Business Essentials

The fundamentals of selling still exist, but sales people need to fine tune their skills and techniques to get to their prospects earlier in the decision-making process. That's according to sales and marketing expert and advisory partner of Miller Heiman Group, Rob Hartnett. You need to train your sales staff to be better, he says, in order to create new opportunities, capitalise on them and grow your business.

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Every week The Fruit Box delivers 600,000 pieces of fruit to 8000 businesses across Australia. We hear from founder Martin Halphen about how a simple idea transformed his humble home-delivery service in the bayside suburbs of Melbourne 17 years ago to 30,000 deliveries to corporates across the country today. These days, The Fruit Box takes its social responsibility seriously and gives back to the community by donating thousands of boxes of fruit, milk and bread to families in need.

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If you're looking to build or maintain your company as a leader in its field, content marketing can amplify your reputation. That's according to Sarah Mitchell of Lush Digital Media, who examines the different kinds of content marketing and what does and doesn't work. Don't expect quick returns – it's a long-term business strategy, Sarah insists, with great rewards for those who persevere.

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Competition is all around us, so why make it even harder for your business by staying offline? A lot of resistance to making the most of digital business tools comes from those who should be leading the charge – that is, the C-suite of top executives in business. John Cleary of Cost Management Specialists warns if you haven't introduced a digital strategy for your products and services, you'll be overrun by your competitors who could offer their products and services faster and more cheaply.

If you're overwhelmed by a tide of daily emails flooding your inbox, you're not alone. But what can you do to take control of your routine? Dermot Crowley has written a practical, step-by-step guide: 'Smart Work – how to boost your activity in 3 easy steps'. It comes down to the very tools we're so familiar without realising their true potential.

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Online fraud and criminal activity have become more sophisticated and they're a constant battle for authorities to police. It's prudent for businesses to protect themselves from cyber crime, says forensic IT specialist David Caldwell, but he warns that many small businesses continue to leave themselves open to attack. He has practical advice on what we can all do to fight cyber crime within our businesses.

If you're not happy with your current debt levels, Scott Hamilton of Arapiles Consulting offers strategies to help you take better control of things and pay off the debt faster. If you can. But what about other areas of financial risk looking ahead, for example the impact of changing interest rates or exchange rates? How about some scenario planning as a way to future-proof your business?

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Fame, fortune and glamour used to sum up high-flying Rod Butterss's life as he built, sold and bought highly successful businesses through the late 1980s and 90s. His stellar business career was followed by a seven-year stint in the spot-light at the AFL, as President of St Kilda Football Club. Rod seemed untouchable. 

By 2007 as his football club presidency dramatically ended, his world collapsed - marriage and friendships lost, money and the trappings of wealth all gone. Life spiralled downwards until Rod finally forced himself to own up to the one mighty issue at the heart of his life: his alcoholism.

These days Rod’s back. He hasn’t had a drink in years, he’s back in business, he’s happy and more bravely, he now speaks openly about his experiences as an alcoholic, hopefully, he says, to destigmatise the problems around addiction and to help others including business people who may be heading in the wrong direction.

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Podcasting has helped Australia's largest women's media network to connect strongly with its consumers' "insatiable appetite for content". Mamamia's managing director, Kylie Rogers, explains how the media company has grown rapidly since it created its first podcast in 2014. Today it produces 18 podcasts a week, making the organisation the world’s largest women's podcast network. Kylie explains the unique role podcasting plays in connecting with and engaging audiences.

We're often warned about making assumptions in business and in life, and some of the biggest mistakes are misconceptions concerning Generation Y. The 21-36-year-old group is cashed up and growing up in massive numbers, so it’s important to know what they really think and do. Peter Harris, APAC Managing Director of Vision Critical, examines the habits of this age sector and what you can do to attract their spending dollars.

