Many business owners understand the enormous benefits of having sales teams based in their international territories. Unfortunately, there are also a large number of disadvantages to recruiting internationally. Global operations can feel too distant and remote. Soon you may feel like you have to let go of the heart of your business and allow these international offices to become their own entity. That simply isn’t the case, if you know how to tackle the challenges of remote working effectively.
Managing your international teams can be easier than you think. The situation calls for you to manage your own time so that you can be available to them as they need you. That’s challenging enough in your own territory without having to worry about time zone differences as well. If you hate to travel, or you simply don’t have the time, you need to find other ways to personally communicate with your teams. Fortunately, technology has the answers.
Video conferencing gives you the chance to view the room and better measure the reactions and mood of your distant team. When you summon the entire office to a meeting, it confirms you’re the one in charge and you’re not letting go of the reins. Do this weekly, so you are continuously and reliably available to discuss issues. Try not to treat it just like a meeting, but instead make it less formal. Chat about local issues both there and here. Catch up on a personal level with the key members of your international team.
Personnel challenges are common when you’re not there in person. It can be too tricky to route all your HR function through your local head office. Instead, you might find it useful to consult experts in global payroll to ensure you are meeting local requirements at home and abroad. You should also outsource your recruitment drives to local providers to ensure you don’t make any cultural or legal faux pas.
Training your remote team can be particularly challenging when you’re not there. You will need excellent resources to guide the team (potentially in their local language) through your preferred business practices. Their understanding and compliance must be tested, so don’t be afraid to set up a couple of exams or practical tests. Again, video calls are very useful here. You can set up a webinar that offers the opportunity for feedback and interaction while you present your ideas. Contracting an educational video production company could be very useful here.
Ultimately, you’re going to need someone to take the lead in your overseas office. This individual may be a sales manager so helping them to become a good leader as well takes some careful planning. They may need your guidance and coaching. You may even become their mentor, but you need to clearly draw the line when it comes to their limitations. You’re the boss, and the buck ultimately stops with you. Make it clear which issues they can seek to resolve themselves, and which must go over their head directly to you.
Managing an overseas team has its challenges, but it’s not impossible. A global presence can help you reach the territories you need with success. How do you manage yours?
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A strong presence in the world of the Internet is a necessity for the businesses of today. As a business owner, you probably already know that. You’ve probably created your business a website, and all the social media handles to match. You’ve probably liked a few photos, ran a few competitions and uploaded a few videos. But there’s so much more your business can do online. In fact, there’s a world wide web of opportunities out there. Below are just some of the things you should consider when it comes to taking your business online.
As a business owner you want to make profit from the goods you sell, right? Well then, there’s no better place to start than with e-commerce. Setting up a stall in the Internet marketplace is an online option that all manner of business owners are taking to in this day and age. And it’s no wonder they are when you consider how easy it is. All you need to do is find a service that will cater to your e-commerce needs and help you create your own marketplace and you’re up and running. An example of such a service is Shopify. They can help when it comes to building your site, ensuring that is is mobile friendly and making it as easy to customise as possible. And once you’ve set up your marketplace it’s time to decide upon the most important aspect: what you are selling. When it comes to this you should most certainly have a snoop at your competition. To find your competition simply search for the keywords linked to your marketplace on a search engine and, voila! They’ll appear. Once you find them take a look at what they’re selling, how much they are selling and how much they are selling it all for. And you should also take notes on a host of other things on your competitor’s site too. This includes taking notes on the overall theme of the site in order to figure out how to make your store as user-friendly as possible. Scribbling down information on how they are linking back to their parent website. And jotting down anything that you think contributes to their USP (unique selling point). You need to come up with a USP of your own, but there’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from the USPs of others.
And if you haven’t dipped your business’s toe into the pool of blogging yet, then you should most certainly do so. Blogs have turned into big business in recent times. So big in fact that some businesses have taken to hiring somebody that is known as a webmaster in order to keep their blog active. Blogs allow consumers to access and interact with like minded people. They allow consumers to see the development of a business in real-time. They allow them to feel close to the business. If you want to induce a healthy and incredibly modern relationship with your customers, then starting a blog should be at the forefront of your plans.
So, if you want to increase your business’s ROI and it’s relationship with it’s customers, make sure to take heed of the advice above! The Internet offers a plethora of opportunities for a business to thrive upon it, you just have to be brave enough to embrace the digital age to take them.
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These days any employer advertising a post knows they will be inundated with applications. That mean you will have a large number of resumes to sort through before you can narrow down your choice of candidates for interview. This can obviously take a long time. Many recruiters choose to use recruitment agencies or talent scouts to select the very best talent to come into the office for an interview. It can take a lot of the time and hassle out of the process, but there will be a cost added. If you’re currently recruiting, what do you look for in a resume?
Cover Page
Many recruiters read only the covering letter to gauge whether a candidate will be right. This can be a little naive though, as it will only give very brief information. Still, it should provide an insight into the level of professionalism you can expect. Spelling errors are simply unacceptable to recruiters today. Some won’t accept anything that isn’t personally addressed to the manager. A cover letter should offer you enough detail that you want to read on.
