Sales 101 - Selling in Tough Times - Part 3

SALES 101 - Selling in Tough Times – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC

Following on from last week, here are some more tips on Selling in Tough Times.

Be Prepared
This one I am seriously found wanting on!  You see, since all of my leads come out of Networking, I have already, very briefly met the person that I am having a meeting with (except of course when it is a referral), so I do know a little bit about them, presuming of course that I remember who they are.

The problem is that I have a very bad memory with names and faces and the fact of the matter is that I am usually meeting them for the second time, for an in depth meeting, several months down the line.  What I should perhaps (in fact very definitely) be doing is googling them and finding out as much as I can about them and what it is that they do so that I am not going into the meeting blind.

What this tells the person that you are meeting, when you know a bit about them and what it is that they do or what their company is all about, is that you are serious about what it is that you do.  It creates a tremendous amount of credibility for you as it shows that you were interested enough in what is to come out of the meeting, to find out more about them and then be able to discuss or ask questions that make sense.

Sell reliability.
Well now, this one certainly pertains to me.  I often start off amused and then slowly (actually it quite quickly) become quite irritated with a sales person, that waxes lyrical about the technical stuff that happens with a product. 

I am not a techno person, so I don’t understand the stuff and when I don’t understand it, throwing all the technical jargon at me, just makes me realize how many things can go wrong with the product.

Tell me the bottom line in easy to understand English.  Tell me in easy to understand English if there is a guarantee and what brings it into effect. 

Two of my favorite sales (and they both happened over a year ago) are:  It was time to upgrade my cell phone, something that can normally be extremely frustrating for me.  I walked into MTN at Rosebank and spoke to the young chap behind the counter.  I said something along the lines of “I am a Nokia girl, this is what I have – I want the same or better and I don’t want to have to pay in.”  Five minutes later I walked out with my new phone, all the paperwork done and dusted.

The second one was the purchase of my digital camera.  Now I am not one to rush around like a mad thing taking happy snaps all the time, but I do take photos from time to time and it was time to drag myself kicking and screaming into the 21st century.  I walked into the camera shop in Cresta and spoke to the young chap who always sorted the printing of my photo’s out.  I said something along the lines of “I have no idea of the brand that I want, I want something simple that I can point at the general direction and it takes a reasonable photo.  I don’t want to have to decide weather it is dark or light, the camera must do that for me, and it must not cost more that R2.50 (that’s always said with a huge grin on my face, but they understand what it is that I am saying.”  Fifteen minutes later I walked out of shop with a new camera, camera bag and several other accessories.  The camera had been programmed for me and all I have to do is press the two buttons – one to switch the thing on and the other to take the picture.  Perfect!

In both of these instances, the sales person listened to me.  They listened to what it was that I wanted and they gave it to me.  In most of my other disastrous shopping experiences the sales person doesn’t listen to what it is that I want, instead they try to give me what they think I should have.  Half the time I don’t understand what they are trying to say because I am not a technical person and I have no interest in hearing all that waffle.

Most people will tell you that I am extremely difficult – I disagree.  If you give me exactly what it is that I want I am the easiest person on the planet.  I am sure that if you tell these two salesmen that I am difficult they will disagree and tell you that it was the easiest and quickest sale that they have ever made.

Next week we will look at some more tips on Selling in Tough Times.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - Networking is also for Corporate Employees

Networking 101 - Networking is also for Corporate Employees

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

I still have a number of colleagues and friends in the Corporate World (shame hey!), and am often amazed at some of the comments that I hear about networking.  The one that astounds me the most is “I don’t go to networking events because I get ‘hit on by people looking for work’!”  Oh how sad!

On a personal level, I just don’t think that most corporate people ‘get it’ – the plot I mean, or what networking is all about.

Not going to a networking event because you are afraid of people trying to get you to give them work or because they would like to become your service providers is just not clever. 

Yes, some people will ‘hit’ on them – there is no doubt about that.  In fact I can pretty much guarantee it, however they fail to see the ‘big’ picture!

You see by not going to these events, they will not be meeting new people and by not meeting new people, their own network is not going to grow, and not actively growing their network is not clever.  In fact it could have some serious, adverse repercussions on their businesses.

I am often reminded of this when I attend some of the Business Engage (www.businessengage.co.za) functions.  Business Engage is supported by many of the Corporate’s in the financial world – in particular banks and insurance companies.  In most instances the Corporate has taken out a block membership to Business Engage for their staff.  Most of the functions are attended by someone who “represents” the Corporate entity and in many cases, this someone has no interest what-so-ever in networking.  In fact they see this as an obligation to their employer and a chance to have a free meal.

They are so easy to spot and it’s not difficult to see how different they are to the entrepreneur.  The entrepreneur is bouncing around the place, interacting with new people, exchanging business cards and generally working the opportunity that they have, whilst the corporate employee is sticking to their respective groups and trying hard not to ‘talk to strangers’!

My message to the Corporate world is this – “you guys need to get with the programme”!  When it comes to making and sustaining sound Business Connections  - the entrepreneur is streets ahead of the corporate.  Entrepreneurs are hungry for new contacts, they explore every business opportunity available to them, from meeting that new contact to looking  for new innovative ways to do business!

Let me put it this way – we all talk about the bottom line – my bottom line is this:

All of my business comes through networking!  I do not advertise, I do not do any marketing.  You will not see anything about my business on a flyer.  There are no advertisements in magazines or any other periodicals.  Yet I am beginning to be well known in the market place.

I wonder why that is?  Perhaps it is because I am a natural networker and I use every opportunity to talk to people, about who I am and what my business is.

The question is – shouldn’t you?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - From Employee to Entrepreneur - Part 5

BUSINESS TIPS – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 5

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC – November 2012

So far we have looked at:-
1. The difference between being an employee and an employer;
2. Your Purpose:
3. The People around you and
4. Your Personal Footprint.
5. Knowledge & what you do with it
6. The Generosity of your Spirit
7. The Role of Technology in your Business
8. Self Confidence
9. Creativity and
10. Focus

Believe it or not there are a whole lot more – today we will explore a few more.

1. Vision.
One of the greatest strengths that many Entrepreneurs have when they start out is their ability to ‘think big’!  One of the biggest weaknesses that many Entrepreneurs have is to ‘start big’!  The first thing that they seem to do, once they have borrowed the finance to start the business is to rush out and buy the designer car, the designer clothes and live the designer life – the problem with that is, that it is never sustainable.

I was told the tale the other day of a chap who applied for and received financial assistance from the bank to purchase some much needed machinery that would assist him in automating much of his factory, which of course would increase his capacity because he could now produce his products a lot faster and a lot cheaper and this in turn would mean that his sales would increase too.  Now please understand the loan was for quite a considerable amount – it was in excess of R2m.  As soon as this chap had the money in his account he rushed out and bought . . . . no, not machinery – well I suppose technically a brand new sports car would be considered a machine!  The result . . .  as soon as the bank found out what he had done, they forced him to return the car and he immediately lost R100 000 on the deal.  Quite frankly, I have no sympathy at all.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with dreaming the big dream and thinking big, but when you start out, you need to ‘start small’ and grow big.

2. Result
Being able to achieve your dream and make a success of  the business that you are trying to build, is not just about your efforts.  It’s not just about ‘doing’!  Sure your actions are important and without them you will never get going or get to where you want to be.  The key here is ‘achieving’, it’s about getting the desired results. It’s about being able to measure what you are doing, so that you can manage your efforts to ensure that you achieve the results that you are looking for.

Let me explain . . I often find myself running around like a headless chicken.  This usually happens when I receive a panic call from a prospective client, who needs XYZ now and not a moment later.  Because I am always on the look out for new business and despite the fact that I have scheduled time for my current clients, I will drop everything to try and meet the requirements of the prospective client, who at the end of my running around, gathering information, putting a proposal together – then decides that they will ‘shelve’ the idea to another time when they have sufficient time/money/resources (insert what you want here) to implement what they were thinking about.  I on the other hand have run around like a mad possessed person, getting everything together so that I could meet their rushed deadlines and achieved . .  exactly nothing!

