Monday, June 16, 2025
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertising Information
  • Subscribe
  • ist Live
ist Magazine
  • Home
  • Columns
    • ASA News
    • Ask Wolff
    • Epic Sales
    • Ergoline Focus
    • Eye to Eye
    • Lamp Talk with Leif
    • Lync IT
    • Notes from the Road
    • Trending @DevotedCreations
    • UK View
    • Monthly Motivation
  • Features

    Letter From The Publisher – March 2025

    SunCatchers, Boutique – Sun – Spa | Phenix City, AL

    Shining a Light: My Experience at the Heartland Tanning VIBE Expo

    sunbed

    Compliance Reliance

    sunbed

    Peak Season 2025 Success: Proven Strategies to Boost Profits

  • Health
    • All
    • Health Newsletter
    • Nutrition Corner
    red light therapy

    The Science of Light: Why It’s the Next Big Thing in Wellness

    “Love The Skin You’re In”

    3 Ways to Keep Your Bones Healthy & Strong

    The Truth About Retinol Confirmed by a Dermatologist

  • News
    • All
    • In The News
    • Industry Happenings
    • News Extra
    • Special Interest
    linked in as a sales platform

    The Rise of Short-Form Content on LinkedIn: A Game Changer for Business Growth

    Dmitry Tsvetkov / stock.adobe.com

    Revolutionizing The Industry: Why Tanning Is The New Full-Body Skincare

    heartland tan

    Talking About Heartland Tan’s January 2025 VIBE Event 

    IST Industry Choice Awards Winners 2024

    IST Industry Choice Awards Winners 2024

  • Spotlight
    tanned smiling woman teeth

    PSA: Delivering Bronze Skin Is Not Enough Anymore

    April 6, 2025
    glo tanning arkansas paragould

    Glo Tanning: New Salon Opening Spotlight

    April 4, 2025
    When focus flows, energy goes

    “Where Focus Goes Energy Flows”

    April 1, 2025
    The Secrets of Visionary Thinkers: 10 Rules For Brainstorming Success

    Warren Buffett Hates EBITDA. Here’s Why You Should Too

    March 18, 2025
    salon of distinction

    Salon of Distinction: Bear Naked Tanning

    March 17, 2025
    jchizhe / stock.adobe.com

    Keep It Simple Sales – K.I.S.S.

    March 17, 2025
  • Resources
    • Industry Links
    • Sun is Life
  • Lamp Talk
  • Digital Edition
No Result
View All Result
ist Magazine
  • Home
  • Columns
    • ASA News
    • Ask Wolff
    • Epic Sales
    • Ergoline Focus
    • Eye to Eye
    • Lamp Talk with Leif
    • Lync IT
    • Notes from the Road
    • Trending @DevotedCreations
    • UK View
    • Monthly Motivation
  • Features

    Letter From The Publisher – March 2025

    SunCatchers, Boutique – Sun – Spa | Phenix City, AL

    Shining a Light: My Experience at the Heartland Tanning VIBE Expo

    sunbed

    Compliance Reliance

    sunbed

    Peak Season 2025 Success: Proven Strategies to Boost Profits

  • Health
    • All
    • Health Newsletter
    • Nutrition Corner
    red light therapy

    The Science of Light: Why It’s the Next Big Thing in Wellness

    “Love The Skin You’re In”

    3 Ways to Keep Your Bones Healthy & Strong

    The Truth About Retinol Confirmed by a Dermatologist

  • News
    • All
    • In The News
    • Industry Happenings
    • News Extra
    • Special Interest
    linked in as a sales platform

    The Rise of Short-Form Content on LinkedIn: A Game Changer for Business Growth

    Dmitry Tsvetkov / stock.adobe.com

    Revolutionizing The Industry: Why Tanning Is The New Full-Body Skincare

    heartland tan

    Talking About Heartland Tan’s January 2025 VIBE Event 

    IST Industry Choice Awards Winners 2024

    IST Industry Choice Awards Winners 2024

  • Spotlight
    tanned smiling woman teeth

    PSA: Delivering Bronze Skin Is Not Enough Anymore

    April 6, 2025
    glo tanning arkansas paragould

    Glo Tanning: New Salon Opening Spotlight

    April 4, 2025
    When focus flows, energy goes

    “Where Focus Goes Energy Flows”

    April 1, 2025
    The Secrets of Visionary Thinkers: 10 Rules For Brainstorming Success

    Warren Buffett Hates EBITDA. Here’s Why You Should Too

    March 18, 2025
    salon of distinction

    Salon of Distinction: Bear Naked Tanning

    March 17, 2025
    jchizhe / stock.adobe.com

    Keep It Simple Sales – K.I.S.S.

