Search Results for ‘customer service’
“The traditional business definition of marketing is identifying and fulfilling customer needs. There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.” Heidi Richards Mooney
Do you remember the “WIIFM” formula when designing your promotional tools? You know, the “what’s in it for me?” The “me” in this case is not about you, your company, your product or business, rather it is about the customer, the prospect, the reader, the person you are trying to get to take action regarding your product or service.
How many times have you picked up a brochure about a company to find out what they can do for you only to find it filled with stuff about them? And have little or no idea what they can do for you? Your customers and prospects could be asking the same question.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to talk about themselves and their products rather than talking about the CUSTOMER and what he/she will gain by doing business with them. “The traditional business definition of marketing is “identifying and fulfilling customer needs.” There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.”
Identify and focus on the benefits. Prospects want to know how what you offer will benefit them. You MUST make it clear what benefits the prospect will receive from doing business with you, otherwise then there is no reason for that prospect to do so. You MUST focus on what the prospect is going to GAIN by using your product or service.
In order to articulate the “what’s in it for them,” you must first understand the difference between a feature and a benefit. A feature is something that your product does or has (for example, a shirt can be 100% cotton). A benefit to 100% cotton could be durability, easy-care or even wrinkle resistant. Now you’ve given them the WIIFM. Why the prospect might want to purchase the shirt.
Count how many times you refer to you – that includes the “I,” the “WE” and your “company name.” Take a second look and count how many times you refer to the “YOU,” the “prospect/customer” or “she/he.” If your copy has more than 50% “I,” etc. take a look at how you can reword it to tip the scales in favor of the prospect. Good copy should be at least 60-75% prospect focused and only 25-40% focused on who you are, (such as the awards you have, the color of your building, the type of equipment you have, etc.).
To change things around in your marketing message whether it is in your proposal writing, brochures or your website (any advertising), you must identify the goals, objectives and obstacles of your prospect. Then you show your prospects how you can help them reach their goals and overcome their obstacles.
Once you know how your business benefits your customers, and you begin to focus on the how the customer benefits formula, you can write copy that will increase prospect response. You will begin seeing a greater response to your marketing messages and your bottom line!
(There are 42 “You’s” in this article and only 2 “I’s.” Did it get your attention?)
Redhead Marketing specializes in creating copy that makes you stand out. Need a print ad for a publication? Need a flyer in a hurry? Let Redhead Marketing create it for you. Special Holiday pricing starts at just $50. Call 954-625-6606 or email heidi (at) redhead marketing dot com (no spaces) Today!
November 18th, 2009
Tired of spending all your money on advertising and marketing that just doesn’t work? Here are 10 cheap ideas to grow your business without breaking the bank!
1) Market to Former Customers and Clients. It costs less than marketing to new customers. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, such AS $5 off their next purchase.
2) Join Associations, professional organizations, and civic and charitable clubs. Get involved and become a leader. You’ll make great contacts that can lead to future business. Also, thank new members who join your organization by offering them a coupon or sending them a postcard for a discount or something free.
3) Reward Repeat Customers. Offer a frequent-purchase card to track their spending.
4) Use Coupons to enhance your sales. Give them a reason to TRY your business.
5) Follow the Rule of Three:
*Forget cold calls. Make three warm calls a day to prospects whom others have referred to you.
*Collect at least three business cards a day.
*Send at least three notes each day to people thanking them for their business or something they did to help your business grow.
6) Encourage Word of Mouth from Your Family, Friends and Associates. Your best advocates will be those who already know you and like you. Encourage them to tell others about your products and services. Sometimes they just need the nudge to get started. And then reward them for doing so.
7) Send press releases prior to having an event or a contest or write articles for publications in your industry.
8) Create and send a newsletter or e-zine (newsletter sent via e-mail) to your customers to keep your business at the top of their minds. Include tips on flower care, positive news events, specials, discounts and coupons.
9) Give Stellar Service with a 100-percent, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee. It will give your customers a sense of ease in doing business with you and build their trust.
10) Partner with Other Companies to promote your business. Find companies with similar customer demographics that are not in competition with your business and create ways to joint venture with them either on a one-time, long-term or event-by-event basis.
For more tips like these check out Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget: How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards Mooney
July 27th, 2009
Set your sales on fire without extravagant spending by following these red-hot marketing tips
“In all things, success depends upon previous preparation. And without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
Confucius could have had a flourishing business by following his own advice. Not only can preparation lead to success, but it also can help you do so without spending a lot of money. After all, with careful planning, you can achieve sizzling sales without the need for expensive advertising or marketing promotions.
