Mission 2010: Courting Customers & Keeping Them
January 1, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Now that the hype, heartburn and hoopla of the holidays is just a fond memory, it’s time to get back to business.
I know, you’re probably not quite ready to emerge from celebration mode just yet. Sorry about that — just call me Ebenezer.
We all know that without customers, a business won’t survive. That said, it stands to reason that we have to do more than just court them with clever advertising — we must convert them into customers and keep them. Finding customers isn’t exactly rocket science — especially if you’ve done your market research beforehand (you DID do that, right?). The part that can get a bit dicey is in keeping the customers you manage to get, and maintaining an excellent business relationship with them.
So, folks — here’s your mission, should you choose to accept it. Court those prospects — tempt and woo them. But once those prospects hand over their hard-earned cash to you and become an actual customer, be prepared to treat them like your business depends upon them.
Because it does.
Making a List, and Checking it Twice
Santa knows a thing or two about making a list, and so should you. Don’t let the thought of creating a customer database be daunting to you, though. Open Office has a spreadsheet component to it that is compatible with Microsoft Excel, and it’s free. You don’t have to keep elaborate records — simply keeping track of their names and email addresses will enable you to send off the occasional mailing to keep in touch.
I Have a List…Now What?
So glad you asked. Here are a few tips to maintain those customers, and encourage them to use your products or services again:
Keep in Touch
Your customers are just like you — they get busy with day-to-day life, and may not always think about revisiting your site to check out what may be new and noteworthy. It’s your job to service those customers, and keep them up to date on how you may be of service to them. Whether it is a new software upgrade, accessories to an original purchase, new companion products or sales announcements, you can create a simple ezine to share this information with your customers.
TIP: Don’t make your newsletter an in-your-face sales pitch. Spice up your mailing with tidbits like seasonal observances and holidays, tips, resources of interest, or other morsels that will make readers look forward to receiving your mailings.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Without subjecting you to my lackluster Aretha imitation, you get the general idea. The art of old-fashioned customer service is nearly non-existent these days — on the rare occasions that a customer receives a thank you note or email, it makes an impression. Make your customers feel valued and appreciated, and they will consistently seek you out for their future product or service needs.
Big Things from Small Packages
Everyone likes to get free stuff. While this may not be an earth shattering revelation to you, it may be something you haven’t considered. Drop a promotional pen, business card magnet or notepad into an outbound shipment, along with a “thanks for your order” note. You don’t need to go crazy ordering lavish items; but, you do need to make sure that any token you offer includes your name, logo and contact information on it.
Give Me a Break
Discounts are always welcome. During these challenging economic times, a discount on a future purchase may well encourage a future purchase in a timeframe of 10-30 days. You may consider setting up an autoresponder series that mails recent customers a promotional offer to encourage a future purchase — or you may use your regular ezine to send out these offers to your “preferred customer list.” Again, this all goes back to making your valued customers feel valued.
Turn Customers into a Commissioned Sales Force
There is no stronger endorsement than that of a satisfied customer. If we’ve learned anything from the boom of social networks, it is that consumers will seek out the advice and feedback of their peers before making a purchase decision. Turn your customers into brand evangelists by offering them a discount or free gift when they refer a friend that makes a purchase. Most shopping carts allow you to add a custom field for data collection during the checkout process — this provides a simple way for shoppers to give credit to the friend who referred them.
Make 2010 the year that you skyrocket your site traffic, and convert those prospects into paying customers!
Download your FREE COPY (no registration required) of the Promo Diva’s 2010 Profit Boosters Tool Kit — featuring helpful tips and resources to help you start the new year right.
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December 2, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments
Unless you’ve been living in a sandtrap, you’ve no doubt heard of Tiger Woods’ recently publicity nightmare involving his alleged infidelity.
While I am no golfer, (unless we’re talking Putt Putt), I did see a marketing lesson among the headlines. Only time will tell if Tiger can regain his “golden boy” status — but in the meantime, here’s a few reputation management tips you can garner to improve your own game:
Take responsibility right away. I really think that Tiger dropped the ball (I couldn’t resist) by not coming clean right away. There were too many things about the much-publicized car crash that just didn’t add up. Among them was my personal favorite — that Elin smashed in the back window of the vehicle in order to get Tiger out. Call me skeptical, but a much more likely scenario is that while she may have gotten him out of the car, Elin took a “slice” out of Tiger in the process…back window be damned.
