adictoaloshombres: Customers

Showing posts with label Customers. Show all posts

Getting More Customers

Keywords:

customers, direct marketing

Article Body:

Surveys show that 85% of success in life relates to your communication, human relations skills, and "emotional intelligence”.

Joe Batten, an American motivational speaker said: "Before you tell, ask; before you talk, listen; after you listen, relate; and always show that you care. When you can translate care, people will want to do business with you and details will not get in the way."

From a business viewpoint you also have to build relationships and get customers to trust you. To do that you have to:

1. Be Reliable

Do what you say you're going to do.
Do it when you say you're going to do it.
Do it right the first time.
Get it done on time.
Under promise and over deliver.

2. Be Responsive

Be available
Be accessible
Be willing
Be helpful
Be informative

3. Solve problems

Solve customers’ unique problems and they will continue to be your customer. Put yourself in the customer's shoes and feel what they feel.

Does this mean that all your marketing and advertising needs to be “touchy feely”?

No. You can still create calls to action that increase sales whilst observing all these principles.

For example:

Tell them about a price increase!

People want a 'good deal'. If prices are going up on a specific date, let your customers know. They'll want to buy before the price increases.

Offer a trial period

Trial periods are a great way to get new customers. Offer a special deal, extra service or a lower price during your trial / introductory period.

Offer a Guarantee

People want to know there's no risk involved if they're not satisfied with the product/service. Let new customers know they can cancel for any reason before the trial period expires.

Offer free extras

Buy X and receive Y. This works with a whole range of products and services. Be sure to include an end date on your offer. This politely urges people to take advantage of your offer before time runs out. Give a deadline for ordering. Order by the 10th and receive.... That way, your customers know they only have a limited time to respond and they won't fall victim to the "I'll do it later" syndrome.

Offer a FREE gift

As an added incentive for ordering, offer your free gift to the first 100 or 1000 people that respond or walk through your doors.

Offer an upgrade

One simple line can boost your sales. "Order within 10 days and we'll upgrade you to ......."

Whatever you offer be sure to include action phrases:

* Call Now

* 24 Hours a Day

* Mail today in the prepaid envelope

* Fax your response card.

Business success also relates to communication, human relations skills, and "emotional intelligence”, but in a business context.

Fixed Price Contracts For First Time Customers

Fixed price contracts are the best and safest method when working with a customer for the first time. You put clients at ease, you reduce your risk, and you establish willingness and ability to pay buy using fixed price contracts.

Keywords:

Fixed Price Contract

Article Body:

Fixed price contracts are the best and safest method when working with a customer for the first time. This puts the customer as ease and it reduces your risk of not being paid at all. With this first fixed price contract your main objective is to establish the willingness and ability to pay. After that you can build the relationship.

It's important to note that when you establish a fixed price contract you do that with a customer - not a client. Until a customer has proven that they'll be with you through the duration they are a transaction related customer. They are not a long-term client yet. When you first start out with somebody if you set up a price fixed contract the customer will be a lot more receptive because they perceive lower risk.

This perception may mean a lower margin for you because your fixed price contract is less per hour than you normally charge. Don't worry about this. The more important objective here is to turn this customer into a client after you have established the willingness and ability to pay.

Fixed Price Contract Conditions

Doing price fixed contract work is only viable if you have very a defined project. It is very difficult to do with an emergency service call. You don't know what you're walking into. Keep that in mind. Don't do foolish things like committing yourself to spend three days on a server rebuild for a fixed rice contract of $250.

Include in every fixed price contract two or three sentences that explain that it is subject to credit approval. If you grant credit, always leave yourself an out if they refuse to give you a credit application or the credit application is incomplete. This first fixed price contract is the riskiest. Because of this you want to do things that are in your own best interests.

The Bottom Line on Fixed Price Contracts

The key thing to remember with fixed price contracts is that you are more likely to get stuck with the first bill with a new customer than anywhere else. Use fixed price contracts as way to entice new customers and to lower your risk of nonpayment. Your goal is to turn these fixed price contract customers into long term clients but first you need to know how willing and able they are to pay their bills.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Catalog Printing: A Subtle Way Of Seducing Customers

Keywords:

Catalog Printing

Article Body:

As a business grows so is its need for better and cost-effective advertising materials. One option that business owners may try to consider is catalog printing. Catalogs are not only known for its ability to effectively grab the attention of customer but it is also famous in terms of the convenience it brought its readers. Convenience in the sense that it can be easily browsed and especially when done in full colors can really left a mark on the minds of its readers.

Catalogs are best option for businesses who may want to increase their sales. Another advantage derived in employing catalogs is that it saves the business time and money. There would be no need to employ separate advertisement materials for each product and services since everything are incorporated in a single catalog. The catalog will not only showcase products and services but will also show the prices as well as the individual description of each products and services. Customers are therefore provided with ample information that assists them in deciding whether they want to purchase or not.

Catalogs also provide a source of future sales since customers who may not have at present the money to buy any of the products and services on display would tend to keep the catalog for future reference of any product and services they may want to purchase. The significance of catalogs in promoting business is undeniable that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing company there is.

A well crafted catalog can tempt customers to take hold of products and services even if they don’t have a need for it yet. Professionally done catalogs are like nymphs seducing customers to indulge and take hold of products and services. You can attest to the catalog’s effectiveness in captivating customers, how many times have you ordered products that you don’t necessarily need, simply because the pictures look so tempting that you feel you just have to have one of those displayed products? I for one have always been a victim to the allure of catalogs. I just can’t seem to resist astounding pictures of cosmetics, bags, shoes….you name it, I ask you what a girl to do especially when the catalog is teeming with great discounts?

And how about catalogs on cars? Those awesome full color catalogs that seem to say go and ask your bank if they can grant you a loan right away! The effects that catalogs have on its readers are simply amazing that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing services available.

For comments and suggestions about the article kindly visit http://www.aprintingpress.com/CatalogPrintingPress.html

Customers Who Rave About You and Your Service

Keywords:

business, marketing, customer service, satisfaction, personal level, return policy, hours of operation, guarantee, warranty, value

Article Body:

According to customer service studies by marketing gurus of the world, here are the following qualities, which must be present in your life and your business in order to develop raving fan customers who are not just satisfied but completely loyal to you over the long haul.

1. People want you to show an interest in their lives.
You not only know about their business, you know about their families, the hobbies they enjoy, and their life experiences. You know when they have had a win or a wow in their business, the birth of a new child, or a milestone celebration around the corner.

2. People want you to be quick!
People want their products and services yesterday, not tomorrow or 3 - 4 days down the road. In today's fast paced world, if you take more than 24 hours to respond to a request from a client, there is a very likely chance that he/she will find someone else to take your place. These are no longer the days of the Pony Express. These are the days of overnight service by Fed Ex, Palm Pilots that call personal messaging systems, high speed internet connections, and fax machines galore. Be quick and be energetic, or you will fall behind in a flash.

3. People want you to be very available.
People are tired of automated message machines or the words “Press 1 for Bob Smith, press 2 for customer service, press 3 if you speak Spanish…press 4 if you want to hire another company!” There is very little excuse for not being available. Provide your customers with your business phone, mobile phone, fax machine, e-mail address, and your physical mailing address. If you live alone, work out of your home and don't want to share your home office address, then get a P.O. Box. Your customers want to know that they can reach you when there is a problem or a concern with their product or service.

4. People want a friendly voice and a warm smile.
The first rule of customer service when you meet any person or when you answer the phone is to grin from ear to ear. If you are not smiling, this will come across over the phone and will definitely be seen and noticed in public, so get busy being happy when you are out and about and when you are engaging in a phone conversation. If you have a virtual company, put a fun photograph or a 5 x 7 card on your desk that says, “Smile…Today is a great day.”

5. People would rather you under promise and over deliver.
Customers never forget a mistake or your delaying their product or service. If you promise something on Friday, and you deliver it the next Tuesday, they will tell the world about you…in reverse referral. They will tell the whole city that you were late, and there won't be one thing you can do to reverse the negative publicity around your delay. Do not make promises that you cannot fulfill. Let the customer know that you will get them their product or service beyond the time that you know you can actually make it happen. When they receive it early, they will be pleasantly surprised, and will tell the world how wonderful and quick you are!

