Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Casual Articles - Improve Technology ROI: Focus on People
You will always have more people that turn down your offer than actually buy. They might not have bought because of your price, payment options, or any other possible reason. You will just end up loosing all these potential lifetime customers. However, there are many ways you can minimize the loss of these prospects.One way is to accept barter offers for your product. Maybe the person can't afford to buy your product. They may have something you could use in your business or personal life. If the barter deal isn't fair enough, either of you could add in some cash. You may not make money but, they might buy other products you offer.Another way is to include a negotiation offer at the end of your ad copy. Tell your reader if there is something they don't like about your offer, they could contact you and negotiate a different buying offer. They may not like your price, guarantee, shipping methods, payment options, etc. You can gain a potential lifetime customer by being flexible with your offer and negotiating instead of loosing them.A simple way to attract lifetime customers would be to give people a freebie. The freebie should be related to the other products or services you sell. You may not be getting paid for the freebie, but you will get a lot more people using one of your products because it is free. If they are impressed by your free product there is a high chance they'll buy your other products in the future.The last way is to sell your product at the price it costs you to produce or buy it. You will usually sell more products at a lower price than your competition which equals more potential lifetime customers. You will break even in cost but you'll make your profit from the upsell and backend products your sell
Focus on Behavior Change to Improve ROI
"Did he just say our technology project needs to focus on changing people's behavior? I thought we were implementing technology, not disciplining children or providing group therapy. What is all this behavior talk anyway?"
Consider the relationship between user behavior and return on investment (ROI). When do we actually realize ROI from our technology projects? Is it when the technology is delivered? Sadly, no. We only realize our ROI when the people actually use the technology. I
Don't just buy a product and give out to potential clients. Does the product really meet your company needs? Is it the right promotion for you company? Learn how to find the right product for the right promotion.Here are a few questions that you should ask before you use that one product:What is your goal? What is your end use for that product? Who are the clients that you are trying to reach?The following is an example buying a cheap inexpensive promotional product and how it was used to brand a company's name.If you give out a pen to a client, it is the cheapest or the best for your buck or did you find a reasonable nice pen but it is a little more than you want to spend? If you want to brand your name, the cheapest is not the way to go. You want your client to remember you in a good way. The cheap pen that you got at such a great deal broke the second time the client used it. Now, how does that client feel about your company. Is that client going to do business with you now and are they going to refer your company to anyone else? NO!Remember, the pen you give to a client or a new client usually rotates to about 9 different people which are 9 new potential clients, but if the pen broke then what purpose did it have, none.Always remember what your end result is with the product.Learn how to use a Promotional Product Campaign to brand your company name.
Three of the greatest buzzwords in the tech arena are "People, Process, and Technology". Throw in a few other favorites, such as "alignment," "change," "culture," and... well, you get the idea. While these words are more ubiquitous in a technology discussion than fish are in the sea, they are often overlooked, misunderstood, and generally ignored. This is dangerous.
Looking over the landscape of a typical IT implementation we notice that the majority of activities are focused on process and technology. We spend tremendous amounts of time and effort defining business processes and specifying functional system requirements. We focus a large amount of time building and testing the technology. Consequently most of the people involved in IT projects are specialists in strategy, process, and technology.
So what is missing? Look closely. Did you notice the vast majority of our activities, and the majority of our team's skills, are focused on aligning process and technology? What happened to our first buzzword, "People"? Do we just nod our heads and forget to consider our people - how we can move them (that is, align them) with the process and technology? What does it mean to align people with process and technology?
Aligning People
For some, aligning people means providing training so employees know how to use the system. Others say you need to include communications to align their people. Some advanced organizations even extend their efforts to include mapping out changes to job descriptions and responsibilities.
While these are all important activities to help achieve alignment of people, process and technology, they don't actually help us understand what alignment is. And if you don't know what it is, how do you know when you have achieved it?