Now remember, I still have clients who have expectations and I have yet to meet my deliverables, so that usually means that I have to work through the night or over the weekend to ensure that I give them the results that they expect and that they pay for. My result here is that at the end of all of this, yes I have met my deliverables, but I am exhausted, frazzled and often angry with myself, the prospective client and the world in general – not a good place to be.

As you can see, my personal challenge (and I suspect that it is true of many Entrepreneurs), is that I have to learn to say ‘no’ to prospective clients who have unrealistic, last minute requirements.  In other words, My efforts need to harvest achievements.

Next time we will continue to look at some of the other issues that you will need or be aware of to become a successful Entrepreneur.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Motivation - The Price of Excellence

MOTIVATION – The Price of Excellence

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

William Arthur Ward says “the Price of Excellence is discipline.  The Cost of mediocrity is disappointment.”

I cannot begin to tell you about the number of clients who I see on a daily basis who are faced with the disappointment that comes because of their own mediocrity.

Oh don’t for a minute think that they are disappointed or angry or even resentful because they see themselves as the problem or that they have been mediocre in their businesses or with their staff or with the VAT/Tax man.  Oh no!  Their disappointment is always because of something or someone else.  It couldn’t possibly be because of what they may have or may not have done!

The reality of course is usually very different.  It is entirely because of their own actions or more often than not, their inactions.

Often though (to give them a little benefit of the doubt), their action or inaction is directly attributable to their lack of knowledge on the subject.  Again, in all truthfulness, this is also directly attributable to their own lack of discipline.  I can actually see everybody’s hackles rising as they read these words.  But actually that is exactly what it is – lack of discipline because inadequate research has been done and it’s been a case of, “Jump right in honey, the water is just fine!”

You see too often we have an idea for a product or business and without doing the proper research or understanding the full consequences of our actions or inactions, we just jump right in and then of course when we fail, it’s everybody else’s fault, definitely not ours.  We didn’t have the self discipline to sit down, do the research, work out the numbers, calculate the risks against the rewards and then make an informed decision.

Of course, there are those of us who have the information and the know the risks but who choose not to work in a disciplined environment, or who want to ‘cheat’ the system or who thrive on taking risks.  For those too, it’s also everyone else’s fault when they get ‘caught out’.  It’s the VAT/tax man who has killed their business – not their lack of discipline to manage their VAT or tax.  Or how about the Department of Labour, who has imposed a huge fine for non compliance, that may result in the business folding – not their unfair Labour practice or lack of discipline in following the rules, that protect both them and their staff.

In both of these instances (and thousands of others that result in the failure of a business), the implementation of simple policies and procedures and the discipline needed to follow them, would have been sufficient to avoid the problems and their subsequent consequences altogether.

But no – it’s easier to apportion blame than it is to admit that we were in the wrong!

It’s easier to ‘go with the flow’ than it is to set the boundaries and limits and be disciplined enough to stay within these parameters.

Be warned though – those of you who just ‘go with the flow’ usually end up learning and also paying for the hardest lesson of all – the lesson of failure and disappointment.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.

HR 101 - What to do When . . . You are not sure about Workmen's Compensation - Part 1

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . .  You Are Not Sure About Workmen’s Compensation? – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour and Best Practice Requirements.
There seems to be a great deal of confusion about who must register, where to register, how to register and when to register, so I thought it would be a good idea to try and demystify it.
So here are the important factors to consider as a Business Owner. Who Must Register With The Workman’s Compensation Fund and How Does One Register:
As a Business Owner in South Africa, if you employ a staff member (and that includes you – so if the only staff member is you) then you need to be registered. The Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (COID) Act of 130 of 1993 defines and employer as:
“Any person, including the state, who employs an employee and includes:-  Any person controlling the business of the employer;

- If the services of an employee are lent or temporarily made available to some other person by the employer, such employer for such period as the employee works for that employee;
- A Labour Broker who against payment provides a person to a client for the rendering of a service or the performance of work and for which service or work such person is paid by the Labour Broker.”

Well that is pretty straight forward – so for example, I as Viljoen   Consulting CC do not have any staff members on the one hand, but ‘pay’ myself a salary on the other hand (to get the best tax benefits), so I will now need to Register for Workman’s Compensation.

The form that is required to be completed is the prescribed (Form WA52 – which can be downloaded from the Department of Labour site or requested from myself) and the employer is required to submit a separate form for each business he/she has.

What Records Are To Be Kept By the Employer

The Act says that the employer has to keep a register or some form of record of the earnings and particulars of employment. This record must be kept for a period of 4 (four) years.

The Act also says that this record must be kept open for inspection, not only for a representative of the Health & Safety fraternity but also for the Health & Safety Representative who must be elected in terms of the Act or also in terms of the Mine & Health Safety Act 29 of 1996 or for any of the shop stewards or similar Union officials.

Next week we will have a look at when to submit the return of earnings, what an assessment is and who may be exempt from being assessed.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Sales 101 - Selling in Tough Times - Part 1

SALES 101 - Selling in Tough Times – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting

I keep hearing all around me that we are in the middle of an economic crisis and a credit crunch.  I must say that I am really not convinced!  I mean the interest rates haven’t gone up – so I am not totally sold on the whole concept.  That said, for those who have ‘bought into’ the whole ‘economic crisis’ scenario and also for those like me who want to make life really easy for themselves, here are some tips on the “how to” sell in tough times.

Existing Satisfied Customers.
I have no doubt that even at our worst, we have left some satisfied customers in our wake.  Surely to goodness, logic must tell us that if we have satisfied them once, it cannot be that difficult to satisfy them again.  Reconnect with them, rekindle the relationship that you once had with them and find out what it is they need/want/desire.  If it is something that you can do for them – fabulous, if it isn’t, don’t stress, connect them with who they need out of your database.  This still means that you are adding value to them and they will remember you all the more for it.

Ask for Referrals
What is it about the human race and South African’s in particular, that we find it so incredibly difficult to ask for help?  We find it very easy to help, to assist – I mean, we are internationally known for our friendliness and generosity. Yet we cannot seem to ‘ask’ when we need the help.

It’s very easy you know, just do it – ask for what you want.  Ask your friends, your relatives, your clients (past and present) to refer you to the people within their circle of influence.  It will cost them a few minutes of their time and it will increase your sales exponentially.  How cool is that?  Even more cool is the number of references that you are likely to get out of the exercise.

Putting on the Pressure.
It is said that in the tough times, it is not a good idea to put pressure on a client in order to close the deal.  I would take that one step further and say that it is never a good idea to push someone into a corner in order to close a sale!

Be warned – if you do push a client like this, in all likelihood you will never sign a deal with them ever – not just this one deal, but never another deal ever.

People like to take some time to think about what it is that they want to do.  They like to think about the pro’s and con’s of what they need/want/desire – the more pressure you apply the more they will resist and the more desperate you will appear.  You will not only lose the sale, you will lose the client too.  Don’t do it!!

Next week we will look at some more tips on Selling in Tough Times.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - The Value Add of Referrals

NETWORKING 101 - The Value Add of Referrals

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

At some point you are going to need the contacts that you have met whilst networking.

Today is only Tuesday and I have already referred about 15 people this week, out of my data base – all of whom I have met whilst networking. 

You see in some instances, many of my colleagues ask me to refer people because, well firstly, they know that I have met with and chatted, on a one on one, type basis, every single person in my data base. Secondly, I have listened to what it is that they do and asked questions about their businesses.

Can I guarantee their work, or their commitment – no of course I can’t, but it is certainly a lot more trustworthy than picking someone out of the yellow pages!

So what does that mean for me – well firstly the person who has asked me for assistance, now on a subconscious level feels that they  “owe me”.  What this means is that the next time they hear of someone in need of the type of work that I do, they will be very quick to refer me because that will then even the score.  That means that work will be coming in.

Secondly, the person who has been referred – knows that I have referred them and now on a sub-conscious level they also ‘owe me’.  What this means is that the next time they hear of someone in need of the type of work that I do, they will be very quick to refer me because that will then even the score.  That means that work will be coming in.

There are some instances where people, who I refer, simply feel that they are not in a position to refer me to anyone – now here comes the fun part.  I have worked out a deal with these service providers – I get their time for free!  So now I have my own contractual attorney – I never sign anything without her having a look at it (for free).  I have my own Labour Attorney – I can give advice to clients and check my facts before I give the advice (for free).  I have my own Accountant, who does my books and looks after my tax issues (for free), and so on.

