Here are a few quick bites of wisdom to help you improve the way you do business. As the number of tips grows, we'll eventually categorize them for easier browsing. For now, however, they are listed randomly, as we thought of them.

Put People First
A recent article on MSN's career center offered six tips for being a better manager. The first four focused on additional training and education for new managers. The last two focused on management skills. Saving the best tip for last, the article noted:

The bottom line about being a good manager is this: If your employees don't perform well, you don't perform well. Every good manager must learn how to train, support and motivate his or her employees. If you don't take the time to support your staff and ensure their needs are being met, all of your work will be useless. After all, says Moore, "If you don't develop your people, you have nothing."

Clean Up Your Act!
There are far too many desks in the business world masquerading as disaster areas. The major problem is the time wasted by all this mess. Think about: How much time do you spend looking for files, notes and forms that you need? If your desk is a mess, chances are you're wasting several hours every week. If you lose just one hour per week, that's more than a full (40-hour) workweek you've lost. Stop it! Take two hours to go through every piece of paper on your desk and either 1) recycle it (or throw it away) 2) file it where you can find it or 3) pass it along to the person that really needs it. You'll be glad you did.

Be Sure
Follow up important phone calls with an e-mail, letter or fax summarizing the discussion. Identify every commitment, change of scope or other important point as you understand it. This helps both parties make sure everyone is on the same page.

Ask Questions
The only way to fill your client's needs is to first understand those needs. Although the questions will differ, they all boil down to the same thing: finding out everything you can that will help you fill the customer's need.

Make Friends First
It's always easier to work with people you like, right? It's the same for your customers. Get to know them; let them get to know you and your company.

The Retail Kiss of Death
Quick - what's the #1 answer to "May I help you?"

"Just looking." And right there, you're dead in the water. Find something better to say, even if it's just "Hi, how are you today?"

Admit Ignorance - Then Address It
The worst thing you can do if you aren't sure is to bluff. Most people respond positively to "I'm not sure, but I can find out." Then, find the answer as quickly as possible - and remember it for next time.

Go Beyond the Golden Rule
Forget the Golden Rule. Here's our patented Grandmother Clause:

Treat your customer the way you would want someone to treat your grandmother: with cheerfulness, patience and respect.

Walk Like a Turtle
In a crunch, people often begin to rush, dashing madly from one thing to the next. This can be stressful not only to you, but to anyone who comes in contact with that energy. Whenever we catch ourselves rushing about, we consciously walk a few steps in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n before resuming at a relaxed pace. It almost always brings smiles to faces in the room, further helping to ease the tension.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Managers - once in a while, buy lunch for your crew out of your own pocket, not petty cash. Show them in no uncertain terms that you appreciate their hard work. And, yes, it does mean more when you pay for it.

Flower Power
Try to always keep a fresh flower on your desk. When things get tough, take a minute to inhale its fragrance deeply. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a field of fresh flowers on a sunny day. Take several controlled, relaxed breaths. This pause definitely refreshes.

Paper First
One of the first things that our team does when performing a complete audit of a small company, is to put everything on paper. If it doesn't work out on paper, no computer will help. But a computer can hide things without you ever realizing it.

Save on printing costs
Create a basic letterhead in your word processing program. Put your company name and contact info in the header &/or footer. Imbed a graphic if you choose. When you save it, choose template for your file type. MS Word (and most other WP programs) will then display your template along with all the others. Get fancy and do envelopes, too, if you're ambitious.

Keep Your Clients Advised
This may seem obvious, but you've no idea how many people in the business world don't follow this simple rule. Yet, it's one of the easiest ways to impress a client, even when calling with bad news. If an order is going to be late, don't wait for the client to call. Instead, tell them as soon as you're aware of the problem. This allows the client to adjust their plans to accommodate the change.

Don't make your client look bad by keeping them in the dark. Help them look good by keeping them informed in a timely manner.

Stop Using Non-Words
Uhm, uh, well… Stop it! You're all grown up now, and shouldn't talk like a teenager, at least during working hours. This is especially true on the phone - one of the worst, uhm, times for most - because all you have is your voice and your words. If you need time to think before responding, take it. Give a quick initial response - "That's an interesting point…" - to give yourself time to put together a complete sentence. Practice responses if need be. Do you whatever you uhm, have to, to uh, stop using non-words.

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