Alignment only occurs when your people, process and technology all perform together in a symbiotic relationship that delivers the desired results. The people use the technology. The people follow the process. They key here is that the people must actually use the technology and the people must actually follow the process. This requires people, ALL of the people, change their behavior to achieve the desired results.
Focus on Behavior Change to Improve ROI
"Did he just say our technology project needs to focus on changing people's behavior? I thought we were implementing technology, not disciplining children or providing group therapy. What is all this behavior talk anyway?"
Consider the relationship between user behavior and return on investment (ROI). When do we actually realize ROI from our technology projects? Is it when the technology is delivered? Sadly, no. We only realize our ROI when the people actually use the technology. I
21 Feb 07Today we will talk a little more about link development as this is the key to getting your site ranked highly on search engines. Google ranks all sites on a scale from 0 to 10, 10 being the highest. Your aim is to get your site as high a page ranking (PR) as possible. One of the main ways to do this is by link development. The idea is to get many as many sites (preferably on a related topic) as possible to link to your site, without having to link back to them. This can be achieved in many different ways. Today we have experimented with a few and will cover more as the site progresses.1. Submitting to free directories-Not ideal but gets the ball rolling.2. Another method is to write directly to the web master of sites with a similar topic as your own. To locate these sites we entered keywords on google similar to what we have indeed used ourselves to get a list of addresses; then construct a letter to the web master requesting a link, it is a good idea to link to their site first then ask for a reciprocal link.This should get you started on your link development, we will explain more methods in due time. Some directory submitter software and link software can be found on our marketing/submitters page.20 Feb 07Today I will look begin to look at some of the marketing techniques we have discovered to promote your site. To start promoting your site immediately we recommend google word sense. The downside of this method is that you have to put your hand in your pocket, ie pay. Once a viewer clicks on your add, you will be charged a set amount. You can determine what maximum this can reach in your word sense account settings, along with your daily budget. Your google account has many attractive features which I will cover at a later
Looking over the landscape of a typical IT implementation we notice that the majority of activities are focused on process and technology. We spend tremendous amounts of time and effort defining business processes and specifying functional system requirements. We focus a large amount of time building and testing the technology. Consequently most of the people involved in IT projects are specialists in strategy, process, and technology.
So what is missing? Look closely. Did you notice the vast majority of our activities, and the majority of our team's skills, are focused on aligning process and technology? What happened to our first buzzword, "People"? Do we just nod our heads and forget to consider our people - how we can move them (that is, align them) with the process and technology? What does it mean to align people with process and technology?
Aligning People
For some, aligning people means providing training so employees know how to use the system. Others say you need to include communications to align their people. Some advanced organizations even extend their efforts to include mapping out changes to job descriptions and responsibilities.
While these are all important activities to help achieve alignment of people, process and technology, they don't actually help us understand what alignment is. And if you don't know what it is, how do you know when you have achieved it?
Alignment only occurs when your people, process and technology all perform together in a symbiotic relationship that delivers the desired results. The people use the technology. The people follow the process. They key here is that the people must actually use the technology and the people must actually follow the process. This requires people, ALL of the people, change their behavior to achieve the desired results.
Focus on Behavior Change to Improve ROI
"Did he just say our technology project needs to focus on changing people's behavior? I thought we were implementing technology, not disciplining children or providing group therapy. What is all this behavior talk anyway?"