    March 17, 2025
  • Resources
    • Industry Links
    • Sun is Life
  • Lamp Talk
  • Digital Edition
No Result
View All Result
ist Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Features Feature Story

10 Ways to Lose Money in Your Business

Pam Lontos by Pam Lontos
December 1, 2013
in Feature Story
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Tweeter

Chances are that you’ve read numerous books and articles on what to do to succeed in business. But often, knowing what not to do is even more important. In order for your company to make more money, be sure you’re not inadvertently making any of these Top 10 business mistakes.

Mistake #1: Prejudging your customers
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but all too often, business owners prejudge their prospects and customers before ever talking with them. How many times have you met someone and thought, “I doubt he can afford my product,” “She looks like she’d be impossible to work with,” or “This person isn’t my ideal client”? Rather than prejudge and dismiss what could be your next best customer, suspend judgment and take the time to get to know each prospect and client.

You might also like

Letter From The Publisher – March 2025

Shining a Light: My Experience at the Heartland Tanning VIBE Expo

Compliance Reliance

Mistake #2: Taking too long to follow up
If someone calls or emails to inquire about your products or services, how long does it take you to get back with them? While many business owners think it’s okay to reply within three days, you really need to get back with people within 24 hours or less. After all, if they’re contacting you for information, they are likely contacting your competitors, as well.

Mistake #3: Not working with someone because of imagined slights
If someone is having a bad day or not feeling well, they may say or do things that you think are meant in an unkind way. For example, a prospect may ask, “How did you get into this business?” But because of their demeanor that day, or because they’re rushed, or because of any number of other reasons, their question might come across to you as though they asked, “How did you of all people get into this business because you certainly don’t look smart enough to do this?” Never take anything a customer says or does as a personal attack. It usually isn’t one.

Mistake #4: Making prospects and customers feel unimportant
People want to know that they’re more than just another sale to you. They want to feel that you really care. For example, one business owner was stumped as to why one of the company’s best customers stopped buying. Finally she asked the customer what happened, and the customer explained that in the past, the business owner had always taken her out to lunch once per quarter, and they hadn’t done that for nearly six months. As a result, the customer felt that she no longer was important. Upon hearing this, the business owner promptly took the customer out to lunch, and she got a sale. Therefore, take an active interest in your customers. Remember their birthdays. Send them a small gift on the anniversary. Do whatever you can to make each customer feel special.

Mistake #5: Not letting your staff handle important issues
When there’s an issue with a customer, can your staff take care of most situations? Or must everything wait for you to resolve it? When you make customers wait for you to get an issue resolved, you’re giving them extra time to stew over the situation and get angrier. Instead, give your staff the training and tools to handle whatever situation arises so they can make the customer happy right away. Remember, you want your customers to always leave your store or office happy and with all their issues resolved. That’s the best way to ensure repeat business.

Mistake #6: Being inflexible with your hours
We all want life balance, but sometimes work is not a 9-5 thing. You have to be flexible if you want to get the sale. That means if you have a good lead or a customer who is ready to spend money with you now, you may have to work outside your normal business hours. So be open to returning phone calls after business hours or even meeting with a client on a weekend. You can always balance out the extended hours you put in one day by taking time off another day.

Mistake #7: Waiting too long to make an important decision
In business, making important decisions speedily is critical to your success. Opportunities won’t wait until next month, next week, or even the next day. To prosper, you have to take action quickly. For example, if you interview someone who seems perfect for your open position, make an offer immediately. If you wait, another company will also think the person is perfect and hire them. Or, if you have an opportunity to sponsor an event at a good price, secure your spot. When you hem and haw over the ROI of the decision, by the time you make up your mind all the sponsorships could be taken. When it comes to decision-making, trust your gut; it’s usually right on.

Mistake #8: Making it impossible to find your contact information
Make sure your contact information is easy to find. On your website, your phone number and email address need to be prominent on every page. Nothing frustrates customers more than wanting to contact you but being unable to because they can’t locate your phone number on your website or in your email signature. Even the most loyal customer will eventually give up and call your competition simply because they made their contact info visible and easy to find.

