Make Your Systems As Honest As Your Team

Ok, ok, it has been a while since our last posting, but work and life got in the way (again).  A sincere apology if you have been eagerly expecting a new post; you may now breathe easy once more!

From my honest declaration comes the topic for today's post: Honesty.

Are you honest?  At home?  At work?  In your company's programs?

Ah, got you there on the last one.  How can company programs be honest?  If you deliver what you advertise, isn't that honest enough?

Obviously, your products and services should be truthful, but having policies and systems "act" honest is more difficult a concept.

Imagine this not-so-made-up scenario.  You have internet service that has been canceled, so, the final bill is inbound shortly.  Upon receipt, you find it is quite incorrect in its amount, so a call is in order to the customer care number.  After too many menus, recordings, and hold times (those are different topics altogether), a representative comes on the line to assist you with your problem.  The call goes great!  The representative notices the error, punches in some keys, explains how it is resolved, and that you should be seeing results shortly.  They even put a notation in your account so if you have to call again, someone else will see!

Honest.  Clean.  They made a mistake, unfortunately (which should never have happened), but they acted to resolve it without problem.

Fast-forward a month.  In the mail, you receive an envelope from the internet service provider.  Thinking it is the revised final bill, you open it, only to find it is actually a past-due notice with the unadjusted amount!  Another call, and the number you are told to call only works for accounts in another state.  Ok, you're transferred, more menus, more recordings, and finally…another representative!  They then explain that all is well, the account is notated properly (thanks previous representative!), but the system automatically sends out the notices no matter what.

Let me repeat that: The system sends out the notices…No.  Matter.  What.

You can have the greatest employees, most awesome products, and unparalleled reliability.  But the moment something goes wrong (it eventually will), your carefully-automated process exasperates the issue.

So the message?  Make your systems as honest as your team.  Take the time to ensure nothing is automatically sent to customers that may contradict what they have been promised.  Maintain a degree of control so you can intervene if necessary.

Automation is incredible.  Just keep it all in line with your company's values and goals.

April Fool's! - Selfish Sunday

This was posted as an April Fool's Day satirical article.  Obviously, we don't want you to be selfish, and definitely don't do it on a weekly basis.  Besides, being selfish every Sunday, just like everyone else, wouldn't be very selfish, now would it? ;-)

Here at GreenProfit Solutions, and especially at our Greater Good Alliance division, we understand what it means to give back. Whether it be through board member service, hunting down silent auction items to help raise money for an organization's annual gala, or putting physical effort into building a home for a family in need. We share the joys, the victories, and the smiles.

But you know what? It's really hard! I mean, seriously, can you expect someone to give back ALL the time? To be a good citizen of Earth without fail? If you can, great, but we need a break. So we have a solution...

Selfish Sunday!

For one day a week, stop bothering to think of others...at all! That mother struggling to carry her groceries and son, AND open the door? Walk on by. The senior citizen just looking for a friend to share stories? Don't be tempted. The sea turtle laying its eggs on a busy beach? Kick the sand.

Doesn't that feel better? Who said the world doesn't revolve around you? No obligations, no guilt, and no commitment! The possibilities are endless. Want to finally live your life...here is your chance, with no distractions from "those in need".

We are extremely excited to be premiering this new tradition on April 1st. New month, new you!

Just remember to get it all out of your system before Monday, because that would just be selfish.

Blogging Is Hard!

Look at the date on this entry. Now scroll down and see the next previous one. Count the days passed (and minutes, if you so desire). It's been a while, you're right! 

Somehow, the tasks of business and personal life overcome the semi-regular schedule for this blog. Which brings us to the topic of today's entry: Priorities. 

We all have them. Does family always come first, or do you find yourself in the office until the wee hours, slaving over that last project? Everyone has their reasons for doing things as they do, but I'd wager to bet almost none of us are as efficient as we can be. 

It's because, even if we have them, we aren't following our priorities. 

What's the most important thing for you to do this week? Watch a child's recital, complete a sales presentation, or maybe return the call of that journalist who wants to do a story on your business. Obviously, if these are all in your week, you'll want to get them done

But first, list out which are truly the most important. There's a reason your phone and computer calendars have a field for Priority. Make sure that, no matter what crises or opportunities arise, you make that recital. See those items which are Low or Medium priority? They can be tasked during more "high risk" times, perhaps when there's a good chance of distractions and delays. They'll get done, but can be pushed back if needed. But those High priorities? Only "low risk" things, if anything, can come near them.

So go fill out those priority fields in your calendar and never miss another soccer game again!

Your Holiday is Over, Get Back to Work!

Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Saturnalia, and every other winter solstice celebration!

We hope you had a fantastic time with family, friends, and college bowl games. Don't you wish it could last longer? But now the year is back in full swing. 

And what a busy year it has shaped up to be. I don't know about you, but I've done more in the past 10 days than the last month, and that's not saying December was a sleeper, either! So we're all back from break, ready for action, and there's more to get done than ever before. 

How does that align with those great resolutions we all made while still under the stupor of eggnog, food comas, and cheap champagne? It would seem a reckoning is at hand. 

My suggestion? Simplify and organize. Sure, now you're really overwhelmed, but you're going to need to take a few moments and figure out what is truly important, then how to proceed to achieve your obligations and goals most effectively. Just like you have made your business operation more environmentally responsible and streamlined (you did, didn't you?), get yourself in line!