Many resumes feature an introduction paragraph designed to sell that candidate to recruiters. Not everyone is a great marketer, and self-promotion can be difficult for some. Still, a candidate with the confidence and clarity to identify relevant qualifications and achievements in a single paragraph could be worthy of an interview. Look for insights into the candidate’s personality in their writing style. Sometimes quirky, chatty styles fit well in the company.
Some companies have strict policies about the schools they will recruit from. Others simply demand a degree. The qualifications should be clearly listed so you can quickly identify the level of education for the candidate. You should be able to see any recent continuance of studies. Some colleges like UAB offer degrees online. Candidates that study this way can manage work and study in tandem and so might be of more interest to demanding employers.
Work Experience
Do you frown upon candidates with gaps in their work history? There are many reasons why a potential recruit had time away from work. Before you completely dismiss them, consider how rounded their experience might be. Have they taken on non-salaried projects? Perhaps they were studying, raising a family, or running their own business? If they’re unemployed now, consider the benefits of a well-rested candidate!
If you’ve read this far, chances are this candidate has piqued your interest. Now they have a chance to let you know if their personality could be a fit for your firm. This final paragraph often offers an insight into their hobbies and interests outside of the workplace. We’re all trained to include something artistic and something that suggests we look after our health. You might ignore those references because every resume has them. What else can you find that fits in well with the culture of the company, the products you develop, and the customer base you’ve built?
Recruitment is expensive and time-consuming. It’s important to find candidates that are right for the business. That’s not easy without a recruitment strategy.
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In business, there’s nothing more integral to success than being able to beat the competition. There’s competition in every industry, so how are you going to outshine your rivals and seal those deals?
Most business owners depend on a team to make their venture a success. Even small businesses can’t be run entirely by ambitious entrepreneurs. To gain an advantage over the competition, you need to make sure that you hire the best candidates. Moving forward, you also need to be able to hang onto to your star players. Make sure you have an effective recruitment process in place and the people you select meet your qualifying criteria. If you don’t get enough applications the first time around, place another advert. Unless you’re absolutely desperate to add to the team immediately, it’s worth waiting. If you can’t wait, consider headhunting and targeting specialist recruitment websites. Once you’ve got a hot shot team in place, make an effort to keep morale high, reward hard work, and try and create a positive working environment.
Up-selling your USP
If you’ve got a product or a service you want to sell, you need to make sure that your clients are aware of your USP. Every company should have something that sets them apart from their rivals. If you don’t have a USP, there’s no reason why a client should choose you over another firm. Perhaps you offer more competitive prices or a faster turnaround, or maybe you provide a personalized or bespoke service.
Getting to grips with the numbers
In order to compete, you need to be aware of what others are doing, as well as what you’re doing. Use your sales figures and analysis related to website traffic, social media activity, and advertising to identify strengths and weaknesses in both your campaign and those used by your rivals. If you don’t have team members with expertise in analytics, consider adding new members of the team with qualifications from institutions like Maryville University. If you don’t have the ability to make sense of the numbers, you won’t have an accurate idea of how well you’re doing in comparison to others, and this can set you back.
Using feedback
Sometimes, you can get so caught up in competing with other corporations that you lose sight of the importance of customer service. If you put your customer first, this will only ever serve to increase your chances of success. Listen to what your customers say about the products and services you sell, and use feedback in a positive way, even if you get negative comments. Every time customers leave feedback, this offers you an opportunity to learn and improve.
If you’re an ambitious business owner, you should be ready to take on the competition and do everything possible to win clients over. You need to ensure that you offer something unique, you provide the best customer experience, and you have the right team around you to do the job. Keep track of your rivals, and use data analysis to detect strengths and weaknesses.
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You’ve had an excellent idea for a small business and you want to get it off the ground before anyone else can take it off the market. While there are no set rules to establishing your own business, most will agree that getting noticed is the first step towards success.
The internet has made it possible for small business owners to promote their startups at a minimal cost, but this comes with its own set of problems; how do you make your small business stand out from all the other startups out there.
Whether your business is conducted solely online, or you just have a company website, here are some online marketing tips that can help you significantly boost your internet traffic and get your small business noticed by millions of potential customers.
The first thing any startup company should do is build a website to advertise their knowledge and services to potentially interested parties. A website is the most simple way to let your target audience know who you are, what services you are offering, and how to get in touch with you.
Posting blogs on your website on a regular basis (daily, weekly, or fortnightly) will slowly build up a following and allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of your industry. The best use of your blog is to promote yourself as an expert in your field, showing people that you know more than your competition.
You can also use your website to open up a dialogue between yourself and your readers; respond to their comments on your post, or write an article centred around their frequently asked questions.
Optimize your SEO
Since your website is usually the first point of contact for your business, you need to make sure people can easily find it. In fact, most internet marketing companies, such as Excelsior Internet Marketing, would recommend that perfecting your SEO should be your first step.
