your in-location experience in a controlled manner, then measure the results for each objective you hope to achieve. Once you've proven that your in-location experience is effective, you are ready to roll it out at scale. In-location experiences encompass all of the ways that you engage with your offline customers. Your goal is to deliver an experience that drives the customer to action: more frequent visits, more spending per visit, greater engagement with various features of your brand, or whichever outcome you hope to achieve. You can maximize your in-location experience with interactive digital signage and other strategic tools designed to build customer loyalty and deliver an experience that consumers cannot find anywhere else – and certainly not online. |
| Working From Home: 10 Tips to Improve Work-Life Balance Posted: 12 Jan 2021 07:15 AM PST 
Based on these stats, remote work will continue to be a part of the modern-day working environment. But sometimes, exclusively working from home feels as if the hours and days are blending with each other, and the line between work and life is virtually nonexistent. Most people think that the perfect work-life balance means spending fixed, equal hours on both sides. However, this perspective is unrealistic and can be bad for your mental health. It will only leave you overwhelmed and frustrated if you're unable to achieve your goals. You need to realize that work-life balance while working remotely is different for each person. It varies whether you're single, married or you have kids at home with you. We all lead different lives, and we all have unique priorities and responsibilities. Hopefully, these tips will help you find your work-life balance while working from home: 1. Set boundaries.If you're living with roommates, children or your spouse, it's important to inform them of your needs, time restraints and schedules ahead of time. Communication is key to a harmonious home. Be sure to proactively communicate your commitments and schedules beforehand, so everyone can give you the space you need to do your job. 2. Have a designated area for work.Having a designated workspace can help you stay focused while working from home. It will be easier for you to switch off for the day and to detach yourself from work. However, it can be hard to have a dedicated work station if you live in one-room spaces. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to create a designated workspace. For instance, you can place a desk in the corner of your bedroom or living room. It isn't the best idea to work where you sleep, but for some, there's no other way around it. You can add storage to keep papers and documents out of sight when work hours are over. 3. Avoid using your work computer during your free time.Aside from having different locations for work and play, it's important to separate the tools you use during work. It can be tempting to use your work computer for all your computing needs, especially when you're working from home, but drawing a line between work and life means closing your work laptop for the day and only using it for work purposes. 4. Set working hours.It's easy to lose track of time when working remotely. Most people find it hard to stick to their 9-to-5 schedules, and they often work more hours than they would in an office setting. Setting firm hours while working from home can help ensure that everything gets done without your tasks taking over your day. Defining your daily schedule is especially important if you have kids at home. It's a great way to set boundaries and to help them understand that you're working during certain times of the day. If your kids are in school, you can work while they're at school, or you could have them work on their schoolwork while you're working on deliverables. Getting everyone on a tight schedule ensures that everyone's work gets done. 5. Use communication apps to indicate your working hours.After setting a daily schedule that makes sense for your team and the people around you, the next step is to use different tools to notify them about times during the day you are available. This informs your team members in different locations and time zones to be mindful and respectful of your time. Communication tools like Slack allow you to set your availability, so you don't receive notifications within a particular time of day. You can also set your working hours on your Google Calendar to automatically decline events booked outside your schedule. 6. Set plans after your working hours.It can be hard to detach from work at the end of the day if your workstation and your living area are in the same area. Some people who work from home don't see a reason to log off at a certain time, especially if you still have several tasks that need to be completed within the week. If you find it hard to stick to your working hours, it helps to set plans after work. For instance, you can take your significant other out on a date, plan a movie night with your kids or go on a hike with your friends. You'll be more inclined to take your mind off work if you have something to do at the end of your workday. 