Be smarter than the competition
In today’s ever-changing business climate, just keeping up with the competition isn’t enough. You have to outthink, outsmart and outdo them. How? By getting to know what they do and how they do it.
Find out your competition’s strengths and weaknesses and what products and services they offer. If the shop down the road sells gift baskets, offer more choices than they do—or better products. If the competition opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., consider opening earlier or closing later.
Look for ways to make it easier for customers to do business with you. The slightest increase in customer convenience will yield larger and even more frequent purchases. Plus, providing the products and services they want will keep them coming back.
Reward repeat customers
Design a customer-appreciation program to recognize customers who repeatedly purchase from you or who refer others to your business. Send them thank-you notes or small bouquets. Thank them in your company newsletter. Pick up the phone to thank them, then offer a special discount for their loyalty during your conversation.
One day a long-time customer came into my shop, Eden Florist & Gift Baskets, to purchase flowers. When I thanked him for doing business with us, he said, “I buy so many flowers here, I should get frequent-flower miles.” He was right! In fact, soon after his visit, we began creating a computer-generated Frequent flower petals card for that very purpose. The card rewarded customers with a free bouquet after they purchased 12 $25-minimum-price floral arrangements.
To more easily track customer purchases, our computer records each transaction. Thus, if a customer orders by phone, we still can track the number of purchases. When that person reaches 12, the employee taking the order asks the customer to whom they’d like to send their “free” bouquet. It’s not unusual for customers to send the arrangement to themselves.
If they choose this option, don’t forget to enclose a card thanking them for their business. Customers who appreciate your gesture are likely to recommend your business to family, friends and business associates.
Practice ‘rainmaking’
Rainmakers are people who connect other people through referrals, whether it is friend-to-friend or business-to-business. Referrals are the easiest and least expensive way to make your business grow. Start by instilling a referral mindset into your friends and customers. People don’t necessarily know you want more business unless you tell them. And even though your friends may buy from you, they may not think to tell their friends and family.
Though one of my greatest sources of referrals today is my friends, that wasn’t always the case. In the past, I had one or two friends who constantly sent business my way. However, the majority of my close acquaintances did not. One day, I mentioned this to a friend. Her reply, “I didn’t know you wanted more business.” She is now one of my best references.
Some people are hesitant to ask friends for referrals. Why? If you believe in your product and have a passion for your business, it’s a simple request. After all, friends want friends to succeed. And, if they know they have contributed to your success, it makes them feel good about themselves.
If you feel uncomfortable about tooting your own horn, consider the idea from the perspective of finding a great restaurant. After having a wonderful meal, most people are eager to share the experience by telling their family and friends about it. Flowers and food are both emotional purchases—purchases generally made with the heart, not the brain. When you want to eat out, you go to one of your favorite spots, or you try a new place that offers your favorite dish. The same applies to flowers. People go where they know they can find the products they want or people who understand their needs.
Based on emotion alone, referring your business will be easy for your friends and family. And, when the referrals come in, don’t forget to thank the friends and family who made the suggestions. Send them notes and a product sample. Make sure your thank-yous reflect your appreciation for the extra business. An added bonus to this technique is that you’ll surprise people when you thank them, putting you at the top of their minds when the opportunity to make a referral happens again.
Follow-up and follow-through
One of the surest ways to keep customers is to follow up after a purchase. Follow-up accomplishes two important things: It helps you find out whether the customer was satisfied, and it gives you the opportunity to build a positive relationship with that person.
Happy customers may tell as many as three people about their positive experience at your business. This may not seem like it can have much of an impact. But when you compare it to the number of people who will hear about a customer’s unhappy experience—typically estimated as eight to 10—then the number of those passing on their positive experience becomes that much more important.
Besides, if you don’t follow up with a customer, you may never even know he or she had a negative experience. Those people will simply take their business elsewhere. Taking the time to inquire about a purchase after the fact shows your customers you care about their business. It also helps build a lasting relationship with your customers. Not only that, but when you resolve a complaint favorably, you’re likely to increase the chance that the customer will refer you to others.
If your shop is too busy to follow up with every customer after the sale—then at least do some random sampling of your customers. Although a random sample may be less accurate, it will nevertheless provide you with an idea of how a portion of your customers views your business.
To make the task easier, call two or three customers/recipients each day. You’ll impress the recipients, who will want to do business with you, and both the sender and the recipient will know you care. In fact, on more than one occasion when an employee at Eden Florist has called a sender or recipient, that person has ordered an arrangement during the thank-you phone call. So your efforts can certainly pay off.