In fact, I am far better off than any Corporate Company – because I have specialists who are passionate about what they do and are committed to giving good service and value for money – where have you ever found a Corporate Company that can make that statement, with conviction and honesty?

The bottom line is that I have built a ‘Virtual Company’ out of my networking.  I have opened myself up to recognize the potential value, to my business, of every single person that I have met.  I did that by meeting one person at a time, engaging in a conversation with that person, by understanding what it is that they do and by listening to what people want.

How strong is your ‘Virtual Company’ – and do you actually have one?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - From Employee to Entrepreneur - Part 4

BUSINESS TIPS – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 4

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC –

So far we have looked at:-
1. The difference between being an employee and an employer;
2. Your Purpose:
3. The People around you and
4. Your Personal Footprint.
5. Knowledge & what you do with it
6. The Generosity of your Spirit and
7. The Role of Technology in your Business

Believe it or not there are a whole lot more – today we will explore a few more.

1. Self Confidence
As an entrepreneur you need a whole bunch of self-confidence.  There will be times when you will be the only person who believes in YOU and what you are capable of doing.

Understand yourself, understand who you are, understand what you are capable of and understand how far you are prepared to go to achieve your dream.

Understand that there will be occasions that you will walk on the road with someone, be they mentor or collaborator or partner or customer or supplier or friend, but there will also be times that you will walk alone – be prepared for it and deal with it.

There will be times when you celebrate your successes and there will be times when it will feel as though you are all alone in the world – in those times, will you still believe in yourself?  That is a question that you have to ask yourself and that is a question only you can answer and it will require a brutally honest answer.

2. Creativity
Understand that as an entrepreneur, even accountants or auditors, are creative.  Yes, you actually read that correctly.  ALL entrepreneurs are creative – they have ‘created’ something, they have breathed life into something that did not exist.  That’s huge!  We are creative when we ‘put the picture’ together in our minds of how we want our businesses to look, to feel and to work. That is also why it is of the utmost importance that entrepreneurs reserve time to dream.  If you cannot dream it, it will not happen and only having one dream is kind of defeating the object – we need to dream all the time.  Take time out to dream, book it in your diary if you need to, but make sure that you take the time to draw pictures in your mind of what you want to happen, to dream the future.  Remember though it will still require an action (well to be honest many actions) to turn that dream into a reality.

3. Focus
One of the quickest ways to lose you way is to lose your focus.  Whether you are working on a document or preparing a presentation or raising an invoice or indeed running an entire business, when you lose focus you veer off the road and all manner of disasters and conflict await you.

Here’s the thing, although women (and even some men) proudly profess to be effective and efficient at multi-tasking, the fact of the matter is that the brain is designed and wired to only hold one thought at a time.  You may think that you are holding two or more, but realistically you are ‘switching’ between thoughts or in effect losing focus, particularly if the two thoughts are on unrelated issues.

Make sure that you always have your ‘end goal’ clearly visible – mine are on ‘post it notes’ all over the office, so I can see them all the time.  That way you will have them in your thoughts constantly and it will make it that much easier to maintain your focus.

Next time we will continue to look at some of the other issues that you will need or be aware of to become a successful Entrepreneur.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Motivation - The People You Don't Even Know

MOTIVATION – THE PEOPLE YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

It is said that “your life can be changed in a matter of seconds by people you don’t even know”

For me, I don’t think it even matters as to whether or not you are actually even open to the possibility of that moment or even open to the change that that moment might bring.

These are the moments, or what, Oprah Winfrey calls “Ah Ha!” moments, that usually come completely out of the blue or when you least expect them and yet quite possibly they are the moments that can and probably will change the direction of your life or be the defining moment when you change intrinsically as a person.

That’s not to say that you will only experience one of these moments in the course of your life time.  I certainly haven’t!  But then of course why would you limit yourself to only one of these deliciously appetizing, soul defining moments?  You don’t have to you know.

That said, like your first kiss or your first love – your first ‘Ah-Ha’ moment is one that you are unlikely to ever forget.  I certainly couldn’t.

My defining moment came in November 1999, when I sat in front of a complete stranger by the name of Vanessa Paige and she was reading my Tarot cards.

Now I can see all of you smiling and nodding your head in unison – a Tarot card reading!

Well let me tell you, this was not a Tarot card reading that you have done by the Gypsies  who live in caravans or the fortune tellers that you engage with at the fun fair.  This was a reading like I have never encountered in my life! And this was the reading that changed the course of my life and who I am as a person.

You see Vanessa told me that I was a worthwhile person.  That I had the right to make my own decisions and my own choices.  That it was my life and that I had the right and the power to live it.  She told me that I had “given away my power” to bosses that used and abused it, to friends who did not appreciate me and to family, who took as much as they could and then discarded me.

Vanessa made me understand that I could take my power back, I could be somebody, a worthwhile somebody, who could make a valuable contribution to this world. All I had to do was to believe in myself and start to love – me.

And you know what else?  Vanessa told me that she believed in me!

This was the first time that anyone had ever said anything like this to me and the effect was quite profound.

It has been a slow and sometimes painful journey, but it has also brought me much happiness and fulfillment.

I now own my own business.  I make a difference in the lives of others.  I write for magazines and newspapers. I have been interviewed and appeared on TV.  I have been the guest speaker at huge functions – but most of all, most powerful of all – I am the master of my own destiny.

And all it took was one brief moment in time, with someone I did not know!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.

HR 101 - What to do When . . . Your Staff Member Resigns Before a Disciplinary Hearing?

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . Your Staff Member Resigns Before a Disciplinary Hearing?

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour and Best Practice requirements.

So you caught the staff member ‘red handed’ with his fingers in the till!  You’ve (for once) followed all the procedures and you have issued him with a notice to attend a disciplinary hearing and you can’t wait for this to happen so that justice can be served, in your favour for once, and then . . . .  he hands in his resignation!  Talk about frustration!  Been there?  Yes of course you have.  Then to add insult to injury you are sent a notification by the CCMA stating that the employee has laid a ‘constructive dismissal’ charge against you . .  now what?

Ok, let’s take a step back and have a look at this one step at a time.

Firstly, it is the absolute right of the employee to tender their resignation at any time, except if that resignation is in breach of a contract – in that instance the employer will obviously have recourse.

There will always be those employees that would rather resign than face a disciplinary hearing, then there are those who will resign during the hearing and even those who will resign once the verdict has been delivered. 

The problem arises, not when the resignation is handed in (although I must admit that that can be pretty frustrating) but rather when the employee then goes to the CCMA.

Let’s bring in the protagonists!

Mike owns a retail outlet in a Mall. George is the Manager of said retail outlet. George has been caught ‘red handed’ stealing stock out of the store and selling it on the side, and of course pocketing the money. Mike has suspended George, pending a disciplinary hearing and given George notice to attend a disciplinary hearing, with the obligatory 48 hours notice. The day of the hearing arrives, so does George, with his letter of resignation. Mike accepts the resignation, with immediate effect and George is paid out his leave pay etc and off he goes. End of story – well not quite, you see George goes to the CCMA and alleges that it was a constructive dismissal.

In this particular instance the CCMA found that since George had resigned and that Mike had accepted his resignation, this had in fact amounted to a settlement between the two.

You see, George had resigned rather than wait to be dismissed. This would mean that George’s record would not indicate that he had been ‘dismissed’ and would therefore appear to be unblemished. This was an informed choice, made by George, therefore George now was not entitled to ‘seek relief by way of reinstatement or compensation’ – talk about having your cake and eating it!

On the one hand George did not want to face a disciplinary hearing, which he knew would result in the termination of his employment, because of his dishonesty, because he did not want the ‘dismissal’ on his employment record and on the other he wanted compensation from Mike because he now no longer had a job. Having made his choice to have the unblemished record, George could not claim to be entitled to both the unblemished record and compensation.

What George has not taken into account though, is that although he “resigned”, this does not necessarily ‘look better’ on his record, because Mike has followed the correct procedures. All the details of the alleged offence (in this case theft) and the details of what occurred will still be on file.