7. Take breaks during the day by completing personal errands.Increased productivity is one of the perks of remote work. Eliminating office chatter, commuting and workplace stress can help your employees spend more time getting things done. However, the repetitiveness and the solitude of remote work can sometimes be lonely and mentally exhausting. Taking little breaks throughout the day by completing personal errands takes your mind off your tasks, even if those errands take just a few minutes. While taking breaks may seem counterproductive, taking shorts breaks during the working day can prevent or reduce stress, decrease exhaustion, and increase your energy levels. This is especially important because the damaging effects of long-term stress include depression, headaches and heart disease. Not only does doing your personal errands during the day give you more time to exercise, cook and spend time with your loved ones, it can reduce stress-related health problems that affect you in the long run. 8. Refrain from multitasking.When working remotely, it's easier to find yourself trying to juggle several tasks at once. It can be tempting to clean your room and fold your clothes while you're working, but it's more distracting than it is useful. A scattered mind usually results in a low-quality output. It's better to focus on a single task you're working on – you'll complete the job faster, and the quality of those completed tasks will be better. Instead of multitasking, perform household chores by scheduling breaks during the day. However, make sure to strictly follow the amount of time you set for the break and not go beyond it. 9. Take a quick walk outside.According to Joseph G. Allen, the lead author of "9 Foundations of a Healthy Building" and assistant professor and director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, there is a direct correlation between air quality and employee productivity. Taking breaks and breathing fresh air can improve your decision-making and information-processing skills. It's also a great way to support your overall health and wellness. It's easy to lose track of time when you're working from home, but it helps to take a quick walk outside and breathe fresh air whenever you can. Walk your dog, take a stroll to the park or cafe, or complete personal errands. If this isn't possible, you can stand, stretch or open a window to let air inside – you will feel energized and ready to take on the next task when you return to your desk. 10. Get ready for work the same way you get ready for the office.One of the perks of remote work is that you don't have to rush around in the morning to get to the office on time. You can drink coffee, eat breakfast and get dressed for work. Dressing up may seem like an unnecessary hassle, but getting ready for work the same way you get ready for the office sets your intention for the day. Getting ready gives you a sense of normalcy amid today's "new normal." It also helps establish a routine, and it can improve work-life boundaries. Don't forget to change out of your work-from-home clothes after you clock out for the day! This helps shift your mental state from work mode to relaxation mode, drawing a boundary between your work and personal life. The transition and adjustment to working from home and striking a balance between work and play often takes time. The work-from-home setup is different for everybody, so be patient with yourself. Learn what works for you and take proactive steps to improve your work-life balance. |
| How Your Ineffective Hiring Process Is Wasting Time and Money Posted: 12 Jan 2021 07:00 AM PST  Hiring new employees can be an exciting prospect – fresh faces can bring new perspectives, skills, and energy to your organization. Despite being a crucial element to company operations, talent management is an oft-overlooked area of improvement when attempting to maximize efficiency, results, and return on investments. Hiring and job hunting have dramatically changed over the years. In today's world, hiring is less of an in-house function and is increasingly outsourced. For both job seekers and companies, the internet offers an endless pool of search engines, job boards, networking channels, and application platforms. In some ways, the surplus of information and resources can create inefficiencies, distractions, and new struggles for human resources managers and others involved in the recruiting and hiring process. Here's how subpar hiring practices show up in your organization and what they're costing you. Understand the cost of bad hiresFor organizations focused on delivering the best possible product or service, hiring can easily be ignored as an avenue of strategic investment. This is evident based on the number of companies who report that bad hiring severely costs them. In a survey of over 1,000 business owners and hiring managers by Robert Half International, 54% of respondents reported that significant time was wasted on a bad hire. On average, it took 17 weeks to correct the mistake of a bad hire by letting the person go and replacing them. This situation wastes resources, puts additional stress on employees, and decreases confidence in management. Interestingly, the survey also found that 81% of hiring managers admitted to making a bad hire. Root causes of ineffective hiring will depend on a variety of factors related to organizational structure, effective use of technology, and (if third parties are involved) maximizing relationships with external partners. Before you begin attempting to fill an open position, spend time with the hiring manager to understand exactly what type of candidate is needed. Asking the manager questions like:
Write effective job postingsAnyone working in talent management will tell you that the best hires come from the most diverse (demographically and experientially), skilled pool of candidates for any open position. It's hard to attract this pool, however, with job postings that waste time for both job seekers and hiring managers. An ineffective job posting will lead to job seekers asking unnecessary questions and points of clarification, and recruiters and managers will spend even more time finding the right candidate. A large number of job seekers are considered "passive" candidates who aren't definitively pursuing a new position – they would only change jobs should they come across the right opportunity. This means that job seekers are maintaining a year-round presence on job search boards and digital networking spaces. For your job posting to stand out, it needs to be eye-catching without attempting to oversell or be inauthentic. Expressing clarity regarding the expectation for the job and transparency on the hiring process, as well as conveying organizational purpose and culture, can go a long way in building a good first impression. Write transparent, clear, and to-the-point descriptions of the position with realistic expectations. Balance clear details with concise explanations and avoid flashy language or unnecessary jargon. This saves time and resources down the line by building a more viable pool of candidates. Some of the top reasons that employers struggle to hire qualified candidates can include:
Narrow your applicant poolStreamlined hiring practices recognize that increasing quality candidates is more important than the overall number of applicants. It may feel counterintuitive and inefficient to bring in fewer candidates, but attracting more serious, qualified candidates will lead to more fulfilling results. Doing so will weed out inexperienced candidates who are wasting your time and resources throughout the screening and interview processes. The high number of passive job seekers requires more thoughtfulness on the part of hiring staff throughout the recruitment and hiring process. Pay attention to screening tactics and processes. Using screening technologies, which will be covered later in this article, as part of your streamlined hiring process is one method that can help you focus on the best-fitting candidates for interviews. Adapt to a changing workforceThe World Economic Forum notes that existing career models are being disrupted by numerous factors. There's a rise in the contingent workforce (freelancers, contractors, etc.) tasked with solving specific complex business problems that are shifting overall career expectations. This doesn't mean that job seekers aren't looking for salaried positions. Rather, this indicates that as people become normalized to flexible work options in the broader culture, companies may need to rethink their talent management strategies and adapt accordingly. Here are some questions to consider as you evaluate your hiring practices:
Previous management models may have recruited someone to a company and then assigned them a specific role. Now, people are increasingly sought-after based on their specific skills. They may work on specialized duties or projects given their expertise in a set of hard and/or soft skills. Many companies waste time, and lift candidates' hopes, by failing to communicate information that job seekers are most anxious to know. Adapting your positions where possible may be necessary as you streamline hiring to meet the needs of the current and future workforces. Effectively leverage technologyDoes your organization have a high volume of applications being reviewed at any given time? Whether you're a medium-sized business or a multinational corporation with employees in several countries, using cutting-edge technologies for streamlined hiring is one avenue to consider. With some corporate positions seeing hundreds of applicants for a single opening, time is often wasted screening fake or incomplete applications. A total talent acquisition management platform allows you to automate certain functions of the candidate search and application screening process. Although quite new, this type of service shows great promise in harnessing artificial intelligence and machine-driven algorithms to verify applicants' identities, locate potential matches quickly, and create consistent and fair results in building demographically diverse pools. All of these functions save resources and eliminate waste from prolonged vacancies. Hiring managers and staff may have valid concerns about adopting a technological approach to talent management and recruitment. Three in four job seekers, after all, prefer human contact in the hiring process. Word-of-mouth remains one of the top methods to landing a position. What does this predicament mean for those tasked with producing fair, consistent, and streamlined hiring? Referrals, after all, only go so far, as they can often lead to a homogenous workforce. Referrals are sometimes inconsistent and unhelpful when you're seeking candidates with a specific skill set. Nonetheless, an entirely technological approach can turn job seekers off as it may feel impersonal and robotic. One way to reconcile this dilemma is to leverage technology so that hiring managers and HR staff can maximize time and resources to build connections, communicate the organization's values and branding effectively, and cultivate meaningful internal processes to evaluate hiring and talent management satisfaction. Implement follow-ups and evaluationAny hiring process cannot be improved unless it's thoroughly reviewed. Many companies don't see the necessity in evaluating their hiring and recruitment processes, tools, and practices. Measuring whether someone was a "cultural fit" or satisfied with their position may seem difficult, but it's certainly possible to survey both recent hires and those closest working with that hire to measure satisfaction. Organizations that fail to evaluate their hiring and recruitment processes are at risk of quickly becoming obsolete, as well as falling behind on generational and demographic shifts in the workforce. Satisfaction during the recruitment, hiring, and even onboarding process goes deeper than improving efficiency – it's a core component of organizational culture and creating a welcoming, trusting atmosphere. Streamlined hiring cannot save your bottom line if preserving employee happiness and satisfaction isn't integrated with it. Evaluations should measure if productivity was enhanced, and seamless transitions were made possible. Perhaps most importantly, evaluations should also investigate whether new hires felt welcome and confident throughout the process. It's also worth determining how the hiring process influenced the candidates' perception of the company. The idea here is to ensure that your hiring process was as authentic and transparent as possible. In addition to evaluating hiring satisfaction, it's crucial to monitor results from recruiting channels, referrals, and other digital resources. This will help you see which avenues produce the best hires and candidate pools, thereby helping your hiring managers focus on the most effective routes to success. |
