02 May

Raptors Make It To Second Round Of NBA Playoffs!

Posted in NBA, News on 02.05.16 by John Meloche

Baskeball isolated on a white background as a sports and fitness symbol of a team liesure activity playing with a leather ball dribbling and passing in competition tournaments.In the past, the Synergy Marketing Blog has happily commented on the successes of the professional sports teams that represent the city where we are headquartered. Our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Raptors have given us a lot to celebrate (and even more to complain about) over the years, and usually, we enjoy discussing our views. Firstly, we often relate the ups and downs of a pro sports team to that of a company’s staff.

There are many similarities, of course. The most important similarity being that teamwork is a necessity in order for any business with several employees to flourish. Secondly, we just happen to employ a fair number of sports fans, here at Synergy Marketing. And some of the more superstitious ones think that – just maybe – blogging about our favourite teams brings them bad luck.

We certainly hope that isn’t the case today as we’d like to return to our trend of celebrating Toronto’s teams by offering the Toronto Raptors (and all of their amazing fans) special congratulations for making it into the second round of the NBA Playoffs last night! With their 89-84 Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers at the Air Canada Centre, the Raptors have booked their ticket against the Miami Heat – a series that begins tomorrow.

In the 21 seasons that the Toronto Raptors have been playing in the NBA, this is, astonishingly, only the second time in franchise history that the Raps have made it into the second round of the playoffs. The first time took place an incredible 15 years ago. Most fans will remember that season as the one when Vince Carter put up a jump shot at the buzzer in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a shot that would miss and end the Raptors’ hopes of a championship.

That isn’t to say that the Raptors were considered favourites to win it all in 2001. But with a superstar like Vince Carter at the helm during that time, Toronto’s young NBA team seemed destined for a better outcome. Fast forward a decade and half later and our city is now home to a team that has dominated the Atlantic Division for the past three years. The best team, by way of a regular season record, in Raptors history, this year’s squad appears primed to achieve greatness.

There are many fans, however, who remain sceptical that the Raptors have what it takes to do much damage in the postseason. And it’s hard to blame them. After all, the Raptors have been ousted in the first round of the playoffs the past two seasons – seasons when they were favoured to beat their lower-seeded opponents. This year was no different. And yet the Raptors made things excruciatingly interesting during their series with the Pacers over the last week.

In one game they would dominate and in the next they would get dominated. They came back to win an incredible nail biter in Game 5, only to get blown out in Game 6. Prior to last night’s contest, the winner of Game 7 was anyone’s guess. Now, there is no guessing necessary. The Toronto Raptors are in the second round and still maintain home court advantage against the Heat as the #2 seeded team in the Eastern Conference.

Needless to say, there is a lot of excitement in Toronto right now. We’d also like to point out that the Toronto Maple Leafs have finally given fans something to cheer about as they won the first pick in this year’s NHL Draft Lottery. Here’s hoping that getting the #1 pick will be the beginning of a brand new era of dominance in Maple Leafs history. But in the meantime…Let’s Go Raptors!

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12 Feb

3 Reasons To Make Changes To Your Sales Team

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 12.02.16 by John Meloche

Competitive businessman wearing hockey equipmentThis past week, the Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a blockbuster 9-player trade that involved unloading the huge contract of their now-former captain, Dion Phaneuf. The swap made with the rival Ottawa Senators sent shockwaves throughout Leafs Nation. Readers of our blog may know that many members of said nation are part of the Synergy Marketing team. Being headquartered in Toronto, Ontario makes the hiring of Leafs fans a common occurrence.

Over the past couple of days, since the trade was pulled off, members of our team have debated its merits. Some argue that Phaneuf was a great team leader who was adored by his teammates, so the Leafs have suffered a loss in parting with him. Others (the majority, we might add) are thrilled that their beloved Buds have freed up salary cap space to make way for better players who are bound to help the team win.

In any event, the big trade highlights something significant about all business types – change is inevitable. It may be cliché to say that “change is good” – but Leafs fans certainly seem to be agreeing with the idiom at the moment. Apparently, most of them see the Phaneuf trade as a major improvement to the Maple Leafs squad. Are there changes to your team that are necessary in order to improve it?