Although Mike did not get the satisfaction of having George dismissed at a disciplinary hearing, Mike still has the right to proceed with criminal charges, even though George has resigned and is no longer employed by Mike. Obviously, whether Mike wants to go this route or not is entirely up to him.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Sales 101 - The Joy of Pre-Sold Sales

SALES 101 - The Joys of Pre-Sold Sales

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC

What is a ‘Pre-Sold Sale’?  For me it is the sale that I don’t have to sell.  It’s the client who comes to me for my service because I have been recommended by someone that they trust.  Again it boils down to relationships and the building of relationships.

The two most pronounced factors here are ‘relationships’ and ‘trust’.  You see me being recommended by someone that you trust, means that I don’t have to do anything about the sale – it’s already done, because the person who has recommended me has already tried my services.  The services have been tested and found to be acceptable and they have given me their stamp of approval!  All I have to do is deliver what the client wants.  It’s the best sale that there is.

So don’t be scared to go back to your database of past and present clients and ask them to recommend you.  Don’t be scared to ask them to ‘listen’ out for people who need your product or service.  By recommending you they are also adding value to what it is that they do and to their clients too.

Yip, Pre-Sold Sales for me are the very best kind!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - Focus is Key

NETWORKING 101 – Focus is Key

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

Don’t you just hate it when people are talking to you and they look every where except at you?

It’s like the guy who chats to the ladies whilst clearly focused on their cleavage!

Apart from the fact that it is really rude, it’s also very distracting.  It makes me feel like I’m missing something, which usually means that I also have to have a look at whatever the other person is looking at.  Usually that means that I am doing the ‘rubber necking’ thing to look at whatever it is that they are looking at and often I really don’t ‘get it’.  The result of course is that I lose focus – they never really had any focus and frustration sets in!

So what’s the point of going to a networking event if you cannot focus on what you are doing?  In fact, what’s the point in talking to anyone, if you can’t focus on either what you are saying or what they are saying?

Be sure to focus on the person that you are speaking to – give them your full attention.  You are bound to reap the rewards in the long run.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - From Employee to Entrepreneur - Part 3

BUSINESS TIPS – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 3

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC

So far we have looked at:-
1. The difference between being an employee and an employer;
2. Your Purpose:
3. The People around you and
4. Your Personal Footprint.

Believe it or not there is a whole lot more – today we will explore a few more.

1. Knowledge – we all know the statement “Knowledge is Power”!  Well I would like to challenge that particular statement – you see I personally don’t believe that “knowledge” itself is power – I believe that it is “What” you do with that knowledge that makes it powerful.

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, let me say this – you need to continue learning, you need to ‘grow’ yourself.  You need to research and plan and strategize and develop and you can only do this if you learn about new things, expand your knowledge and understanding.

Remember though that knowledge without the utilization of that knowledge is useless.  Just like a thought without action remains a thought – knowledge without the action remains powerless.

2. Generosity
Now generosity is not limited to putting your hand in your pocket – actually if the truth be told, that’s the easy way out.  There is generosity of spirit where you share with others, things like your time, your knowledge and your expertise.  You may not be giving out money but you may be giving of yourself.

The truth of the matter is that the more you give the more you get and more especially, the more that you give without thought of what you could get – the more you will get, the more you will attract to yourself and the more that you will receive.

Of course that is not to say that you have to give everything away for free – that would certainly not be good business acumen, but if you can lend a helping hand to give some good advice or have even just listened and been a sounding board, then please pause for a moment and help out.  You will find one day, that when you need help, it will be offered or arrive unexpectedly and in great abundance.

3. Technology – now this one brought a huge big smile to my face – the proverbial ‘technophobe’ that’s me.  Technophobe or not, the fact of the matter is that todays’ technology does things faster, more efficiently and more accurately, than we can do things manually. Look at the way manual books were done in the past and how accounting packages now deal with entries, and double entries or how we used to ‘dial’ a number on a landline and nowadays how many of us no longer even have landlines but conduct business and even run our businesses, manage our diaries and communicate with the world on cell phones or tablets or laptops or notebooks.

Nowadays there are gadgets for girls and gadgets for boys – electronic devices that are geared specifically to make life easier.  Remember though that ‘easier’ often also means ‘faster’.  Be aware of what is new and what’s improved, it doesn’t mean that you have to buy everything that hits the shelves, but at the very least, be aware of what is hitting the shelves and invest in what can be of the most assistance to you.

Next time we will continue to look at some of the other issues that you will need or be aware of to become a successful Entrepreneur.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - What to do When . . . You Want To Suspend an Employee

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Want To Suspend an Employee?

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour and Best Practice requirements.

Firstly, let us understand when and employee can be suspended.

Usually (but not always, so be careful here) and employee is suspended during pre-disciplinary investigations or pending the outcome of a disciplinary action.  I would like to make it quite clear here though that the reason(s) for suspension should be documented and controlled by the terms and conditions of the Employment Contract or Letter of Appointment or the Company’s Disciplinary Procedures or The Company’s detailed suspension policies.

Suspensions can, and often do cause a huge amount of problems, so you really need to make sure that you are suspending the employee for the right reasons.

Issues that need to be taken into account when suspending an employee are, but not limited to:
- the need for the suspension
- the duration of the suspension
- prejudice suffered by the employee
- demands for disclosure of information
- constructive dismissal claims lodged due to resignation during lengthy suspensions etc.

Let’s go to my favorite protagonists for the type of situation that can arise.

Mike is our Business Owner.  He has a retail store that sells cell phones and accessories.  George is the Manager of the store in question and as such he is the sole key holder.  Stock has been, steadily but surely going missing on a monthly basis.  There are 4 staff members in the store and since clients do not have direct access to stock, it can only be one of the employees.

Mike has requested and received a printout of ‘activity’ from the security company.  This evidences when the store ‘opens’ and ‘closes’ and also if the store has been entered after hours.  Mike notices that at least once a week, the store is ‘opened at’ around 10pm and then ‘closed’ again at around 10.10pm.  Since George was the only one with store keys and the alarm codes, it was a reasonable assumption for George to be considered the ‘guilty’ party.

This hearing was scheduled to last for five days.

George insisted that he wanted his attorney Alex to represent him.

Alex could only be available for the 5 days over a 3 month period.  This of course, was not practical and unacceptable and George was given various options in order for the hearing to be expedited.  George was offered, (amongst other things) a 4 day postponement in order for him to find an alternative attorney and he was also offered the option to have the hearing held over the 3 month period on the condition that the suspension would be unpaid.  George declined all the alternative offers and the hearing proceeded without him being represented by an attorney.

In this instance it would have been ‘unfair’ to expect Mike to pay for 3 months suspension because it was George’s insistence to have a particular attorney represent him and also because George declined all other offers made by Mike

Be careful though as an employer, not to insist on non-payment for all postponements requested by an accused employee.  Not all instances will be regarded as procedurally fair.  Each case must be judged on its own merits.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Sales 101 - Understanding the Client's Requests

SALES 101 - Understanding the Client’s Requests

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC  October 2009.

Perception, or perhaps I should say the wrong perception often results in a client’s or prospective client’s unfulfilled expectation and that I’m afraid to say will result in either the loss of the sale and in the extreme – the loss of the client.  Neither of these instances will serve any kind of purpose for you.

So it makes sense for you to take the time and the trouble to ensure that you know and understand the basics and essence of your client or prospective client’s expectation.

It is often a good idea to have a standard set of responses to normal questions that may be asked. This will help you to respond instinctively, naturally and with conviction and which will also give your client or prospective client assurance that you do indeed know what it is that you are talking about.

For example, should your client ask you to ‘send some information’ you may very well respond by saying something like ‘there is a huge amount of information – is there something specific that you are wanting to know or could I give you a breakdown of each area/division/subject/product and then you can tell me which one you are interested in?”

Having all the information pertaining to all the different aspects of your business, close at hand is great, but being able to relay that information eloquently, smoothly and without any hesitation, will not only boost your own confidence, it will also boost the confidence of the client and/or the prospective client that may be wanting to do business with you.