Consider the relationship between user behavior and return on investment (ROI). When do we actually realize ROI from our technology projects? Is it when the technology is delivered? Sadly, no. We only realize our ROI when the people actually use the technology. I
Starting up your own business can be a daunting task: once you come up with your initial business idea, you need to formulate a business plan - a process that usually involves finding the necessary funding to make your company a reality. However, it's important not to be overwhelmed; after all, small to medium sized businesses make up over half of the UK's workforce and occupy a crucial place in the workings of the British economy. Simply make sure that you get the best advice possible, and consult the right financial sources to gain the necessary capital you require.Many banks and financial institutions will offer you comprehensive advice when it comes to starting a business, but it's important to make sure they take your idea seriously first. Come up with an inclusive, watertight business plan and the chances of your bank giving you the money you need is sure to increase, as will the range of financial services offered to you. New businesses can find a range of financial products from banks, including current accounts, savings accounts and secured loans to buy business equipment.What's more, some banks and financial institutions will also offer a range of business start up packages, which will include advice on how to choose your premises, as well as help on marketing, advertising and promoting your new business. Some banks even assign new businesses with a business manager, and this is always preferable to being diverted to a call centre or general advice bureau.Once you've secured your finances, it will probably be in your company's best interests to hire an accountant. An accountant will ensure that your business - even if it consists solely of one person - will be tax efficient and that your finances will run as smoothly as possible. Before you hire an
Aligning People
For some, aligning people means providing training so employees know how to use the system. Others say you need to include communications to align their people. Some advanced organizations even extend their efforts to include mapping out changes to job descriptions and responsibilities.
While these are all important activities to help achieve alignment of people, process and technology, they don't actually help us understand what alignment is. And if you don't know what it is, how do you know when you have achieved it?
Alignment only occurs when your people, process and technology all perform together in a symbiotic relationship that delivers the desired results. The people use the technology. The people follow the process. They key here is that the people must actually use the technology and the people must actually follow the process. This requires people, ALL of the people, change their behavior to achieve the desired results.
Focus on Behavior Change to Improve ROI
"Did he just say our technology project needs to focus on changing people's behavior? I thought we were implementing technology, not disciplining children or providing group therapy. What is all this behavior talk anyway?"
Consider the relationship between user behavior and return on investment (ROI). When do we actually realize ROI from our technology projects? Is it when the technology is delivered? Sadly, no. We only realize our ROI when the people actually use the technology. I
One of the reasons small businesses write off a great deal of loss is that they don't realize how easy and affordably it can be to hire collection agencies to recover bad debt. Developing a success-driven mindset and taking action like your larger competitors is the first step to growing your business. Many of today's collection agencies are small business friendly and can improve your company's bottom line drastically with smart solutions for collecting bad debt.Look for collection agencies that offer several collection tier levels Small businesses often don't utilize collection agencies like their larger competitors because they feel the debt owed may be insignificant to large collection agencies. Small businesses should look for collection agencies that offer different collection amount tiers. Debts as low as $1000, regardless of the size of the contacting business can be easily recovered by collection agencies.Verify that the collection agency uses legal collection methods The days of collection agencies harassing friends and family and calling late at night in an attempt to collect unpaid debt is long gone. To comply with today's regulations, collection agencies must adhere to strict laws that require them to use more brains than brawn in an attempt to collect debt. Check to make sure that the collection agencies you're considering belong to either the International Association of Commercial Collectors or the American Collector's Association. Admittance to either requires that collection agencies adhere to the legal standards and ethics of third party collection agencies.Collecting the debt yourself verses contracting a collection agency First party collectors (i.e. business owners) are not bound by the same set of federal regulations when it
While these are all important activities to help achieve alignment of people, process and technology, they don't actually help us understand what alignment is. And if you don't know what it is, how do you know when you have achieved it?
Alignment only occurs when your people, process and technology all perform together in a symbiotic relationship that delivers the desired results. The people use the technology. The people follow the process. They key here is that the people must actually use the technology and the people must actually follow the process. This requires people, ALL of the people, change their behavior to achieve the desired results.
Focus on Behavior Change to Improve ROI
"Did he just say our technology project needs to focus on changing people's behavior? I thought we were implementing technology, not disciplining children or providing group therapy. What is all this behavior talk anyway?"
