With the Franchising Expo heading to most major cities this year, it’s a time for businesses who are participating to think about how they are going to sell their businesses to potential franchisees, or their products and services to customers.

Whether you are trying to sell to possible franchisees or to prospective customers, the questions remain the same. How do I create attention? How can I stand out from other businesses?

How do you create attention?

Creating attention comes back to identifying your business’s “X-Factor”. Customers and potential franchisees are bombarded constantly by advertising and mediocre promises. You need to find a way to add such exceptional value to someone’s experience with you they can’t help but to keep coming back.

Solving people’s problems and having a compelling offer are essential to standing out from the crowd. Unfortunately people often care very little about what you sell – it’s a solution to something they’re looking for. Find out what their problem is and then give them a solution.

Individuals form opinions of you and your business within the first few moments of an interaction, whether we like it or not. Store front or display stand, make that first impression count.

Competitions and giveaways can also drive customers to your business and are a great way to increase your profile as well as assist in growing your database. Ensure that the giveaway fits within your prospect’s demographic and you are building a database of qualified leads.

It's important to get your customer's attention!

5 key ways to get attention

1. Design a dynamic and exceptional stand.
2. Add more value than anyone else.
3. Create a compelling offer (or Unique Selling Proposition).
4. Solve your prospects problems.
5. Hold competitions and giveaways.

Although social media is now a dominant force in marketing, as traditional advertising becomes more challenging, your customers still want face to face contact and personal attention. People buy from people they trust.

If the horse float was your customer

If your ideal customers were horse floats, where would they gather? Likely you would find them at the Equitanna, float showrooms, or the horse races. You need to know who your customers are and where to find them.

What is the demographic of your typical customer? How old are they? What sort of income do they have? Start to build a profile of precisely who your customer is and then design a strategy that will help you determine where to find them and appeals to them.

What do you do now you’ve identified your ultimate customer? AIDA of course!

• Attention: get their attention!
• Interest: once you have their attention, you need to spark their interest.
• Desire: you need to clarify the benefits, not just the features, of what you are selling so your prospect really wants what it is you are offering.
• Action: tell them what to do next and make it as easy as possible. Depending on your objective, it may be as simple as them providing you with their email address or as exciting as making a purchase.

Perth Positive Training Seminar Theatre

Positive Training will be attending the Franchising Expo in Perth from 27-28 May and is sponsoring a range of free information seminars. These seminars will present important information for those starting the franchising journey, including stories and experiences from other thriving franchisees.

If you’re attending the Perth Franchising Expo, be sure to pop over to booth B27 and say hi to myself and the Positive Training team!

Walk into any successful food retail outlet and business is pumping. With their sleeves rolled up, employees are waist deep in customer orders and energy is high; the atmosphere spirited and invigorating.

This is the result of a great company culture.

So what is company culture and why does it matter?

Company culture is not just about having a pool table in the middle of the staff kitchen and ‘casual day’ on Friday’s; it goes deeper than that. Company culture is about providing an environment that people want to be in. A culture where they feel valued, appreciated and their contributions acknowledged.

The short term gains of a positive company culture mean your staff will be happy, energised, enthusiastic and active, while the long term gains mean improved staff retention and an increase in profits. When you think about the cost of replacing staff, retaining a good employee for an extra 2 years makes a measureable difference to your bottom line.

The strong bonds formed between your employees is demonstrated when they actively start to work for and with each other, and not just for the money. When people are happy, they give more, which then leads to greater job satisfaction and the upbeat energy created in the workplace is felt by all the stakeholders of the business.

In short, a great company culture leads to greater productivity.

One bad apple can bring the cart down

All it takes is one person to spread negativity and not be aligned with the values and goals of the organisation, and they can bring the entire company culture to its knees.  This tells us that from the very beginning of the hiring process you need to be asking the right questions.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of the multi-million dollar company Zappos, offers potential employees US$4,000 to walk away if, after the workplace induction, they think that Zappo’s culture is wrong for them. This is Hsieh’s culture filtering mechanism.

No matter how valuable a potential employee’s skill set is, if they don’t fit the company culture, don’t hire them.

James Grima and Tony Hsieh discuss Zappo's company culture in Las Vegas last week

The culture always filters through from the top down.

What are your business’s core values? Hsieh’s are to “be adventurous, creative and open-minded” and these are some of what drives his company culture.

