|
|
|
|
|
|
|
How To Build a Profitable Business
It's never too soon to start saying thanks to your clients, vendors and referral sources for what they contribute to your business. Everyone loves to be appreciated and acknowledged, so start now and do something every month.
Keep in contact with your clients and vendors by sending articles you have written or that would be of interest to them. Add a little "How are you?" note to these people and keep the lines of communication open. Include current information about any new value-added products or services, such as a newsletter, or tele-class you will be presenting.
Marketing doesn't have to be expensive. You just have to do it.
Communication and relationship are the keys to marketing. Attending numerous networking meetings may be worthwhile to some, but that strategy doesn't work for everyone because, as someone once told me, the people who love you will always refer business to you.
The people who are your advocates or supporters are the ones who require nurturing. Send them an e-mail, e-zine, note, or article at least once a month.
Gather your internal and external management teams in an informal meeting such as breakfast or lunch. Advise them of your upcoming plans, get feedback and give acknowledgement for all their support and advice.
Check in with former clients to see how they are doing. Don't be afraid to dispense free information to these people. Generosity is its own reward. If you keep a timer on your desk, you can be sure of keeping the conversation brief as well as focused. Then, send them more information.Follow up in about two weeks to see how the seeds of your generosity have blossomed.
Information is available to everyone, through the internet, magazines and newspapers. Only you can provide customized data to your clients that will be appreciated as well as remembered.
Review your brochures, marketing letters, and newsletters in a new light. Does this information speak to your "Ideal Client"? Do you know who your "Ideal Client" is? Reinvent these documents as needed after you have thoroughly defined this client. Give these documents to your management team and get their feedback.
Does your collateral material speak to what you do? Is the information clear or does it require interpretation? Spend time on this now and review it every ninety days.
If the cost of a new brochure is prohibitive, or if you think your business will be adding more products or services in the near future, create an Information Letter.With this type of document, you can update your advocate group as well as former and potential clients. Again, it's not costly and serves a specific purpose.
This letter can include updates on your particular industry or market. You also can advise them of your continuing education and how it will benefit them.
About those referral sources, they deserve a little extra attention. Remember, they thought of you first! Consider seasonal flowers, plants, a book or a special card.
You want them to keep remembering you! Nurture all these relationships and your business will grow and glow.
About The Author
Joanne Victoria works with independent professionals who want to simplify their lives and professional practice and small business owners who want to streamline their operations in order to achieve more.
Sign up now for Joanne's FREE monthly e-zine: Lighting Your Path!-Find Your Inner Truth at: mailto:JoanneVictoria-subscribe@topica.com
Joanne Victoria ? Coach, Speaker, Author
Tel:415-491-1344 mailto:joanne@joannevictoria.com
http://www.JoanneVictoria.com/programs.htm
Better Links Directory The salesman's job is to be well informed; extremely well... Read More Unless you are brand new to business, or have been... Read More Can we be too good to our customers?... Read More If you're a regular reader of my column you know... Read More Big companies and corporations have lost the human touch. The... Read More If you want to last a long time in business... Read More Call center solutions solve a range of age-old problems. As... Read More Resistance has to do with putting up blocks that prevent... Read More Looking for hi-fi computer peripherals? Finding it tough to decide... Read More Q: One of the big chain bookstores recently opened up... Read More First let us specifically define customer service. It is the... Read More Customer service and customer service training are vital for any... Read More Running a successful business takes a lot of energy and... Read More Abstract: People buy for their reasons, not yours. This article... Read More Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that... Read More - Excerpt from Richard Saporito's latest e-book "How to Improve... Read More What have you done for your existing customers lately? Probably... Read More Service can be described as a "performance" of some kind... Read More There are two Post Offices that I routinely visit. One... Read More This morning I was having breakfast with my good friend... Read More The most important aspect of a successful business is developing... Read More Good service is easy to spot and hard-to-find. Mediocre service... Read More Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations... Read More You probably think I am going to say something like,... Read More Q: I just discovered that for the past six months... Read More
Complaining Consumers
Creating the Right ?Viral Reputation?