6. People want you to help them…they don't want to be sold.
Hey folks…people do not like pushy people. Your job as a business owner is to continue to add value to the lives of your clients without pushing a new product, service, or extra fee on them before they are ready. The bottom line: Don't be a pushy pest! It will drive folks away in a heartbeat.

7. People want to hear you say, “Yes, I can do that.”
People don't want to hear dumb excuses. Customers and clients of today are smart and savvy, and when they call for help, the last thing they want to hear is:
“That's not my job.”
“I can't answer that, because I don't know the answer.”
“Can I put you on hold?”
“My policy does not allow for that.”
“I'm sorry...that is the best I can do. I am only human.”
And the frustration begins to build.
People don't want to hear your problems. They want their problems fixed. There is always some sort of solution, even if you cannot fix the problem! You will win points forever with comments like:
“You are absolutely right. I will get the answer to your problem by the end of the day.”
“I thank you for your concerns. I am going to incorporate your idea as a way so that it works for us all.”
“This is Sally Jones. How may I help you today?”
“I do not provide that service, but I have 15 people on my team who do work with that. May I refer you to one of these men or women?”

8. People want to know that you are highly trained and skilled.
Are you continuing your training? Are you working with a coach? If not, your customers will know it in a heartbeat. Your clients want to know that you are on the cutting edge and that you are constantly devoted to the highest level of learning and training made available. To begin with, get the training…incorporate training monthly, then let your clients know what you are learning. You can show your clients how you continue your training through monthly announcements in your newsletter, e-mails about your schedule, and through blogging.

9. People want you to drop the “nit picking.”
If you are charging nickels and dimes for added extras such as an additional ten minutes on the phone or for each document you send a client, you will be viewed as “cheap,” and this will leave a bad taste in the mouths of your clients. Remember…these nickel and dime expenses can add value to the lives of your clients and will create walking billboards for your business.

10. People want to hear the magic words “Thank-you.”
This is music to a client's ears. Say it with sincerity, and say it often. Your clients are allowing you to own and operate and business and to earn money doing it, so thank them again and again for what they add to your life.

© Copyright 2004 Alicia Smith

Grab Customers' Attention With Advertising Balloons

Keywords:

advertising balloons, advertising blimps, advertising inflatables, custom balloons

Article Body:

Let's face it: most small- and medium-sized companies don't have huge advertising budgets. Traditional media, such as print, television, and radio advertising are far too expensive. And, for those businesses that rely on walk-in traffic, Internet advertising won't reach the intended audience. Thankfully, there's another advertising medium that's incredibly effective for a variety of businesses: advertising balloons.

Advertising balloons - also known as advertising blimps and advertising inflatables - are an incredibly cost-effective method of gaining the attention of passersby and turning prospects into customers. Starting at slightly over $100, the cost of an advertising balloon can be recouped in no time at all.

There are several different types of advertising inflatables. Advertising blimps have the traditional blimp shape, but come in a variety of sizes. They are easily customizable with a company logo, special message, or unique combinations of colors. Advertising blimps can be large enough to attract attention from miles away, or small enough to catch the eye of a trade show attendee. Larger advertising blimps can even be lit at night to garner notice 24 hours a day.

Round advertising balloons are also attention-grabbers. Again, they come in all sizes and can be flown high above the ground, acting as traffic magnets for a business' location.

A business can also buy a pre-made advertising inflatable, such as one in the shape of a hot air balloon that says, "Grand Opening." Eye-catching shapes and colors are sure to attract customers. Similarly, dancing balloons (also called wind dancers) are eye-catching. Inflated with a cold air blower, dancers will delight both adults and children. However, they're generally made with a light material that doesn't hold up well in sunlight or strong wind. For that reason, a tarp should always be placed under a wind dancer.

When you order custom balloons, you first need to think through the various elements that will give your advertising balloons maximum impact. Here are attributes to consider:

Lettering: If readability is important, stay with a small number of letters on one or two lines. Determine the distance at which you want your advertising balloon to be read. For maximum impact at 30 feet, for example, letters that are three inches high will suffice. On the other hand, letters that are 12 inches high have maximum impact at 120 feet but are still readable at 525 feet.

Colors: There are specific color combinations that will give your advertising balloon more impact. Black lettering or art against a backdrop of yellow, white, or orange is the most effective, followed by blue on white, white on green, green on white, red on white, and white on red.

Like everyone else, you probably look up when you see an advertising balloon in the sky. Just imagine how much recognition you can get from your business from the relatively small investment of an advertising balloon!

Four easy steps for creating more customers

An article about the Four easy steps for creating more customers

Keywords:

sales, money, profit, business, customers

Article Body:

If you are frustrated about generating small amounts of new business the chances are you should devote more time to obtaining references from existing satisfied customers.

Generating referrals can start at the very first meeting with a new client. Inform the new client about yourself and your business and tell them that you acquire many of your new customers through referrals and client recommendations. If you change the subject then try to remind the new customer of this again later in the conversation, the customer will not be surprised when you refer back.

Sales people, who don’t ask, don’t get and are often ignored. Clients will never give referrals of their own back. So try to get into the habit of always asking for referrals, what harm can it do. The right time to ask for a referral is when you feel the customer is completely satisfied with your services. If your order fell through for whatever reason but you felt you helped the customer with advise or guidance, contact them and ask for the referral still, if it was on their part the order did not materialise then the customer will more than likely fell some guilt and be happy to offer a referral.

Another way of generating great referrals within the same client group can be to ask if they have any friends or relatives or close working relationships with other companies. Everyone usually has good friends in other workplaces. Try to ask for at least three contacts form one client, this number has been proven to be a realistic but not an excessive amount of information to ask any one for. Be wary of exceeding this amount as you do not want to upset or irritate the one customer you already have.

If you feel that the direct approach is not working for you, try asking the customer if they will be prepared to do this for you. Once again if you have helped the client out for free, they will more than likely accept this request as a favour. Once again be wary of excessive use of calling in favours as this can work against you in the long run.

Using a referral form is a trick to use when asking for references where customers can write down client names. By simply handing over this form, your sending a two non verbal messages over, please complete this form and this is normal practice. Always get the full details you require such as a full name, contact number and email address. How annoying do you get when you receive a mail shot with your name spelt incorrectly.

When you make contact with perspective clients from your list, try to mention who gave you their name and number and always try to compliment the client on their products or services. If you become complimentary about the person you are talking to then this information can be documented and used as a good opener of you ever meet that person.

Please feel free to use my article in what ever format you feel most appropriate. Check out my other articles for free health, environmental and business related information and advice.

Do You Know What Your Customers Want?

Keywords:

marketing,small business,small business marketing,profits

Article Body:

"The True Function of Any Successful Business is to Sell People Precisely What They Want To Buy" - Bob Serling

I suppose the above seems rather obvious. After all, no customers, no business, right? But if the failure rate of businesses today is any indication, then perhaps it's not so obvious after all.

What do I mean by that last statement?

Have you noticed the ads that most business place, if they place any at all? Don't most of them focus on the business, and not on the customer's needs, wants, and desires? Here are some of the marketing failures I see daily:

- Ads with no headlines (to attract a potential customer's attention).
- Ads with only the business name as the title.
- Ads listing how long a entity has been in business or other boring company information.
- Ads simply listing the names of products and services.
- Ads with no contact information provided.
- One time mailings with no follow ups.
- No subsequent offer of a related product after an initial sale.
- No clue as to the real target market.
- No research to find out what the target market wants.
- A build it and they will come mentality.

Where is the customer in all this? Who is speaking to the customer to find out what he or she wants, needs, or desires? Who is providing a solution to the customer's problems? Who is making life easier or better for the customer?

The answer to the above questions is "successful companies." Successful companies find out what their customers want, need, or desire. Successful companies provide solutions to their customer's problems and make life better for them. Successful companies carefully design their products or services to satisfy their customer's wants and desires and to make their lives easier or better.

Successful companies focus, not on themselves, but on their customers. They carefully research and define their target market and they implement customer centered marketing strategies to ensure that their target market is aware of their products or services and the benefits that they provide.