Here's how:

Cut the complexity and regain focus (It's tempting to want to tell the whole story of your latest project, but a quick summary gets the idea across better for the majority. If someone wants more information, they'll ask.).

Manage your time (Do your activities help your business, your family? If not, then it's time to reconsider.). 

Look inwards (What's most important? Is that getting your deserved attention?).

I know, they seem so oft-repeated and ridiculous, but they do work, for both yourself and business strategy.

Your Goodbye Is Your Customer's Hello

It's been a long road getting here. Product development, testing, market research, production, scalability analysis...it never seemed to end. But now you've made it. You have a product ready for your customers (and hopefully the world) to enjoy. 

Now the real work begins. 

Sure, you're certain the formulation is safe, cost-effective, consistent, not subject to temperature swings, and countless other factors, but what have you done to ensure an ideal first experience?

A few days ago (I'm not joking), I strayed from my usual lunches and had one of those single-serve Greek yogurts. The first thing I noticed when I peeled the top was how the yogurt had been drizzled in an intricate pattern. It was classy and enticing, and I couldn't help but smile (and eat!). 

Their goodbye was my hello. 

They could have easily left out that pattern. No doubt, it added valuable pennies and seconds to the production line. Margins would be higher, yields as well. So why do something to your product that couldn't possibly even help sell it on the shelf?

My hello. 

Go back to my description of opening the container. Notice anything important? I was smiling about their product before even tasting it!

Before. Even. Tasting. 

What can we all learn from their example? That perceptions, obviously, matter, but not only the ones you slave over for days, weeks, months, maybe even years. You cannot forget the little things, those that "seal the deal" for your customer's satisfaction. 

Would I have eaten the yogurt if it had just been poured into the container? Sure, but it wouldn't have been as memorable. Which brand will I get next time I'm at the market? I think you can guess. 

Once again, the Beatles said it best, "You say goodbye and I say hello."

Sales Without Selling - Part 2 - The Right Passion, ahem, Person

Let's review what was covered before going further. The previous entry covered how the best sales is done without the customer ever knowing they were being sold. "Smell this perfume", "taste this appetizer", "try this cleaner": All ways to sell (if done properly) without selling. Bonus points if you can do it with nothing ever being said.

But how in the world do you get a team of people who can do that on a regular basis?

With a lot of patience, practice, research, and, yeah, time. Not to say that you'll be sailing the glistening seas of sales nirvana immediately following, but it will get you on the right path.

Hiring is a pretty complex process. Here I thought you read a resume, discussed it, interviewed, and either hired or passed on that person. Sure, now add lots of other steps in-between.

When we thought of how we wanted our Connection Development Agents to approach community businesses, we quickly realized that we talk about our offerings not as sales people, but as passionate citizens. So anyone working for us has to have the passion too.

And that, you cannot train.

So, is the resume check sufficient? Nope. For now, let's skip over the skills and qualifications assessment (which we perform differently as well) to what we can call step one:

• Do they have the vision, the passion?
• Are they open to learning about sustainability and community improvement?
• How does that passion appear when talking to someone they just met?

Yes, that is step one. We are a social enterprise, and everyone involved must truly care for it to succeed. A sales person visiting a retail establishment is not what we want, nor can ever use.

A passionate member of the community aiming to help another resident in building a more sustainable world isn't selling. They're making a difference.

And that's not easy to explain in a "Help Wanted" ad.

"GREEN" Is The New Black

This is a guest post by one of our Gold Certification Level members, Organic Catering & Events.

We love to throw a party! There is the food, the cocktails, the friends, the music, and décor.  So much fun.  The one thing we don’t like is the waste.  As a caterer and event planner in South Florida, I became more concerned with that waste. 

As we enter into the season of entertaining, the good news is that with a bit of creativity and a little know-how, you can have a fun festive affair, without it taking a toll on the environment.

Some tips for this season:

1. Supplies: Think like Grandma- Use the Good Stuff- break out the china, crystal and linens. If the event requires disposables look into the new lines of bamboo and plant starch plates, cups, utensils and napkins, they are biodegradable from a continual renewable supply with little negative impact on the environment.
2. Food: Leave behind your global thinking this time and think local.  Shipping ingredients from other parts of the world requires a tremendous amount of fuel.   Look to your local farmers market or CSA- Community Supported Agriculture.  The food will be fresher, taste better and generally more cost effective.
3. Décor: Be resourceful.  Use things you already have in a new and different way.  Use a potted plant orchid or fresh herb, wrap the pot in a cloth napkin and display on a glass block or cake stand for the center of each table.  Afterwards, plant in garden and reap the rewards.
4. Drinks: Simplify here and take advantage of local or seasonal ingredients by serving a signature cocktail and just some select wines and sparkling waters for your event. My favorite this year is our “Florida Snowball Martini” a mix of coconut waters, vodka a triple sec. Fun, Festive and Memorable. Keeping it stylish and unique without the waste.

For more info on how to have a green party or event and other eco-friendly food, drinks and entertaining tips call or email www.OrganicCateringandEvents.com or 954-568-2383

Always in Good Taste,

Chef Marci Boland