My Virtual Sidekick | Management, Marketing & More | Raven Howard

Feedback and complaints are really important in building your business successfully. They’re an opportunity for us to improve ourselves, our products, our services, and our processes – if we act on the feedback that we receive.

Unfortunately most feedback is either handled horribly or goes in “one ear and out the other”. Mishandling complaints this way is why a company’s performance never improves.

A more effective solution to deal with feedback is establishing a 3-step customer feedback process:

1. Gather customer feedback.
2. Take action.
3. Communicate company feedback.

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Most clients, prospects and random entrepreneurs, I meet have a long list of items they’d like to accomplish. Unfortunately, only a few actually accomplish them. I wanted to identify what could be the common factor for those that do achieve their dreams and those business owners that seem stuck in the mud. What I found was pretty basic. Successful business owner have clearly defined goals that spark and continue to fan their motivation.

If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, but are finding it difficult, it’s time to increase your motivation.

The first step is to identify what de-motivates you and then tackle these areas head on. Create a table, like the one below and take 15 minutes to reflect on things that steal your motivation. List these under the column, De-motivators.

Now determine if these de-motivators are occasional (unexpected visit from family; or being under the weather), or are they habitual (leaving tasks unfinished; or saying yes to everything). Mark the cause, circumstantial or habitual, in your table.

Next comes the solution column. If circumstantial factors bother you, then get a grip on exactly what is it that “switches you off” and try to nip that de-motivator in the bud. If you can’t kill it immediately, at least list the solution.

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Earlier this year I wrote a post on why I unfriended you on Facebook and I thought I would follow it up because I don’t want you to get the wrong idea!

My Facebook Friends

I am not one who loves to be annoyed. I don’t go on Facebook so that I can feel better about myself by reading your status updates and scoffing. No the reason why I return again (and again and again!) is because I thoroughly enjoy seeing your smile, “hearing” your laugh, and getting inspired to do better in my own personal life.

So for the following reasons, I say thank you, dear friend, for being such a great Facebook Friend:

You entertain me!
Whether you say something hilarious, share a funny video or repost humor…you always make me smile. A twinge of your sarcasm or social awareness humor is my favorite! I confess, often times I visit your page, just to giggle

You are an Insightful, Truth Teller.
You speak so eloquently and always raise my inner-game to another level. Your pinpointed thoughts are like mental food that opens me up to a deeper level of understanding people, feelings, actions, reactions, business strengths and even weaknesses.

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