Submit the URL to popular search engines, such as Google and Bing, to improve your SEO and help you generate more website traffic. Google suggests using keywords in the URL, making the site navigation easy, and avoiding long URLs as much as possible. Google also uses links and backlinks to determine successful websites; if many reputable sites link back to your blog, it is an indication of good quality.
Google Analytics can help you measure your website’s performance so you can adjust your marketing strategy as needed.
Make your website mobile friendly
Smartphones and mobile devices are incredibly convenient, and most people browse the internet when they’re out and about. A successful marketing strategy would take advantage of this; drive up your website traffic by making a mobile friendly version of your site. By doing this, you can ensure that your customers stay updated even on their morning commute, during their lunch break, and on the long bus ride home.
Truly efficient marketing starts on social media, as it can generate almost double the marketing leads of telemarketing, trade shows, and email correspondence. Social media platforms provide free advertising and are a convenient way to connect with your customers and business contacts, However, you don’t necessarily have to advertise on every platform in existence. If your target audience are mostly entrepreneurs and businesspeople, then LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook likely to be the platforms they use most. On the other hand, if you’re offering visual services, or products like crafts and DIY, then you might find more customers on Pinterest or Instagram instead of LinkedIn.
Social media can be overwhelming, so you’ll be more productive if you’re only posting content to one or two sites. You need to post content frequently, but make sure it’s always relevant to your audience.
Advertise on social media
In addition to promoting your products and services on social media, you should also advertise on these platforms. People spend an average of 35 minutes a day on Facebook; that means there are 35 minutes in each day where you could build a relationship with millions of people by sharing content that is relevant to their needs and interests.
Any advert you place on Facebook will be difficult to ignore because it will appear directly into the newsfeed of any person who has shown an interest in your industry.
Use Email Marketing
Internet marketing is critical since it brings more quality visitors to your website. As a result, you reach a more significant number of prospects interested in your company. In addition, the ability to target certain leads enables you to attract customers interested in your business.
While social media is speedy and widespread, it has not yet rendered emails obsolete. The majority lack the time necessary to read a long blog article. On the other hand, a quick email blast may provide them with all the highlights and allow them to peruse the website at their leisure.
Maintain contact with loyal subscribers by persuading them to join an email list. As long as you do not inundate your clients with emails, this is an efficient method of increasing traffic. Additionally, you may reward subscribers by providing them with an exclusive first peek at company updates or first dibs on limited-time deals.
Email marketing becomes more successful when combined with social media. For instance, you might host a social media platform contest and invite participants to enter by subscribing to your email list. You can Read More on utilizing online marketing, such as Use SMS Text Marketing for your business success.
Social media and online searches fail in only one aspect; your potential customers have to be looking for your service in order to find it. Imagine how many potential customers out there have no idea that your business exists because they currently don’t know they need your services. That’s where word of mouth comes into play.
Satisfied customers can’t help but rave about good products and services. When the tell their friends and family, you will have more new customers. In turn, these new customers will rave to their friends and family, and so on.
If your business is going to be reliant on word of mouth to get off the ground, then it would greatly benefit you to use this positive feedback by including customer testimonials on your website. Honest words from others help make your products or services more tangible to customers who are visiting you online, and help your potential customers to build trust in you, especially if you are new. More importantly, they help shoppers to confirm whether your product or services meet their needs. You could even encourage positive feedback from your customers by rewarding them with discounts for any new customers they refer to your business.
Make your content easy to share
Sharing content on social media is the digital equivalent of word of mouth promotion. If you make your content easy for other people to share on their social media platforms, you’ll have an increase in web traffic, and possibly more customers.
As with word of mouth, you can reward referrals with discounts and special offers.
Conduct a webinar
One of the benefits of a business website is that it allows you to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. You can further cement this image by hosting a webinar on your site.
If you advertise it well enough in advance, a webinar can bring your current customers together, as well as gain the interest of some new clients.
More importantly for you, the webinar is a chance to showcase your business to an interested party, and demonstrate the range of products and services you have on offer. Because a webinar is more interactive, you can answer questions live, provide examples of your services, and maybe even learn who might be open to working with you one day.
If you don’t have the tools to host a webinar, you could also use Facebook live, or host a Twitter Q&A.
Keep an eye on your competition
Obviously, you are not the only one marketing their business online, nor are you the sole provider within your industry.
You cannot do much to stop your competitors from conducting their business, but you can do your research and make sure you’re doing ten times better than they are.
Are they posting as often as you are? Does that seem to be generating more internet traffic? What are they doing right?
There is nothing wrong with some healthy competition, but it can also benefit you to learn from people who are doing well in their own business.
A marketing strategy is only good as long as it’s working. After a while, things can get stale and your website traffic can drop as a result. Make sure you regularly review your marketing strategy and update it as needed.
Does your website need a makeover? Are there other ways you could stay in touch with your customers? Can you afford to do a seasonal promotion? By constantly questioning the effectiveness of your company, you can come up with new ideas to keep your business interesting. It also helps to stay on top of industry developments.
If any new technology comes along that could make it easier to reach new customers, be sure to take advantage.
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