You come across confident, your responses are quick and to the point and easy to understand, it sounds like you know exactly what it is that you are talking about and this will usually translate into ‘You know what it is that you are doing’ or ‘You are passionate about your business and your are competent in what you do.”  That usually translates into a sale and probably a client for life!

Understanding your client’s expectation certainly goes a long way in the right direction when building a relationship with a client or prospective client.  Meeting that expectation will elevate your credibility on a personal level and the credibility of your company.

So clearly it is in your own best interests, not only to take the time and trouble to understand exactly what your client wants and what your client expects, but then to deliver that expectation, on time, in the manner in which you promised and professionally.  Not only will your client come back time after time, but they will usually bring more business to you as well.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - Be Prepared to Listen

NETWORKING 101 - Be Prepared to Listen

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

My late friend Geraldine Bunting from Cheyenne Financial Services always told me that one of the things that her mother  used to say is “There is a reason that God gave us two ears and one mouth!”

Frankly, I agree – we don’t listen enough.  We are so busy, thinking about a clever thing to say in response to something that someone has said, that we don’t listen to all of what the other person is trying to say and yet conversely we become offended if someone doesn’t listen to what we have to say.

I am always reminded of an incident that happened to me at the garage.  The petrol attendant asked me 3 times whether I wanted unleaded or leaded and each time, when I answered him, he was so busy talking to his mate that he didn’t listen – the result of course, is that he put the wrong petrol into my car.  When I pointed this out to him, he immediately stopped the incorrect petrol pump and started putting the correct petrol into the tank.  When it came time to pay, I was presented with a bill for xx amount of litres of leaded petrol and yy amount of litres of unleaded petrol – I refused to pay for the leaded petrol.  The Manager entered the debate and tried to insist that I pay for the leaded petrol as “it was already in my tank” – I refused and invited him to remove it from the tank as I had neither asked for it and nor did I want it – in fact, I requested his name and contact details, because  if anything untoward happened to my car, as a result of the wrong fuel being put into the car, I would be holding him personally responsible.

In this instance, not only did the petrol attendant not listen to the instruction, but when the result of this could have cost the garage money – suddenly it became my problem!  How bizarre!  Anyone who knows me though, knows that I did not pay for the leaded petrol – in my opinion, the petrol attendant and the garage needed to be responsible for their own shortcomings – but that is another story for another day.

The point that I am trying to make is that there is usually a consequence for not listening and when you are in a networking environment this is usually the loss of a lead, loss of a sale and invariably – loss of a client!

A bit harsh, you may think!  But think about it logically for a moment.  Let’s say you are telling someone who you are and what it is that you are doing – he on the other hand, whilst appearing to be very interested in what you are saying, is watching the nubile young waitress who is serving a table nearby and clearly by following his glance and the glazed look in his eyes, he is not paying attention.  He sells motor vehicles.  At the same meeting, there is another chap who also sells motor vehicles.  He on the other hand not only listens carefully to what you are saying, but also takes notes and asks pertinent questions and really tries to understand what you are all about.

The very next day, your friend Geraldine Bunting is looking for a car, but wants to talk to someone who is not going to rip her off and who will tell her the truth – which of the two guys above are you going to refer her to – for me it’s a ‘no brainer’!

In my opinion, there is a consequence, each and every time that you do not listen – the question remains however, whether you are prepared to bear that consequence or not.

It’s a conscious decision that only you can make!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - From Employee to Entrepreneur - Part 2

BUSINESS TIPS – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 2

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC – March 2012

Last time we looked at some of the basic differences between an employee and an entrepreneur.

Now let’s have a look at some of the issues that you will have to explore and questions that you will have to ask yourself and answer honestly as you travel on your path to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

1. Purpose
What is your purpose? I have no doubt that on some level we all understand that we are not only here on this planet called earth, merely to survive during our time here. We all have a purpose in life (whether we actually know what it is or not) and knowing what that purpose is and aligning it to what we want to do, will ensure that we achieve what we want to with a minimum of fuss and bother.

Understanding our purpose and aligning it to what we do will also ensure that we are able to live the best life that we can and become all that we are capable of being.

No one ‘life purpose’ is better or worse than another and our own success will be attained by being all that we can be rather than all that others think we should be.

2. People
Like it or not we are all here to serve people.  Whether those people are our customers or our staff or our suppliers or our families, the fact of the matter is that we all need to serve and be served.

We are no better than those that serve than we are less than those that we serve.  The more we serve, the greater our reward will be and the greater we will become as individuals.

I’ll say it again – we serve!  Get your head around it, get used to it, get good at it and get on with it.
3. Personal Footprint
Let’s face it – there are all kinds of characters in the world of business.  Some are grumpy, some are sunny, some are introvert and some are extrovert.  The point that I am trying to make is that your success, as an entrepreneur is not dependent upon that particular part of yourself.  Your success is dependent upon your credibility as an individual.  It’s dependent upon whether you can deliver and/or whether you are honest in your dealings with people.  It is dependent upon who you are intrinsically as a person.

Let me ask you this question (and please answer yourselves honestly), if you were in the market of looking for a mentor – someone you would look up to or aspire to be – would you look at yourself as being that person?  If your honest answer to that is “NO”, well I guess that you know what your personal footprint will be.

Next time we will have a look at some more of the issues that you as an entrepreneur should be looking at.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Motivation - The Powerful Person

MOTIVATION – THE POWERFUL PERSON

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

The quote today comes from Lao Tzu who says, “He who gains a victory over other men is strong; but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.”

I recently heard a woman, who was being beaten by her husband say something along the lines of, he says ‘I force him to hit me because of the way that I speak, act, dress, walk (insert anything you like here)’.  Not only am I amazed at how influential this woman is (and the many thousands like her) over her man – that she can make him lose control!  I mean really!  I asked her how she managed to do that – did she hold a loaded gun to him head and tell him he had to hit her, now?  Did she stand with a knife held to his throat and say that she was going to ‘gut him like an animal’ unless he raised his hand and beat her senseless?

Don’t be daft!  This is a man who thinks that because he is physically stronger than her, he can control her actions or vent his frustrations, by beating her up!  Yes this man has gained a physical (and often a mental one too) victory over her – but nothing else!  He hasn’t shown me that he is a man.  In fact quite the opposite – he has proved himself to be a bully of note.  So ok, now he has proved that he is strong – and now what?

What perhaps would have impressed me is if he had controlled his temper and his emotions to such an extent that he just walked away!  Now that would have made him a powerful man, in my opinion!

What are you in your personal life and in your professional life?  Are you a strong person or are you a powerful person?  Perhaps the question should be, which would you like to be – a strong person or a powerful person?

I know which one would be the most comfortable one for me to live with – do you?

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.

HR 101 - What to do When . . . You Want to Retire Staff

HR 101 – What to do when . . . . You Want To Retire Staff?

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.

Please note that this pertains to South Africa Labour Relations & Best Practice requirements.

The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) stipulates that each employment contract should stipulate the age of retirement.

The problem of course arises when employers have not given employees Letters of Employment, or worse – they have issued Letters of Employment, but the letter does not stipulate the retirement age.

This of course is where things usually go pear shaped! You see the generally accepted age is 60 or 65 years and if nothing is stipulated in the Letter of Appointment you cannot suddenly retire someone at, say aged 55.

Once your Letters of Appointment have gone out to staff (with or without the relevant retirement age), you now cannot all of a sudden decide that you want to make the retirement age 57.

This now has to become a negotiation or at the very least, a consultation with your staff in order to reach a consensus.

Should you decide on your own, what age you wish for them to retire, this will be considered a ‘unilateral amendment of employment conditions’ and your employees then would have the right to either refuse the age or comply with forced retirement at the age that you have decided upon.

That said, as an employer you do have the right to enforce a formal retirement age, at a certain stage, even if this has not been done consistently in the past, as long as you go the necessary consultation or negotiation course with your staff.

If, for example the employer has not indicated the retirement age at say 60, then after a negotiation process the retirement age is fixed at 60, the employer now cannot go and ‘retire’ all of those employees who are already 60 and over.  This would be seen as ‘unfair’ dismissal.  What would need to occur is that the retirement age of 60 would need to be phased in over a period of say two years.  This would give the affected employees time to sort their lives out and plan for their retirement.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Sales 101 - Increasing the Number of Units Sold

SALES 101 – Increasing the Number of Units Sold

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC  January 2010.