And don’t forget to follow through on anything you promise you’ll do for a customer. Make it a habit to deliver. When you do, your customers will trust and respect you. And your sales will sizzle!
For more tips like these check out Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget: How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards Mooney
July 25th, 2009
Tomorrow (July 20th) is “Get Out of The Doghouse Day®” – a National holiday which my team and I created in 1999 – and one of the things that has become our CLAIM TO FAME. Today got me thinking about some of the strategies we have used to get our name out there to become known in our community and to help others get to know about the products and services my company offers. In 2000 we created a survey to see how people got out of the doghouse (and what put them there in the first place) and in 2001 we created a logo and trademarked the holiday National Get Out of The Doghouse Day®®. We had to create a logo to submit to the United States Patent and Trademark Office – www.uspto.gov.
Speaking of Surveys – did you know that more than 1,000 people actually responded to it? And that was before the advent of online surveys (as we know them today)! In fact, the question I am most often asked is just how we got more than 1,000 people to take the survey. That was the easy part. Since I am and have always been an avid networker, I simply carried my clipboard with the surveys around every where I went. We also asked people when they stopped in my florist, and I even took the surveys on trips and asked people on plane rides, bus rides, at conferences, in waiting areas and let’s not forget the Ladies Rooms! It was such fun meeting so many people. Of course, today would be a lot easier because we could have done this totally online, but the experience would not have been the same for my staff or for me.
And the best part of all is that every year at this time I get dozens of calls from Radio stations around the country asking about the holiday which is the “famous” part. Being interviewed by radio personalities all over the US makes me feel sort of like a celebrity, so I guess you could say “I am famous” for creating this holiday. And yes, it’s still one of my greatest “claims to fame.” In fact, my staff and I have also been quoted in countless newspapers and magazines over the years. So you see, this type of promotion can garner great publicity and you become known for something positive. And the “publicity” could go on for years afterwards.
Webster’s defines famous as: renouned, celebrated, well-known, prominent, legendary.
Each of us fits that definition to some extent. The amount of “fame” each of us achieves however, is only relevant if we use it to our advantage. Here are some ways you fulfill the definition of “famous.”
~ When you write articles and others read them, you are famous.
~ When you have a loyal following of customers, clients and friends, you are famous.
~ When you have written a book, you are famous.
~ When you have volunteered for a fundraiser or some other community service, you are famous.If you’ve ever received an award, you are famous.
~ If you’ve ever done a heroic deed, you are famous.
In what other ways could you be famous?
Actions and deeds that you perform on a personal basis make you famous such as given your heart to a small child or a senior citizen, you are famous. When you’ve mentored someone or helped her or him achieve a goal, you are famous. And countless other ways! And the best part is that you OWN the fame, it is something that can never be taken away from you.
So tell me, what’s your CLAIM TO FAME?
For the REST OF THE STORY, Read the post: MY BEST PROMOTION EVER
Read the article: Women Want Flowers Men Want Sex – Doghouse Survey Says
Have a great story to share? Take the Get Out of the Doghouse survey
Check out the Doghouse Survey Press Release and 2009 Contest
Read Top Ten Ways to Stay out of The Doghouse
Take the Get Out of the Doghouse survey: http://tulipstalk.com/DoghouseSurvey.pdf
Read some of the FUN stories submitted by our survey respondents on the Tulips Talk Blog
And Check out Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany & Non-traditional Holidays!
July 19th, 2009
– Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale (“National Celebration”) the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern nation, and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. (Source Wikipedia).
Today is Bastille Day
In honor of Bastille Day I thought it would be fun to showcase an event the *American Cancer Society hosts ever year called Jail & Bail.
Jail & Bail is an annual fundraising event that brings together community leaders and ordinary citizens for a common cause… to help fight Cancer!
Jo Walters, David Singer, Sabrina Singer and Marilee Maddox
For many years I was an active participant in Jail & Bail, serving as a Parole Board Member AND a Jailbird!
This year, the American Cancer Society’s annual Jail and Bail event, held recently at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport Hotel in Dania Beach, raised more than $150,000.
Here’s how it works: The fundraiser has community members “arrested” by local law enforcement officers and brought to the mock jail. While in custody, these “jailbirds” have unlimited use of a telephone to call friends, relatives, co-workers, business associates, etc…, to raise the bail in pledges to the American Cancer Society. The bail is determined by a “judge” at the “jail”. And, all donations are fully tax deductible contributions to the American Cancer Society.
The local ACS sends media releases with Parole board members names and companies and also provides volunteers with their own press release Template to send out to their own media contacts. This is also a great way to stay top of mind in the media when they are looking for a story or resource.