| 11 Successful Work From Home Traits Posted: 12 Jan 2021 06:00 AM PST  Working from home is a common topic of discussion these days, in part because of the drastic effect that COVID-19 has had on our traditional working environments. But the reality is, working from home has been steadily increasing in popularity since it started to emerge as an option in the late 2000s. In the wake of the pandemic, more than half of Americans are working from home at least part of the time. That's up significantly from 35% in 2017. And because of the many benefits of working from home (such as the stat that working from home leads to a 13% performance increase), many businesses are expected to permanently offer full-time remote work options. But not everyone is cut out for the autonomy (and potential isolation) of working from home. So, which qualities prime a person for success when working from home? These are some of the most important characteristics an employee must have to work from home successfully: 1. Self-disciplineWhen you're working from home, there won't be any supervisors looking over your shoulder (at least not directly; you may be the subject of remote monitoring, but for the purposes of this point, let's assume that's not the case). You also won't have a team of co-workers nearby to make you feel pressured to perform. If you're going to consistently get your work done, and spend a sufficient amount of your workday doing something productive, you need to be self-disciplined. Your willpower has to be stronger than the call of distractions and urges to do other things. This is especially important if your home is full of interesting activities, like TV, crafts, or video games you could be engaging with. 2. AmbitionDo you know anyone who seems naturally lucky? They probably aren't; their luck is probably a byproduct of their ambitiousness. People who actively strive to achieve greatness are naturally more likely to achieve it than people who are ambivalent. This is an especially important trait if you're working from home; again, there won't be many external forces imposing their will on you, and you won't have many people to compare yourself to. Instead, your direction and your motivation will be dependent upon your personal ambition. Ambition often leads directly to thought leadership, which can further propel your career. 3. Commitment to routinesIn a traditional office environment, routines are semi-built-in. Everyone shows up at 9 am. Everyone takes lunch at 12 pm. Everyone goes home at 5 pm, and maybe there are some breaks in between. But in a home environment, you have to define your own routine for yourself. If you're inconsistent with this routine, like if you wake up at a different time each morning, you'll have difficulty achieving consistent results. People who naturally create and stick to routines are better poised for success. 4. IndependenceTo succeed when working from home, you have to be independent. Some people thrive on socializing with others, and they aren't at their best when they're alone. But working from home, you'll be alone the vast majority of the time. Can you find a way to function well under these conditions? 5. Good communicationStudies suggest that people who work from home are more productive, but this finding is contingent on an important variable: communication. When you're in a traditional office setting, you'll be able to communicate quickly and easily with other people. You can walk by their desk and ask them a quick question, and you can hash out disagreements face to face. Remotely, communication becomes much more challenging; you'll need to master your writing skills, and learn when to use which medium (and how). That's why great communicators excel in this environment. 6. ResourcefulnessGood remote workers are also resourceful. When they encounter a problem, they don't immediately ask someone to help them fix it; they try to find a solution on their own. Most of the time, they're successful, and when they encounter more difficulty, they're persistent in getting past it. 7. ConfidenceConfidence is a critical quality for success in almost any working environment, but it's especially important for people working from home. You need to be sure of your abilities, and efficient in your communications. Otherwise, you'll quickly fall behind, and you'll find it difficult to catch up. 8. ResponsivenessAgain, working from home demands effective communication. If you're going to be a valuable collaborator and keep the flow of work moving, you need to be responsive. That means being able to address questions and comments quickly, whether it's via email or some other medium. You don't need to drop everything to respond to new alerts, but you should understand that your responses can sometimes dictate the pace of work for others. 