What too many companies fail to realize is that customers don't care about them or their business. What the customer cares about is "what is in it for them." For companies that answer that question, sales and profits fall into place.

I recently wanted to sell a timeshare that I had purchased a number of years ago, so I called a local real estate company to see if they handled timeshare resales. The agent that took my call informed me that she did not have any prior experience in dealing with timeshares but would get back with me if their company did.

The next day she called and informed me that while her company did not deal with timeshare resales, she had the name and numbers of two companies that did. She provided me the numbers and then mentioned that if I did sell my timeshare through either of them, they would pay her a commission for the lead. I think she told me that information hoping that I would feel some bit of obligation to her since she had gone to the work of providing me with the contacts.

But, just like your customers, I also listen to WIIFM (What's In It For Me) and my decision as to what company I list my timeshare with will depend purely on where I think I will get the best service. My decision will not include in any way the fact that she may or may not get a commission.

When I called the first company she referred, I discovered that they wanted an upfront fee - red flag - bad sign! I have been down that road on a previous occasion with disastrous results. Scratch one company off the list.

Based on the results of the first call, I have now researched several alternatives on my own and will probably list my timeshare with one of the alternatives that does not require an upfront fee and seems to have a good track record.

"If you want to sell as much as you possibly can and as often as you possibly can, the formula is simple. Find out what your customers really want and sell it to them. Make their lives easier. Make their lives better. Solve their problems. Deliver their dreams to their doorsteps. And watch your company grow beyond belief." - Bob Serling

As an example of the above, take Nordstroms department stores. Nordstroms rose to such prominence in the retail world, not by being cheaper, but by providing superior customer service. Nordstorms is the only place my wife will shop for shoes. Why? Because Nordstroms is the only place where she can find what she wants!

Remember, if you focus your business on your customers wants and desires, build long-term relationships with your customers, and service your customers far beyond the level of service that your competition might provide, your business will flourish. You can even be more expensive and your customers will gladly pay.

All of your profits depend on your customer - Do You Know What Your Customers Want?

In a follow up article, I'll discuss the importance of having a powerful USP or ESA - you do have one don't you? Be watching for it.

Flexible Payments Mean Happier Customers

Most businesses start out with limited payment options, but as your business grows, it is important to offer your customers as many payment options as possible so they will spend their money with you.

Keywords:

accept credit cards, accept debit cards, payment processing, merchant account

Article Body:

As a new business owner, you probably started out accepting cash and checks but not credit cards. Or if you have a business online, you might have accepted PayPal but no other payment options.

As your business grows, you will have more people asking for more varied payment options, and as your budget allows, you should expand to offer as many different payment options as you can.

Paying with credit cards and debit cards is becoming very popular. You might be hesitant to accept credit cards because of all the fess associated with them, but the truth is you might make up the cost of the fees in increased sales.

People are likely to spend more when they are using plastic and to make more impulse buys than they would if they were paying with cash or a check.

In addition to accepting credit cards, you should also get a payment processing device that allows you to accept debit cards, meaning it has a keypad on which customers type their PIN numbers. Many people like using a debit card because it's faster than writing a check but still makes them control their expenses since the money is coming right out of their bank account.

Accepting debit cards is great for you as well because you know the customer has the money if the debit card payment goes through. The fees are also lower when accepting a debit card transaction than they are on a credit card sale.

These days customers want flexibility. They, just like you, are busier than ever. There are a lot of people out there who never carry cash and who hate to write checks. If you don't offer a credit card or debit card option, you've lost a sale -- potentially a lot of sales.

Opening up to different methods of payment will make your customers happier and bring you more profits. It doesn't have to take a lot of time or money to get set up with a merchant account, and once you do you'll wonder why you waited for so long. Some payment processing companies even offer free equipment and have very competitive rates that mean you'll get to keep more of your money and put it back into building your business.

Having a merchant account is part of the price of doing business in the 21st century. Do some research about the different payment processing options and move forward on accepting credit cards as soon as you can. You'll be glad you did.

Don't Be Afraid To Give Problem Customers The Boot

Keywords:

Small Business ,Customer Always Right

Article Body:

Q: In a recent column you made the point that the customer is always right, which I agree with. However, in the same column you also said that it is sometimes necessary give problem customers the boot. If the customer is always right, at what point do you think they become so problematic that you should stop doing business with them?
-- Gary M.

A: That column brought a number of emails similar to yours, Gary, requesting that I clarify the line between "the customer is always right" and "sometimes you have to give a customer the boot." Here's the bottom line: if you, as a business owner or service provider, are willing to take a customer's money in exchange for providing him with goods or services, then the customer has what I call "the right of expectation." This means that the customer has the right to expect you to deliver everything promised in the transaction between you. For example, if you own a restaurant the customer has the right to expect that their meal will be prepared and served to their satisfaction. If you are a dry cleaner the customer has the right to expect that you will launder their clothes without returning them in shreds. If are hired to perform a service the customer has the right to expect that the service will be provided to their satisfaction within the terms of the defined task.

As the business owner, it is your responsibility to meet the customer's expectations and provide good customer service. Even if your business does not involve a formal contract that spells out to the letter what should be expected, there is generally a clear understanding of what the customer expects and what you are willing to deliver. If you back peddle on your end of the bargain, let's say by serving a bad meal or losing a customer's laundry and refusing to make things right, then you are guilty of not meeting the expectations of your customer and thereby are guilty of providing bad customer service.

Unfortunately not every entrepreneur puts emphasis on delivering good customer service. They are in it for the money and damn the customer if they have a problem. Such entrepreneurs were the topic of the column you mentioned, the point of which was, if you make a habit of not meeting your customer's expectations, you will not be in business for long.

Now let's look at the flipside. Just as the customer has the right to expect that he will get his money's worth when doing business with you, you have the right to expect that your customer will not demand things that are beyond the scope of realistic expectations (or the contract). If a customer orders hamburger, he shouldn't expect it to taste like steak unless you have advertised it as such. If a customer brings you a cotton shirt to launder he should not expect a silk shirt in return. It's when the customer's expectations get out of sync with what should realistically be expected that you will have problems.

We have all had customers who expected far more than was their due: customers who were unreasonable, overly-demanding, condescending, hard to please and sometimes, even dishonest in their dealings with you. When a customer's reasonable expectations become unreasonable demands you must decide whether or not that customer is doing more harm to your business than good.

So here is the line in the sand between the "customer is always right" and "sometimes you have to give the customer the boot" - if a customer crosses the line from being an asset to being a detriment to your business, you should consider giving that customer the boot.

This is easier said than done if that customer constitutes a large chunk of your revenue, but even then you have to consider what your business might be like if that problem customer was not in the picture. Would the time you spend dealing with the problem customer be better spent on sales calls that might expand your client base and grow your business (a business that is dependent on one client is a house of cards)? Would your employees be happier not having to deal with this customer? Would you sleep better nights knowing that you don't have a dozen phone messages from him on your desk every morning?

The easiest way to decide how much trouble a customer is worth is to look at the amount of revenue this customer brings in versus the time and expense of meeting his expectations. If this customer pays you $1,000 a month, but costs you $2,000 in time spent keeping them happy, this customer is actually costing you money. Just a handful of these kinds of customers will put you out of business fast..

For example, I once had a client whose business was worth several thousand dollars a year to my software company's bottom line. However, this client proved to be problematic from the second the contract was signed. He and his employees called our office ten times a day and dominated my tech support team's time with IT problems that were not even related to the service we were contracted to provide. It got so bad that my employees cringed every time the phone rang because they were afraid it was this client calling again.

When the time came to renew this client's contract it wasn't hard for me to decide to give him the boot. I simply did the math. This client had added thousands of dollars to my company's bottom line, but had cost me at least that much in handholding and support, not to mention the mental anguish he had caused my employees. I opted not to renew the contract and politely invited the client to take his business elsewhere.

The perfect customer relationship is win/win, meaning that your customer benefits from your product or service and your company prospers by delivering the product or service. The relationship must be built on mutual respect and honest intention. It is when the relationship becomes win/lose that you must be ready to take action. If the customer thinks he can hold you over a barrel and get more out of you than he has paid for, the relationship and your business suffer for it.