Tiger has enjoyed years of fame, and millions of dollars from his talents. Sponsorships account for more than a small portion of his income each year — and those sponsors count on the celebrity cache of Tiger’s brand to help sell their products. In addition, Tiger’s style and personality have won many new fans for the game — including throngs of young fans who look up to him as a role model. True, he’s only human; but for those whom society has placed on a pedestal — and are richly rewarded as a result — shouldn’t they be held accountable for their actions, just as anyone else would?
Give sincere, heartfelt apologies. In this instance, you can’t settle for par. Family should obviously come first. Then, reach out to your fan base, and extend them an apology for your behavior. Finally, look toward those sponsors whose brands may have suffered as a result of your actions. They may drop you, and that is certainly their prerogative. Be that as it may, they are no less deserving of an apology.
Rebuild your image. Just as a caddy would advise you on how best to make that perfect shot, you must surround yourself with people, products and services that can help restore your good name. Tiger must demonstrate that he is committed to his family, and intends to put an end to his philandering. The status of his marriage is still uncertain — however, he has children that will be directly impacted by his actions. Making his wife and children his first priority will earn him support among his fan base. They won’t immediately forgive him, but they will be willing to do so in time.
Many celebrity athletes have been disgraced at one time or another, (names like Michael Vick, Pete Rose, and Tanya Harding come to mind), and while not all of them have recovered, some of them have. Michael Vick’s highly publicized dog fighting ring sent shockwaves through the NFL, and incited both fans and non-fans alike. However, in a very controversial move, the NFL allowed Vick back in. He is currently the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.
In golf, business and in life, the same rules apply. If you make a mistake, the best thing to do is get out in front of the situation and take responsibility. Apologize when you make a mistake, and make sure the apology is sincere. Finally, take steps to prevent any reocurence of the mistake, and work to win back trust and support.
Hopefully Tiger will emerge from this situation a better man. In the end, strength of character will trump athletic ability.
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November 24, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
You’ve decided to finally jump on the social media band wagon — congratulations.
Before you go head out into the social media jungle and begin tweeting, facebooking and youtubing with reckless abandon, I urge you to take a moment and formulate a plan.
It can be particularly difficult to change our marketing “voice” from commercial to non-commercial. We are inundated with advertising messages everywhere, every day — and many users turn to these networks to escape brands altogether. Still others use social media to gain greater insights into brands before making a purchasing decision. They will listen to feedback from other consumers, compare you to the competition, and gauge your customer service. These factors are crucial, and should not be overlooked.
So, we know that our audience is always operating on the assumption that we are trying to sell them something — and a lot of the time, that’s true. Marketers do try to sell things online, even if it is during an online conversation that is not directly related to their products or services. Their persistence has made it difficult for other marketers to sell their products, even when they are deliberately ignoring the non-related conversations and targeting buyers that really are interested.
The mass marketing activities have poisoned the well, and it has made it even more difficult to penetrate social media’s marketing shield. But make no mistake, it still can be done.
There are hundreds of examples of brands succeeding through social media – Zappos, AirAsia and Whole Foods spring to mind – but replicating their success can be incredibly difficult. However, there is one thing that seems to separate social media’s major marketing players from the wannabes that have tried and failed. It is the level of “marketing drive” behind them, and it appears to be inversely proportional to the amount of success that they find.
Huh? You read that correctly…I said inversely proportional. Counterintuitive, yes. But, highly effective, nonetheless.
Marketing drive is persistence. Persistent marketers always try to sell, no matter what the circumstance. “Looking for ice cream? Why not buy this humidifier too?” That’s their marketing style — it isn’t winning them any popularity contests, and it certainly isn’t bolstering their bottom line, either.
The Zappos school of thought is that rather than attempting to force a consumer into a sale, allow them to elect whether or not they wish to talk about buying. If folks aren’t talking about buying, Zappos isn’t jumping in with the subtlety of Kathy Griffin and trying to change the subject.