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It's easy to get left behind if you don't strive to innovate. But what are the practical steps to achieve innovation? With the world in constant flux, innovative companies can appear out of nowhere to disrupt established players. For anyone in business, it's no longer acceptable to keep doing what you've always done. Change agent and innovation strategist Andrew Hutchinson, of Alchimie, has plenty of ideas to help us face the challenges of a changing marketplace. Step One, he says, is to create our own innovative mind-set.

Like maintaining mental and physical health, it takes real effort to keep a business going. And, in a world of disruption, it can be even harder to keep moving and staying ahead of the game. Adviser Alan Hargreaves latest book 'Management Reboot - 52 ideas to make things happen' helps unpack the good and bad ways to handle the disruption of new players in the market. Alan discusses what they are and he warns businesses not to be complacent in this fast-changing world.

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As painful as it is, like ripping off a Band-Aid, sometimes you just need to have a chat with a difficult staff member. It's never easy to confront an employee with an ongoing problem, but putting it off leads to worse issues over time. Marita Ryan, of Red Hot Go Enterprises, has some useful tips on how to conduct a critical conversation, which can actually help you build trust and respect from the other party and indeed the whole team.

Attributing the right job statuses to your employees can be complicated! Kerrie Canning, Partner of HR Advice Online, runs through the various job terms, including full time and part time employment, casual, temporary, fixed-term and maternity leave placements. What happens if you’ve attributed the wrong job status or if an employee wants to change? Kerrie answers those questions and more.

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Don't give up - do it regularly and consistently and you'll reap the benefits. Just like an exercise regimen, prospecting for clients can be daunting - particularly the cold-calling side. But prospecting is more than just cold-calling, and if done properly it can be bring real benefits to your business. Ingrid Maynard knows - she's had more than 20 years' experience in sales and she advises businesses on lead generation through her company, The Sales Doctor. Ingrid explains what it takes to be a great prospector.

What's something simple and which we all have every day? It's lunch – and it can be used to help build your network. Antony Gaddie built half a million dollars in his first six months of starting Green Ant Marketing from what he's called the Value Hub method. He simply hosts invitation-only networking lunches for his clients and their contacts. This softly, softly approach is easy, reliable and adds real value to the participants and ultimately to himself.

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How does a busy business person slow down and take back control in a world of constant noise and interruption? Occupational therapist, Angela Lockwood, addresses those issues in her new book "Switch Off: How to find calm in a noisy world". She has espoused every day activities to cut out the clutter and bring focus back into our lives, including breathing exercises, outdoor play, healthy eating, laughing and meditation.

The way we conduct ourselves will definitely be reflected in our business, according to best-selling author, commentator and entrepreneur Andrew Griffiths. He says we should develop our own personal codes to live by, and hold ourselves to a higher level. Andrew suggests to not only ask yourself how you've made your business better each day, but also how you've made yourself better. Start by being 'ridiculously polite', he says, treat everybody with respect, and sincerely look for win-win scenarios.

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Stephen Scott Johnson encourages companies to evolve their business models to be less top-down and more interdependent, and to take conscious responsibility for their brands; in other words, businesses should aim to be "emergent". It’s the title of his new book "Emergent: Ignite Purpose, Transform Culture, Make Change Stick". He provides tools on how to sustain a culture of innovation.

Risk taking should be encouraged if you want to see your business innovate. That's the message from Amantha Imber, CEO of Inventium and author of 'The Innovation Formula'. In the book she highlights fourteen science-based keys to business innovation and she discusses some very practical ideas business leaders can immediately implement.

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Anthea Hammon is CEO and third-generation of award-winning tourist park, Scenic World. She has overseen redevelopment and introduced changes in the way customers experience the park, which has resulted in exponential growth in recent years. Many of the tourists these days are from overseas, particularly from China, thanks to Anthea and her team’s marketing strategies.

From the very beginning, KeepCup’s CEO Abigail Forsyth had visions of selling reusable cups to cafes around the world. Concerned about the mountains of disposable coffee cups generated by cafes everywhere, Abigail's bright idea of encouraging customers to use KeepCup's reusable cups has resulted in worldwide expansion. It hasn't been easy, but good old fashioned selling and trade shows have helped her business grow.