Look, you don't need me to hit you in the head with a stupid stick on this one. You know who your problem customers are and you know that you will eventually have to deal with them. You have to consider the value of every customer in the long run, not just their value today.

Is the customer making demands that are beyond the scope of what should be reasonably expected? If the customer constantly demands more than they are entitled to and gets angry when you refuse to comply, consider giving them the boot.

Is the customer taking advantage of your good graces? Some customers may mistake your willingness to please for weakness and try to wring more out of your relationship than they should. If the customer has a record of trying to take advantage of you and plays every angle to get more from you than they deserve, consider giving them the boot.

Is this customer a threat to your reputation? Let's face it; there is nothing more harmful to your reputation than a dissatisfied customer with a big mouth. And it does not matter who is at fault in the disagreement, a disgruntled customer is going to bad mouth you in the end - especially if they were at fault. If you suspect a customer might be the sort to one day air dirty laundry in public, consider giving them the boot.

Does the customer pay in a timely manner? If you have a customer that is consistently 90 to 120 days late in paying even when your contract clearly outlines your payment terms to be otherwise, it may be indicative of other problems to come. If you feel the client is a payment risk, consider giving them the boot.

What's the best way to avoid a customer booting? The best answer is to have a contract that clearly spells out the specifics of the relationship. The contracts I use in my various businesses clearly define the services to be provided, the cost of those services, and the timeline and terms under which those services will be rendered. If there is a deviation from the contract, we write an addendum that details any changes and their effect on the contract. Do I still have to give some customers the boot? You bet, but not very often. It's hard for a customer to cry foul when everything is there in black and white right above his signature.

What if your business doesn't use contracts? Then hang a poster in your shop or have a hand-out that clearly defines what your customer can expect from your business and then deliver what you promise. If you have a poster or hand-out that clearly outlines your services, your rates, scheduling, return policy, etc., there should be very little that the customer can complain about.

I know, famous last words.

Develop Loyal Customers for a Lifetime - part 1 (1 - 10)

In today's competitive world of business it is more important than ever to aim for more interaction with existing customers. This article part one of two and shows the first 10 steps that will help you turn your existing customers into walking billboards for your business and help keep them as customers for a lifetime.

Keywords:

business, marketing, customer service, marketing, strategies, philosophy, follow-up, accessibility

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Traditional marketing strategies encourage business owners to continually grow their businesses by adding new customers. In today's competitive world of business, it is more important than ever to aim for more transactions with existing customers by using the power of customer follow-up and attention to good service.

These first ten tips will help you in turning your existing customers into walking billboards for your business and loyal customers for a lifetime. While we aren't advocating that you do all of them, choosing your favorite five and making sure they become a part of your marketing efforts will pay off handsomely.

1. Call your clients every Monday morning just to say “Good Morning,” and to check in on how things are going. This extra ounce of attention will keep you forefront in the minds of your clients, and they will greatly appreciate your extended care and concern.

2. Keep a list of birthdays, special days of celebration, and upcoming special events in the life of your clients and their families. On these special days, send a card or small gift to let your clients know you are thinking of them. On the same note, keep a detailed list of hobbies, interests, favorite foods, preferred music, and the like. As you travel or are out and about, and you see a small token which you know your client would appreciate, buy the item, and ship it with a note that says "I thought of you when I saw this! Enjoy!" One of the most desirable "client perks" is tickets to a favorite sporting event or concert. Many companies purchase packages of sporting event tickets strictly for the purpose of entertaining champion clients and for building a long lasting relationship with the individual.

3. Be "Newsy" and a Trend Setter. One of the best ways to develop loyal clients is to become a trendsetter, continue your own education and training, and to become a forward thinker. By attending training events and reading cutting edge magazines such as Dwell, Futurist Magazine, FAST Company, Gourmet, Architectural Digest, and even Cosmopolitan Magazine, you will be able to follow trends which are current, allowing your clients to receive the newest and best information available on a variety of topics from business to fashion to design to travel to new foods on the market.

4. Attend conferences for your clients. For clients who are too busy to attend a conference, you can offer to attend a conference in their place. The best approach is to choose a conference that will benefit both you and your clients, and you pick up the tab (you will be able to deduct your cost as a business expense, so keep records and receipts for all expenses). While attending the event, collect a "goody bag" for each of your clients, that will include samples from the conference exhibit and any written materials, which you feel may be of benefit to your clients. When you return from the event, host a one-hour conference call or teleclass to update your clients on the latest/greatest in their industry.

5. Feature your clients or referral partners on your website or in your newsletter as your honored man or woman of the month/week. Contact your clients or people you often refer others to one month prior to publication, and invite them to be interviewed as your "guest expert" for the month/week. Record the interview, transcribe the interview, and post the recorded interview and transcription, along the client's photograph, biography, and contact information on your website or in your newsletter. The enhanced visibility will speak volumes to your clients about your support for their lives, and will show others that you are committed to the personal and professional improvement of others.

6. Invite your clients for a “sneak peek” to test a new product, service, or teleclass before the general public is invited to participate. Make this "sneak peek” unforgettable. If you are offering the preview in a live setting, provide wonderful food and drink. If this is an online event, teleclass, or virtual offering, make the sneak preview say "WOW" with fabulous graphics, distinct digital audios or videos, a dynamic power point presentation, and a copy of a 15-20 page document which will add value to the life of your clients.

7. One day each week, send your clients a special quote or a brief story of inspiration. A wonderful online free resource for quotes and stories of inspiration can be obtained through the www.cybernation.com . Cyber Nation is one of the largest online quote libraries celebrating the famous words of men and women from history, both past and present.

8. Adopt the philosophy of Fed-Ex. Do you know what Fed Ex says? "When it's a matter of hours, it's a matter for FedEx. We can pick up and deliver door-to-door 24/7/365 including weekends and holidays and give you immediate confirmation. Just pick a service and pick up the phone." Quick service, 24/7/365 is the number one reason that the majority of consumers in the United States choose Fed Ex over other parcel delivery companies. As a coach, you will develop loyal customers by being highly responsive and by delivering answers with lightning speed. When your customers expect a response, they usually expect it within 24 hours, so give them what they want, and you will develop a long list of "raving fans."

9. Be highly accessible. Provide your clients with multiple ways to contact you, including e-mail, fax, mobile phone, business phone, and home phone. If you travel, contact your clients in advance to let them know you will be away from the office for a few days and let them know how they can reach you in the event of an emergency. Simply letting your clients know that you are always available is very reassuring and will send the client the message that you care enough to be there for them at any time.

10. Open a private page on your website "For Clients Only." This special page on your website will be a private area which will include valuable resources not made available to the public at large. This page may include a free e-book, free audio course, free articles authored by you, or a growing list of resources you make available at no charge to those men and women who do business with you. The key to a successful private resource page is to continually update the page, adding new resources that are fresh and "cutting edge."

© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith

Permission to reproduce granted if all attribution & contact information is included.

Four Sure-Fire Ways to Keep Your Customers Happy

It's difficult to reach your buisness goals if you don't have the right materials and/or the information to help your buisness reach the success it's capable of. These four competitive marketing strategies is the information needed to produce an extremely successful buisness.

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customers, customer satisfaction, marketing

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How much value do you place on your customers? Let's face it...without customers you have no sales...no profit...no business. Yeah, they're the keyplayers in the marketing game. In other words, wise marketers keep their finger on the pulse of their clientelle. The know what makes them tick and how to keep them coming back time and time again. Here are a four ways you can keep your customer's happy and loyal.

Make Customer Satisfaction # 1
Hey, forget about how many sales you make in a day, and look at how many customers you satisfied today! Every satisfied client means repeat sales. Yep, it might be a product that they purchase over and over again, or it may mean different products they pick up every time they walk through the doors. Heck, it might mean both repeat products and added impulse products as well.

Happy customers talk to their friends, and friends trust what their friends have to say about a business. Yep, even though it's an opinion...they'll take it as the gospel and set a lot of stock in it. Keep your customers saying good things about your products and services...it'll pay off.