Customer Service Tips for Mail Order Businesses
Whats The Customer Service Buzz About Your Business?
Businesses Need to Rehumanise
Sales Marketing: 10 High Impact Ways To Improve Your Customer Service
Modern Call Center Solutions - Keeping in Touch is the Key
Reducing Customer Resistance to Your Product or Service
Importance of Good Customer Support in Online Computer Peripherals Shops
Writing The Book On Great Customer Service
Customer Service - A Sweet Essence
Customer Service Tips - Is Your Business A Leaky Bucket?
Clients?Do You Really Need Them?
Communicating Value
Customer Service - A Lost Art?
Restaurant Scheduling for Success
Customer Neglect
Service Equals Performance Equals Service
Post Office, Incredible Lady Postmaster
Learn to Anticipate Your Customers Needs
Establishing Yourself as an Expert in the Eyes of Your Customers
Putting The Serve Back Into Customer Service
Over Deliver - The Key to Customer Satisfaction
Caring for Your Customers
How To Handle Customer Billing Snafus
List of featured sites for sale
What Every Manager Should Know About Seeing the World from Where the Customer Is Standing
It is important to remember that the customer doesn't necessarily... Read More
The Added Value - Is YOU!
If there was a restaurant in your town that was... Read More
Losing Angry Customers
This article offers five ways to help you deal with... Read More
Retail Store U-Scan Machines: Self-Serve or Voluntary Part Time Job?
Do many of us realize that we are working an... Read More
Got A Consumer Problem?
Millions of people, just like you, end up with a... Read More
Customer Service Is Dying - and Im Not Feeling So Good Myself
Have you ever called a company and been greeted with... Read More
What Exactly is Customer Relationship Management?
The defintion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that I favor... Read More
How to Provide Instant Customer Service
Customer service is an essential component of any business. Clearly,... Read More
Basic Levels of Consumer Integrity that Presently Permeates Society
Reality is not always pretty. But here is a tad... Read More
Customer Service - A Sweet Essence
First let us specifically define customer service. It is the... Read More
One Critical Question to Ask Yourself Every Day
What happened to the old saying, the customer is always... Read More
Over Deliver - The Key to Customer Satisfaction
Client satisfaction starts with meeting or beating the contractual obligations... Read More
Take Care of Yourself Before You Take Care of Your Customer
One of the most important questions people ask when they... Read More
Committed To Your Customer? Prove It When They Complain!
Businesses like to brag in their advertising about quality of... Read More
Dont Be Afraid To Give Problem Customers The Boot
Q: In a recent column you made the point that... Read More
Customer Neglect
What have you done for your existing customers lately? Probably... Read More
Oil Change Customer from Hell or Hoax; You Decide
Evacuation, "E-Vac" Oil System for Oil ChangingHow do most mobile... Read More
3 Special Benefits Every Customer Wants
Every customer looks for 3 special benefits when they do... Read More
Complaints Are Actually A Good Thing!
Nobody likes to get complaints. They make you question your... Read More
Boomerang Customers- What You Might NOT Think Brings Them Back!
With all of the calendars and PDA's and lists I... Read More
Dealing with Difficult People
1. Don't get Hooked !!!When people behave towards you in... Read More
Create a Positive, Upbeat, Can-Do Workforce and Dazzle the Customer with Your Caring!
Given the choice of dealing with a positive, upbeat employee... Read More
How CRM Software Works -- Creating Customer Satisfaction with a Click
When people ask, "What is CRM?" the literal answer is,... Read More
How Do You Create Customer Loyalty?
Another sad fact of life is that these days, very... Read More
Outsourcing: The Unspoken Costs
Outsourcing seems to be the new-new thing and approximately 50%... Read More
Customer Service Customer Service |