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III. Product/Service Review
Efax.com
I began using a free fax service many months ago that works very well. EFax.com offers a free service for receiving faxes and automatically forwards the fax to you via e-mail. It costs nothing and is actually more convenient than the fax machine at times, especially if you need to receive a fax while on the road.
Once you become a free member, they issue you a fax phone number that is yours and only yours - just as if you had a fax machine in your office. The only downside I've seen is that the number is a long distance phone number from my Atlanta location, but most faxes I receive come from out of the city anyway so it doesn't really matter. My fax number is 253-663-3327 in case you're wondering and it's the number I list on my business card. The convenience of being able to get a fax by e-mail makes this approach a real plus.
They also offer an outbound fax service for a nominal fee, but I haven't had the need for that part of their service. Check them out at www.efax.com . I have found the quality and service to be very good.
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IV. Business Entrepreneur Thoughts
"Overdeliver"
Getting clients and retaining them is key to any business. Much of the revenues generated by some very large companies are from their recurring client base. Many successful companies throughout the world understand the value of excellent client service and a term of "overdeliver".
I have always included that in part of my thinking throughout my career. Granted, there are questions as to whether I actually "overdelivered" in many situations but the thought was always there to do every job completely and with high quality - something that's not always easy to do.
I've shared an Infiniti story with many of my friends before. It emphasized the value of a company that "overdelivers" to me many years ago. I got in my car one morning in 1990 to go to work and the battery was dead (probably because I left the door open). I took my wife's car to work and she called the car company. After 6 phone calls from them as they followed up with her on every step of the process, it just blew us away at the care they took for their client and how well they communicated so we were never asking ourselves, "What's the status?". This occurred in 1990 and I still drive an Infiniti 11 years later - does that tell you something ?
When you give more than what the customer was expecting you build a long term relationship. Those relationships pay dividends in new sales and loyalty to your cause. You can take this to another setting. "Overdeliver" to employees and they will climb mountains, overcome obstacles, and remain extremely loyal to you. Isn't that worth working a little harder for ?
How do you "overdeliver" ?
- Over communicate when there is a problem. Never make the customer guess.
- If an item gets to the customer and it's not right, replace it or refund the money without question.
A bad situation remedied can also cause that customer to lead others to you.
- Add something free to a purchase. The little things make a big difference.
- Be sincere and genuine about caring for your client's appreciation for your product or service and
tell him.
- Always be on time, communicate when you can't be, and follow-up on commitments relentlessly.
You will be surprised at how many people don't follow-up on commitments.
Obviously, there are many more that go with these examples. Always look at it in that whatever you do, it has your name on it and you want everyone to appreciate the goods and services they receive from you. It will help you add new clients and certainly offers the opportunity of selling more to existing clients.
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A Word About MDE Enterprises
MDE Enterprises provides IT consulting services at a senior management level and web site development and hosting services for small businesses. These are very different offerings. One is based upon more than 20 years experience in managing successful technology organizations and the other is based on a love of the internet and a desire to help small businesses take advantage of technology and the internet.
As a consultant I want to help companies achieve success. In these times, it's more important than ever for a company's technology organization to produce in a manner that meets company objectives. Easier said than done. Over the years I have developed an approach that seems to work based upon the successes that my IT teams have had. It's not "rocket science"; just simple management techniques that I've learned through trial and error, through formal training, or by watching others that are very good at it.
In the future, I'll share excerpts from a series of publications that I'm creating targeted for Technology Managers or those that aspire to become successful managers of technology organizations. IT Manager Development Series is a set of 10 publications that go into depth (but also to the point) about key aspects of what it takes to be a successful IT manager. The first publication is completed and is titled "What to Look For in A CIO". The other 9 publications are scheduled for release over the remainder of 2001.
What to Look For in a CIO has a bit of a different approach than the other 9 documents. This one is presented to the CEO, CFO, or COO of an organization that needs to know what to expect from an effective CIO. The other 9 manuals will be directed more in how to do the things important to achieve success as a CIO or technology manager at any level. This first document can also be valuable to existing CIO's or technology managers or hopeful managers. The information gets to the point and "nets it out" so you can pick up valuable tips in a minimum of time. I will also be including tools and techniques that I have picked up or developed over the years that help the IT Manager organize his business of managing an IT organization effectively.
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