The Signs of Business

Guest article by Mike Northcutt, Operations Advisor in the Baltimore, Maryland area, for United Franchise Group of which Sign-A-Rama is a member. We had the pleasure of hosting Mike for a few hours while he was in town visiting family here during the Thanksgiving Holiday. We always enjoy Sign-A-Rama visitors from other regions coming in and showing them what we’re doing here in Evansville!

I know many people in business want to have happy employees, as well as positive relationships with their customers. Here are three simple things to keep in mind that will contribute to both happy employees and happy customers:

1. Show People you Appreciate them – Do something simple to show your team you appreciate their daily contribution to your store. A simple thank you for a job well done, or a thanks for going the extra mile for a customer. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and too often we tend to overlook saying thanks. For customers sending thank you notes really is a simple step to remind them we appreciate their business and value the relationship we have built up with them.
2. Give People your Attention – One of the easiest ways to show people you value their input and are giving your attention to them is to LISTEN. Ask your team for their input and ideas and listen when they are talking. Even if you can’t use all of the suggestions you can at least listen and discuss their ideas and this act will also show you value their input. Again, this goes for any type of relationship, when we really listen to people – it makes a big impact. Just remember times when you knew people were not really listening to your input and how it felt. So close the lips and open the ears !
3. Be NICE – In business this may not seem the most important item but I can tell you a store that has a general philosophy of being nice to the team and the customers really does set itself apart from competition. Many stores are professional and courteous but being nice, treating people the way you would treat them if they were a good friend, treating them how you would like to be treated if you were in their shoes really can be a big help in business. People like working for people that treat them well and a happy employee is generally a more productive employee and reduces turnover.

I know profits are important and holding people accountable for their roles and responsibilities are also an important part of business, I just know that if you forget the above steps too much you will not be as successful in business if you remember them.

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