A presentation to the St. Catharines Business Club in March 2015

1. Top 5 issues affecting Niagara business
A report for Niagara’s business community
As prepared by
Neil Thornton

2. triggerstrategies.ca

3. Neil Thornton

5. Interviewed 50 Niagara owners.
What are they doing to thrive?
Here are their top 5 strategies….
1. Finding and keeping the right people
2. Business development
3. Customer retention
4. Sustainability
5. Accountability
Report

6. What we heard…
The owners we spoke with said:
• I’m facing more competition than ever before.
• I’m being forced to compete more and more on price.
• My marketing and advertising are not providing consistent returns.
• It’s harder to stand out and get someone’s attention.
• I don’t know what’s working and what isn’t. There are too many choices –
which one’s are the right one’s.
• My phone has stopped ringing and my order takers need to learn how to
sell.
So the question becomes, what made them stand out?

7. Actions you can take
starting tomorrow to
compete…

8. Action:
Get the Vision off the
office wall and in
language and actions.

9. Action:
Clear expectations
and aligned goals.
Get everyone
involved.

10. Action:
People understand
contribution and
impact on customers

11. Action:
Stop talking about
your products and
services, and start
selling value.

12. Action Step:
Determine how you show up in
your customer’s mind?
How are you perceived vs. your
competitors?

13. Action Step:
What can you deliver to your
customers better than anyone
else?

14. Action Step:
Starting today, make a
conscious decision to re-
connect with as many of
your customers as you
can.
How can you
become invaluable
to your
customers?

15. Action Step
Client Focus Meeting
1. Why do business with us?
2. Why stay?
3. How can we be better?

16. Action Step
Everyone writes out a
learning and
development plan for
the next 12 months…a
Vision.

17. Action Step:
Develop accountability
and stop allowing
excuses.

18. So what do you do now?
It’s all about getting into action.
A high number of the owners we spoke with
regretted waiting to make critical decisions
about growth and people.
They felt that this caused significant harm to
the speed of their recovery from the
recession.

19. So what do you do now?
1. Begin to involve everyone in your organization in
dialogue around commitment, action and accountability.
2. Stop talking about products and services and start selling
value.
3. Re-connect with your existing customers today
4. Identify the leaders within your organization and give
them clear roles
5. Create a culture of accountability and follow-up

20. Reports for free….
triggerstrategies.ca
Top 5 Issues Facing Ontario Businesses
Develop an Effective Training Program that Produces Results
Finding & Keeping the Best People by Design – an 8 Step Process
The New Reality of Sales
Marketing for Small-Medium Size Businesses
How Small-Medium Size Companies are Using Social Media

21. Thank You
triggerstrategies.ca