Social media communities are not averse to marketing; but social media users hate direct, pushy marketing with a passion. You’ll be about as welcome as spandex on Mr. Blackwell’s Best-Dressed List.
You’ll stand out, but not in a good way. Get the picture?
Success in social media is relatively simple — add value. Let that guide your activities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like. I may be interested in what you are selling, but I really don’t want to hear about it all the time. Just as offline marketers pick and choose which markets they’re targeting, online social media marketers need to take a step back and examine what opportunities are actually worth it. Once you’ve identified your target, join the conversation, but remember to be genuine, helpful, and interesting. In the end, this will win you respect and business.
People turn to Facebook and Twitter to communicate with each other, not with major brands and marketers. And while there is always going to be the one in one-thousand user that responds to direct marketing, the conversion rate for appropriate, targeted conversation will always much higher. When you enter social media determined to sell 10,000 units, you are destined to fail.
If you are already marketing with social media, now is the time to take a quick reference glance in the mirror. If you aren’t marketing like the successful big brands, you can still change course. Target your audience and provide them with genuine value and your efforts will be rewarded. Leave the pushy sales tactics behind.
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November 3, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
It’s not exactly a secret that I am a huge 80s music junkie. That said, it should really come as no surprise that when I began working on today’s post, I drew inspiration from Boy George and Culture Club.
I realize that George O’Dowd is not exactly someone you’d typically think of for offering sage business advice. After all, he’s known for his technicolor tresses and eyeshadow — not for his business savvy.
Even so, Boy George was right on the money when he crooned, “…time won’t give me time…”
Efficient time management is essential in business. We know we can’t cram more hours into each day; our only option is to make the best use of the time we have each day. Those “big name” marketers make it look effortless — but what they aren’t telling you is that many of them outsource entire facets of their business to others. They may be employing virtual assistants, copywriters, and webmasters to handle functions that you are trying to juggle all by yourself.
You can still join the Culture Club of savvy internet marketers — all you need to do is establish a plan to work more efficiently each day.
Create a Clean and Chaos-Free Environment
Your work environment is integral to your productivity. Take steps to eliminate clutter and distractions. It doesn’t matter how big or how small your working space is — when you keep it clean and organized, you will be able to accomplish much more. Even if you have no home office and are only working on a computer, make sure your files and documents are well organized so you don’t lose precious time searching for important documents and files.
There’s Power in a Plan
Having a well-conceived plan for your day will eliminate the possibility of becoming sidetracked and distracted. You have many options at your disposal — from day planners and PDAs to simple applications like Outlook’s calendar function — these tools can help you view your day at a glance, and mark off tasks as they are completed.
Set Priorities and Deadlines
Arrange daily tasks in order of priority. Begin with tasks that have the greatest impact on your bottom line. For instance, taking care of client calls early in the morning will free you up to tackle marketing tasks such as submitting articles, creating newsletters, and posting to social media sites later in the day. You might want to close your email client while you are working on time-sensitive projects, in order to prevent distractions. Tasks such as automating your article submissions and tweets may require an initial investment, but can pay big dividends in the time saved on these activities.
It takes a fair amount of discipline to create and adhere to deadlines that you create for yourself, but it can be done. Creating a checklist that you can refer to each day will provide you with a visual reminder of what you need to complete — and, it will provide you with a sense of accomplishment after you mark each task off the list. For those who work on client projects, having a written schedule to refer to will enable you to schedule your work, and quote clients a realistic completion timeframe.
We can’t add more hours to our day, but we can use the time we have to our advantage. And THAT should be music to your ears.
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Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
Competition is an integral part of the marketplace — it fuels innovation, controls pricing, and creates better products. What’s not to love, right?
Not so fast, Jedi Knights — competition also has a dark side.
Competition can sink a business — particularly if you aren’t prepared for it. Just because the “force” has been with you thus far, don’t automatically assume that will always be the case. Somewhere, in a galaxy far, far away, a would-be nemesis could be plotting your demise right now.
Whether yours is a small, home-based business or an international corporation, it is necessary to perform a competitive analysis to gain a better understanding of your competitors. This, in turn, will help you formulate more effective strategies to strengthen your position among your customer base, as well as defend and increase your market share.
