Turning negative into positive and reaping the rewards!
1. Establish your process.
When you first start a business if can easy to feel overwhelmed. There are a million things to do and as a result you allow yourself to be pulled in just as many directions. Why is this considered a negative in our books? Being unorganized and all over the place more often than not results in details being overlooked which can lead to unhappy clients and poor production. Take the time to sit down and develop complete contracts, an efficient sign-off system, comprehensive project planners and keep on top of your administration tasks. Establishing a clear process to your project will make the work more professional, more efficient and more enjoyable.
2. Be accessible to clients.
Maintain an open dialogue with your clients and encourage them to pepper you with questions if they have concerns about their project. Remember, you are the expert in your field and what may be considered common sense to you can seem completely foreign to others. Creating a formal checklist prior to project commencement can help address any client questions or concerns straight away and help both parties find each other on the same page.
3. Time is money.
This phrase is a cliche for a reason – it’s true! As much as it is important to create a positive client relationship, it can be difficult to differentiate between exceptional customer service and billable hours. Email communication, phone calls, and meetings all add up into hours of a day. By clarifying the difference in your company between daily communications and billable time you can exponentially increase your profitability. Be sure that your time is reflected fairly within your quotes.
4. Listen for passion.
In any creative industry, especially media-related, listening is one of the most important skills you can exercise. In Arlene Dickinson’s book, Persuasion, she talks about “dream building” versus “pain stopping.” Interestingly enough, the more listening you do, the more one of these “sides” will arise in a conversation. For instance, I once met with a client who wanted to start a company that would be in direct competition with the one he just left. From his choice of words and tone, I realized that this business venture was as much about “pain stopping” as it was about “dreaming building.” Interestingly enough, our relationship ended on a sour note. Was I surprised? Not really. This “dream” wasn’t as much about him as it was about out-doing his former employer. Thankfully, the above example is far less common than those looking to build a company based on a genuine love for what they do or sell. The moral of the story, however, is to recognize passion in your clients and work with people who are pursuing positivity. Anything else will bring you down by association.
5. Embrace the unexpected.
Every now and then a little treasure will cross your path, completely out of the blue, often times in the form of an amazing individual or a random idea. When hiring for your company look for people who will work well with the team to create incredible new projects and new ventures for your business. Ask yourself and your employees, how can we take risks? How can we improve? How can we become the best we can be? Growth only happens with change, so encourage your company to change for the better and the people within it to share their ideas, no matter how outrageous! You never know where the next crazy notion might take you.
6. Let it go.
Everybody encounters negativity in their life. A nasty email, a harsh word, a glaring criticism or even hurtful gossip – it all swirls around and can sometimes leave us feeling paralysed. The secret to overcoming this less than pleasant phenomenon? Let – it – go. Is it easier said then done? Absolutely. But it will pay off in the end. Dwelling upon the negative only holds you back, so remember to take deep breaths and push forward.
7. Follow the rules
This might sound a bit like being a ‘goody goody,’ but rules in business are there for a reason. Do not allow making exceptions for friends and people you like to become a habit, because your generosity will ultimately take valuable time and resources away from your business. Stick to your working outlines. It just makes life easier and less dramatic.
8. Listen to your gut.
In case you didn’t know, your gut knows everything. Don’t be afraid to recognize a bully, those individuals who may try to take advantage of your services. Be confident in your company’s policies and in yourself. Working for a bully, whether it be a contractor, a coworker, or a client, will effect everybody negatively. Take note of your first impressions and if your gut says something is wrong, chances are it is.
9. Speak up.
Remember the saying, “The client is always right?” Well, it’s wrong. Often times clients will make decisions that clash with your expert opinion and advice and blindly following their lead can result in less than desirable work for your portfolio. Do not be afraid to present your concerns or offer kindly feedback. The client hired you for a reason, for your skills and for your knowledge, so do not shy away. Of course, remaining respectful of a client’s wishes should go without saying, but do not sacrifice your standards without at least voicing your concerns. More often than not an honest and open conversation will result in a wonderful final product.
10. Explore.
Go above and beyond in all aspects of your life. Take a professional course to sharpen those skills, read a good book to spark your imagination, try something completely new just to discover a new side of yourself. Push yourself to be better than your present version and your business will evolve with you.
