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I love quick tips that can make a big difference in your business. Over the last eleven years, I’ve traveled across the country interviewing business owners for my program Your Business on MSNBC to find out what has worked for them and what hasn’t. At the same time, I’ve been growing my own business – a coupon company called Goodshop, which has now saved shoppers more than $100 million. As you can imagine, I have a notebook full of little hacks that I’ve learned from other entrepreneurs and have gone on to use in my own business. Here are five of my favorites – and because small business owners play many different roles, each speaks to a different hat that you need to wear while running your company. 

 

From day one, you must make it clear that you expect your employees to do their very best work. I learned this from a woman I worked with at Cooking.com. Whenever a new direct report would hand in their first project, she’d ask them, “Is this your best work?  If not, take it back and give it to me when it’s ready.”

 

The key to this is that she didn’t look at the work before asking the question – she just wanted to set the precedent that she didn’t want anyone who worked for her dialing it in. Letting her team know right from the start that she expected top notch work ensured that people were challenged to do their best. And, people loved working for her because she set the bar high and supported everyone in reaching it.  

 

Things are going to go wrong with your company. No matter how much you plan for perfection, at some point you’re going to disappoint a customer because of something that you could have prevented. When this happens, own it. Even better, out the issue before the customer even notices it. As the saying goes, mended fences are often stronger than those never tested at all. If your customers experience your company going above and beyond instead of ignoring an issue, chances are, you will win their loyalty.

 

If a customer asks you for something and you’ll have to turn them down, see if you can answer in a different way. Here’s what I mean: I was once sitting in the reception area of a Pilates studio when a potential customer came in and asked if they had yoga classes. Though they didn’t, instead of just saying no, the receptionist said, "We have Pilates and cardiolates.  Have you tried cardiolates before?” Had she simply said “We don’t have yoga,” the customer would have walked away. This question engaged her in a conversation and got her to sign up for a class. “No” is a conversation ender.  What you want are conversation extenders. 

 

Sales and partnerships:  Listen, listen, listen.

This should be an obvious one, but it’s one that’s often overlooked. If you’re going in to pitch someone – whether it’s a potential client or a potential partner – don’t start trying to sell them until you’ve had a chance to ask them about their pain points. You don’t need to be cagey when asking about this. Rather, it’s best if you come right out and ask them where their needs are. Then, if your proposal isn’t structured in a way that shows how you can solve their problems, scrap it and pitch your company in a different way. You’ll have the most success if you can explain very directly how what you have will solve a problem they’re experiencing. 

 

Many of us are shy. Even the most outgoing person can feel a little uncomfortable walking into a room full of people who are already paired up and talking to each other. So, the next time you need to go to a conference or networking event, contrary to what your instinct might be telling you, arrive early. It turns out that arriving early makes networking easier. It’s much harder to break into a conversation that’s already happening. If you get there early, you’ll naturally start talking to the other early birds and driving the conversation in a way that is most comfortable for you.