What Is Vision Casting?

It should be a Foundational Component of your company.

Is it something that you’re using in Customer Service and Sales training?

Are you using this valuable process to grow your company?

There’s a Proverb that says Without Vision, People Perish.

You need Vision to imagine what your business could be.

You need to ‘see’ what is possible and what you want to create and build.

Architecture is the art of building beautiful, solid structures that last for centuries.

Vision casting is the process of articulating and communicating a clear, compelling vision for the future.

What is the Vision for your Company?

What is the Vision for your Sales Team?

What is the Vision for your Customer Service Team?

Vision casting is different than Goal Setting. It involves outlining a desired future state and challenging others to work towards achieving it.

It is everyone seeing something in unity.

When this process is in place and the company’s products, policies and systems are in place, increased revenues are sure to follow. The aim is to motivate and align a group or organization around a shared vision to drive collective effort and commitment. It guides a group or organization towards achieving excellence through specific goals or aspirations.

What Are The Key Elements Of Vision Casting?

1. Clarity: The vision should be clear and specific so that everyone understands what is being aimed for.

2. Inspiration: It should be motivational and inspiring, energizing people to be enthusiastic about the vision.

3. Relevance: The vision needs to be relevant and resonate with the values and goals of the company or organization and the people involved.

4. Actionable Steps: While the vision itself is future-oriented, it often includes practical steps or milestones to guide the progress no matter what phase your company is in.
   

Examples

1. Corporate Setting:

   • Example: A technology company’s CEO might cast a vision for becoming the global leader in renewable energy solutions by 2030. This vision might include specific goals like developing innovative technologies, expanding into new markets, and achieving sustainability certifications. The CEO would then communicate this vision through speeches, company-wide meetings, and strategic plans to align and inspire the workforce.

2. Nonprofit Organization:

   • Example: A nonprofit focused on education might cast a vision of “a world where every child has access to quality education.” They would outline their goals, such as building schools in underserved areas, improving educational resources, and advocating for policy changes. This vision would be communicated to donors, volunteers, and partners to rally support and drive action.

3. Community Initiative:

   • Example: A local community group might cast a vision for transforming an underdeveloped park into a vibrant community hub with playgrounds, gardens, and sports facilities. The vision would be shared through community meetings, social media, and local events to engage residents and attract support and funding.

Vision casting is a crucial tool because it helps to set a direction, unify efforts, and inspire people to work together towards a common goal. You can’t build a team of anything without it.

At Focus On Customer Service, it’s one of the services we offer to help you See and Create the Vision for your business so everyone will follow it to success!

Kathi Kasel

Collections is NOT a Bad Word!

In business, sales, and finance, "collections" refers to the process of gathering

payments or ‘receivables’ from customers or clients who owe money to the company.

This process is critical for maintaining cash flow and ensuring that the business

operates smoothly and profitably.

THE TRUTH IS THAT NO SALE IS FINAL UNTIL THE MONEY HAS BEEN PAID!

PAID Should Be A Company’s Favorite Four Letter Word!

No Bonus, No Commission, No Perk Is Ever Guaranteed Until Payment Is Received!

People tend to think of Collections in terms of getting nasty phone calls to get money.

Or, getting your car repossessed.

Collections can be a very unappreciated and misunderstood service position.

But if you don’t have this important operations function in place, even on a small scale,

you will have financial loss.

Having a great Collections Team as part of your operations is essential!

It’s an important part of your Customer Service and another Valued Asset for your

business.

Here are examples of how Customer Service for Collections can effectively function:

1. Business

In a business setting, collections involve managing and overseeing the

accounts receivable (AR) to ensure that payments are collected on time. Effective

collections management helps prevent bad debts and improves financial stability.

Key Aspects:

• Invoice Issuance: Sending invoices to customers for products or services

rendered.

• Payment Terms: Defining terms such as net 30 or net 60, which specify when

payments are due.

• Follow-ups: Sending reminders or contacting customers to collect overdue

payments.

• Dispute Resolution: Addressing any issues or disputes related to unpaid invoices.

Example: A software company may issue an invoice for a subscription service. The

collections team will follow up if payment is not received by the due date, ensuring that

the company receives the payment as agreed.

2. Sales

In sales, collections are tied to the process of converting sales into cash flow.

Effective collections processes help sales teams manage their credit sales and ensure

that revenue from sales is collected efficiently.

Key Aspects:

• Credit Management: Assessing customer creditworthiness before extending

credit.

• Payment Scheduling: Arranging payment schedules and terms with customers.

• Sales Reconciliation: Ensuring that the amounts collected match the sales

recorded.

Example: A wholesaler sells products to a retailer on credit. The collections team will

monitor the retailer’s payments and follow up on any outstanding amounts to maintain

healthy cash flow.

3. Finance

In finance, collections focus on managing and optimizing the company's cash flow by

ensuring that receivables are collected in a timely manner. This includes analyzing the

effectiveness of collections strategies and improving processes to reduce the days sales

outstanding (DSO).

Key Aspects:

• Cash Flow Management: Monitoring and managing incoming cash to ensure

liquidity.

• Aging Reports: Analyzing accounts receivable aging reports to identify overdue

accounts and prioritize collections efforts.

• Debt Recovery: Handling cases where customers have not paid and may need to

be pursued through collections agencies or legal action.

Example: A manufacturing company uses financial metrics to track its accounts

receivable performance. If DSO increases, the finance team may implement new

collections strategies or adjust credit policies to improve cash flow.

Summary

Collections is a critical function across business, sales, and finance, ensuring that

money owed to the company is collected in a timely manner. Efficient collections

processes help maintain healthy cash flow, minimize bad debts, and support overall

financial stability.

FOCUS On Customer Service can help you create, build implement and manage a

successful collections program for your company.

Kathi Kasel

Don’t Ignore Me!

“If you don't appreciate your customers, someone else will”.

A few weeks ago, I was in a well-known grocery store.

It was early in the morning. They had just opened.

There were not many people there.

I got the items I came for and headed to check out.

There were three ladies standing there having a conversation.

Two were cashiers and one was their ‘Favorite Bagger’.

I had to wait for my cashier to acknowledge me and my groceries.

The reason I had to wait was because the Cashiers were deeply inquiring with each other about which one of them their "Favorite Bagger" was going to work with that day.

They were talking about the other Baggers (that were not there of course) and how they didn’t do a good job and why they didn’t like them, but this particular Bagger was the Best!

They were also discussing other things about their jobs that they did not like.

When my Cashier finally finished ringing up my groceries, after listening to this for about 7 minutes, I told them that their conversation was not something they probably should be having in front of the customer.

They all looked at me and stopped talking.

They were clearly “annoyed.”

My Cashier gave me a Very Condescending look and sighed. She finished the transaction, told me to have a nice day and the three of them continued with their conversation as I walked out the door.

Maybe you have experienced the same situation at some service or business.

How did that make you feel?  Did you do anything about it?

Do your employees make your customers feel that way?

FOCUS FACTS:

1.    Customers hate to be ignored!

2.    Most customers don’t expect your business to be perfect.

3.    According to an Aspect Customer Experience Survey, 76 percent say they view customer service as the true test of how much a business values them!

Let’s Turn Your Customer Service Into A Valued Asset!

Kathi Kasel