Business Essentials

Those sales people - they promise the earth but oh the disappointment when the results come in. Do you blame Sales and Marketing or is there an underlying problem? With 25 years of experience in helping companies turn their fortunes around, Adele Crane understands the reasons why sales fall short of the mark and what CEOs need to do to bring about change. And it’s all laid out in her new aud...

Australians should be proud for achieving what many would have said was impossible, and that’s continuing to work through 2020 as offices closed around the country and staff in their droves retreated home. So says Cheryl-Anne Laird of the HR and IR Division at Mazars. The question is: will employees now be happy to return to their workplaces now that COVID is, fingers crossed, behind us? In...

What does your business stand for and why do you do it? If you can understand that and convey that to people, it could be your best competitive advantage. Andrew Van De Beek owns an accounting practice, Illumin8, which is a bit different to other accounting firms. In fact, Andrew looks and behaves differently to many others in his profession – he has a full hipster beard, he has a dream to o...

Casey Mackinlay’s journey from bricklayer to CEO of an events company with 100+ staff is a tale of grit, determination and love for her son, Kingston. As a teenager, Casey was on the path to becoming a bricklayer when she fell pregnant. With no maternity leave available, and a partner who didn’t step up to the plate, she was soon a single mum on the way to building not one, but two suc...

Sales isn't just about turning up and relying on your instinct or other skills. Each customer is different with his or her own wants and needs, and you need to prepare for each one. Rachel Bourke of SalesSPACE says salespeople should go through checklists before even stepping into a sales meeting. Rachel's sales meeting preparation pack includes a personal checklist to ensure you look the part and...

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, sure, but don’t let the end-of-year party get out of hand. It’s been a year like no other and you and your staff deserve a celebration. But a well-meaning reward could turn into a legal nightmare, warns Principal and Director of Workplace Law, Athena Koelmeyer, who provides examples of what could go wrong if you’re not prepared. Busine...

To be a better and more productive team member, don't get distracted and don't disrupt others around you. That’s advice from Dermot Crowley, author of ‘Smart Teams: How to work better together.’ Two disruptive patterns we all create at work are emails and meetings. Dermot asks, do you really need to copy someone on a message who doesn’t need it? And, must you always drag so...

What's your story? Every business has one, and it will help you better connect with potential customers by telling it. Sales expert Colin Pearce says storytelling works if you want to build brand value. Stories move people and they’re a wonderful way to create memorable experiences about your business which will build loyalty and keep your customers coming back. Business Essentials Daily is...

Leading teams can be tricky – there are different personalities, a myriad of complex human behaviours and inevitable clashes between individuals and groups. Leadership expert Zoe Routh helps clarify how you see yourself, your people and your business with her five leadership archetypes: the elder, the warrior, the diplomat, the guardian, and the pioneer. Identifying your archetype will help...

When a customer is upset with product or service, it’s often the frontline staff who cop the complaint. To ensure a bad situation doesn’t get worse, it’s important to know how to deal with a customer’s difficult behaviour. Customer service expert, Monique Richardson outlines strategies businesses can adopt to handle customers in different challenging situations. Business Es...

Whether retirement is a long way off or just around the corner, it’s something you should always be planning for. But, retirement can be complex. You need to consider investment assets, tax implications, downsizing, superannuation and whether your money will last. Noel Whittaker, Australia’s most trusted finance writer, explains what you need to consider when investing in your future....

So you think you’ve got a brilliant idea for a new business – and it’s going to make you a billion dollars. Well maybe it will! But much can happen between an idea in your head and a product in the market place – and plenty can go wrong in the process. So why not take a few cues from entrepreneur and digital marketing leader, Darren Moffatt. He knows just what’s invol...

Rapid advances in technology have delivered us much better access to ideas and human capital than ever before to help grow our businesses. Futurist Steve Sammartino encourages businesses to embrace a collaborative approach to business growth. You don't have to invent new stuff – instead, some of the fastest growing companies are combining existing tools and technology to be "architects of th...

Getting the right balance for your staff's remuneration can be tricky, so what should you be thinking about? It's not as simple as matching your competitors, insists HR and management consultant, Karen Gately. You should consider other factors, including incentives for salespeople, as well as non-monetary compensation. Business Essentials Daily is produced by: SoundCartel soundcartel.com.au +61 3...

Are you sick of not charging enough for what you do – but you don’t dare jack up your prices in case your customers desert you in droves, then sit back and listen to some salient advice from Australia’s number one business author, Andrew Griffiths. Enough’s enough, he’ll tell you. Be brave and take a leap into “expensive” territory. It’ll transform y...

As people spend increasing amounts of time online, it's worth being strategic about how your business uses social media and other online tools to target potential customers. But, how much time do you really need to invest in making it work? That's one of the biggest misconceptions about using social media, says business consultant, Nicola Moras. Author of a new book, 'Visible', Nicola says you don...

‘It’s All Possible!’ – the book title sums up Rob Hartnett's positive approach to personal development and business. From positive thinking to positive action, he says we can all achieve our dreams. Rob outlines his four-step possibility system to help us all achieve our goals. He combines his own story of personal development and achievement, with the inspirational stories...

Everyone has a role to play in a winning team — and leadership is an important part of that. Having played 378 games for the Essendon Football Club, footy legend Simon Madden has proven his mettle on the field both as a player and as a leader. And now, as founder of Simon Madden Consulting, Simon advises organisations on how to build winning teams. He says if you can improve your people, you...

A lot of business owners find it uncomfortable to provide constructive feedback to staff, and when they do it's often ineffective. Business and leadership coach, Mandy Holloway - who has examined numerous businesses across Australia - says feedback should not be about fixing someone. Instead, she says, it's about holding a mirror up to staff to make them aware of their behaviour. Business Essentia...

We all want to live happily ever after work, don’t we? And that means shoring up all those superannuation savings we’ve made over the years so there’s money in the bank come retirement. Question is, do we leave it to those huge industry or retail superannuation funds or do we take control ourselves through a self-managed super fund? Here’s some super advice from the experts...

Because of COVID-19, 2020 has brought immense opportunities for online businesses. Gabby Leibovich describes the current digital market and reflects on his own success of building and then selling the Catch group of companies for more than $1 billion. Gabby and his brother Hezi have written about their journey and they offer more than 200 tips for those looking to build their own digital empire in...

One of the best sales opportunities that's often ignored is customer enquiries from inbound phone calls. Colin Pearce explains how to win long-term loyal customers with his six-P's approach. When the phone rings in your business, Colin insists, be prepared to answer promptly. And then, be positive from the outset, be precise when scheduling an appointment, be personal, and – most importantly...

What started as an accidental hobby has become a fully-fledged business and the foundation for a perfect lifestyle in far north Queensland. Casey Willetts and her husband, Jesse, make chips, granola and muesli from naturally grown coconuts close to their home in Port Macquarie in far north Queensland. Television appearances and awards have helped build the reputation of their label. Despite offers...

The idea of reducing waste is great one, but how do you start? Back in 2018, Lottie Dalziel decided to dramatically reduce her waste but quickly realised how difficult it was to find the right products and reliable information. So within just two weeks, she started online store and education platform, Banish. It not only provides consumers and businesses a one stop-shop for education and informati...

Dom Crawley reckons a recession, like the one we’re in, or an industry downturn is an opportunity to re-evaluate processes, examine your waste, and focus on providing the best value for clients. If you can maintain the discipline in the tough times, he says, you and your business will be in a better competitive position when things turn around. Despite a downturn in the building industry, Do...