Over the last two weeks we have looked at the how to increase the number of your clients as well as how to increase the frequency of the sale.  Today we are going to deal with increasing the number of units sold.

Now logic must tell you that by merely increasing the number of customers and increasing the frequency of the sales, you will automatically increase the number of units that you have sold.

Understanding how to add value to this equation will mean that you will also increase the number of units sold even more.  Think about it for a moment – if you have say 100 new clients, that’s 100 more sales, but if your product or service requires that they are used more frequently, say every two weeks, instead of once a month, that means that you have  200 more sales.  Now add to that a product or service that can be used in conjunction with another product or service and now suddenly you have 400 sales.

Obviously the more value that you add to the deal, the more units per sale you will sell.  How cool is that, and how perfectly simple too.

Actually the beauty of this is several fold – you see you are not only adding value to you customer, but you are also building a strong sustainable relationship with that customer and in building the relationship you are also building customer loyalty.

Finally, don’t forget that you need to see real results in order to measure your success.  So start with what you actually know about your customers,  add your market research to that and you will have a winning formula.  The more relevant customer-focused type information your have on your clients, the better your platform for generating new clients, retaining current and ‘old’ clients and generating more sales.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - No Longer Lonely in Business

NETWORKING 101 - No Longer Lonely in Business

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

I once sat in a meeting where one of my colleagues stated that she had been in business for over 10 years as an entrepreneur and that networking for her meant that she was no longer ‘lonely’ in business.

At the time I found this quite hard to understand as I am, by nature, a loner – not a lonely person you understand, but very definitely a loner.  So the concept of someone being ‘lonely’ is hard for me to grasp and someone being ‘lonely’ in business, is something that is very foreign to me.

You see on a business level, I meet people and with people on a daily basis.  There are of course my clients that I meet with when we discuss what needs to be done, how it will be done and in what priority it will be done, then of  course are the prospective clients that I meet when I try and understand what their business is and whether they need my services or not and finally there are the people who I meet at Networking events and who I make appointments with to meet on a ‘one on one’ in order to expand my ‘circle of influence’ and my data base, whilst adding value to them and they to me.  So the question begs to be answered – how can you be ‘lonely’ in business.  I mean surely she would also be meeting clients and prospective clients and networking?

I have, over time, understood exactly what it is that she meant, not that I have experienced that feeling, but that is probably because I am a natural networker.  It is being able to use other networker’s in order to bounce your ideas off them.  It is being able to sit in a room full of people who understand your frustration(s) because they too are entrepreneurs and they face the same challenges as what you do.  It is about seeing the same kind of passion on the faces of people, that you know shines off your face – because they are as passionate about what they do as you are about what you do.

Again, the question begs to be asked – why wouldn’t you want to be in the company of a group of people like this?

I certainly want to be – but then again, that is probably why I am!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za.

Business Tips - From Employee to Entrepreneur - Part 1

BUSINESS TIPS – From Employee to Entrepreneur – Part 1

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC

I have, of late, been mentoring several young ladies who are currently employed, but who dream of owning their own businesses.  The more I talk to them, the more I become aware of the huge mind shift change that has to take place.  And this is how this particular series was born.

Firstly, I would like to explore some of the differences between an employee and an entrepreneur – just so that we can all understand the basic differences and understand what we are getting ourselves into.

1. An employee is paid to work, they are paid, often irrespective of whether they put in a full days’ work or not.  They are paid irrespective of whether they have given 100% effort or done ‘just enough to get by.  An entrepreneur pays others to work and often works for free themselves.  Entrepreneurs pay their staff and the bills first and then if there is anything left over they get to pay themselves.  This is particularly true when they are starting out.  They are passionate about the product or service that they are providing and need to consistently give 100% (or more) effort into what they are doing in order to build the brand and the business.

2. Employees are managed.  They have someone that they report into, there is always someone else who is ultimately responsible for what they do (or don’t do as the case may be).  Entrepreneurs manage others and themselves.  That means that ‘the buck stops’ with them and they are responsible for everything that happens at the end of the day.

3. Employees have a specified ‘end of day’ time.  Irrespective of whether they have an employment contract or letter of employment, the number of hours that they work is governed by the BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act) and they cannot be forced to work overtime unless they have agreed to do so in writing.  An entrepreneur has no specific closing time – they often work long grueling hours and even through the night, to meet deadlines and get the work out.

4. Employees are only responsible for developing themselves, provided of course that they want to grow or improve themselves – many have no interest in this at all.  Entrepreneurs, on the other hand not only develop themselves (and that is an ongoing challenge), but they are also responsible for developing their staff.  Actually, if the truth be told, you will find that entrepreneurs try and develop everyone that they come into contact with.

I am sure that you can see from the few points that I have highlighted that the list could very well be endless.  The point that I am trying to make however, is that the mindset is very different.  It has to be!

This of course means that if you are wanting to start your own business and do your own thing, you have to step up to the plate and stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an entrepreneur.

Next time we will have a look at some of the issues that you have to look at, understand and more often than not, follow.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Motivation - Passionate About Life

MOTIVATION – Passionate about Life

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

Today’s quote comes from an anonymous person who said “It takes a strong man to swim against the current; any dead fish will float with it"

I had to smile when I read this and thought about what I am going to write today – I had this instant video in my head, with all these lifeless fish just floating along!  Smelly and unpleasant to say the least!  Oh the movies that my head produces – not all of them pleasant and many of them could very well turn into absolute nightmare!

And nightmares are what a great number of business owners will have if the majority of the people that they employ are “dead fish” – you know the ones that I mean.  Yes, it’s those that come to work because they have no place else to go, they put in the time – just barely – they don’t put in more effort, than the bare minimum that it takes to allow life to be sustainable.  They don’t work a second more than they are required to and God forbid that they should ever be passionate or even care about what it is that they do!

For me, working with people like this is very, execruciatingly, very painful.  They are the ones that you sometimes want to shake, just to see if they are actually still alive!

I mean, exactly what is the point?  Why do anything at all if it’s not worth going the whole hog, and giving your best effort?  Why attempt anything as if you can’t look at it, once the job is done, with pride or even with understanding, because of the lesson learnt? It’s just this complete indifference that gets me every time.

I understand that there are a great number of people out there who are fearful of making a mistake, scared of what people may say or think about them.  I could not live like that either – in constant fear - that would be a total waste of effort and emotion to for that matter.  Can you imagine living life, constantly looking over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching you – constantly  straining to hear what people are saying, because they may be saying something about you!  Oh good God no!  That would be just too weird for words.

For me, life is about the living of it, of every moment!  Taking it in both hands, enjoying it, savoring it, pushing it, tasting it, loving it!

It’s about trying new things, even failing at them – as long as you learn the lesson.  It’s about pushing the boundaries, to see how far you can go.

It’s about testing my own limits.  It’s about learning new things. It’s about laughter and yes even tears, it’s about life!

Floating about like a dead fish is not for me – it’s, well, it’s “for dead fish”!

Give me a staff member with a bit of life in them any day – they may test my patience (what little I have), they may make me mad and drive me crazy, but they will always pleasantly surprise me too.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - What to do When . . . You Want to Dismiss Staff - Part 9

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 9

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practices.

So the final piece in this particular saga is that of dismissal due to incapacity, ill health or injury.

The first thing that we need to understand is that the employer is not obliged to keep someone on because they are ill or have been injured.  The employer also has rights and as long as the proper procedures are followed, these employees can be dismissed.

The employer would need to ascertain whether or not the incapacity of the employee on the grounds of ill health or injury is temporary or permanent.

If the employee is unable to work for a while, which would make it temporary, the employer would have to investigate all the different possibilities before considering dismissal.

When checking out what other measures may be taken into consideration, it would be a good idea to have a look at factors such as, but not limited to:
a. the nature of the job;
b. the period of absence;
c. the seriousness of the illness or injury; and
d. the possibility of getting a temporary replacement to take the place of the ill or injured staff member.

When the disability or injury is of a permanent nature, the employer would need to decide if there was any possibility of securing alternative employment within the company or if the work could be adapted to fit the capabilities of the employee.