Here are three reasons to make changes to your sales team:

1. It helps for your team to develop new skills. Adding new and talented members to your team can introduce skills that it was once lacking. This is generally the point of a trade, is it not? Perhaps, your staff could use a little bolstering from a savvy new employee who can offer both inspiration and insight on how to improve performance. “Constant change allows your team to learn new skillsets that can take their selling game to the next level,” writes Sandler Training CEO, Dave Mattson.

2. It will shake things up with your business. Do you ever feel that your working environment is getting stale? Is your office the type that elicits such responses as “same old, same old” when its employees are asked “so, how are things at work?” If so, change is necessary. “Sticking with traditional selling tactics in a changing sales environment can lead to failure,” says Mattson, “Refresh and reinforce your sales team with continuous reinforcement training to prevent their sales systems from stagnating and causing a sales slump.”

3. It can help staff members better learn from their mistakes. Change doesn’t always have to come by way of new team members. You may also want to change certain policies and procedures in order to improve upon your employees’ talents. This will encourage them to become stronger after making certain missteps that may have diminished their confidence in their abilities. Mattson writes that failing can actually strengthen your sales team.

“Overcoming poor sales experiences helps your team learn from failures and improve in the future,” he offers, “Constant changes in the sales climate require adaptation to continue thrive. The only other option is gradual and inevitable failure.” Mattson goes on to remind us that without change, improvements are hard to come by. “Change triggers progress and guides salespeople towards new and more effective techniques,” he writes.

Here’s hoping the changes you make to your team will grow your company’s success. At Synergy Marketing, we’re in the business of helping companies become more successful. To order a great promo gift to advertise your brand with, call us at 1-877-748-9884 between 9am and 5pm EST or email us at info@gosynergygo.com! You can also sign up for our Insider E-Flyer Program HERE!

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27 Apr

3 Ways To Rebuild Your Brand After A Fall

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 27.04.15 by John Meloche

Toolbox with tools. Skrewdriver, hammer, handsaw and wrenchReaders of the Synergy Marketing Blog know that our staff is comprised of many a sports fan. And since we’re headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, you can take a wild guess as to the sports teams that we most adamantly support. That being said, it should probably go without saying that there was on overwhelming sense of disappointment this morning as our sports-crazed staff members came in to work reeling from the four game sweep of their beloved Raptors in the NBA Playoffs.

It was bad enough that the Toronto Maple Leafs had such a horrible season that saw them miss the NHL Playoffs completely. But there were high hopes for our Atlantic Division-winning Toronto Raptors. Last night’s showdown with the Washington Wizards wasn’t even much of a contest. Our hometown Raps didn’t look like they were in it to win it from the beginning. And now, there is much talk of rebuilding the team for next season.

Such an unfortunate circumstance is not exclusive to sports teams. Canadian business owners often find themselves in situations where they feel that rebuilding is necessary. Obviously, it takes a lot of work. But it should be noted that hope should never be lost for a brighter future. There are just a number of important steps that should be taken to steer your company in a better direction.

Here are three ways to rebuild your brand after a fall:

1. Solidify your strongest relationships. It isn’t likely that the Raptors are going to have an entirely new line-up at the beginning of the next NBA season. Obviously, the team has some key players that will be important pieces of the puzzle to build around. If your business has experienced a fall of some kind, it’s important to remember the pieces of your puzzle that are still worth keeping.

“Get a clear picture of resources and strengths,” advises Claudette Rowley on Boston.com, “note everything that comes to mind, not matter how small it may seem.” Do you have strong relationships with your vendors? Is your brand well-recognized? Are your investors committed to you? These are a few questions that Rowley intimates that you should answer to know what strengths you can work with going forward in your rebuilding process.

2. Determine your opportunities. Clearly, the Raptors are going to need some new players with new attitudes when they get back on the court for a new season. Naturally, when your company experiences a downturn, there are also changes that need to be made. What are they exactly? It’s important to pinpoint the specific areas of concern before you go rearranging everything. Rebuilding will likely require a lot more than just new members of your team.

