Good Ezines

CONTAGIOUS VISION

We’re OK – we have a vision!?!


(Somewhere on the bulletin board – or maybe in the company’s business plan). 
In fact we even have long term and short term plans with action points!

You think you’re OK – or could you do better?


Can your vision be contagious? Can it not only inspire your team (your staff), but also make your customers feel good? What about your suppliers? The banks you deal with? Your insurance providers, tax consultants and other stakeholders?

What makes a vision contagious?

An infectious disease is most easily transmitted when it is alive and active in the host.

1. It’s infectious

True vision is infectious. 
The words that come to mind are -

◦Transmittable

◦Catching

◦Communicable

◦Contractible

Think about it for a minute -

◦What does it take for your vision to be transmitted?

2. It comes from within

It isn’t forced or phony
Just posting the vision up in the lunch room, or titling your letterhead (although they are good things to do) won’t change people’s attitudes. A good vision comes from the heart, it is tied to the real passions and desires of those in leadership.

When your values in life – your heartfelt desires for your business line up with your vision and purpose the ‘infection’ cannot help but spread.

“There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue these.” – Michael Nolan

Just mouthing the words, going through the motions, will sooner or later be seen as hypocrisy – and we Aussies are good at ridiculing hypocrisy!

TIP: Ask some of your team members what the vision is sometime. The results might surprise you. Listen to their answers – the exact words are not essential, it’s the heart of the vision that matters.

3. It goes beyond your 4 walls

Something that is contagious tends to spread, even to places you didn’t expect. In your business when you set in place a heartfelt vision you may be surprised at the response.

At Gloria Jean’s Coffees’ Conventions over the years we see the enthusiasm of staff and franchisees to new initiatives driving the vision forward, but you would expect that! After all this is what conventions are all about – motivation, excitement and celebration. 
What we also found was the unforced almost emotional response from our suppliers, bank representatives, insurance companies and other stakeholders. People who had not experienced contagious, heartfelt vision and purpose before.

Customers actually notice it and respond in kind. 
I received a reminder note the other day for my water filter to be serviced. From a previous experience with the company I was reluctant to ring and book this in. When I finally did, the whole tenor of their service had changed. A new owner maybe? Certainly a new vision for their company! The receptionist couldn’t be more passionate about their product & the service they would provide (at less than the cost of doing it myself I might add!). My attitude has definitely been swayed – if the tradesman lives up to the vision already set, I will be totally won over.

Again at Gloria Jean’s Coffees the ‘customer connection’ is vital to each franchisee’s business. In a coffee shop half the equation is good well made coffee, the other half is a ‘welcome home’ feeling. The intangible warm and friendly atmosphere where people feel comfortable and relaxed. This in itself is an expression of our vision and values – when guests feel genuinely welcomed they become devoted fans, there day after day.

The fallout from genuine vision will benefit your business – developing goodwill and positive attitudes in places you didn’t actually expect.

How do I make my vision contagious?

It starts with you

Get your thinking right on the inside

-Make sure your vision is something you feel genuinely passionate about.

-Feed your mind with things that are positive, not depressive.

-Get encouragement from others doing the journey in business or leadership.

-Don’t neglect your spirit – don’t overlook the real purposes in life, whatever faith you profess.

“People are changed, not by coercion or intimidation, but by example.”
”People buy into the leader before they buy into the leader’s vision. If you want to lead, you must sell yourself.”
 - John C. Maxwell

5 Tips to help your business prosper in 2009!

Tip #1: Innovate Across The Business

Make a commitment to researching and testing new ways of getting things done, from production to marketing, product design to packaging – in short, find a way to renew the energy and enthusiasm for new ideas you had when you first launched your business, then improve on it with the wisdom of experience.

Tip #2: Pursue New Growth Opportunities

Most business owners are well aware that in order to be a success a business needs to grow its sales and profits; therefore you need to diligently establish sales and profit targets and measure your progress. Research under-served segments of your markets, explore value-add sidelines and incentives to encourage more sales, more frequently.

Tip #3: Improve Quality

Quality issues have been at the heart of business management issues since the 1960s, culminating in the strategies of Total Quality Management (TQM). Quality issues are interwoven into the very fabric of business ownership, and include issues such as customer relationships and customer satisfaction, supplier relationships, manufacturing and service delivery.

Tip #4: Explore New Marketing Methods

Marketing in its broadest sense encapsulates advertising, public relations, selling and distribution. It is basically the act of letting people know what you have to sell, where they can get it and what value it has. In order to grow a business, a business owner must be constantly looking at creating and putting in place new marketing methods in order to gain access to new prospects and customers for the business.

Tip #5: Deal With Staff Issues

Good employees are critical to the growth of any business, but more especially SMEs. Therefore don’t let staff issues remain unresolved. Take care of employees and develop them, making sure they are satisfied in their jobs and have the knowledge and resources to perform well. Employee loyalty is especially important in tough times when you want employees to achieve more – while pay rises might be out of reach, actively offer smaller rewards such as lunches, unqualified praise, training or mentoring.

Checklist for business owners and managers:

1.Innovate in at least one area of your business over the next 12 months.

2.Focus on growing your sales and profits and use them as indicators of performance.

3.Institute some form of quality management into your business.

4.Add at least one new marketing method into your business this year

Take care of your staff.

Tony Gattari is a business keynote speaker and guest speaker. His passionate enthusiastic style makes him ideal as your next guest speaker, sales speaker, marketing speaker or keynote speaker. Achievers group provide marketing and sales training, consulting, marketing workshops and keynote speaking services. See http://www.achieversgroup.com.au for more.