While I’m certainly no Yoda, below you’ll find a few of my recommendations to aid you in conducting your own competitive analysis.
Know Your Customer
It all starts with the customer. Identifying your ideal customer, their buying habits, and purchase influences should have been paramount in your initial business planning. When you set out to conduct your competitive analysis, be sure to refer to this information, and make any necessary updates as needed.
Create a Customer Profile
- What triggers his decision to buy a certain product or service?
- Where will he go to search for a product or service provider?
- How does he search for the product he needs?
- What features does he look for?
- How does he choose the vendor?
- What is important to your customer – pricing, reputation, image, branding, or service?
- How is he influenced by word-of-mouth?
- What will keep him loyal or make him change brands?
Knowing these things will not only help you develop products and services that will meet the requirements and preferences of your customer but will also give you a very good idea of the who, what, how, and why behind your potential customer patronizing the other vendors and not you.
Know Your Competitors
Now, try to identify your competitors. Be specific as to their names, locations, their sizes, and as much as possible, their market share. Describe their product quality, brand name(s), image and reputation, pricing structure, marketing strategy, available technology, etc. It helps if you create a tabular presentation of the information to facilitate comparison and analysis of the competition. Make sure to include any perceived strengths and weaknesses of each competitor (lack of web presence, limited service area, etc.).
The objective of this exercise is to discover more about the nature of competition and assess how your product or service fares against your competitors’. You may decide to lower your price, or offer extended service plans. Perhaps you could provide online video training that customers could access after purchase. You may simply elect to step up your advertising campaign in order to gain greater visibility. Regardless of what path you choose, determine how your competitors affect your business, identify any potential threats, as well as opportunities.
Resources for Competitor Information
- Their company website (about page, press room, etc.)
- Industry associations they belong to
- Publications they have been featured in
- Media coverage
- Marketing materials
- Generalized search (complaints filed with BBB, etc.)
Benefits of Doing a Competitive Analysis
Whether you are planning an upcoming ad campaign or orchestrating a rebellion, knowing your competition is critical to the ultimate success of your strategy. This exercise will also help you anticipate how your competitors will respond to your action, or predict any initiatives they may take. In fact, you may discover there are elements of your competitors’ business tactics that you can improve upon, and adopt as your own.
Competition has much to offer the market in terms of driving quality, affordability and innovation. For business owners both large and small, a bit of research and a modest time investment can help avert potential threats, while leveraging opportunities to gain market share.
Regardless of what corner of the galaxy you are doing business in — that’s always a good thing.
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October 26, 2009 by admin · 2 Comments
Easy and often inexpensive ways to do better business may be at your fingertips.
If, that is, your fingertips are on the buttons of some of today’s increasingly important-though sometimes surprising-business technology. Here’s a look at six you may care to consider:
Twitter (http://twitter.com)-this microblogging site, in which updates consist of no more than 140 characters, has proved to be a useful tool to reach current and potential customers in a new way.
Bing Local Listing Center (https://ssl.bing.com/listings/ListingCenter.aspx)–the new search engine from Microsoft lets you manage your business listing on the Bing Local Listing Center. It’s similar to the Yellow Pages but adds details about a business that its customers most want to know.
HubSpot (http://hubspot.com)–as small businesses consider utilizing online social media tools, software from companies such as HubSpot can help them make this decision. HubSpot helps businesses get found on the Internet by the right prospects and convert more of them into leads.
Social networks–small businesses can benefit from sites such as LinkedIn (linkedin.com) and Facebook (facebook.com), where sharing information about your business or specials on products and services is easier than ever.
Touch screen, Web-connected printers (http://lexmark.com)–these all-in-one devices (AIO’s) are much more than just printers. They now offer customized solutions such as Lexmark’s new line of inkjet, touch screen AIO’s that connect to the Web to save preprogrammed tasks as one button.
Free Web Toolbar–there are several online tools that can quickly and easily increase your efficiency. The Lexmark Web Toolbar, for example, eliminates unwanted ads and graphics. It works with any printer and is easy to install from lexmark.com.
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