Deliver...Don't Promise More Than You Can Handle
No one likes to be let down. Yeah, that means your customers will be happier if you promise less, but deliver more. Think about this...happy customers tell 3 of their friends about you, but disappointed customers gripe to 11 friends about what you didn't do right. Yep, it pays to keep your word!

What about those unhappy clients? Deal with them as quickly as possible and do what it takes to keep them happy. Yeah, you might lose a little profit today, but think of it like this...if you keep them on your side they'll come back again and again - and so will their friends.

Keep an Element of Surprise Alive
Have you ever gone shopping and at the counter discovered the item you purchased was on sale? Yeah, it feels great to save money you weren't expecting to save! Along with your advertised sales, slip in some unadvertised specials. Your customers will look forward to the unexpected savings they encounter at the cash register.

Think about this...would you rather shop at the new store across town where the clerks are unfriendly and you're not sure of the quality of the product when you've already got a good thing going on somewhere else? We all have a zone of comfort and are creatures of habit. When your customers are in the habit of smiling every time they walk out of your door, they'll be less likely to experiment with an uncertain competitor.

Tell Your Customers You Appreciate Their Business
We all enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with being appreciated. Yep, a smile...a thank you...a pat on the back...they all leave us feeling great. How can you send your customers out of the store with the knowledge that they are valuable to you? Just say it...I appreciate your business! Say it with a special sale...by letting them in on a new product or service your are adding just for them...or simply with a smile and heartfelt thanks.

Think about this...how do you feel when you know your opinion counts? Yeah, we all like to think people respect our thoughts and ideas. When your customers know you put a lot of stock in what they think of your business, they'll be more likely to talk it up to their friends and family. Reward them every time they share their opinion about your business. Set up a special referral reward program and watch the news travel.

Invest in your customers...the dividends are great!

Customers: The Key To Successful Marketing

How well do you know your customers? What is the primary reason your customers or clients come to you? Or purchase your product or service? What you don't know could hurt your business.

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marketing, customers, research, success

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How well do you know your customers?

What is the primary reason your customers or clients come to you? Or purchase your product or service? What is the Number One problem you solve for them? Do you know? Are you certain? If you don't, your marketing could be missing the mark, and you could be missing out on sales.

Uncovering Your "Key Selling Point"

This is the Single Marketing Message that is the central message in all of your communications about your business, product or service. It can be difficult for small business owners to determine what their single marketing message should be. Why? Because they are too close to their business. And, because they are viewing their business from their side of the desk.

Keeping your marketing customer-focused can be a challenge

Even if we know we should be looking at our business from our customers' perspective, it's often easier said than done. As a result, it is easy to get caught up in all the amazing features of our product or service and the reasons we THINK our clients are attracted or are buying.

But sometimes our vantage point is clouded by our own perceptions and beliefs. And those perceptions and beliefs may be inaccurate. So how do you pinpoint the real reason customers are attracted to your product or service and the true reasons they are choosing to buy?

There is an easy way to stay on track

Very simply, YOU ASK THEM! Okay, I know it seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how often we don't think of the obvious.

Your prospects and customers (and yes, even your rejecters — those who visit but don't buy) can provide great insights about the benefits they value most in your product or service and why they chose to buy.

Whether you have a lot of customers or only a few

You don't have to have a large customer or prospect base to do some research to see if you are on track. Even if you only have a handful of clients or customers, contact them and ask them what they like most about your product or service.

Talk to your Clients or Customers

(1) What is the one thing that got them to purchase?

(2) Have you delivered on that promise?

(3) What do they like least about your product or service?

(4) How could you improve your product or service?

(5) What else (in your business category) do they have a need for?

(6) How else could you help them be successful, be happier, or solve whatever problem your product or service solves for them?

Talk to your Rejecters

If you choose to survey rejecters (which I have done very successfully for years for one of my clients) find out why they DIDN'T buy.

(1) Ask them what product or service they bought instead of yours? And why?

(2) Ask them what that competing product or service offered that yours did not?

(3) Ask if there is anything you could do to get their business in the future? Product or service changes, additions, deletions?

Talk to your Prospects

Do you have a list of prospects — those who have expressed an interest in your product or service but have not yet purchased? Perhaps they have subscribed to your newsletter or ezine.

(1) Ask them for feedback on your newsletter or ezine content.

(2) What topics are they interested in learning more about?

(3) How can you help them to be more successful, happier, etc?

(4) Find out what they want and who they are

And in all three cases — Clients/Customers, Rejecters, and Prospects — if it seems appropriate, ask for a little information about who they are. Age, gender, profession, where they live, how much they typically spend in your product or service category.

This will help you get a better understanding of your target audience and you'll know if you're attracting the kind of people you thought would be interested in your product or service. And if you need to change your marketing strategy to reach a different audience, or to perhaps change your target audience.

It will help you better serve them

The more you can learn about your prospects and customers the better you can serve them. And the more effectively you can market to them.

You may be in for a surprise

I've had clients tell me they thought they knew why people were buying from them until they asked. And what they heard surprised and shocked them.

Very often what you hear can help you zero-in on a Unique Selling Proposition that you never thought of. And because it came from the mouths of your customers you know it is compelling and effective.

Don't change everything based on a few opinions

My only caution is if you only have a handful of customers or prospects to survey, don't make any major changes or decisions until you are able to validate your findings among a larger group of people.

Or at least test any changes you do make before making a final decision to overhaul your entire business or marketing plan. Common sense is the rule here. Just use your own good judgment and don't over-react to comments made by only a handful of people.

You can ask in a number or ways - Choose what works for you

There are any number of ways to collect research from your prospects and customers. You can telephone them, email them, mail them a written questionnaire, or you can meet with them in a group (called a focus group) to collect their opinions.

You can be as formal or informal as you feel comfortable. Typically the larger number of clients you survey, the more formal the survey. If you have only a handful of people to talk to, simply pick up the phone and call them.

Don't be afraid to ASK

Don't be afraid to ask for opinions on your products or services or how you can serve your clients better. What you find out could be extremely valuable in helping you to build and grow your business.

Don't forget to say "thank you"

You will also want to consider offering an incentive to encourage your prospects and clients to participate or respond. A bonus, such as a special report, or a discount on a future purchase is a nice way to show your appreciation for them taking the time to respond to your survey.

(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa

Creative And Affordable Way For Small Businesses To Attract New Customers

One of the biggest challenges that any small business faces is finding creative ways to attract new customers.

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Creative And Affordable Way For Small Businesses To Attract New Customers

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One of the biggest challenges that any small business faces is finding creative ways to attract new customers. Without the marketing clout of a Fortune 500 brand, it's hard to get the word out about a product or service. Yet, with so much competition in the marketplace, a business can't afford not to.

The most effective marketing campaigns include a combination of different media. The more places a potential customer sees a brand or message-from TV, radio, newspapers and online-the more likely they'll remember it. However, small businesses tend to rely primarily on local print and Yellow Pages advertising because they believe TV advertising is out of their reach.

Now there are new companies using technology to make TV advertising easy and affordable. One such company is Spot Runner, a unique new ad agency that has dramatically lowered the cost and complexity to develop an ad campaign. By putting the entire process online, the agency can provide a complete TV ad campaign for as little as $500 a month.

Creating the campaign takes just a few days. Clients start by logging on to Spot Runner's Web site and selecting an ad from a library of thousands of professionally produced ads. The agency personalizes the ad with the business' specific information and then, using its proprietary technology, creates a customized media plan. Clients can advertise on any broadcast and cable channel available, such as CNN, ESPN and Lifetime. Once the client approves the ad and the media plan, the agency gets it on air.

"We're a small boutique firm and TV advertising allows us to compete on an equal footing with the larger firms in town," said Ryan Lapidus, founder of the Lapidus & Lapidus law firm. "To see our ad on TV, side by side with Fortune 500 companies on major channels, is really exciting."

Spot Runner offers these five important tips to creating an effective marketing campaign:

1. Understand your audience and the messages that will resonate with them. A campaign geared towards homeowners is very different than one geared to teens.

2. Pick a campaign to fit your objectives. A campaign to raise brand awareness will require a different strategy than one to promote a new product or sale.