9. Tech familiarityWhen you're working remotely, you'll be largely responsible for managing your own equipment. There may be an IT department on standby to help with issues, but you'll still be in control of your laptop, your Wi-Fi connection, your VPN, and all your other devices and software products. It's extremely beneficial to be tech-savvy, so you can correct most issues on your own. 10. Tolerance for repetitionWorking in a home office you created yourself, and following the same routine every day can get old for some people. That's why some of the most successful remote workers happen to have a high tolerance for repetition. They don't constantly crave novel experiences, and if they ever get sick of working in a certain way, they can break the routine by working somewhere new (or trying a new approach). Not all jobs are repetitious, but almost every job has at least one aspect that is tedious — and that tediousness is amplified when working from home. 11. AdaptabilityNo matter how strictly you plan your schedule or how accustomed you become to working from home, there will be curveballs that come your way. Your company will introduce a new project management platform that doesn't work the same way as the old one. You'll be required to attend a regular meeting that changes your schedule. You'll learn that some of your habits are compromising your productivity, and some of your routines will get stale. Accordingly, one of the best tips for working from home is to remain adaptable; you have to roll with the punches and experiment with new approaches if you're going to succeed. People who are naturally adaptable and flexible have a higher likelihood of success. Changing Your TraitsIt's practically impossible to change your personality through sheer force of will. So instead of trying to force yourself to adopt new characteristics or change your personality, focus on something you can change: your habits. For example, you can't forcibly make yourself more responsive to incoming messages—but you can set up automatic reminders to make sure you don't forget to respond to those messages eventually. You can't force yourself to be independent, but you can recognize when you're in need of support and learn to reach out to people when necessary—and you can also set up systems that allow you to work better alone. The trick, then, isn't so much changing your traits, so much as it is learning to recognize your strengths and weaknesses. Once you do this, you'll be able to build the perfect environment for yourself to thrive when working from home—no matter how you've done with this setup in the past. |
| Automated Email Sequence Examples Posted: 12 Jan 2021 05:30 AM PST  Automated email sequences are designed to be sent to users after they take certain actions, such as signing up for an email newsletter or making a purchase. These perfectly crafted emails may seem like they were created just for you, but in reality, they are a part of a brand's email marketing campaign known as "automated sequence emails." Read on to learn more about automated email sequencing and its benefits and to see some email sequence examples. What is an email sequence, and what are its benefits?As the name suggests, an email sequence is a string of emails that are automatically sent to an email list based on the actions subscribers take. Here are some examples of those kinds of actions:
Editor's note: Looking for the right email marketing service for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs. Why is email sequencing important?Email sequencing can be useful for generating new leads and sales. According to a Content Marketing Institute study, 91% of business-to-business marketers rated email as an important or extremely important marketing channel; however, only 51% of companies are currently using marketing automation. That means there is a huge opportunity for businesses that aggressively pursue an email marketing strategy that leverages email sequencing. Benefits of email sequencingThree major benefits of email sequencing are increased efficiency, better results and a reduction in errors. Increased efficiencyWhen you use email sequencing campaigns that launch automatically based on the triggers you set, it reduces the amount of day-to-day labor needed to manage your email marketing. In fact, in a survey by Constant Contact, 30% of professionals reported that saving time was the biggest benefit of marketing automation (including email sequencing). Better resultsIf it ever feels like your emails are getting lost in the void, it could signal that your audience is not engaged. To boost your success rate, follow these automated email marketing tips:
Reduction in errorsWhen you track leads and send emails manually, there is room for error. Through email marketing automation, you can create a set of standard emails to go out over the course of each customer's sales journey and set triggers for when the emails should be sent as part of a streamlined, error-reducing workflow. Email sequencing best practicesWhen creating your email sequences, follow these best practices: Space out your email sequences, and target user interests.Because every business is unique, you may need to experiment with the frequency of your email sequences to see what works best. Consider sending emails at the following rates:
Test the sequence length.A common question to ask when getting started with automated email sequencing is, how long should my sequences be? It depends. Length will work hand in hand with frequency and your buyers' journeys. The cycle will end at some point. You need to figure out how many emails it takes to get your desired result. Some businesses may find that three emails per sequence is enough to get the job done, while others may need to send more than 10. Use email marketing reporting to help you decide what is working. If you are seeing a drop-off in open rates, you may be sending too many emails. If your open and click-through rates are good but conversions are poor, may need to rework your creative content. Consider these examples submitted by LaToya Russell, founder of The OBM Office and Quitting Corporate.  Source: Quitting Corporate  Source: Quitting Corporate Use language that speaks to your buyer personas.The language you use in your email campaigns should be catered to your buyer personas, which are fictional representations of your target customers. Consider the following applications of targeted language:
Types of email sequencing with examplesThere are five standard types of automated email sequences: onboarding, engagement, cart abandonment, launch and nurture. Onboarding email sequencesAn onboarding email sequence (sometimes called a welcome email sequence) is the first series of emails your subscribers get when they sign up for your email list, app or other offerings that require them to give you their email address. As part of the onboarding sequence, you get to share what your brand is all about and make a good impression. To help make that good impression, depending on what your promise was to get them to opt in, you may do the following:
Shop Lit Live, a community for consumers to discover brands and products through livestreamed events and multimedia content, shares this first email when consumers register on the brand's app:  Source: Shop Lit Live "The welcome email (the first in a series) welcomes customers into our community," said Toby Zhang, CEO of Shop Lit Live. "We personalize communications to each member of our community to help them discover brands, products and content that are most relevant to them." EngagementAs the name suggests, the purpose of engagement emails is to keep your contacts engaged. Engagement emails can be used to persuade prospects who have not made a purchase to do so. These types of emails can also be used to re-engage people who purchased from your company in the past. In the following example, Russell entices prospects to move further along in the sales process by providing valuable information in the form of a free minicourse:  Source: Quitting Corporate "The goal is to get them to purchase," Russell said. "In the online space, many individuals are often skeptical to purchase from brands that are not widely known, because of scams. Communicating early helps individuals realize that you are a real business; this minimizes support emails and refund requests. You also want to give some encouragement. Let them know it was a wise decision (because sometimes, spending money is hard)." Ted's Vintage Maps has a sequence designed to engage customers who have not purchased in a while. The company sends an email thanking them for their business and asking them to be part of a process that helps to educate future customers.  Source: Ted's Vintage Maps These types of emails serve as reminders about your company and can trigger repeat purchases. Cart abandonmentAbandoned shopping cart emails, one of the most popular types of emails, are among the easiest to set up, especially on a platform like Shopify. Organic baby clothing company TØY Baby Clothing sends shopping cart reminders for two reasons, according to Iwona Ordon, the company's founder and chief operating officer. The first reason is that, because parents are extremely busy, they often cannot finish their purchase at a given moment, and they may end up forgetting about the order, Ordon said. This example serves as a gentle reminder of their abandoned cart:  Source: TØY Baby Clothing The second reason is that some customers are confused about which size they should choose and, in turn, abandon their cart. The company's sizing goes by height and not age, "which is more of a European standard than a U.S. practice," Ordon said. Therefore, in her company's shopping cart emails, her team includes a link to a proper size guide that helps prospects find the perfect size for their baby. Ted's Vintage Maps also uses abandoned shopping cart emails, and the company incorporates an image of the product to help engage prospects, as in this example:  Source: Ted's Vintage Maps The company's founder, Justin Blase, explained his process and offered a visual of his workflow chart:
 Source: Ted's Vintage Maps LaunchLaunch emails are sales emails that have a specific theme. It can be exciting for your passionate customers to receive these emails because they love your brand and want to learn all about its new products and services. The goals of launch emails are to create awareness of your new products and services and to earn repeat customers or new customers. Cuddle Clones introduces prospects and customers to its new products through a series of automated emails, as shown in this example of an email introducing the company's new holiday face masks:  Source: Cuddle Clones NurtureNurture emails, also called follow-up emails, are sent after a customer makes a purchase. The purpose of nurture emails is to get the customer to take a new action, such as review their purchase, upload a photo of their product to your social media pages or make another purchase. Nurture emails can also be used to help build relationships with your customers and ensure they had a good experience. Blase explained the process Ted's Vintage Maps uses for nurture emails:
 Source: Ted's Vintage Maps |
| How GPS Tracking Can Boost Your Business Posted: 12 Jan 2021 05:00 AM PST  There is no doubt that in today's competitive economic landscape you have to leverage the right tools and resources in order to help your business. Did you know that GPS tracking systems can do a lot more than merely get us from one point to another? It is no secret that companies and businesses looking to gain a competitive edge in the market are turning to GPS tracking in order to help lower costs while improving overall customer service. You should know that modern GPS tracking devices leverage sophisticated and advanced technology that can offer you detailed and valuable insights into driver behavior, which makes them a valuable tool for any business or enterprise that relies heavily on a fleet of vehicles. But it doesn't stop there. GPS tracking offers tons of value to all types of businesses and can lead to a number of significant benefits, which we will explore throughout this article. This is why GPS tracking has proven to be a crucial tool that helps companies get the critical data and visibility needed to enhance and streamline their operations and improve their bottom-line. Regardless of the industry that you operate in, almost all businesses can benefit considerably from tracking vehicle locations as well as driver behavior with a GPS tracking device. Editor's note: Looking for the right GPS fleet tracking software for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.
