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Casual Articles - Do You Go The Extra Mile for Your Customers?
Many entrepreneurs start up service companies thinking that they are going to be plumbers, lawyers, dentists, realtors etc. Or they decide to sell coffee, candy or clothes. They all make the same mistake – successful businesses do not sell services or goods – they are marketing companies. Marketing is the engine that drives your business!If you remember that the core skill that you should learn and your main activity is marketing your
A business conference is one the best ways to keep tabs of your business's goings-on and financial results. Whether you are about to hold a meeting with your top 5 executives or about to hold a product launch with 300 invitees, preparation needs major consideration.To aid you in your endeavor to conduct your best business conference ever, here is a rundown of the facilities you should start querying your conference facilitator or conferen
Here are a few questions to ask your business and tips to make it better:
1) How many times do your customers do business with you in a week/month/year?
Customer frequency is even more important than getting new customers! That’s right. I said it…the very thing you may be focused on should not be your primary focus. Calm down…I didn’t say remove your focus.
Take an auto shop for instance…most shop owners who I have spoken with over the years are always asking me “Joe, how do I increase customer/car count?” when the better question is “Joe, how do I make each of my customers/cars count?”
My answer to that, and this applies to any business, is to put in place a program or series of programs with focus on retaining customers, or welcoming back old ones. For example, you may implement a type of VIP Membership program for customers who have done regular business with you. To gain membership, a customer could meet criteria that you have set (i.e. sales dollars, number of months a regular customer, etc…). In some businesses and markets, customers would be willing to pay for such a membership.
Make sure your program includes an element to give the customer something as a member of your VIP program. As humans, status means a lot. Having a frameable certificate or a membership card is important to the success of this program. Also, be sure to include benefits that “ordinary customers” do not get. Discounts, access to professionals in your company, a free newsletter, and other items to make membership a percieved value to your customer.
2) Do you have more to offer each customer?
Single product sales are tough. If all you have to offer a customer is a single product or service…an easy answer is develop a series of reports or cd study courses within your field of expertise. This will give you more opportunities to sell something to the same customers that you have already “warmed up” to your company. You will find a higher Return On Investment (ROI) on your marketing dollar with your current customer base than you will marketing for a “fresh” customer. Which leads me to the final question for this month’s tip…
3) How are you allocating your marketing budget?
For newer companies with less established customer bases…this one is tough…but as you continue to add customers to your database, you need to devote more and more of your marketing budget to re-marketing to your current customers. Do you necessarily need to sell them product? Nope. You can solicit referrals, getting the easiest business possible from your easiest source of new business possible. Be sure to include an incentive that motivates your customers to refer business. This could be as simple as a thank you letter, or as complex as a report that adds value to the referring customer’s business or life. You can also survey them, and find
Everybody remembers their first job. Maybe you flipped hamburgers as a student at the local burger joint. Maybe you delivered pizzas to the good citizens of your town. Maybe you bagged and carried out groceries at the local grocery store. There are tons of these types of student jobs out there.In fact, after you have one of these student jobs, you will most likely be motivated to work harder and get yourself to college to educate your
My answer to that, and this applies to any business, is to put in place a program or series of programs with focus on retaining customers, or welcoming back old ones. For example, you may implement a type of VIP Membership program for customers who have done regular business with you. To gain membership, a customer could meet criteria that you have set (i.e. sales dollars, number of months a regular customer, etc…). In some businesses and markets, customers would be willing to pay for such a membership.
Make sure your program includes an element to give the customer something as a member of your VIP program. As humans, status means a lot. Having a frameable certificate or a membership card is important to the success of this program. Also, be sure to include benefits that “ordinary customers” do not get. Discounts, access to professionals in your company, a free newsletter, and other items to make membership a percieved value to your customer.
2) Do you have more to offer each customer?
Single product sales are tough. If all you have to offer a customer is a single product or service…an easy answer is develop a series of reports or cd study courses within your field of expertise. This will give you more opportunities to sell something to the same customers that you have already “warmed up” to your company. You will find a higher Return On Investment (ROI) on your marketing dollar with your current customer base than you will marketing for a “fresh” customer. Which leads me to the final question for this month’s tip…
3) How are you allocating your marketing budget?
For newer companies with less established customer bases…this one is tough…but as you continue to add customers to your database, you need to devote more and more of your marketing budget to re-marketing to your current customers. Do you necessarily need to sell them product? Nope. You can solicit referrals, getting the easiest business possible from your easiest source of new business possible. Be sure to include an incentive that motivates your customers to refer business. This could be as simple as a thank you letter, or as complex as a report that adds value to the referring customer’s business or life. You can also survey them, and fin
Over the years, I have identified two kinds of midlife career changers: Jumpers and Clingers.Jumpers thrive on energy, enthusiasm and improbable luck. The last three times they leaped, a net appeared. They see no reason why the next jump should be any different.Clingers thrive on careers that offer security, money and identity. When they outgrow their careers, or find themselves forced out, they feel lost. They can't reme
Make sure your program includes an element to give the customer something as a member of your VIP program. As humans, status means a lot. Having a frameable certificate or a membership card is important to the success of this program. Also, be sure to include benefits that “ordinary customers” do not get. Discounts, access to professionals in your company, a free newsletter, and other items to make membership a percieved value to your customer.
2) Do you have more to offer each customer?
Single product sales are tough. If all you have to offer a customer is a single product or service…an easy answer is develop a series of reports or cd study courses within your field of expertise. This will give you more opportunities to sell something to the same customers that you have already “warmed up” to your company. You will find a higher Return On Investment (ROI) on your marketing dollar with your current customer base than you will marketing for a “fresh” customer. Which leads me to the final question for this month’s tip…
3) How are you allocating your marketing budget?
For newer companies with less established customer bases…this one is tough…but as you continue to add customers to your database, you need to devote more and more of your marketing budget to re-marketing to your current customers. Do you necessarily need to sell them product? Nope. You can solicit referrals, getting the easiest business possible from your easiest source of new business possible. Be sure to include an incentive that motivates your customers to refer business. This could be as simple as a thank you letter, or as complex as a report that adds value to the referring customer’s business or life. You can also survey them, and fin
I became an SEO last week by accident. I also created an e-commerce website with affiliate program (again by accident) a few months ago. How did it happen? I don't know but it was about time. I was fifty two and still asking "What do you want to be when you grow up, Rick"? My main website had suddenly become one of the top Netcraft and Alexa rated web sites on the Internet, again by accident. Now I knew I had a work at home business, not just
3) How are you allocating your marketing budget?
For newer companies with less established customer bases…this one is tough…but as you continue to add customers to your database, you need to devote more and more of your marketing budget to re-marketing to your current customers. Do you necessarily need to sell them product? Nope. You can solicit referrals, getting the easiest business possible from your easiest source of new business possible. Be sure to include an incentive that motivates your customers to refer business. This could be as simple as a thank you letter, or as complex as a report that adds value to the referring customer’s business or life. You can also survey them, and fin
A while back, while living in New York City, I became acquainted with this guy named Harry Vincent. He was something else. Vince liked to show off a lot, as shown by his daily food regimen of booze and loose city girls. It was pretty tough on the ego hanging around him; I had recently started my so-called writing career and the cash wasn't rolling in like I had planned. When Vince and I would go to the local bistro, he'd usually surround himself
Your budget should be evenly distributed between sourcing new customers, and retaining/re-marketing to your current customer base. If you don’t sell something to your current customers, your competitor will!
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