Richard Branson’s first foray into business involved a planning process that ensured each individual had fun working together and everyone who had a good idea was included in the decision-making process. Branson discovered that fostering an environment that was tolerant of mistakes, and inspired innovation, was then able to provide the best possible solutions for their customers.

What these successful entrepreneurs can teach us is that employees emulate their leaders.  Set your culture from the very beginning and then walk the talk. If uniforms are part of your culture, you also need to wear the uniform with pride. If being happy and positive are in your culture statement, then you should set the example by being happy and positive.

For your business to reach it’s full potential, ask yourself these questions:

• Does my business have purpose and drive?
• Does my business have a strong culture?
• What more can I do to make my employees happy?
• What’s the worst that could happen if I let my employees be themselves?
• Why do people want to work for me?

Ensuring your employees are happy, and creating a culture where people WANT to be a part of your business, will only have positive implications on your bottom line.

We did it! The Positive Training team ran, raised and revelled on Sunday for the annual Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids.

The Run for the Kids has now raised a whopping $6.7 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital since its inception.

The reasons people ran were varied – from an Olympic hopeful to families and friends of sick children. But it was the outcome that mattered most: an extra $1.65 million was raised for precious life-saving equipment, research and family support services for the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Perspiration and team bonding

We did everything together as a team on Sunday. We psyched one another up, supported and encouraged each other, and then patted each other’s backs after our marathon efforts. Knowing that the rest of my team was part of the 33,000 other runners in the crowd helped pushed me past the pain barrier to achieve my goal of running the entire 14.38kms non-stop. A combination of sheer mental determination, proper preparation and the support of my team sustained me through the last 5kms.

The Positive Training team: Terry Chhun, James Grima, David Di Censo, Con Di Censo, Amira Relva & Leo Relva

It made me think about the close relationship between sport and business. Issues such as leadership, management, focus and team building are some of the key functions that need to work in harmony towards a common goal for a team to be successful. Working together as a cohesive unit with clear objectives in mind (in the case of a sports team – to win!) can lead to a stronger driving force towards set goals.*

Each individual brings with them a mixed bag of knowledge, skills, views and passions and in doing so adds to the diversity and power of the team.

Why bond with your team in your spare time?

Building moral in your team supports staff retention and substantially improves productivity. Take a look at any elite athletic and there’s a team behind them such as family, coaches, physios or other players. Very few people achieve great accomplishments in life without some kind of support. There is something powerful about knowing somebody has got your back that can propel you to push yourself even further than you ever thought you were capable of.

By fostering high moral in the workplace, your staff will feel like this too and that makes for a pleasant, productive and supportive working environment.

It doesn’t take a lot to pull your staff together for a common cause outside the workplace and begin to function as a solid team. This can then translate into the working environment.

Last but not least…

The team at Positive Training would like to thank everyone who made a donation. With the Good Friday Appeal literally around the corner, it’s not too late to contribute to our fundraising page for this fantastic cause.

Michael Jordon said “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships”.

Have a safe and happy Easter!

*Foundations of Sport and Exercise psychology
By Robert Stephen Weinberg and Daniel Gould

It’s only 9 days until the Positive Training team don sneakers and shorts for the annual Run for the Kids. We have all been training hard and the team are rearing to put their toes on the starting line to raise $10,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Some years ago, when my son Matthew was an in-patient at the Royal Children’s Hospital, children’s entertainment group Hi-5 paid a visit. This visit was a welcome break for Matthew, and his twin brother Nathan, from the boredom and stresses of hospital, and since then Matthew and Nathan have met many other famous people who bring laughter and kind-heartedness into the lives of sick children.

Hi-5 showed us how donating your time can bring joy to sick children

Clowns or puppets, famous sports stars or volunteers; they all contribute to bringing children in hospital amusement and distraction. At times supplying books and toys but often just sitting and playing with the children so the parents can have a much-needed break.

Hospitals are not a pleasant place for children and can be a really stressful time for both them and their families. Some seriously ill children are confined to their beds for long periods of time and being unable to run around, go to school or even sleep in their own beds requires these little troupers to be extra tough!

When celebrities such as Hi-5, high profile sportspeople and TV stars take time out from their hectic lives to visit ill-children, it can bring a lot of fun and happiness into an otherwise scary and stressful environment.