A “shift in your mindset” is necessary to change things for the better, says Rowley. Many business owners have turned missteps into learning opportunities to succeed in the past. “Sit your team down for a brainstorming session and ask the question: Now that we’ve lost that contract, what is available to us?” she recommends, “Make a list of every opportunity that comes to mind, whether it seems realistic or crazy. Sometimes what seems initially off-the-wall might be exactly what you need to rebuild.”

3. Commit to a new plan. Once you’ve done the appropriate amount of research to determine what your problem areas are so that you can correct them, it’s time to take a step in a new direction. Rowley insists that you specify who will spearhead the plan, who else needs to be involved and in what capacity, what action steps are required, what the deadlines are and who will be accountable to meet them.

At Synergy Marketing, we’d be happy to be a part of your rebuilding process. To effectively advertise your company at a low cost, call us to learn more about our amazing promotional products. We can be reached toll-free at 1-877-748-9884!

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15 Apr

3 More Ways To Bolster Your Business Team

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 15.04.15 by John Meloche

Competitive businessman wearing hockey equipmentThe NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin tonight! And that means that excitement is at a fever pitch all throughout Canada. Not necessarily in Toronto, however. Our hometown Toronto Maple Leafs have missed the playoffs for a second straight season, after completing one of their most dismal attempts to make it back to the postseason in years. Things are bit different in other parts of the country.

Interestingly, round one of the playoffs will feature a couple of all-Canadian match-ups. The Ottawa Senators will battle it out with the Montreal Canadiens while the Vancouver Canucks will face the Calgary Flames over on the west coast. Toronto hockey fans will sadly have to adopt a new team to get behind. Again. As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, our hockey team vastly needs improving. Does your company’s team need improving as well?

Here are three more ways to bolster your business team:

1. Encourage and accept feedback. In order for your employees to truly get behind your company’s mandate to perform at its best, they need to feel like what they do and say matters. There is no one better than those on the front line to listen to when it comes to drumming up ideas to improve your company’s success. Your team members who work directly with your customers know what makes your customers tick. Listen to feedback and implement changes where appropriate.

“People will work for something they believe is worth doing because it makes the world better,” writes Tim Berry on BusinessInsider.com, “Believe that, live that, and other people will join you. It’s not about sales growth and profits unless you own the company and plan to sell it. Until then, it’s about doing something that matters.” Your team will feel like what they are doing matters when you prove to them that their contributions truly makes a difference.

2. Let your team be part of your company’s development. It’s one thing to accept feedback. It’s another thing to allow your team members to come up with the ideas that will bring about positive change. If you really want your team to perform well, you may want to give them the responsibility of seeing whether or not they can come up with ways to improve business on their own. Berry refers to this as a “SWOT analysis”.

“Get the team together and do bullet points for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats,” he explains, “Strengths and weaknesses are internal, opportunities and threats are external. It gets people thinking about strategy.” When you have your team on board with your strategy – partly because they helped to come up with it – it will encourage them to perform at their best in order to see their ideas through.

3. Keep statistics. If it’s one thing that sports fans really love to pay attention to, it’s statistics. How else are they able to determine who the best players in their favourite leagues are? As a business owner, you should take the same approach to bolstering your team. Keep statistics and share them with your team. The only way to improve performance is to let them know exactly how they’re doing.

“Find numbers for everybody and live them and own them,” insists Berry, “Not just dollars in sales or costs or expenses; find the real numbers your team members can live with, take pride in, improve, and (point 2 above) own. That might be page views, clicks, links in, meals served, trips, engagements, conversion, calls, presentations, whatever. Give everybody numbers. Make an environment in which people care about their numbers, check them daily, hurt when they’re bad, feel good when they’re good.”

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14 Apr

3 Ways To Improve Your Company’s Team

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 14.04.15 by John Meloche

Businessman and baseball batWell, the Toronto Blue Jays didn’t start their 2015 season at home the way we would have liked. With a less-than-exciting 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays last night at their home opener inside Rogers Centre, the Jays have fallen to 4-3 on the season so far. The fans, here at Synergy Marketing, are hopeful that the things are only going get better from here. After all, the Jays have done a lot to bolster their team over the offseason.