3. Choose an ad that reflects your company's brand values and image.

4. Make it easy to understand. People are thinking of other things when they see your ad. Don't make them think. Make them act.

5. Invest in your company's growth through a sustained marketing campaign. Advertising works over the long term by increasing awareness of your company among new customers and serving as a reminder to your existing customers.

Whether you're a professional, a retailer or a service provider, television advertising can fit into your budget and be an essential part of your marketing activities.

Garage Sale Advertising - How To Get Tons Of Customers For Nearly Free

Keywords:

garage sales, garage sale tips,garge sale advertising

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One of the biggest mistakes people make when holding a garage sale is not advertising enough. Most people think that it is enough to put a single ad in the local paper one week before the sale. Usually these people are too worried that they will lose money on their sale because the ad costs too much. That is nonsense.

When you don't advertise much, you don't get many customers. When you don't get many customers, you have to sell at their price, because if you don't, there is no other customer looking to buy that item. However, if you have a lot of customers looking at the same items, you can set the price and not need to haggle because you know that there is already another person wanting to pay for it. The more you advertise, the more customers you get, and the more you are in charge.

Most people don't bother to use flyers very much anymore. Perhaps they think they are too busy to put them out, or that they won't work. However flyers are not that difficult to use effectively. When done right they can bring tons of people into your sales. You just need to keep in mind that while places with bulletin boards set up for flyers and such get a lot of traffic they also get a lot of 'flyer competition'.

This means that your garage sale flyer MUST STAND OUT and CATCH PEOPLE’S ATTENTION or it will simply be lost in a sea of paper! So, use bright paper, and a LARGE BOLD HEADLINE that gets attention by being different. Then let the rest of the flyer give the details of your sale. Let me say that a little differently: you need to use a headline that causes people to stop and read your flyer.

This does not mean you need to be wildly promotional or crazy with your headlines. But if there are 19 flyers on the board that say "Garage Sale on Saturday", and your's is the same, it just won't be read. However if your flyer says something different it will attract more attention. So try something like the following instead:

- We’ve Got What You Need for your garden at 90% off new prices
- Huge Discounts On all Home Products this Saturday

Then all you need to do is print them up and put them in your car and ask if you can post one at every store you visit during your weeks chores. No extra work is involved at all. Take these ideas and run with them and your next garage sale will be on its way to a resounding success.

Business fight for teeth whitening customers

Customers are very fickle and why not? As there is no shortage of suppliers and this creates the fun as businesses fight for business.

Keywords:

teeth whitening, laser teeth whitening

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Consumers in the UK are demanding the highest standards and lowest costs for everything, and sometimes in economics quality is reduced to meet the customer demands but could this be happening in the teeth whitening industry?

As more and more specialists come in to any business normally prices are slashed to ensure competitiveness but could this be at the detriment of customer service and satisfaction and this is what is required to ensure the industry maintains customer confidence.

Customers are very fickle and why not? As there is no shortage of suppliers and this creates the fun as businesses fight for business.

In the past few years the rise of the laser teeth whitening industry has been dramatic but many ask whether the results are fact or fiction.

Along with many other forms of beauty treatments and ways to improve your wellbeing and generally make yourself feel better laser teeth treatment is now a popular treatment for many who strive for personal improvement and a whiter smile.

Teeth whitening is now something that many people are having done and is also very popular as people desire their teeth to look like the celebrities and A-list stars like Britney and Simon Cowell who want to look their best but in most cases the stars will have veneers

It won't improve your health; it's simply a cosmetic job which lightens the stains on your teeth. So why have your teeth gone stained and yellow? It's most likely to be due to smoking, drinking coffee, Red wine, tea and cola. Your teeth have pores on the enamel which hold onto these stains and normal every-day brushing isn't enough to remove the staining and give them the bright white look.

Discoloration can also occur with age. Stains can appear over time from the inside because of excess fluoride and possibly medication. Tooth whitening will deal with the stains which lie on the outside of your teeth and it needs to be done on a regular basis.

Just look at any movie star. If their teeth are as brilliant as diamonds, chances are that they are taking advantage of one of the two laser teeth whitening systems currently available. When you choose to visit your laser teeth whitening specialist then the chances are they will check your teeth for suitability before commencing work to ensure optimum results.

Many famous people like the movie stars will pay a premium for veneers as this gives the white bright smile that lasts without having to change your daily habits that created the stains in the first place. These include nicotine, caffeine, tea, red wine and gravy.

Whatever your view on teeth whitening the hope in the industry is there is a regulatory body that manages the expectations and standards so customers get the very best of both worlds.

Contracts For Your Customers, Ink It On Paper

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When you're dealing with customers, sometimes things can go wrong. It might be your fault, it might be their fault or it might be no-one's fault -- but if you didn't make a contract, then you'll all suffer.

Why Do I Need Contracts?

A contract gives you a sound legal base for your business, and some guarantee that you're going to get paid for your work without you having to ask the customer for payment in advance. In the event of a dispute, the contract lays down what the agreement was so that you can point to it and say what was agreed. If you ever end up having to go to court (let's hope you won't), the contract is what the judge's decision will be based on.

Without a contract, you leave yourself vulnerable and open to exploitation. Someone could claim that the terms they agreed with you were different to what you say they were, or that they never signed up for anything at all and so they won't pay. It's especially common to see big businesses mistreat small ones, thinking that they won't have the knowledge or the money to do anything about it. Essentially, contracts take away your customers' ability to hold non-payment over your head, and give you the ability to hold it over theirs instead.

Written and Verbal Contracts.

It is important to point out the distinction in the law between a verbal (spoken) contract and a proper, written one. A verbal contract is binding in theory, but in practice can be very hard to prove. A written contract, on the other hand, is rock-solid proof of what you're saying.

You might think that you're never going to get into a dispute with your customers, but it's all too common to find yourself in a little disagreement. They will often want to get you to do some 'small' amount of extra work to finish the job or make it better, not realising that doing so would completely obliterate your profit margin.

For this reason, you should be very wary of doing anything with nothing but a verbal contract. On the other hand, if you were incautious or too trusting and only got a verbal contract, it could still go some way towards helping you, especially if there were witnesses.

Won't It Be Expensive?

Written contracts don't necessarily need to be formal contracts, which are drawn up by a lawyer with 'contract' written at the top and signed by both parties. These kinds of contracts are the most effective, but can be expensive to have produced, not to mention intimidating to customers.

The most common kind of written contract, oddly enough, is a simple letter. If you send a customer a letter (or, indeed, an email) laying out your agreement before you start work, and they write back to agree to it, that is enough to qualify as a written contract, with most of the protections it affords.

If you are doing high-value work for some clients, though, it could be worth the time and trouble of having your lawyer write a formal contract, or at least of doing it yourself and getting a lawyer to look it over. Formal contracts will give you more protection if the worst happens, and there's nothing to stop you from making it a one-off expense only by re-using the same contract for multiple customers.

Contracts for Small Purchases: the Terms and Conditions.

Obviously it would be silly to expect everyone who buys some $10 thing from you to sign a contract, or write back indicating their agreement to your terms. In this situation, you should have a statement of the 'terms and conditions' that your customer is agreeing to by buying from you, and they should have to tick some kind of box indicating their agreement before you send anything.

Luckily, it isn't usually so necessary to be paranoid about contract law with small purchases anyway, since customers will be paying you first and receiving the goods or services afterwards, not the other way around. If you plan to offer any kind of payment plan or other long-term agreement, of course, this should always be backed up with a signed contract.

Convert Leads Into Customers, And Customers Into Super-customers!

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A simple definition of marketing is "the getting and keeping of customers." To sell your product or service, you must have customers. To increase your revenues, you must have customers, and you must turn those customers into repeat super-customers.

The easiest way to do this, both on- and off-line, is through a content newsletter. There is no doubt that content sells. Useful content builds trust and credibility, and over time turns your customer from a stranger to a friend.

An online newsletter is easy to begin--all you need is an autoresponder. I use Aweber for my newsletter (http://aweber.com/?203081). You can advertise your newsletter on your website, on forums, on your business card, in articles you write, on traffic exchanges, and in your email signature. If you faithfully do these marketing tasks, your email list will grow over time.