Remember that in all instances the employee must be allowed to state their case or respond to any suggestions put forward or be assisted by a colleague or a union member.  The employee also has the right to request assistance from the HR department.

The extent of the injury or nature of the illness also needs to be taken into account and this too must be taken into consideration when deciding on whether the dismissal is fair or not.

Injuries that are sustained in the workplace are more difficult to process in terms of being fair or unfair as the courts appear to have more sympathy with the employee in these circumstances.

The guidelines for dismissal for incapacity due to ill health or injury are:

As usual there is always a recommended process or procedure to follow.

In order for the dismissal not to be considered unfair, the employer needs to decide whether or not the employee is capable of doing the work.  If the employee is not capable, the following needs to ascertained;
i) The extent to which the employee is able to perform the work – for example, John works in the warehouse.  His job is to pack stock onto the pallets.  Some of the bags or boxes weigh in excess of 40 kilos.  John lost his leg in an accident that occurred in the warehouse, when a number of pallets were not correctly stacked and they fell over, pinning him underneath and severing his leg.  There is an opening in the administration department for a filing clerk.  If John is dismissed in this instance you will be inviting trouble in through the door.
ii) The extent to which the employee’s work circumstances might be adapted to accommodate disability, or where this is not possible, the extent to which the employee’s duties might be adapted – for example Jane is the tea lady, who has suffered a stroke and as a result she is semi paralyzed down her right side.  She is no longer able to carry trays of tea or refreshments and the company refused to buy a trolley that she can push around.  If Jane is dismissed in this instance you will be inviting trouble in through the door.
iii) The availability of suitable work – for example, Alex is an Accounts Manager and he has had a heart attack and can no longer work under stressful circumstances.  There is an opening for an accounts researcher.  The hours are fixed, there are no deadlines and no interaction with clients, however, it is a junior position.  Alex is willing to take a reasonable cut in pay but the employer feels that he is far too qualified for the position and even with a reasonable cut in pay it will be more that they wanted to pay.  If Alex is dismissed in this instance you will be inviting trouble in through the door.

This concludes the series on Fair Dismissals.  Next week we will be starting a new topic.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Sales 101 - Increasing the Number of Your Sales

SALES 101 – Increasing the Number of Your Sales

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC

Last week we looked at the various ways we could increase the number of clients or customers.  This week we will have a look at how to increase the number of sales that we make to those clients or customers.

Sure it’s great to have say 100 more customers, but stop and think about it for a moment – how much greater would it be if each of those customers, not only bought a product or service from you, but came back on a regular basis to purchase from you again and again.  Now that would be a fantastic occurrence, I am sure you would all agree!

Obviously, whatever it is that you offer, be it product or service, it has to be the same or preferably better than your competitors.  Taking this as a given, one of the quickest ways to increasing the number of sales is of course to make it as easy as possible for your existing customers to do repeat business with you.  For me, that means reminding my clients from time to time about some of the products or services that I have to offer and I do this by means of sending an e-mail.  By doing this I not only remind my customers of the product or service that I have on offer, but it also assists me with the building of a strong, sustainable relationship with my customers and this in turn builds customer loyalty.  Understand though that the quality of my product or service can never be brought into dispute and must be maintained at the highest possible standard.

Some of the customer service areas that perhaps need to be checked on, on a regular basis to ensure that they don’t fall between the cracks are (but not limited to) listed below. Remember too that the simpler the process, the more often it just gets disregarded and the more often it is the most critical one that is required.  So check yourself on a regular basis to ensure that you are doing all that can be done in these areas.

• Do you have a turn-a-round time to respond to requests or calls or e-mails.  If not, here is an ideal opportunity to implement something.  Make sure it is realistic though – putting a policy in place that states for example that you will respond to e-mails within 10 minutes of receiving them is not clever and will put you (and your staff) under tremendous strain, but putting a policy in place that the phone will be answered by the 3rd ring is a great thing.  Think about what you want done and put realistic policies in place.
• Do you ensure that your client contact details are current and kept up to date.  Again, here is an opportunity to make sure that this is done on a regular basis.
• Is the product or service that you offer consistently of a high quality, good value for money and readily available?  There is nothing worse than seeing an advert for a particular product or service or something on special and then you get there and there is no stock.  It makes me really grumpy and if it makes me grumpy it makes others (being your clients) grumpy too!
• When issues are decided at meetings or policies implemented or instructions given, do you follow up to ensure that those policies or instructions have in fact been implemented or processed?  Make sure that each decision or instruction is implemented correctly and followed to fruition. No matter how many decisions you make or how many policies and procedures that you may have, if they are not implemented or if there are no consequences, the decisions or instructions or policies and procedures mean nothing and are in fact worthless.
• Billing – now this is one of my shortcomings – make sure that your invoices are raised timeously and not only on time, but that they are accurate.  I am often caught short at the end of the month in terms of cash flow because my invoices have gone out late.  Be careful with this.

Finally, think about what makes you use or seek out new suppliers.  Whatever it is, make sure that you don’t do the same thing or you will lose your customers for the very same reason.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Networking 101 - Why Networking Works for Me

NETWORKING 101 - Why Networking Works for Me

By Nikki Viljoen of Viljoen Consulting CC

It is said that there are only three ways to grow a business – I’m personally not too sure how true that is.  However having said that, I am sure that one of the most critical of these is to find new customers.

Now it is also said, that there are many different ways to find a new customer, and I have no doubt that we can all list them, in great abundance.  Some of them are the methods that we use to get new customers and others are the ways that other people have used as they tried to make us new customers. Most of those though, have irritated the S*&t’s out of me!

I’m not too sure why this is – perhaps it is because when I answer the phone, it is because I would like to chat to a friend, or a client (especially if it is out of the norm of working hours) and that is my expectation.  Or perhaps it is because, when I hear a knock on the  door, when I open it I expect to see a friend, not someone wanting to sell me something that I don’t actually want – again that is my expectation!

I not to keen on getting thousands of e-mails either (currently I am up to between 120 and 150 a day – which means about 30 are actually mails from friends, family and clients – the rest are just spam!) and I am not too keen on getting hundreds of SMS’s either (this seems to be the latest trend).

Actually, now that I think about it carefully, I am at my most comfortable state, when my expectations are met and I am prepared for what is happening.  That for me is when I am at a networking meeting.  You see there, my perception is that I will be meeting like minded people.  That is people who are serious about doing business.  People who are serious about expanding their data bases.

At most networking events (well the ones that I attend anyway), I meet people who are not only potential customers, which, let’s face it, are not only important for my business, but also my personal needs.  Often these people, who may never ever become one of my customers, have key centres of influence in their families, their communities, their business associations and even their churches.  These people become very important to me because of the value that they add to my clients.

You see every single one of them have their own data bases, and every single one of them reach a lot of people, and every single one of them are an important source of referrals.  Referrals, as customers to me and referrals as a value add to my clients.

So to all of you who believe in the telemarketing way to get new clients (and I am not knocking it you understand) and to all you people who like to do the ‘cold calling’ thing (and again I am not knocking it) and all of those who choose to ‘spam’ everyone with e-mails and SMS’s – (and it works for some), I say good luck to you.

Me – I will continue to attend my various networking events that I go to and I will continue to network, in my personal capacity as I meet people at parties and social events, and I will continue to grow and expand my data base – one person at a time.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za

Business Tips - Social Media - What Gives?

BUSINESS TIPS – Social Media – What Gives?

By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC

Many of my clients seem  to be tearing their hair out because of staff taking time away from their designated jobs to ‘play’ on the social media sites or incessantly chat on their cell phones.

Twenty years ago Social Media was simply the radio or television and was relatively harmless to business – I mean it was quite easy to ensure that staff were not glued to the TV or the radio.  With the introduction of WWW (World Wide Web) and the internet however, things have changed drastically and currently employers are bearing the brunt of it.

Today we have all sorts of distractions such as (but not limited to) Facebook and Twitter and don’t forget WhatsAp!  According to an article written by Jan Du Toit entitled “Social Media: Guidelines on the policy for employees using social media for non-business purposes”, employees spend as much as 79% of their business day, playing on social networking and gaming sites. Never mind the work that doesn’t get done, there is also the cost of the resource that the company will ultimately be responsible for.  Just how long can any company, regardless of its’ size, continue doing business under these circumstances – my guess is not very long at all.

