cutloose

Are you as good as you think?

Posted by admin on June 14th, 2010
Written by John McTavish Business Coach

Here's a quick and accurate way to find out just how good you are.

If you have been been in the sales arena for even just a year, by now you should have a stack of testimonials. You do? OK, go get them and sit down and read them carefully. Are they gushing and over the top or are they polite and courteous? Do they have lots of superlatives in them or are they really just "thank you" notes.
Guess what? If you aren't blown away by them and get fuzzy feelings and goose bumps, then the chances are your potential clients won't be either. And chances are you're not really that good.
Over the last few months I have been researching and analysing the power of testimonials and I have come to the conclusion that a collection of testimonials is just like a book. If you can't put it down then you have a "best seller" (PUN absolutely intended!!!!) on your hands. On the other hand if it is a chore to get through, or even worse, it's only a few pages long and it's still boring,…well I think you know where I'm going with this. If you would like to know how to make your testimonial book a best seller, and get clients to want you before you even meet them, contact me via my business coaching page here  John McTavish and I'll show you how to produce your own "best seller". Oh, if you've gone looking for your testimonials and there are't any, then we might have little bit of work to do on you before we start on your book. Cheers and take care…(of everyone)  - John McTavish Business Coach            
Business Post a comment

Take the 20X test!

Posted by Grant Thorpe on October 10th, 2009

Do you own a real estate business that’s NOT making money. Take the 20X test!

Written by John McTavish – Specialist Real Estate Business Coach

Here’s a quick test to diagnose the problem.  Take your yearly rent and multiply it by 20. Now compare that figure to your gross income. If the income is greater you have an expense problem. If the income is less then you have a production problem.  Now this might not be a perfect analysis 100% of the time and its always wise to get an outside expert in to help if you’re losing money but you would be amazed how accurate this rule of thumb is.  And while we are on the subject of profitability did you know that the majority of real estate business owners who concentrate on controlling costs go out of business WHY? – because what we focus on is what gets our time and energy and so by focusing on NOT spending money the business spirals down and down until there is nothing left.  Smart owners focus their attention on their team and making sure the attitude in the organisation is positive and happy.

A good business coach can show you how to make this happen while putting into place procedures which automatically restrict expenditure to predetermined levels. Take the temperature of your business right now.  Is it a happy place to be – are your people smiling all the time and giving generously to all around them.  If not then maybe you need to take a quick look in the mirror. Without exception every problem I have seen in the hundreds of offices I have worked comes down to leadership.  

Business, Real Estate Post a comment

Catch yourself on Fire

Posted by Grant Thorpe on August 22nd, 2009

 

 When you catch on fire with enthusiasm,

 people will come from miles around to watch you burn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Planet Image Copyright Zak Thorpe 2009

My Thoughts Today, Quote of the day Post a comment

How to deal with the stress of running a busy restaurant

Posted by admin on August 17th, 2009
 
Written by Craig Simpson Hospitality Coach
 
Its amazing how being stressed changes your personality and its usually for the worse, the sad thing is you cannot avoid it while you are running a business and a hospitality business is up there with the best of them at giving you large doses of STRESS. Some of us thrive on it – but others sink as fast as a boat with no hull.
 
Having good restaurant strategies with clear systems and procedures in place is certainly the best way of avoiding some of the day to day stress that our industry dishes up (excuse the pun) but lets talk about what happens when the stress is caused by some other things happening in your life or even just the fact that your business has gone quiet. Over the years I have experienced many stress causing problems both job related and personal, I cannot say whether one is worse than the other, all I know is they can have a very adverse effect on how you conduct your business.
 
The way I see it, when you are dealing with the public in an environment such as hospitality, it is a bit like being on stage but instead of the audience sitting in front of you clapping they are sitting in front of you eating and hopefully happy. You continue to rehearse your lines day after day and as you get more experienced you become more confident and that is when you will use your personality but there will always be a certain element of acting going on.
 