You must provide useful and informative content in your newsletter. If you want subscribers to read it and (eventually) buy from you, do not offer them junk. I define "junk" as opt-in spam. Don't fall into the habit of sending out advertisements veiled as "articles." Don't send only solo ads. Instead, research topics for your newsletter and write quality articles. Subscribers who are impressed with your newsletter will buy from you. But it will take time to build trust. Trust is not built through junk.

There are three phases to this process: 1) Get a lead; 2) Convert that lead into a customer; and 3) Convert that customer into a super-customer. Your newsletter will help you accomplish all three tasks.

If you sell or market a product or service, and you are driving traffic to your website, you typically have only one shot at capturing the interest of a prospect. If I go to your site and click away, I may never come back. You need some sort of follow-up system. A newsletter is the perfect vehicle for follow-up.

If you are sending targeted traffic to your site (any other type of traffic is a waste), visitors will be interested in the content of what you are offering. To keep their interest, and to keep your name in front of them, offer a f-re-e newsletter. Even a simple, once-a-month newsletter will do.

If they sign up, you then have a chance to build a relationship. This is done through your content. Many people don't buy something the first time they see it, but as they come to know you and your product through your newsletter, they become more willing to purchase. Over time, just by offering a newsletter, you can convert more leads into customers.

You turn those customers into super-customers also through your newsletter. If the product or service they bought from you was quality, you have built even more credibility with them. Perhaps now they will make repeat purchases, or join a membership site you offer, or even become an affiliate for your product or service.

But the key is to offer useful, informative content. If the premier issue of your newsletter is nothing but an ad similar to your site, you will lose that lead. Build relationships through high-quality content, and you will convert leads into paying customers into paying super-customers.

Remember - no list, no money.

Get Your E-Book to Your Customers

You've got an e-book. Now you need to sell and deliver it.

Keywords:

e-book, ebook, e-commerce, ecommerce, shop, shopping cart

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Well, you've finished writing and editing your e-book, so now it's time to sell it. And when you sell it, you have to get it to your readers as quickly as possible.

Much of the attraction of e-books is that they can be bought and received instantly. There is (or should be) no shipping delay. Within minutes of reading your great sales copy, someone should be able to purchase and download your e-book on the spot.

If your business is not set up for e-commerce, someone else who is set up for it will get your sale. If you think you can just wait to get an e-mail order and reply with your e-book as an attachment, then you just don't get it. So forget completely about taking phone orders or fax orders for your e-books.

Instant e-book delivery is the way to go. Not only is the customer a happier customer because your e-book can be delivered on the spot, but you save yourself printing, shipping, and postage costs.

To deliver your e-book on the spot, you will need to set up your business for e-commerce. This means you need a shopping cart. I use Kick Start Cart (http://www.KickStartCart.com) to sign up for your own account or to get more information about this great system. You can also get a free e-book on how to choose a good shopping cart and delivery system by visiting the following website: http://HowtoUseaShoppingCart.com

As a bonus, when you have your shopping system established and it's ready to go, you can use it on an infinite number of websites, to sell an infinite variety of e-books. The more sites you configure with your shopping system, the cheaper your costs are per site.

You should know that you can sign-up with services that will sell your e-books for you, but the smart money is on using a one-stop shopping system on your own sites. You can configure them easily to deliver your e-book and you can start pulling in sales and giving customers what they want, when they want it.

CRM: Keeping Customers Loyal

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customer relationship management, crm, customer loyalty

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Customers are now in charge. Thanks to the growth of the Web, it is easier than ever to comparison shop and switch from one business to another with the click of a mouse. However, research has found that in the online market, customers yearn for trustworthiness more than ever.

Customer relationships are a company’s most valuable asset - worth more everything else combined as no customers = no business. Getting and keeping more customers who stay with you longer is crucial. If your customers are loyal to your business, they will be much more likely to choose you over your competitors. Loyal customers will be much more likely to tell their friends about you. Loyal customers spend more and bring in even more new customers. Loyalty is immensely valuable. Research has shown that a 5 percent increase in customer retention rates results in a 25 percent to 95 percent increase in profits.

It’s easy to say customers are our most important asset but turning CRM strategy into bottom-line results is hard work. It means winning the battle for customers’ hearts and minds every day, with each interaction at every customer touch point. Long-standing relationships only arise from trust gained over many transactions and by customers' belief that the company wishes to keep them around rather than drive them away.

Creating a customer-focused company starts with the definition of a CRM strategy, which must then be filled out with new work processes, organizational changes, and even a revamped corporate culture.

To create customers for life, customers who will become advocates with the perception (and don’t forget that perception is reality) they need to believe that you do what's best for your customers, not just what's best for your bottom line.

To do that you need to:

1) Find out what customers want and know what you are providing matches that. Do not start with the bottom line. Profit and cash flow are residuals of attention to the needs and preferences of your customers. Of course, profits are crucial. But long-term cash flow and profits come from regular customers.

2) Be honest and keep things simple, listen, communicate openly and keep your promises. Deliver what you say you will. Far too many businesses focus on ways to keep customers, only to lose sight of the fact that their product or service simply isn't what it should be. Make certain that the core of what you do is deserving of long-term customer loyalty, and then look for ways to nurture it. Make it simple to do business with you.

3) Practice what you preach and preach what you practice. Treat your customers like you would like to be treated and then go even further by, in that classic phrase: exceeding their expectations. Give customers reasons to stay. Great service or products are terrific, but it never hurts to lure customers into the long-term fold. How about discounts for regular customers? Customer loyalty is needs to be appropriately valued and rewarded.

4) Nurture employees. “Old-fashioned” solutions still provide the edge. Research shows that a personal relationship with your employees is the key to keeping customers loyal and that happy staff keep customers coming back. Treat your employees as you would want to be treated year after year. Not only does that encourage staff to also do their bit to entice customer loyalty, it's emphasises a supportive, responsive environment. Employee loyalty needs to be appropriately valued and rewarded.

5) Use sensible marketing practices. Not many people enjoy being inundated with telephone calls and mailings so don’t do it! Test, test, test and track the customers who come back. Once you know who your best customers are, the real work begins—convincing them to stay forevermore. Repeat purchase and retention rates capture the real financial ramifications of whether or not a company is delivering high value to its customers.

6) Know the value of your customers, segments and groups. Know who is likely to be loyal. Some customers are more trouble than they're worth. Monitor what goes into keeping a customer satisfied; if it's too costly or simply too much work - it's wrong to say that everyone should be a lifelong customer.

7) Use effective CRM systems, don't let the systems use you. Don't be driven by the vendor or consultant - use them, they're likely to know the technology far better than you. But let customers' needs and everything above drive how you use the technology. Remember it is an aid not an end.

That’s all there is to it!

EMPLOYEES AS CUSTOMERS: What HR needs to Learn from Marketing

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During the earlier stages of my career I was fortunate to have worked for a large corporation that had a management development program for up-and-coming managers. This program combined formal management courses with on the job training. The job training involved assignments to different divisions in the company. Two learning goals were mandated by these assignments:

1. Acquire knowledge in a new discipline
2. Learn about the different parts of the organization, experience their challenges and understand how they contribute to the success of the whole

My formal education was in environmental studies with a specialty in ecology. One of the key principles in ecology is that ecosystems are made up of interdependent elements. A change in one part of an ecosystem will result in changes in other parts of the same system. Without knowing it at the time, my classmates and I became “systems thinkers”. This ability to see systems has guided my decision making throughout my life in business and in my private affairs. Naturally, I thrived in this opportunity to be a part of a management training program where I was able to experience different parts of the organization and see first hand how each part related to the whole company.

When I concluded the training program I was appointed manager of marketing planning. My appointment coincided with a strategic decision made by the company to aggressively increase its share of the energy market. I had a staff of 35 and a budget of three million dollars for market research. I was learning on the job. I learned from my staff and I learned from the consultants we hired to conduct much of the market research. In addition I was sent on a two week intensive executive marketing program at the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University in New York, and a year later to the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. This was an amazing time of learning, personal growth and achieving demanding goals.