In this article, we will explain how adding GPS technology can boost your business by:
Decreases fuel usageThere is no doubt that GPS tracking devices will help lower your business's fuel costs. Keep in mind that you can lower fuel costs by up to 20% by identifying wasteful driving behaviors, like speeding, harsh braking, and idling. It is worth noting that identifying these patterns and behaviors and eliminating wasteful behaviors will save your business up to 8 gallons of fuel a month in each vehicle with a tracking device. This can lead to considerable savings for your business and boost your business. Note that a tracking system will compel your drivers to operate the vehicles more efficiently and responsibly. For example, they won't go to places they are not allowed to go and will more likely drive the vehicles at reasonable speeds. Besides alerting you to various wasteful behaviors, GPS trackers will also help you in determining ineffective routes. And this will enable you to coach drivers on safe and efficient driving habits. Lowers insurance costsDid you know that using a good GPS tracking system provides your business with access to considerably lower insurance premiums? It is worth noting that many insurers offer discounts to vehicle owners that install vehicle tracking systems, which is excellent. Note that the discount on insurance premiums can pay for the costs you incurred when you installed the GPS tracking system in your vehicles. So, if you would like to lower the cost of operating your business, you should install a GPS tracking system in all of your vehicles to boost your business. Did you know that businesses have reported cost savings of thousands of dollars per annum in insurance costs after implementing GPS technology in their vehicles? Verify working hoursNote that by tracking your vehicles and trucks with a GPS device, you will know precisely the number of hours your drivers spend on the job and to track the actions of your employees. You will also know when each job is completed. It is worth noting that with features such as geofences and landmarks, you will easily determine when a specific vehicle exits or enters an area like a job site. This is important as it virtually eliminates the risk of overtime fraud by allowing you to accurately track work hours and then pay all your employees accordingly. Helps find stolen vehiclesYou may know that losing a vehicle to thieves can be very costly to your business. And this is because whenever you lose a vehicle, you will also lose the inventory that it was transporting. There is no doubt that vehicles are valuable and important assets that aren't always easy to replace. This is especially true for small businesses. Also, note that you can lose your customers' trust when the valuable goods and items that were being transported to your customers are lost on the way. The good news is that if you can track the vehicle, you will be able to act quickly and also communicate with the law enforcement authorities in order to recover your stolen vehicles. Monitor sales territoriesIf you utilize geofences for location monitoring, then you can easily set up regional territories for your employees. This will allow you to get instant notifications whenever an employee tries to venture outside an established zone. Note that this feature is important in eliminating disputes and also encourages your sales team to focus more on its dedicated territory. Improves vehicle maintenanceYou can plug tracking devices into vehicle analytics in order to keep accurate and detailed records of vehicle usage. Note that this is important as it makes it easy and quick to follow all maintenance schedules. It is worth noting that vehicle tracking gives you the ability to look at the various locations of a vehicle. This helps you verify whether the vehicle was taken to a service station for maintenance or not. Emergency assistanceYou never know when a difficult situation can arise when one of your trucks or vehicles breaks down or something more serious occurs. Did you know that GPS can lower response time by a considerable margin? It identifies the precise location of your vehicle, whether the vehicle has broken down or can still move. As a result, it has become much simpler and easier to track your broken down vehicles and dispatch help as soon as possible. This also makes you feel more secure about all your vehicles. With a glance into your monitor, you can know the status of all of your vehicles. Improves customer experienceSmall businesses have to rely on loyal customers in order to survive. Note that there isn't any better way to win your customers' loyalty than excellent customer service. There is no doubt that with the advent of the latest technology, customers now expect goods and items to be delivered to them with less turnaround time. By implementing a GPS system, you can achieve this goal. The faster your service, the happier your customers, the better it is for your company. And that is not all; customers would like to know where the delivery is. This is where automated ETA notifications, as well as real-time driver location information, can keep them informed. Also, note that by knowing the current location of each vehicle, you can get to your customers promptly and answer their emergency calls as soon as possible. Increases productivityWhether you run a delivery, taxi, or courier service, note that GPS tracking helps eliminate time-consuming and tedious outdated procedures, like telephone calls and paperwork, hence increasing productivity in the process. Also, by optimizing and streamlining routines, a GPS-enabled tracking system allows you to keep things under control. There is no doubt that real-time visibility from smart devices and geofence notifications can make it easier to operate your business almost 24/7. Improves employee safetyYou have to value the safety and security of your employees if you would like to run a responsible business. Through GPS tracking, you can significantly improve the safety of all your employees, which is convenient. This is because a GPS tracking system enables you to locate your employees in the field whenever you lose communication. So, in case of any emergency, your employees can get the help they require in good time. You should consider adding GPS tracking to your processes right now in order to get that much more out of your business. This will come in handy, especially during this pandemic when many businesses are facing tough challenges that GPS tracking can help overcome. There is no real barrier to entry for adding GPS tracking to your business, either. Instead of having to incorporate the GPS hardware and work on the software, including your branding, you can simply use a GPS white-label platform to ensure that your business can track your products or people in an efficient and effective way. |