Consider the relationship between user behavior and return on investment (ROI). When do we actually realize ROI from our technology projects? Is it when the technology is delivered? Sadly, no. We only realize our ROI when the people actually use the technology. I
Wildlife can get out of control at times and someone is needed to put it "back in control". Wildlife managers do this every day.From rescuing a squirrel that took a wrong turn down a chimney to a garter snake that made its way under the door, this is normal territory for the Professional Nuisance Wildlife Manager.So many people would love to work with wildlife and struggle to find a job in the governmental sector. They often do not know that there are many private company opportunities that exist in wildlife management.Governmental jobs are hard to come by and the ones who have these jobs keep them for as long as they can. This makes it difficult for a person who just graduated from college or someone who has a real interest in a wildlife career.Our country has grown exponentially. This growth has created wildlife conflicts with homeowners and commercial buildings. This problem will continue to grow with the growth of our nation.A wildlife manager is called upon to resolve many different types of wildlife complaints. A common complaint is removing squirrels from an attic. The squirrel is one of the most prolific animals that produce two litters a year. With this many young, they have to go somewhere and it sometimes is in your home!One the squirrels are inside of a home, damage may occur to the wiring and structure. Some of this damage may be quite severe and even cause structural damage or a fire if not correctly promptly.Wildlife managers will be in demand for a long time to come and provide a very valuable and much needed service.
Focus on Behavior Change to Improve ROI
"Did he just say our technology project needs to focus on changing people's behavior? I thought we were implementing technology, not disciplining children or providing group therapy. What is all this behavior talk anyway?"
Consider the relationship between user behavior and return on investment (ROI). When do we actually realize ROI from our technology projects? Is it when the technology is delivered? Sadly, no. We only realize our ROI when the people actually use the technology. If a system is delivered, but not used, it does not return any value to the organization. So, while successfully deploying the technology is on the critical path (pardon the gratuitous use of the buzzword) to achieving ROI, the critical path is only completed when the system is used effectively by our people.
Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Wrong. This simple idea has tremendous implications that require advanced thought. It means we need to rethink how we structure technology projects, who we involve in the process, and how we define success. Looking back over the landscape of a typical IT implementation we notice activities focusing on behavior change are conspicuously missing. Worse still, people with skills and expertise in behavior change are typically not even part of the implementation team. This is the problem.
Example: User Behaviors' Impact on ROI and on the Customer Experience
I worked with a client who did very little to drive desired behavior when implementing a new CRM system. As expected, they had numerous behavior problems that reduced their ROI and degraded the customer experience. Sales reps did not see "what's in it for me", so they would often not use the system at all or they would only enter partial, inaccurate customer data. Customer service reps would not reliably create problem tickets, nor would they regularly update their progress on resolving customer issues. Managers would not use the system to track progress or to analyze department performance.
The impact to the organization and to the customers experience was severe. The organization wasted vast amounts of time and effort performing unnecessary tasks, such as tracking down information that was not entered by one individual but was required by others to perform their jobs. The lack of complete and accurate data made it impossible for management to utilize the system reports to make reliable, informed decisions. Executives and sales reps were unable to review vital customer activity data to prepare for additional sales meetings. The customers experience was degraded by delays resulting from having to repeat conversations that were not properly logged in the system.
It was only after the client had experienced these problems for quite some time that management decided to address user behavior. After users changed and demonstrated desired behavior, the system delivered significant value and the customer experienced improved. Had management proactively focused on driving desired behavior earlier they would have avoided the period of poor performance and significantly increased their overall ROI f
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.casualarticles.com/article/21538/casualarticles-Improve-Technology-ROI-Focus-on-People.html">Improve Technology ROI: Focus on People</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.casualarticles.com/article/21538/casualarticles-Improve-Technology-ROI-Focus-on-People.html]Improve Technology ROI: Focus on People[/url]
Related Articles:
Electronic Document Management - The Basics - Part 2
Payroll Puerto Rico, Unique Aspects of Puerto Rico Payroll Law and Practice
There Is Something Different About Clay Animation
Bookmark it:
|