Mistake #9: Using cheap marketing materials that make you look bad
Your marketing materials tell a lot about your company not just through the words on the page, but also in the overall look and feel of the piece. Take a good look at your current marketing materials. Do they look professional? Are there misspellings? Do they properly represent your business? When your marketing materials look like an amateur created them or they’re riddled with errors, you send the message that you’re unprofessional and incapable of delivering quality work. Make sure your marketing materials present you in the best light.

Mistake #10: Being rigid with your contracts
If your business is done by contract, it’s definitely an important part of the transaction. However, just because it’s important doesn’t mean it can’t also be flexible. If someone requests a change to the contract, consider it. If it’s something small, give in to it. Realize that sometimes people just want to feel as though they’ve won – that they negotiated a good deal. So if the item they want to change is small and not that important to you, let them have it. And rather than give them more time to think about it while you reissue a new contract, allow them to simply handwrite in the change and initial it. The quicker the contract is executed, the sooner you’ll get the sale complete.

Jump Start Your Success!
Of course, taking advice from others can be hard for any business owner. But why repeat the errors others have made? Why not learn from them so you can shorten your learning curve? When you take the steps to avoid these Top 10 mistakes, you’ll be on the fast track to long term success.

Previous Post

Princess Zoeypants & Daphne Doodle Dandy (aka Zoey & Daphne)

Next Post

ist Industry Choice Awards Winners 2013

Pam Lontos

Pam Lontos

is President of Pam Lontos Consulting. She consults with businesses & experts in the areas of sales, marketing & publicity. Pam founded PR/PR Public Relations & is a past VP of sales for Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting where she raised sales 500%. She is the author of “I See Your Name Everywhere: Leverage the Power of the Media to Grow your Fame, Wealth and Success.” For more info, call 407.522.8630, email PamLontos@gmail.com, or visit PamLontos.com.

Related Posts

Feature Story

Letter From The Publisher – March 2025

by Onyi Odunukwe
March 18, 2025
SunCatchers, Boutique – Sun – Spa | Phenix City, AL
Feature Story

Shining a Light: My Experience at the Heartland Tanning VIBE Expo

by Kristin Smithers
March 18, 2025
sunbed
Feature Story

Compliance Reliance

by Joe Schuster
March 18, 2025
sunbed
Farr Factor

Peak Season 2025 Success: Proven Strategies to Boost Profits

by John Farr
March 17, 2025
Glo tanning palm harbor FL
Feature Story

Glo Tanning: New Salon Opening Spotlight

by Ossiana Tepfenhart
March 17, 2025
Next Post

ist Industry Choice Awards Winners 2013

Recommended

IST June 2025 Cover

June 2025 – IST Digital Edition

June 2, 2025
Ist-may-2025 cover

May 2025 – IST Digital Edition

May 5, 2025
credit cards stacked on each other

Planning For Trouble With Merchant Advances

April 7, 2025
IST april 2025 cover

April 2025 – IST Magazine Digital Edition

April 7, 2025

Popular Posts

  • The Heat Is On Sun Protection Lotions

    10 Tips To Abolish Raccoon Eyes

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Peak Season 2025 Success: Proven Strategies to Boost Profits

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • A TOWEL IS NOT ENOUGH!

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Four Seasons National Tanning Expo
    A Sign of a Great 2024!

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Red-Light Therapy: Do Skincare Products Help or Hinder?

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Don't Miss It

IST June 2025 Cover
Digital Edition

June 2025 – IST Digital Edition

June 2, 2025
Ist-may-2025 cover
Digital Edition

May 2025 – IST Digital Edition

May 5, 2025
credit cards stacked on each other
Epic Sales

Planning For Trouble With Merchant Advances

April 7, 2025
IST april 2025 cover
Digital Edition

April 2025 – IST Magazine Digital Edition

April 7, 2025

IST Magazine is the premiere, multi-award-winning business-to-business publication for the indoor tanning industry, providing valuable business articles and industry information in a fun, professional format.

Information

  • Advertising Information
  • Contact
  • Copyright Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Terms of Use

Categories

  • Columns
  • Features
  • Health
  • News
  • Spotlight
  • Digital Edition

© 2024 ist Magazine.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Columns
    • ASA News
    • Ask Wolff
    • Epic Sales
    • Ergoline Focus
    • Eye to Eye
    • Lamp Talk with Leif
    • Lync IT
    • Notes from the Road
    • Trending @DevotedCreations
    • UK View
    • Monthly Motivation
  • Features
  • Health
  • News
  • Spotlight
  • Resources
    • Industry Links
    • Sun is Life
  • Lamp Talk
  • Digital Edition

© 2024 ist Magazine.