Feeling Positive!

There has long been a proven link between happiness and health. It’s no cliché to say that laughter is the best medicine; it can strengthen the immune system, reduce pain and assist in eliminating stress. In times of intense challenges, laughter is often a saving grace. Humour is an important ingredient for children in emotional health and developing brain function, and studies are showing it could even have positive medical health benefits.

It doesn’t have to be about the money

As celebrities have proven, giving doesn’t always mean giving money. It can mean making a difference in the lives of these children and their families by donating your time. And you don’t need to be David Beckham or the Queen to put a smile on a child’s face. You can be anyone that just wants to give of yourself and your time. Famous or not, you can still bring delight to a sick child as well as respite to the parents.

Even animals get in on the act – check out the RCH Wonder Dog!

I want to help – where do I start?

To be a volunteer at the Royal Children’s Hospital, you first have to attend an information session at the hospital. The last one was held on 22 February, so keep an eye on the website for details of future sessions.

Other ways to help

The Positive Training team are committed to raising $10,000 in the Run for the Kids. These funds go towards providing vital research, equipment and assisting the families of sick children. Even if you just want to donate what you would normally spend on your takeaway coffee for the week, it will all add up and make a difference.

Donate your coffee money here!

Here are some other ways you can help the Royal Children’s Hospital:

• Provide a link to the donation section of the hospital’s website in your email signature.
• If you have a celebration (for example a birthday or a wedding) but don’t need any more “stuff”, you can instead have your friends and family donate to the RCH by setting up your own fundraising page.
• You can have a Cuppa for the Kids or simply hold your own event.

All fundraising events must be registered and authorised by the RCH Foundation, so contact them to let them know what you’re doing, and they will provide you with helpful advice and support.

What’s in it for me?

Very simply – helping others will make you feel GOOD!

Whether you’re 5 years old or 50 years old, at some point in your life you’ve probably played a video game. From good old fashioned Solitaire to reigning world champ of Guitar Hero, video games have been associated with fun, sometimes controversy but rarely with learning.

Research is now showing that video games are actually changing the face of education. With everything from Big Brain Academy on the Wii to Tetris 3D on the Nintendo DS, there’s plenty of games to choose from that will increase your brain power.

So who uses video games to educate?

Educational games are being made available for children from as young as kindergarten through to universities and businesses. Both civil and military pilots have been using flight simulators for years – the ultimate video game!

Could playing video games lead to anti-social behaviour?

One of the criticisms about using video games in a learning environment is that they will create anti-social behaviour. Video games are addictive and the more time spent playing a game, the less time is spent socialising and building relationships.

A lot of games glamorise violence and rebellious behaviour. For example, Grand Theft Auto, where the player is a criminal and must work their way up through the underworld ranks, is one of the most controversial games in history.

The good news about video games

There is good news though. Accordingly to Online Colleges, video games can develop skills such as problem solving, strategic thinking and improved cognition.

The way people learn

People learn in a variety of ways. They can be visual, aural, linguistic, kinaesthetic, logic, interpersonal or intrapersonal.

Video games use a variety of these styles to keep people engaged and interested – which is why they are now being seen as a learning tool.

“If a child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you must teach in the way the child learns” – Rita Dunn

According to the multiple intelligence theory, one of the key points to remember about teaching people is that everyone learns differently. The theory is that the traditional methods for testing intelligence, such as reading, writing and arithmetic, are in fact inaccurate because they are limited – they don’t take into account the other styles in which people learn and interpret information.

So why do we care about learning styles?

Because as a leader, you need to be familiar with your staffs’ varied learning styles. There is no “one size fits all”. If a member of your team doesn’t understand the manual you gave them, it doesn’t mean they wouldn’t understand the instructions if you gave them a demonstration instead. Or perhaps they need to perform the required action hands-on under your guidance.

Things video games have taught us about training our staff

• Make learning fun.
• Use a variety of teaching methods – such as visual, aural and hands-on.
• Repetition assists in the retention of information.
• People like to be “measured” – they like to know they are improving.

Video games are designed to be just tricky enough to be truly challenging, while still allowing the players to achieve small accomplishments which compels them to keep playing. Whilst there is no substitute for a guiding and supportive teacher, video games are a reminder to engage your employees and allow them to not only continue to grow their skills, but to have fun doing it.