| Posted: 12 Jan 2021 04:30 AM PST  Short message service (SMS) polls are a form of text message marketing that capitalizes on the immediacy of a text message to quickly gather customer-driven feedback. Digital marketing always aims to get closer to the consumer, and SMS polls offer businesses their most intimate access yet. Read on to learn how SMS polls can help you improve your marketing strategy. What is an SMS poll?An SMS poll is a simple question sent through an to a business's customers. These polls often require a response of just a short keyword or letter. They are used to gauge customers' reactions to questions that may drive future promotions and product decisions. Customers' brief answers to these questions help to serve as an interactive advertisement that boosts engagement with the brand. Polls are sent directly to recipients' phones and are received like any other text message, and respondents can answer the questions as they would any other text. The texts instruct recipients on how to reply through short keywords, or even letters, that correspond to the multiple choices offered by the poll. What types of SMS polls do companies send?There are several types of SMS polls companies can use. Here are some examples: VotingWhen people think of polls, politics often comes to mind. Businesses can use that same model, for example, to ask which pizza topping a customer prefers or which new color they are most excited about for an upcoming line of jackets. The answers to these polls, in turn, can guide future company decisions. If you are choosing among several promotions or can purchase only enough inventory for one product, remove the guesswork (and potential losses). Learn from the most important source by allowing your customers to decide for you. Ask which of several options they prefer, and base your decision on their responses. ContestsOffer contests via text as an incentive for customers to engage with your brand. Prizes could include discounts, vouchers or free products. You can allow respondents to enroll by simply entering their name or to qualify by voting on a topic. This strategy encourages customers to be ready to check their phones when your number appears, so they will be more likely to prioritize your messages when contests are mixed in. You can allow multiple winners for each contest, such as by rewarding the first 10 replies. If the winners agree to an in-store photo, you can integrate this initiative with your social media strategy by posting the content on your page. If those customers tell their friends or share the results on their own social media accounts, they are doing the marketing for you. Customer data researchNot every poll must lead to an immediate or actionable decision; collecting customer data can be just as important in guiding future decisions regarding product offerings and promotions. These questions can be the same as those you would ask under typical voting measures. But rather than focusing on your product or service, ask customers about themselves. Learn their demographics, and measure them against their purchase history to better understand which areas of your business connect best with different audience segments. Customer experienceCustomer service surveys have always been an essential measurement tool for businesses, but gone are the days of asking customers to fill out paper questionnaires after their purchase. Nowadays, mobile polls can fill this need because they allow customers to respond at their convenience. One of the most useful metrics gleaned from SMS polling is your Net Promoter Score, a customer service evaluation that asks a respondent to rate their experience on a scale of 1 to 10. What are the benefits of using SMS for polling?SMS polls offer several unique benefits over other communication methods: CustomizationPolls can provide feedback on a consumer's favorite items, their customer experience, their preferred shopping patterns and more. This data, in turn, gives businesses a better understanding of which items to promote. In addition, when deciding among multiple new items, businesses can learn from the most engaged customers in real time. High engagement ratesBecause SMS polls require less time to complete than surveys do, they are more likely to be opened and read. In fact, according to SnapDesk, SMS polls have a 98% open rate, compared with 20% to 30% for email marketing. Email software can filter and bury marketing messages, but a phone immediately alerts its owner the same way with every text message. What are the differences between polls and surveys?Text messaging became popular for its immediacy and speed, but traditional surveys are better for in-person conversations and thorough analysis. SMS polls are more appropriate for facilitating condensed queries that can fit on small screens, and they allow users to answer with the ease and quickness for which text messaging was designed. Whereas surveys often ask detailed and open-ended questions that require a significant time commitment, polls seek to leverage the urgency of text messaging. They ask multiple-choice questions that can be answered with the tap of one letter. Polls are also easier for businesses to manage and record. Surveys require long-form answers that must be read and documented, but poll responses can be tallied by the same automated software that sends them out. How to send an SMS pollFollow these steps to get started with your SMS poll: 1. Choose your text message marketing service.Nearly all text messaging services offer SMS polling. Select the one that best matches your goals and audience. 2. Finalize your outreach list.Make a list of customers and their phone numbers. Before you contact them, ensure that you have obtained written consent to comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Web forms and email sign-ups at purchase are some of the most common ways to gain that permission. 3. Write the primary poll question.Use two short, casual sentences when crafting your poll. Frame the poll as an opportunity you're providing rather than a favor you're requesting. Norman Happ, CEO of EZ Texting, said to make sure the recipient thinks you have contacted them to provide value, not to make another sale. "[Are you] genuinely asking for my input or trying to sell me something?" Happ said. Start with the question itself; phrase it as a simple sentence. Follow that with clear instructions on how to reply, and inform the recipient of which words or letters they can use to answer. 4. Automate the responses.Program the message to accept whichever triggering keyword the customer chooses; then prepare an automatic follow-up message tailored to their response. This is typically a brief and friendly "thank you," regardless of their choice, that will ensure the customer continues to feel valued the next time you reach out. Keep in mind that SMS messaging often carries a more informal tone than email or other traditional marketing efforts. That's the "charm of text," Happ said. "It breaks through the clutter." |
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