After that my career continued to flourish. I moved through the senior ranks of several companies until I reached president. Nine years ago I established Entec Corporation a company that specializes in measuring employee engagement. Although I loved marketing, I returned to my first passion-creating working environments where employees can thrive and be fully engaged.

Over the last nine years I have worked with many organizations and I have also been privy to the HR practices of many others. To my surprise I discovered the lack of research discipline that HR departments applied when conducting employee surveys. I was prompted to write this article after reading a piece by Sudipta Dev, from Aptech. In his article, "Is Job Happiness a Myth?" he wrote about the importance of conducting an employee satisfaction survey as a way of gauging employee sentiment. He also mentioned how important it was to conduct focus groups afterwards to fully understand the survey results. I witnessed this process of conducting an employee survey, followed by focus groups in several companies over the years. This included a well known company with 35,000 employees. However, I thought these were isolated cases. When I read this article it was evident that this was common and considered a best practice. I could not believe what I was reading. Why spend money on an employee survey if it is going to be followed by focus groups? Isn’t this placing the cart before the horse?

Conducting an employee survey is conducting research. My marketing training and experience taught me that the survey is the last step not the first step in the research process. The purpose of the survey is to quantify and prioritize. Focus groups are used at the start of the research process to get an understanding of potential issues. In our marketing work and now in Entec’s HR work, we use the focus group information to develop a model first. This is followed by developing questions that fit within the parts of the model. Creating a model before developing the questions provides a framework for the questions. This framework provides a structure for the survey analysis so that the results are organized and presented in a way that point clearly to follow up action. When the survey and the analyses are completed, there is no question as to what the survey results mean. There is no question about priorities. There is no question about who is responsible for follow up action

Marketing and market research are sophisticated, disciplined processes that produce highly effective results. For example, automobile manufactures use a variety of “focus group” techniques to clearly understand the reasons and motivators for a purchase decision: Is it external design, internal design, color, performance, quality, comfort, size, fuel efficiency, financing and so on. How will the different market segments prioritize these factors? The focus group information is used to develop the market research survey that will quantify the information. The research results are used to create the marketing programs for the various products and market sectors.

Employees are no less important than customers. Understanding the “root causes” of employee behavior and motivation is especially important in today’s knowledge based economy. We are in an economy where a company’s success rests on the mental performance of its employees. It seems to me that in this environment, HR departments would bring greater value to their organizations if they adopted and applied marketing’s sophistication and research discipline to understanding employee needs. A change in perception is required, where employees are viewed as customers. This will provide the information to unlock the creative and innovative energy of employees.

Let me share a personal story. Nine years ago when Entec Corporation was founded, we spent the first year conducting research. The purpose of the research was to clearly understand the key factors that contributed to the employee experience in the workplace. We organized focus groups in several organizations from different business sectors. For example, the General Manager of an electric utility consented to personally participate along with half a dozen staff from different parts of his organization and different job levels. We facilitated many meetings over a three months period to create an “employee experience model”. The model depicted all the factors that contribute to the employee working experience. At the end of this period the group formulated questions for an employee survey that was designed to measure the employee experience at work. The questions were clear and precise and they led directly to follow up action. This process was repeated at a health care facility and several other private sector companies. The surveys were tested and validated.

When we used our employee survey we noted that there was a direct link between the survey results and a company’s financial performance. For example, we surveyed three electric utilities. Although the number of employees ranged from 150 to 400, the customer profile for each utility was very similar. The revenue split between large industrial customers, commercial customers and residential customers was about the same for each utility. In other words we were able to compare apples to apples. The utility with the highest employee survey scores were also the most profitable. The utility with the lowest employee survey scores was the least profitable.

Since that time our employee models and surveys have evolved and have become more sophisticated. Today we no longer talk about measuring the employee experience but rather we talk about employee engagement. When the employee surveys and analyses are completed there is no question as to what they mean. There is no need for post survey focus group. There is a direct link between the survey results and the company’s financial performance. The following note from a client summarizes this best.

Gap Inc. Canada has partnered with Entec since 1999 to customize, implement, analyze and then action a compelling employee survey. I have reviewed and used many employee satisfaction instruments in the past, but none were as comprehensive, accurate or as linked to improving both business results and employee commitment as this one.

Vice President
Gap Inc. Canada

It is interesting to note that in 2004 the three Gap brands in Canada: Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic are among the most profitable in the world. Gap has approximately 175,000 employees, world wide.

I think companies and HR departments need to change their perception of their employees and view their employees as customers. To do this they need to adopt the full spectrum of marketing concepts, processes and tools to understand their employees and to meet their needs. These would include disciplined employee research, followed by appropriate communication, relationship building and provision of products and services. Naturally, the products and services will depend on the survey results but could include improved workplace practices such as greater participation in decision making, infusing a high level of trust and fairness, choosing from a menu of benefits that best suit individual needs, consideration around work/life balance issues, zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment, verbal abuse and bullying etc. Some companies are addressing many of these important issues but frequently the programs are developed in a piece meal fashion. There is little knowledge about the value and contribution of each program to unlocking employee energy and to the bottom line.

A classic example of this is the company gym. I am a great supporter of physical fitness. I exercise each morning. In the past I worked for two companies that provided a physical fitness facility. I appreciated the convenience of these facilities. However, the fact that the facility was there did not change my behavior and it did not seem to change the behavior of most other employees. Those who worked out did so whether there was a company gym or not. Those who do not exercise did not start exercising. Typically health departments measure the utilization rate of their gyms. But they do not measure relevant measures such as the “conversion rate”- the number of employees that did not exercise in the past but exercise now. They do not link the presence of a gym to the financial performance of the company. Is a gym the best way for a company to be spending its money? Should they be investing in strategically located meditation rooms, or a day care centre, or a full time chaplain? Most companies cannot answer these questions because they do not have the information. They have not developed a framework to ask the right questions. They have not conducted disciplined employee market research.

The Beginnings of a Framework-Employee Engagement

The Gallup organization has placed the term employee engagement on the map. There contribution to understanding the underlining factors of employee motivation has been significant. There is however, an important piece missing in Gallup’s work. There are two parts to employee engagement:

1. the employee and their own unique psychological make up
2. the employer and their ability to create the conditions that will promote employee engagement.

Gallup’s work does not address the first part. Entec Corporation assembled a team of experts in strategic management, organizational development, leadership, behavioral psychology and psychiatry. The team was asked to develop a model of employee engagement. They determined that there were five factors that are primary drivers of employee engagement:

1. Employee emotional well-being
2. Department practices
3. Leadership behaviors
4. Corporate practices
5. Vision and values

The focus of the organizational measures in the Employee Engagement Survey© is on practices and on leadership behaviors. Practices and behaviors create the specific working conditions that influence an employee to be motivated, and emotionally committed to their work and to their company. Since every employee has a unique psychological make up, each employee will respond differently to the same conditions.

For example, every employee has a different level of self-motivation. One employee may require verbal recognition once a year for a job well done while another employee may require recognition once a week. Each of these employees will score the question regarding recognition differently even though they may have the same supervisor and they are treated in the same way.

If 40% of employees scored in the disengaged category it means that for these employees the organizational practices and leadership behaviors are not meeting their needs to motivate them to be fully engaged. It does not mean that 40% of employees are a lost cause. It means they need more from their organization to lift their level of performance. Disengaged employees can become engaged employees under the right working conditions.

It is important to convey to all employees that “disengagement” is not necessarily a negative reflection of their own desire to do a good job. The organization needs to create the environment to bring the best out in their employees. The majority of people want to do a good job.

But employees also need to understand that employee engagement is a partnership between themselves and the company. The responsibility for employee engagement does not rest solely on the shoulders of the organization. It is not one or the other - it is both. Employees have a responsibility to shape their own destiny and career path just as much as the employer.

Therefore employee engagement is a partnership between the company and the employees where everyone works together to achieve the business objectives of the company and the personal aspirations of employees. The organization has the responsibility to create the conditions for this to happen. But before the organization can enter into an effective partnership with employees to create the appropriate conditions for engagement, they need to have the right information that is derived from employee market research.