Here’s an Easy Way to Keep Your Customers Happy

Give them a call! Make it a point each week to call five of your best customers and thank them for their business. It will go a long way to connecting you with your customers. And you’ll likely learn a lot in the process and have a better pulse on their needs and wants.

Follow these steps to let your customers know you recognize and appreciate their business.

1. Be observant: Notice when you have frequent or repeat customers; on the phone, via email, or in person, be aware of the number of times a customer is touching your business and your customer service department. Observe their habits. Do they talk about the same concerns? Do they have products they are loyal to? Let your customers know you recognize their buying habits.
2. Face Issues Directly: When there is a source of conflict or a potential source of conflict, don’t wait for your customers to point it out to you. Be diligent and address the concern head-on. Not only does this save your customer from complaining, it also shows that you really do try to view your company/product/services through the lens of your customer.
3. Apologize: Sometimes a bad situation can be turned around with a simple apology. Regardless if you think the customer is right or wrong, the customer feels they have been wronged. Take a moment to give a sincere apology.
4. Show Appreciation: Everyone wants to feel like they matter, so take a moment to show your customers how much they do matter to your business. Showing appreciate builds brand loyalty and trust. Trust = more sales.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

The Best Emails Have Only 1 Call to Action.

When sending an email to your customers, choose one product, service or promotion to be the focus of the email. Then create one call-to-action (click, call, come in) and emphasize it. In addition to a compelling subject line, what are some things you should include and how should the email be structured to make your emails more effective at initiating a conversation?

When writing an email as a part of your process for developing leads and guiding prospects through your sales process, keep these points in mind:

• Keep it short. Long emails tend to scare readers. Remember, the purpose of the email is to get your prospect to the next stage in your sales cycle. If you get leads from your marketing team, or your automatic web form alerted you that someone downloaded your white paper, decide what you want the prospect to do before you compose your email. Write it with the purpose in mind.
• Break up large blocks of text. Tight text on a screen looks like a wall of words and is an invitation for your prospect to hit the delete key. Compose your text so that your reader can simply scan it, easily consume it and quickly comprehend it.
• Get their attention at the beginning. We’ve placed plenty of emphasis on composing an enticing email subject line encouraging the recipient to open the email. Now, what do you do once they have the email opened? Get their attention at the start and entice them to read further. Use one of the five methods you use to open your voicemail messages: mysteries, shock, enticing facts, compliments and stories.
• Have one call to action. In some of my early emails attempts, I’ve used multiple product lines with various conditions and multiple calls-to-action attempting to make the decision process easier for my prospect. The resulting action was typically no decision on their part. Use just one call to action and make it easy for your prospect to move forward.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

Try Again With Email Non-Responders

If you’re lucky, a good-size percentage of the people you send email to open it. What about the rest? You still want to reach out and touch those folks. Why not send a another email out to those who neither clicked, opened, bounced nor unsubscribed and change up the subject line? Maybe you’ll catch them at a better time with a better message.

Brought to you by:

Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

Create an Informal Advisory Board

Put together an informal board of trusted advisers to serve as a sounding board and a source of ideas and honest advice. Make sure the members have varied levels of experience; look for a marketer, a finance person, a fellow entrepreneur, etc

A Mastermind Group Can Help Any Small Business Thrive – By Robert Schumacher

We hear a lot these days about think tanks. Ever consider one for your own business?

No business is too small to benefit from having its own sounding board…call it an Advisory Board, a Mastermind Group or a Success Team. Call it whatever you wish but understand that this concept can be a tremendous catalyst for growth.

Think about the last time you met with other business people and had an open discussion, sharing your ideas and concerns about business challenges.

Why not form some type of informal advisory board that meets on a regular basis and serves as a sounding board and a source of ideas and honest advice focused on just your business?

Your first question might be: Where would I find such people? Look around. There are many retired executives and managers who might have interest.

Other business owners and managers or vendors may be an additional resource. Aim high. Choose people you admire, not those who are likely to only tell you what you want to hear.

What harm is there in asking? You just might be pleasantly surprised when they accept. If you do not ask, no one is going to tell.

Three people will do nicely for most small businesses. Set up a QUARTERLY meeting to discuss and advise.

Hold your advisory meeting in a nice restaurant that can provide a quiet room or area. Prepare a simple agenda that your advisory members receive ahead of time. Keep your agenda simple and focused

Brought to you by:
Dwight Lester, Performance Business Broker

Pay Attention to Your Customers

Notice when you have frequent or repeat customers; on the phone, via email, or in person, be aware of the number of times a customer is touching your business. Observe their habits. Do they talk about the same concerns? Do they have products they are loyal to? Let your customers know you recognize their buying habits.

Brought to you by:
Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

The Best Time to Ask for Referrals Is…

The best time to ask is immediately after you’ve delivered your product or service and your customer received the value they were expecting–and then some. Make a follow-up call, if necessary, to check on their level of satisfaction–and ask!

Brought to you by;
Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

Participate in Web Communities

Try to set aside some time every day to actively participate in online communities relating to your field or running a business. Simply getting your voice out there and talking with others who have similar concerns to yours is a powerful way to make contacts.

Brought to you by:
Dwight Lester, Performance Business Brokers

Include a Call to Action in All Emails

It’s important that every email you send to potential customers asks them to take an action. You may want them to call an 800 number, register for a webinar or check out a product on your website. It doesn’t matter what action you want them to take as long as you ask them to take it.

Cheers
Dwight Lester

Network More in 2012

Networking is among the best ways for small businesses to pick up new customers. One of your 2012 resolutions should be to join a new community or neighborhood group and/or attend a new networking event. It’s important that you keep talking about your business

New Year’s Resolution: Get Mobile

If you want customers to find you in 2012, you must be found on the mobile web. Converting your business website to display and operate correctly on smartphones needs to be a top priority in 2012. If you don’t know how to do this, get help.