At Synergy Marketing, we are also mindful of the fact that business owners are in constant states of bolstering their teams. It is practically a year-round part of the job to strengthen business operations by improving the quality of their staffs. So how do you ensure that your team is always performing at its best? How do you know when it’s time to let go of the weakest performers and bring in some new blood?

Here are three ways to improve your company’s team:

1. Develop from within. Just like in professional sports, many teams require the nurturing of young talent in order to grow their success. Naturally, this may take some time. But putting an effort towards developing the talents of your most trusted and loyal team members can go long way in growing your business. To do this, it’s important to encourage your team members by giving them responsibilities that truly impact your company.

“Develop ownership inside the team,” insists Tim Berry on BusinessInsider.com, “By ownership I mean being really in charge of something, so you care about whether it works or doesn’t. If you’re key team members don’t swell with pride when things go well and dig in deep to change things when things go poorly, you’re screwed. Do they wait for your lead on everything? Then they don’t own anything, and nothing good is going to happen.”

2. Learn from your mistakes. No matter how good a team is, they are bound to suffer losses from time to time. Obviously, the Toronto Blue Jays are well aware of that. However, your losses and missteps give you opportunities to know how to make changes for the better. Simply dwelling on what you may consider your failures is not bound to help you in any way. It’s important to learn from those mistakes and turn them into business-building experiences.

“Embrace mistakes and educated guessing,” advises Berry, “People afraid of making mistakes can’t operate. If they don’t acknowledge bad results, and don’t care, get rid of them. If they do acknowledge bad results and they bear down to solve problems and do better, make sure they know that you know that. You want people to guess and keep trying. Good decisions have bad outcomes sometimes.”

3. Put your customers first. In professional sports, it’s important to consider the needs of a fan base. After all, who is putting money in the pockets of the teams? Without support, teams fold and often move to new markets. The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t about to fold any time soon. Their fan base is too huge. We should know – we’re part of it! But, yesterday, just days after one of their worst seasons ended, it was announced that their General Manager and coaching staff were all fired.

Why? The fans need to know that there will be different results next year! Your customers need to feel as if their needs are considered priorities as well. To do that, Berry recommends that you work towards improving your customers’ lives. “Don’t just keep shouting the same old stuff,” he writes, “Find something your team can do that’s good for your customers. Make your customers’ lives better. Do that on your own terms of course, within your own business area.”

Be sure to check back for tomorrow’s blog as we continue to analyze ways that you can improve your company’s team. And don’t forget to give ours a call at 1-877-748-9884 in order to get your hands on your fantastic promotional products!

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02 Mar

3 Significant Changes That Can Better Your Business

Posted in News, Social Media, Synergy Suggestions on 02.03.15 by John Meloche

To-Do List Change Word Dry Erase Board ImproveToday at 3 p.m. EST marks the NHL’s trade deadline. And the hockey world is all abuzz today anticipating some of the biggest trades of the year. For hockey fans, this is the time of year when excitement reaches high heights as teams make their final moves in efforts to make the playoffs. Other teams, however, utilize the trade deadline to unload players in efforts to rebuild for future seasons. Sadly, Synergy Marketing’s hometown Toronto Maple Leafs are in the latter category.

For members of Leaf Nation, it’s yet another disappointing year. With Toronto having the most lucrative team in the sport, it’s incredibly disheartening for die-hard fans of the team to have another losing season. After all, when you have the money to spend, you should be able to build a successful franchise, shouldn’t you? Business owners sure think this way. And, most business owners across Canada aren’t working with the type of money that the Leafs have.

Instead, small to medium-sized Canadian business owners are required to make use of smaller budgets to build their brands. In lieu of big budgets, they have to take advantage of the personal relationships that they develop with their clients, building upon them in order to make them long lasting. This is where Synergy Marketing’s promotional products come in very handy. For many years, they have been known to help secure customer loyalty.