One of my good friends David Singer (an attorney in Hollywood, Florida) has been the local Jail & Bail chairperson for years. And he and his law firm have received prestigious placement in all the major media outlets in the tri-county area including print, radio AND TV. He works tirelessly to recruit Parole Board members who in turn find people to “arrest.”
And it’s a fun event.
What does Jail & Bail have to do with Marketing? It’s called Cause-related marketing. Whenever businesses support a cause that has potential to reach a lot of people in the community, it helps them not only create goodwill in the community, it often will gain incredible media attention. And that’s the kind of attention most businesses want. Because we don’t have to pay for it and we can feel good about giving back. As a “sponsor” you get visibility on marketing materials, mentioned during planning meetings and in media releases and much more. As a participant you get to work closely with other like-minded volunteers AND maybe even see YOUR name in the media.
Here are 5 tips to help you plan and execute a successful Cause-related Marketing Campaign:
1. Find a cause you can get your arms around. Something that feeds your soul AND does good in the community. You will find it more worthwhile and you will be able to relate better to the people who also believe in the cause – the volunteers, staff and supporters. Organizations are also looking for partners with similar agendas, those who can achieve their goals by partnering with the right businesses and individuals in the first place.
2. Set realistic, measurable goals for your program. Like any other marketing plan, you need to know what outcomes you hope to get from your participation. Include how you will achieve those goals.
3. Create a “partnership agreement” that both parties understand and agree to. A clearly defined agreement will include both “partners” obligations, rights and expectations. Remember this is like any other partnership and if you can add a little formality to it, then the chances of success increase and it creates a sense of comfort knowing in black and white what each partners responsibilities include.
4. Be an ambassador for your Cause. Let everyone in your own circle know what and how you are supporting the organization. You will be pleasantly surprised by how many people will give you a thumbs up and also will want to “help you in your cause.”
5. When all is said and done, do a thorough review to make sure the campaign met your goals, your needs and the expectations of all concerned. Remember that while you want to support a cause you believe in, the bottom line is your support should create awareness of, interest in and customers for your company.
So next time you are trying to decide what community event to support, look at your calendar and see what’s going on and find a local charity to align yourself with. And then let me know what you did. Maybe your story will end up in the next edition of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays.
*The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem—by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer— through research, education, advocacy and service.
Grab a FREE copy of my ebook: GET MEDIA SAVVY!– The Ultimate eGuide to Promote Your Products, Services and Ideas to the World at: http://www.womensmediasummit.com/get-media-savvy/
July 14th, 2009
May 8th is No Socks Day - in Florida we call that No Pantyhose DAY – which is most days…. If you are in retail you could reward anyone who comes into your store sans socks, stockings, etc with a free gift! If you do not have a retail establishment, partner with one and offer your services or products as the PRIZE for anyone who comes in.
Be sure to get the list of prize winners to follow up with them. (Did you also know that May 15th is Nylon Stockings Day?)
May 8th, 2009
April 22nd is also Administrative Professional (AKA Secretary’s) Day – Last year on Administrative Professionals Day a new customer called to order flowers for his two assistants and to thank me for welcoming him to the Chamber of Commerce. He is an attorney. When he was through placing his order, we were chatting a bit and he mentioned he was involved in a lot of organizations and did we work with events. I said yes and also mentioned that we have several attorneys we worked with and oftentimes they will call to order flowers to thank clients who refer their services to new clients. He said, what a great idea “I have this one condominium company who has referred several new clients and I have not yet properly thanked them.” He immediately gave me an order and said he would be calling back with others later this week.
Had I not mentioned some of the areas we serve, we would not have received another order, nor a new steady customer. So, be sure and let your clients and customers know what products and services you offer. Talk to customers and clients to find out what their other needs are that you might be able to serve.
To learn the History of Administrative Professionals Day visit the Tulips Talk Blog
Check out the Top Ways to Say Thank You to Your Assistant at Eden Florist
April 21st, 2009
… and get your audience to buy more of what you have to sell
Any good copywriter will tell you words sell products (and services). Many times people will look at a picture and have the desire to achieve an outcome or be like the photo portrays but it’s the words that get most people to hand over money for your product or service. Words tell the story behind the picture. Words will make your copy stand out, get noticed and more importantly get results! Before you publish a single word, here are four tips to get you started.
1. Take a look at your product or service from the customer’s perspective. Make a list of all the benefits (what the customer will gain from using your product) and features (the reasons or justification for buying the product). Prioritize your lists in order of importance.
