Feel the Force - Become a Business Jedi

  Check this out.... I was in London the other weekend watching my daughter Tori doing the London 10K run. It was a great little run through the streets of the West End, along the Embankment, past Big Ben and then to Downing Street. At the end of the run we decided to go for lunch in Covent Garden.  You'll probably know that there are lots of restaurants around Covent Garden and there is a certain one called Flat Iron. It was recommended to us but you can't book. After a short walk we arrived to find a queue of people waiting to get in for meal. And I mean a queue - check out the photo. We were starving so we didn't bother waiting and moved on. However, this got me thinking... how can a little restaurant attract so much attention and yet other restaurants nearby were empty? What was this place doing that clearly had raving fans queuing to get in for food? I appreciate that we are in a very different market than a restaurant but doesn't it make you think?  What am I doin...

  When it comes to understanding why certain businesses are thriving and their counterparts are not, there is a very common theme. There’s ONE thing that’s common to them all... This one thing makes selling their product or service easier, makes charging a higher price easier, makes getting their brand out there more accessible, makes finding better staff easier, and keeps customers buying easier. That one thing is... To differentiate what they do from their competition. Sounds obvious, right? But can you honestly answer this: “Why should someone buy my product or service from me, rather than from my competitor?" If you look at any business and compare them to their competitors, 95% of them are the same — just a different logo. They’re selling the same stuff at the same price to the same audience while claiming they care more and that their service is better, or that they are more trustworthy. This mindset means these businesses will struggle. So how do you d...

Back in April 2017 we discussed the value of online Customer reviews at the first Group Conference at the Birmingham Motor Cycle museum. In those days we might have had 30-40 attending. One of the talks was on Reviews and what Review platform everyone preferred..? There was lots of differing opinions but with the help of Trustist it meant we could accommodate everyone. In 2017 the Group has amassed not much more than 1,000 reviews in over 10 years but following that meeting the Group hasn't looked back. There were some cynical views from around the network but they have been silenced through the results achieved since. We have a very specific process for collecting reviews and that is why we rhythmically collect hundreds a week. If you are a top operator you will know when to ask for a review and how to ask for a review. And if you are one of the best you will even follow up (nicely) to remind a customer of the importance of a review - good or bad.  The best performers get over 30%...

 This article is for anyone who is keen to start THINKING more about how to position themselves and their business better in 2023.   Best grab a few quiet minutes and a tea / coffee and either listen to the video and / or read the text. They are largely the same thing. During the Lockforce part of the conference in 2022 we discussed the difference between 3 types of service providers in the sector.  The Rogues The Amateurs The Professionals   As you can imagine we discussed this as a group and unequivocally agreed we fit into the Professional category. And then we listed out all the reasons why… Our know how, our uniform, our tools, our ID badges, our liveried vans, insurance, DBS, communication, punctuality etc…..   There is no doubt that we are a professional outfit and everyone who pulls on a Forces Group uniform should strives for the best and to do their best. If you are not tuned into all the things list above then you h...

I was chatting to Tom (Taylor) in the car this afternoon and he told me about the latest Review of the Day from Tom Field (Pestforce). We get loads of fantastic reviews and only 1 can get nominated as ROTD. However, this review from Tom Field is BRILLIANT in that it simply encapsulates the key things that makes a great service business…………… and virtually none of the review talks about the actual technical stuff.  Speed of response (I say response. Ie. Response to talk (reply) to the customer not necessarily when the work is done.) Arrived promptly Engaging Took payment by card Received Treatment and Invoice Giving post service advice  It clearly demonstrates what was important to this customer and there are many others that highlight the same. And guess what, this attracts more customers who value the same……………… do you want to attract customers who value HOW you do things, and not just what you do…..?? I send this out to reinforce wh...

If you want to improve your sales you must perfect the Sales Success Formula.... this is part 1 In this video we talk about the most important part of running a business - lead generation. I am not sure I know any business please cannot operate, grow and make money without getting new customers from leads. We are all good at our job and I am forever hearing the words "I get all my work through word of mouth". Now, to be fair that is not an issue as long as it brings you enough work so you earn what you want, and it brings in the type of work you want to do. But if you want consistent leads then you need to figure out how to do the right things, the right way so that leads flow into your business on a consistent basis.  If you master this part of business then you are in control of your destiny.

I have invested a good few hours recently getting under the skin of Checkatrade on behalf of all the franchisees who pay to be listed on the Checkatrade platform. The Checkatrade system is much smarter than most directory listings however, a lot of the advice in this article is relevant to most online directory listings. As with so many things in business (and life) it is not what you do its the way that you do it.... that's what gets results. Getting a listing / entry into any directory, particularly online, is relatively easy. Some you have to pay for and some are free. However, making most of any listing is important. How many online listings do you have and how much effort have you put into them...? Not all directory listings need constant activity but if you have a listing make sure it is full of all the information required. Website address...?, Photos...?, Hours of work...? Others - like Checkatrade - are more dynamic and the MORE you put in the more you are l...

In business we all need to learn.... and the best way to learn is to find people who are good at what they do, spend time with them, listen and learn. The facts in business are that only 20% of businesses in the UK are in really good shape and only 5% absolutely killing it. It can be hard to know the truth from the bullshit so you need to be astute and be good at filtering out the good from the bad. Here is one person in the network who I can assure you is good at what he does and more importantly, how he does it.... It is a 25 minute video but watch, listen and learn.