There have also been reported incidents where employees have been dismissed because of how they have disparaged bosses or colleagues or clients, publically – what kind of damage does that do to the reputation of the company as well as the individual?  Yes, technology has advanced us as a species into a wonderful world, where there is so much to explore and learn – sadly, it has also caused huge problems in terms of the way that it is being abused by individuals who have no control over their own actions and who are addicted to the games or the interaction.  Sadly many of us find that are lives are now governed by gadgets.

It is obvious, that in order for SME’s (small, medium enterprises) as well as big corporate companies, to survive the technical revolution, certain measures need to be implemented to ensure that staff spend their work time actually working and not playing in their personal capacities.  Enter the Social Media Policy.  This will set clear guidelines to ensure that staff do not abuse company resources and provide clear definitions between what is and isn’t allowed.

Here are some of the types of  issues that would need to be addressed:

If the employee is using media sites for business purposes, they must be aware of and clear on (but not limited to):

- Which social media sites can be used and when.
- The legality of postings and whether they are ethical or disrespectful and disparaging.
- The company’s confidentiality policy should not be breeched, this should include the personal details of management, colleagues and even clients and suppliers.
- Company details and information should be correctly disclosed, and only the official company logo should be used.
- In terms of compliance or legislation, it is also a good idea to ensure that all copyright laws are adhered to.
- Media type statements and public postings should always first be cleared by the employer or their designate.

For employees using the internet, social media (including cell phones and IM {instant messages applications}), they should be (but not limited to).

- Company policy on the use of company equipment as well as what social sites can be used and when
- Company confidentiality policy must not be breeched in any way, so company information must be kept safe
- The company code of conduct should be upheld
- Employees should only post in their personal capacities and not on ‘behalf of’ the company, their colleagues, clients or service providers and suppliers.
- Usage of cellphones should also be included here.

Furthermore, employees should be made aware of the consequences, should they fail to comply with the policy and a reminder that internet and e-mail and in the case of company cell phones, usage can and will be monitored.

It’s also a good idea to include this on the letter/contract of appointment, making sure that employees understand that when they sign their letters/contract, they also give employers permission to monitor the internet/e-mail/cell phone usage of the employer.

Please contact Nikki, if you require assistance with this policy or any other policies/procedures/templates that you may require.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

Motivation - Strengths & Weaknesses

MOTIVATION –  Strengths & Weaknesses

By Nikki Viljoen of N Viljoen Consulting CC

Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe says “By nature we have no defect that could not become a strength, no strength that could become a defect.”

Wow!  Apart from telling us exactly how it is, it certainly gives me encouragement as well.

Knowing that if I want to change or improve one of my weaknesses (and let’s face it we all have several), it’s great, but to know that I can improve one of my weaknesses to such an extent that it becomes a strength – now that’s a great incentive and quite frankly a task of mammoth proportions.

I am one of those people who would rather work on my strengths, to make them that much more effective and I am all for ‘outsourcing’ my weaknesses to someone else.  You see my weaknesses are someone else’s strength so to me it makes perfectly logical sense to let someone else deal with those.

I continue however, to have this little niggling voice (you know the one that sits on your shoulder and whispers all sorts of things in your ear) that keeps telling me that although I am ‘outsourcing’ my weakness, I am also ‘giving up’ my power!

Perhaps on some level that is true, but I am also very aware of the fact that ‘outsourcing’ works for me, as it enables me to get on with what I love to do and what I am good at.  It certainly reduces my stress levels (and probably my blood pressure too) as I don’t have to struggle with issues that I am not comfortable with or that I don’t fully understand . . .  but perhaps, one day when I am not busy with something else and the mood takes me, I will work on those particular defects and weaknesses.  Yeah right!

What I really want to do is chat about  the second part of Van Goethe’s statement – the one that goes “no strength that could become a weakness”.  Now this is the bit that really concerns me – in fact it damn near terrifies me!

I think that many of us, particularly those of us who own our own small little businesses and who consistently work long hours as we attempt to make a decent living and perhaps even a difference – we are in particular danger of getting to the point where it is our very strength that defeats us!

Oh, I can see all the blank looks on the faces of people who have no clue about what it is that I am talking about.

This is directed at all of us who work, we say for our families, but to such an extent and with such focus that we lose sight of those that we love, so much so that we actually lose them.  The result is that our flourishing business is achieved at the cost of our wives, or husbands and our children and loved ones.

It is directed at all of us who bring about our own ill health because we refuse to take time out to rest and rejuvenate.

It is directed at those of us who are so focused on what we do and what we are good at, that it takes over our lives and devours us and we forget to live and exist merely to be a slave to that particular strength.

So I guess, the point of all of this is to take note of and be aware of the fact that our weaknesses can become our saving grace and our strengths could very well be the reason for our demise.

Be careful – very careful about which one you choose to pay the most attention to.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 8

HR 101 - WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . . You Want To Dismiss Staff - Part 8

By Nikki Viljoen – N Viljoen Consulting CC.

Please note that this pertains to South African Labour Relations and Best Practices.

Today we are going to look at Incapacity and Poor work performance and the guidelines for dismissing someone therefore:

To ensure that the staff member is given every opportunity to improve the following must take place, where appropriate:

- the staff member’s work performance should be evaluated on a regular basis
- staff should be given instruction that is in a clear and concise language that is easily understood, so as to avoid miscommunication
- staff should be given training that pertains to the position that they work in.
- staff should be encouraged to have mentors within the organization who would be able to guide them and steer them in the right direction
- should the employer still find that the employee is struggling to meet laid down requirements or criteria, counseling sessions should take place in an endeavor to get the staff member to render satisfactory service.

In the event that a new employee fails to meet the criteria in terms of work performance, the employer should not dismiss the employee until the employee has had an opportunity to state their case or to respond to the allegations. In other words the employer would need to follow the usual disciplinary procedures.

A new employee should also not be dismissed unless the previous requirements in terms of evaluation, instruction, training, guidance counseling etc., had been met. Should the staff member still continuously fail to perform in a satisfactory manner, disciplinary procedures must be followed prior to the dismissal.

As always the procedure leading to the dismissal must include an investigation to establish the reasons for the unsatisfactory performance. Both the employer and the employee should try to think of other ways to remedy the matter – other than dismissal. Dismissal should always be a last resort.

The employee also has the right to be heard and has the right to be assisted by another employee, colleague or union member. The employee also has the right to seek assistance and guidance from the HR department.

The guidelines for dismissal for poor work performance should also include but not be limited to:

a. whether or not the employee failed to meet the performance standard or criteria for the position that they fill,
b. if the employee did not meet the required standard or criteria whether or not this was not met because,
i. the employee was aware, or could reasonably be expected to   be aware of the required performance standard – for example, Joe used to be a waiter at the Wimpy where the cutlery was wrapped up in a paper serviette and placed on the table for patrons to help themselves. Joe now works in a 5 star hotel restaurant, where the waiters are expected to lay the cutlery out in a specific manner for specific courses. Joe has no clue what the difference is between the cutlery and what it is supposed to be used for. If Joe is dismissed at this point you will be inviting trouble in through the door.
ii. the employee was given a fair opportunity to meet the required performance standard – for example, Jane has never worked an electronic touch till before and the sales person who installed it, showed all the staff members how to operate it in a 15 minute demonstration. There are no operator manuals with instructions and Jane is completely out of her depth. If Jane is dismissed at this point you are inviting trouble in through the door.
iii. dismissal was an appropriate sanction for not meeting the required performance standard – for example, Alex started as a data capturer in the financial department in a large corporate. Alex has only done data capturing on Pastel and can capture 150 units a minute with consistent accuracy. This company uses SAP and after the first month Alex’s speed is only at 50 units a minute. If Alex is dismissed at this point you are inviting trouble in through the door.

Clearly from the above, it can be seen that dismissing someone for poor work performance can be done and it is not that difficult, providing of course that you follow the correct procedures consistently.

Next week we will have a look at Dismissal due to Incapacity and Ill Health.

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za