I remember some pretty tough personal times over the years and found it very hard to face the customers. I was reminded of it the other day when I visited a client. He had not been in his restaurant very long and things had not been going well. The second day he was there they had a fire in the kitchen at lunch time, his restaurant was full and he had to ask them all to leave but on top of this his trade was not as good as he thought it would be. When we sat down and started to discuss a few things he told me he was incredibly stressed and that he was finding it very hard to function, as I looked into his face it reminded me of early days in business. I felt very sorry for him but knew it was a learning curve he would have to endure until we could work together and find some solutions to the pain.
 
One very important lesson I have learnt is that your customers will very quickly realise that you are stressed if you let them and this will definitely make them feel uneasy. Just like any actor, other people can read our face to know how we are feeling and what we are thinking. This will in turn add to a bad experience for them which is what you do not want as your customers are far too precious for that. They come to your restaurant for a good experience. There will be times as an owner/manager you will have staff with problems too and you will have to coach them about leaving their troubles at the door and putting on a smile.
 
So the answer to this is act, and the more things that are getting you down the more you will have to act, I know this is not easy but your customer does not really care about your problems they just want you bright and bubbly because as they say in the theatre THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Remember they too have their problems and their coming to see you for some fun and excitement as well as an enjoyable experience to be taken away from their own burdens.
Hospitality Post a comment

Where did the profit go?

Posted by admin on August 17th, 2009

 

 
 
Written by Craig Simpson Hospitality Coach
 
It’s a great feeling when there are people enjoying our product. We see them having fun. They are socialising and enjoying themselves in our business. We are creating an environment that they want to be in. Money is flowing across the bar just like the alcohol. Food is leaving the kitchen and replaced by more orders. Its a hive of activity. Its a whole new world inside your establishment.
 
Then at the end of the month reality hits. Where did all the profit go you ask yourself? How could such a busy place, a place where everyone wants to be, a place everyone is talking about, be making no money? My costs are all in line – they are as tight as can be – or are they? There are obviously some holes in your ship and unless you fix them you are going to sink very fast. In the hospitality industry we are 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. There is no time to relax – you need to realise that unless you change things and change them fast, next month is going to be no different. And by now next month has already started! This is the reality of the hospitality industry.
 
You have to have a very close look at where the money is going. Where can you cut back? Where can you make some real savings? Remember that a lot of small savings can add up to a ‘big difference’.
 
I am reminded of the time I walked through a clients restaurant before they opened. This restaurant opened for lunch and dinner and here we were walking through at 10.30am and the place was spotless. No dust or dirt anywhere. The tables all set, the smell of coffee coming from the coffee machine. I could smell the lamb shanks cooking away and the chatter of voices coming from the kitchen. As we walked through the kitchen I could see the salamander was on, the hotplate heated ready to go and the dishwasher cleaning away. What I also saw was nothing under the grill, nothing on the hotplate and only a couple of dishes coming out of the dishwasher. On top of this there were 2 chefs and a kitchen hand as well as two front of house staff. The restaurant didn’t open until midday and everything was ready to go. I asked the manager what the staff were going to do now that everything was all set up. ‘Cleaning’ was his reply. OK I will give credit where credit is due and I must say it was one of the cleanest restaurants and kitchens I have ever been in, but this was obviously coming at a price. A big price!
 
I consequently found out the staff all started at 8.30am. It didn’t take long to see that staffing hours needed to be cut back and the wasted energy with the grill up to heat and the hot plate on full was also saved.
 
It might not sound like a lot by cutting back a few hours here and there and turning the grill on a little later but over 12 months this saved my client $31000.00. These cost savings did not affect the service standards in any way; but the savings did go straight to the bottom line profit of the restaurant.
 
Sometimes the costs are staring you right in the face but you’ve just got to open your eyes wide to see them. I will admit that others are harder to bring in line but there are certainly controls you can put in place to run a tight ship.
 
Just by turning the lights down or some of them off when all the guests have left while you finish cleaning up the restaurant can save a lot over time.
 
Other areas to look into are rubbish removal, telephone calls, internet usage, advertising and marketing and laundry to name a few. Analysing these and really working out how they are working for you can dramatically change your bottom line.
 Where did the profit go?
Hospitality Post a comment