But what else can you do to grow your business? Like so many NHL teams on the day of the trade deadline, changes often have to be made. On Forbes.com, Chad Halvorson writes that “as a business owner, you have to be committed to constantly evaluating your business practices and making necessary changes if you want to see growth.” Here are three significant changes you can make to better your business.

1. Keep things simple for your customers. “Whether you run an online or a brick and mortar company, strive to make each customer’s experience as simple as possible,” advises Halvorson. Making things easy, he says, involves making products easy to find, updating payment systems for smooth transactions, being responsive to emails and phone messages and being consistent with the products you offer. These practices will give customers confidence that they can rely on you.

2. Stay active on social media. With networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it’s easier to keep in touch with clients than ever before. As you know, Synergy Marketing champions the use of both platforms. Halvorson recommends that you avoid commenting on controversial issues but suggests that you post often. Try to engage your followers as much as possible. “Encourage interaction by answering question and responding to others’ comments,” he suggests.

3. Show social responsibility. “Consumers love do-gooders and they are itching to purchase goods and services from enterprises that are socially responsible,” Halvorson insists, “Any visibility you gain from giving back to the community will double as advertising for your business.” Going green is just one of the ways that you can show your social responsibility. Setting up a recycling station to show customers that you are environmentally friendly can help.

He also suggests participating in such activities as partnering with an important cause, serving meals at shelters and even having a “coat drive”. “Use all of your advertising mediums to let the community know you are collecting gently used coats for the needy,” he writes, “People will race to gather coats and bring them to your business to donate.” To successfully grow your business, Halvorson concludes, it’s important to make significant changes.

Make one of those changes using promo gifts to advertise your brand. Call Synergy Marketing at 1-877-748-9884 to order yours today!

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27 May

4 Easy Ways To Make An Impact In Your Community

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 27.05.14 by John Meloche

Pile of handsMake that seven in a row! Just in case you weren’t convinced by yesterday’s blog, the staff, here at Synergy Marketing, is pretty excited about the recent hot streak being enjoyed by our hometown Toronto Blue Jays. Not only are we big sports fans around here, but we always associate the success of sports teams with the success of businesses. After all, teams are businesses, right?

They have fan bases. They require supporters to spend their money on them in order for them to operate. And they represent a certain demographic. With the Blue Jays, Raptors and Maple Leafs all representing Toronto – the city where Synergy Marketing is headquartered – it only makes sense for us to support these teams. However, it also makes sense of us to draw parallels between our support and the support your business deserves from its community.

As a business owner, you possess the unique opportunity to capture the heart of “fans” from your local community. As Jesse Aaron writes on GetBusyMedia.com, “running a small business can be a challenge, but the best way to make an impact with your business is to first make an impact in the community you serve.” He goes on to provide some ways that you can get involved in your community in order to boost business.

1. Serve on a Community Board. Aaron writes that this is one of the best ways to become known in your community. He advises that you try to find a board that will suit the interests of both yourself and those who are most likely to support your business. These boards, he notes, are often full of influential people so “connecting with them will be beneficial, as they will lead you to the people who you are ultimately aiming to serve as customers.”

2. Volunteer. There is a lot of power in volunteering, insists Aaron. It shows that you are willing to give of your time and be part of something that is bigger than your business. “It makes you a team player,” he writes. Being a volunteer automatically puts you in a win-win situation. It shows your community your charitable side which goes a long way in building relationships. And it obviously shines a favourable light on your business!

3. Build Partnerships. Making connections with people in your community is a surefire way to get your business exposed on a broader scale. Aaron points out that if you are already on boards or volunteering, building partnerships is an easy feat. It’s practically inevitable that you’re going to meet new people and become better associated with them over time. Work out ways to help others so that they are willing to help you as well.

4. Donate. It’s not just your time that you should be donating in order to help your business succeed. Your donations don’t always have to be monetary either, Aaron points out. Perhaps you could donate your space so that large, local groups can meet. By supporting community organizations, you will not only gain favour in your community, but be recognized as one of the community’s leaders.

In tomorrow’s blog, we’ll continue to take a look at some more of Aaron’s ideas on how to get better involved in your community. It should go without saying that the more you get involved in your community, the more your community will support your business. And speaking of support, we’re looking forward to cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays in their next game tonight! And we’re looking forward to hearing from you as well.