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What steps are needed to be a great leader and can anyone become one? Ricky Nowak has spent much of her career pondering those questions and has some practical solutions on the subject of leadership. She details her thoughts in her book How to make good people great leaders …and reap the rewards. She outlines what she calls the three Rs of leadership, involving great relationships, resilience and respect.

Culture is pivotal for business performance – if you get the culture right, the business will improve. That’s the message from Steve Simpson, creator of the globally acclaimed Unwritten Ground Rules – the perceptions of the way things are done, which constitute the organisation’s culture. He walks us through the three conditions necessary to achieve a stand-out culture.

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With so many markets in Asia to choose from, how do you know what’s right for you? Campbell MacKintosh has had more than 20 years’ experience opening up markets in Asia for companies in the West. Now a business advisor, Campbell examines some of the common misconceptions about doing business in Asia.

China in particular has potential markets that are mind-blowingly enormous. We hear from CT Johnson of Cross Border Management on how we can all take advantage of China if we understand the particular culture and business habits of the Chinese.

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If you can identify the internal barriers holding you back, you may discover untapped potential to grow more revenue, says John Cleary of Cash Management Specialists. He has a 9-step strategy to increase cash flow – and it doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money in one area or reducing costs in another to get there. John explains how breaking down internal silos will help reveal where the opportunities for increased revenue really exist. Then, make sure you understand your clients’ needs and ask some hard questions about your product or service range.

But, speed and safety is your priority in growing your business, why not consider an acquisition? Warren Otter was in the manufacturing game for more than 20 years and found that he grew much more quickly via acquisition after struggling to grow organically. He’s written a book on his experience “Crank it up: the proven way to drive your business to greater wealth” which is full of practical advice on developing an acquisition strategy. These days Warren advises others on how to achieve growth, with his consultancy Otter & Associates.

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Smart phones, tablets and even watches provide online accessibility that wasn’t widely available just 10 years ago. They’re increasingly making life for the consumer easier, but what about the benefits to business? Nicolette Maury, Managing Director of Intuit Australia, details some of the tools businesses can access on-the-go to save themselves time and money.

You don’t have to search far and wide to find solutions to the speed of technological change. Inside most organisations are tech savvy staff who are better positioned to identify the digital tools available to combat change. Business advisor Simon Waller says these "digital champions" should be officially resourced, trained and supported to guide the rest of the company.

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To ensure we continue to grow and keep pace in a changing world, we need to re-examine our old practices. Business advisor, Alan Hargreaves returns to Business Essentials with a new book: Management Reboot: 52 ideas to make things happen. It’s a light-hearted yet sincere examination of new ideas to help invigorate our businesses.

If your business is the same in five years as it is now, there's a good chance it'll be gone. That's according to serial entrepreneur and venture banker Neville Christie, who looks at innovation and how important it is for businesses if they want to survive.

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Entrepreneur Matthew Michalewicz has developed and grown several technology companies in the US and Australia – his last achieved revenue from start-up to $20m in just 7 years. Matthew’s written a book, ‘Life in Half a Second’ about how to achieve success in business and life before it’s too late.

As national patron and wish-granter at Make-A-Wish Australia, author and speaker Robyn Moore has a powerful story she often cites to help re-ignite passion among her many followers. She shares the story with us to show us how to rediscover our passion and confidence, in our work and in all aspects of our lives.

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Third-generation family member and CEO, Angus Kennard is all too aware of the impact of technology on his equipment-hiring firm, Kennards Hire. With almost 170 locations across Australia and New Zealand, any change will have a huge effect on his sizeable workforce. He discusses some of the initiatives the company is taking and why change is a major consideration.

After his competing days were over, former Australian winter Olympian, Peter Forras, refocused his energies into manufacturing high-quality ski gear for athletes in Australia and around the world. His big lessons: choose your suppliers wisely and don’t expect immediate returns.

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