Table of Contents

• COMMITTEE REPORTS
  • MEMBERSHIP REPORT
  • SOCIAL REPORT
  • SPEAKER COORDINATOR REPORT
  • TREASURER REPORT
• LEADS
• NOTABLE MENTIONS
• QUESTION OF THE DAY
• MAIN SPEAKER

Committee Reports

Membership Report
(Click here to go to the Membership page)

The board would like to see our group grow by 10 members this year.  The membership process is being updated to help us meet this goal.  Here are the new steps...

1. The proposing member will bring the name up at a meeting

2. Part 1 of the application will be filled out

3. Some committee members will meet with the proposed member to answer questions, address any potential conflicts and make sure the proposed member meets the criteria.

4. If there are no objections, the proposed member will be invited to visit the group 

5. The proposed member will be asked to complete part 2 of the application

6. If there are no objections to the application, they will be invited to join MABE.

Any exceptions to the membership criteria will be decided by board. 

We have 162 possible business categories listed on the website (the list is not all inclusive) and only 44 filled. There is room for growth. 

Social Report
(Click here to go to the Social Event page)

Dave Spiess is hosting a wine tasting event at his house.  It will be on Saturday, May 19th.  Please bring a bottle of wine to share. 

Speaker Coordinator Report
(Click here to go to the Speaker Schedule)

Next meeting's speaker:  Joe Hesch

Treasurer Report

The board is recommending a dues increase of $50 a quarter.  Many people questioned why an increase is necessary considering how much money we have in the bank account.  Mark Dreher and Barbara Kollman explained why a reserve balance is necessary.  As a CPA, Mark recommends a reserve equal to four-six months of revenues for several reasons - potential tax liabilities, growth-related expenses, etc.  Barbara noted that having this reserve/emergency fund is simply good financial planning.  And the amount we currently have in reserve is right where it should be.  It was also noted that compared to other groups, our dues are on the low end...even with a dues increase.

Leads Report

This week's leads focus...

• Gary Nelson
• Keith Miller
• Sandro Menasci

Notable Mentions

In an effort to get the meeting started and ended on time, members should arrive and get their breakfast - which will be out by 7:00am -  and be seated by 7:15am.  Remember to turn off those cell phones!

There will be no meeting on Friday May 25th due to the Memorial Day weekend.

A board meeting was held yesterday.  The board discussed that fact that  MABE is very much a social and business group.  As such, they would encourage members to sit at different tables every meeting and talk to somebody new.   

MABE Christmas Party - Check your calendars for open Thursdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Lisa is going to ask what dates will work best for the majority of members.

From last week...
What are the top three ways you get business and the percentages if you know them?

Nick tallied the results from last week's survey and presented the results today.

80-85% fell under the referral category

20% Marketing

5% Luck, etc.

What would happen if you didn't get those referrals? 

Lisa Wolfe's presentation was a follow-up to the question posed by Nick Mawrenko last week...

What are the top three ways you get business? 

Referrals by customers was number one.  That is why cultivating relationships is so important to business. 

It is important to know if a customer's experience was good or bad. Those with bad experiences simply won't come back.  Even if they don't tell you about their bad experience, they will tell everyone else.  This can be especially damaging these days with the internet.

Mystery shopping can help you find problem areas that could cause you to lose clients.  Mystery shoppers can give unbiased feedback about their perception of your product or service.  They can show you the bad and highlight the good.  They are not there to criticize.  They are there to report the results which you can use to help your business grow.  Anyone can be your mystery shopper...family, friends, employees, yourself or use a service. 

Lisa actually conducted some mystery shopping on MABE members this past week.  They were surveyed and graded on their performance.  Lisa presented a few examples.  Some did great, some not so great.  She reported on what was done right and what was done wrong.   Sometimes there were valid reasons to explain the negative marks.  Every business and situation is different.  Sample mystery shopper questions at the bottom of the page.

Are you getting repeat business?  If not, do you know why?  Sometimes it is simply because people move.  Those replacing them may not know about you.  That is why advertising - and not relying on repeat business -  is so important. 

Other reasons you don't see repeat business...

• Clients develop new relationships

• Competition

• They are unhappy with your company

But the big one...Employee Attitude!  Employee training is critically important.  The person that answers the phone is the single most important sales person on your staff.  They need to answer with a smile.  They must stop whatever they are doing and focus on that call.  They must understand the importance of a customer...

Mystery Shopper Questions (phone and face-to-face)...

• How many times did the telephone ring?

• Did the person answering the telephone identify themselves?

• Were you put on hold?  How long?

• Were you transferred to someone?  How long to pick-up call?

• Did they sound enthusiastic to take your call?

• Did you feel engaged by the sales associate?

• Did you fed the sales associate listened to you?

• Was the sales associate knowledgeable?

• Did they ask you what the purchase was for?

• Did you trust the sales associate?

• Did the employee attempt to close the sale?

• Did the sales associate look well presented?

• Did you feel welcome?

• Did the sales associate smile and greet you?

• Did the sales associate allow you to browse?

• Did you feel engaged by the sales associate?

• Did they ask you what the purchase was for?

• Did you trust the sales associate?

• Did the sales associate select appropriate items?

• Did they explain the benefits well?

• Did they listen to your objections (if any)?

• Were they pushy?

• The name of the store on each side of the store visited

• Number of employees in the store on entering

• How long it takes before the mystery shopper is greeted

• The name of the employee(s)

• Whether or not the greeting is friendly

• The questions asked by the shopper to find a suitable product

• The types of products shown

• If or how the employee attempted to close the sale

• Whether the employee invited the shopper to come back to the store

• Cleanliness of store and store associates

• Speed of service

• Compliance with company standards relating to service, store appearance, and grooming/presentation