Call Synergy Marketing to order your promotional gifts at 1-877-748-9884.

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18 Apr

Reigniting Your Passion For Your Business

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 18.04.14 by John Meloche

Depositphotos_26651271_xsAll week long, we’ve been discussing the concept of business rebuilding after a major slump or slow period. Inspired by the poor effort shown by our hometown Toronto Maple Leafs during their final stretch to make the NHL playoffs, our blogs have focused primarily on the various tasks that business owners can undertake to get their companies back on track.

But what if the business owners themselves are the ones who need to get back on track? Many hockey fans blame a lack of passion for the reason that the Leafs faltered late in the season and missed a playoff berth. Have you lost the passion that you once had for your business? Maybe you’re the one who truly needs a boost in order your for your business to get back to its winning ways. On EliteDaily.com, Stephen Edwards explores this concept.

“For many of us, it is hard to stay passionate about a venture for an extensive period of time,” writes Edwards, “Each passing day without noticeable progress seems to set back your interest further.” He encourages business owners in this situation to not give up hope. Additionally, he provides a list of tips that he believes can help reignite the fire they may have lost for their businesses.

Focus on the future. It’s hard to remain passionate when things aren’t going so well, admits Edwards. And that’s why you have to focus on the future. Stop reminiscing over the wrong turns you’ve made and how bad things have been lately. Focusing on the negative won’t help you. Can you remember why you were so committed to your work when you started your business? Recall what made you so passionate to begin with and go from there.

Try to learn from your failures. “The faster you are able to embrace failure as an unpreventable result of certain situations, the better off you will be,” writes Edwards. Often, this entails taking different routes to finding the success you want. It could mean working with new individuals or even changing locations. No matter what, it’s important to see bumps in the road as opportunities to learn how to drive yourself forward in new ways.

Take action. There’s nothing worse than procrastinating when it comes to overcoming bad moments in your history. When you don’t see the results that you want to see, it’s impossible to get them when you’re not working to achieve. Don’t dwell on your failures. See them as learning experiences that now make you a better business person. Make a schedule, suggests Edwards, set reminders and complete tasks daily.

Remain optimistic. Attitude is everything. Life will always get better, Edwards reminds us. A positive mindset is integral to you getting ahead. Keeping yourself in a bad place emotionally will only serve to limit your progress. You can’t get ahead by feeling sorry for yourself. This isn’t always easy. Take some time – a short time – to deal with your frustrations. But understand that things will improve.

Stick to your inner circle. Part of making yourself feel better about things is surrounding yourself with positive-minded individuals. “The key is to find a group of individuals that are not only a great fit personality wise, but also a great fit professionally,” says Edwards, “What use is 2,000 friends if none of them can contribute to your work life or personal life in any facet?”

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16 Apr

4 Steps To Take During The Rebuilding Process

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 16.04.14 by John Meloche

Depositphotos_13443360_xsStill reeling from the dismal ending to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season last week, the staff here at Synergy Marketing is looking more forward than ever to the Toronto Raptors’ playoff run. And can you blame us? The Leafs have appeared in the playoffs just once in the past decade. And the Raps are back in the postseason for the first time since 2008.

The Toronto Blue Jays – well, you know that story. They haven’t been a playoff team since the back-to-back World Series Championships of 1992 and 1993. Those were the days. And while we could reminisce all day long about our sports teams claiming top spots in their respective sports, it should serve as a reminder that we can’t all win all the time. This is especially true when your business is experiencing a slow period.

In yesterday’s blog, we listed a number of ways that business owners can rebound from bad times and rebuild their businesses. But there is an extremely important task in particular to accomplish when building back your brand. And that’s regaining a positive perception in the eyes of your customers. As sports fans, we’re skeptical to believe that our teams are truly going to rebound from bad seasons. So how do your clients truly feel?

On Results-Driven.com, John Marshall writes that it’s important to realize that you must work hard to build good relationships with your numerous customers. If you’ve had difficulties with your business, you may not realize just how much they have impacted your customers’ view of your brand. There are a number of steps you’ll have to take to repair the damage. Marshall advises that you answer a few questions to take those steps.