2. Now look at what makes your product different or superior to your competitor’s products. What do you offer that your competition does not? This is called positioning. Positioning will help you develop the right strategy to sell.
“Customers don’t want to be befuddled by specialized language any more than you want to be hit with all medical lingo when you go to the doctor. So, speak, write, and present in a language and manner the audience will understand.” Dave Green
3. Who is your target audience? What are their needs, wants and motivations to buy? Are they rich, poor, educated, young, older, professionals, blue collar workers, etc.?
4. Create your plan. What do you need to say to get your point across and how many words or “copy” will you need to make your point. While it is not always the case, a general rule of thumb is that the greater the investment in a product or service, the more copy you will need to convey the message. Keep in mind, there are exceptions to this rule. Simple products/services with well-known (evident) benefits will require less explaining than those that are more complicated.
Reprinted from WORDS THAT SELL! Finding The RIGHT Words or “WRITE” Words To Get Your Point Across, Get Your Reader to Take Action and Get Your Info Products Noticed! And more importantly Sold! Including 229 Words & Phrases that PAY! This special report is available when you sign up for Cashing in on Info Products at www.cashinginoninfoproduct.com by Heidi Richards Mooney
In the next post I will share 5 more tips to jump-start your copywriting
April 8th, 2009
My business hasn’t used formal advertising in years. Well, very little. And the advertising we do is mostly “traded” for products and services. Most of our new business is referral based. We have kept track over the years and at least 80% of our business comes from a referral.
In Part One I talked about creating a list of your CHAMPIONS – those who refer your company to others on a regular basis. Next, review your list every 3-6 months. When someone on the list hasn’t sent you business in a while, pick up the phone and call them. Just call to say HI. To see how she or he is doing and find out if there is anything you can do to help them. Don’t ask for business or a referral. Just listen.
Now that you have reviewed your list, focus on those FANS who love doing business with you but don’t think to refer others. Here’s a few tips to help you turn those FANS into World Class Champions:
1. Make it a habit to ask every customer why they chose your company. They will appreciate the opportunity to tell you and their trust and confidence in your company will increase.
2. Let them know you are building your business from referrals and that you appreciate and value any business you send their way.
3. Educate them about the products and services you offer. When you providing a product or service, give them a little more. When we send a floral arrangement or plant to a customer, we include care instructions. Our brochures and fliers tell customers about the value we provide our customers. Share these things with your FANS. Arm them with enough info so they can go out and “sell” for you.
4. Reward them. When they share their “circle of influence” with you, be very grateful. Tell them, show them. Make a referral to your FANS in return when possible and appropriate. Every time your FANS receive something of value from you it will remind them to send more referrals your way.
5. Follow up. The FAN may send customers your way or give you names to call. When they give you names, make sure you follow up. Call and introduce yourself and mention where you got their name. One of my biggest accounts came because a FAN told me to call a new hotel that was about to open. I called, offered to help with their Grand Opening Celebration and they are now one of my best customers. And they refer their patrons to us! That FAN became a CHAMPION because we rewarded her. What comes around, really does go around.
Remind your FANS that you value them. Provide impeccable service all the time and you will turn those fans into your greatest CHAMPIONS. Having CHAMPIONS on your team is like having an uncompensated sales force working for you all the time!
It’s Day Two of Make a Referral Week. The perfect time to go out and MAKE some REFERRALS and put your system in place to get referrals in return.
March 10th, 2009
Creating champions from your fans is all about creating a strong referral system for your business. And what better time to create a system than during MAKE A REFERRAL Week!
Although businesses benefit greatly from referrals how many of us actually have a SYSTEM to cultivate those referrals from your best sources? In my opinion, there are two kinds of referral sources. One comes from FANS. FANS are those who love your product and service and might occasionally tell someone about you. FANS like or love doing business with you but either don’t know that you want more business or think of sending business your way. They might refer someone if she or he asks for a referral.
The other type of referral comes from your CAMPIONS. Champions not only love what you do, they like to tell others about your products and services. They have either memorized your phone number or have it in their cell phone, PDA or speed dial. Close at hand to share with others.
How do you cultivate your champions? First identify who they are. Write down your top 20-25 best customers – those you know have referred you in the past. Then create a plan to stay in touch with them. Call them, email them, send them thank you notes, small gifts, flowers, tickets to events, buy them lunch, enter them in special drawings.
The important thing here is to stay at the top of their minds. Show them how much you appreciate the referral. Doing so will encourage your CHAMPIONS to keep sending business your way. In part 2, we will share the steps to take to turn your FANS into CHAMPIONS. Happy Make a Referral Week!
March 8th, 2009
Previous Posts