Have you had any customer service issues recently that have caused some friction? The importance of great customer service cannot be understated. Poor customer service has damaged many a company’s reputation, hurting sales in a great way. Perhaps it’s not your goods or services that are causing the downward spiral with your business. Assess your customer service regimen to see if significant changes are necessary.

Are some of your customers losing confidence in you? Have you noticed that your regular customers aren’t so regular anymore? Look into reasons that they may no longer be visiting you. It’s possible that they may have moved on to one of your competitors. It’s imperative that you figure out why. Regaining the confidence of your customers will take some digging. Make your efforts strong ones.

Have some of your customers lost confidence in your team? Perhaps your problems have come as a result of your staff members. It’s important that you don’t go around pointing fingers. Look deeper into the interactions that have taken place between your employees and your customers. Have any complaints been registered? Again, doing your research to get to the heart of the matter is key.

Have you discussed this confidence issue at any of your recent team meetings? There just might be no better way to figure out what may be happening with your staff members than to address them directly. Request total transparency and give them the confidence to speak freely. After all, you’re all in this together. Making things better for the business makes things better for everyone.

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15 Apr

Rebuilding Your Business The Right Way

Posted in Synergy Suggestions on 15.04.14 by John Meloche

Businessman rebuilding a damaged bridge with cityscape in the backgroundIn yesterday’s blog, we (sadly) admitted that we’re hanging our heads, here at Synergy Marketing, over the disastrous end to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ season. What seemed like a sure bet to make the playoffs prior to the Olympic break in February became a free fall out of the playoff picture with just three games to go in the season. The hope, of course, is that a serious rebuilding process is started this offseason.

As we mentioned at the end of the blog, this happens to businesses all the time. It’s not uncommon to experience slow periods and tough times. But, like the Leafs (we hope), it doesn’t mean that you can’t put in the type of work that will see you reach success in the future. On Boston.com, Claudette Rowley writes that there are several steps that can be taken to rebuild your business the right way.

Assess your circumstances realistically. Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem. Then again, perhaps you need a complete overhaul. Make sure you’re aware of your available resources and strengths as well as your current liabilities, says Rowley. Be sure to be thorough, concise and honest with yourself during this process. Consider whether or not any of your liabilities can be changed into assets.

Locate your opportunities. “Opportunities are embedded in almost all obstacles,” writes Rowley, “Stories abound of entrepreneurs who take an obstacle and turn it into asset.” It’s all about switching your mindset. It’s easy to worry about a bad situation. But it only becomes harder to deal with when you don’t focus on the positive. Brainstorm with your team and make lists of all of your opportunities no matter how small they may seem.

Make note of what you’ve learned. Corrections can be made when you know where you’ve gone wrong. Solving your immediate problems don’t always bring about solutions for the long haul. Incorporate a strategy that addresses the big picture. It may not just be about resurrecting a lost account or reshipping a lost item. You may need to rethink your policies and modes of operation in general.

Identify your solutions and strategies. “Once you’ve assessed resources, strengths and liabilities, understand your opportunities, and have crystallized what you’ve learned, it’s time to identify the best solution to rebuild,” insists Rowley. You may have to come up with a new long term plan to truly set your company on the right path. Having gone through your first three steps, you should be better prepared to make decisions that will benefit your brand well into the future.

Commit to a plan of action. To get your company back on track, you must be diligent. Rowley suggests that you specify a number of roles. Determine who will spearhead your plans and figure out who will need to be involved and in what capacity. Outline the steps that you will be taking and set deadlines to hold your team members accountable. Be sure to implement a communication plan so that you can evaluate progress and know when you’ve succeeded.

“When the unexpected happens in business, the outcome can be a temporarily bumpy ride,” explains Rowley, “But once you find the opportunity inside of the circumstances, galvanize your courage, and gather your resources, the outcome can be even better than you had imagined.” And while you’re on your way back to the top, don’t forget to contact Synergy Marketing for assistance with promoting your brand to your new customers.

Call us at 1-877-748-9884.

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