Marketing

Time to Make-over Your VM Greeting

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I’m getting  really tired of ranting about this issue in ‘Communicate ‘Confidently!’. Unfortunately, the problem still exists and I wonder if I’m the only communicator who cares. So, here I go again … and don’t try to stop me.

Talk about making a good first impression! Often, the first exposure your customers, prospects and colleagues have of you and your business is what they hear in your voice mail greeting. Is it caller-centric, clear, focused, helpful, lively and professional? When was the last time you listened to it?

If you’re not sure, call in and hear what they hear. If you like what it says about your business values, style and personality… fine. Leave it alone. If not, it might be time for a make-over.

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What if You Are the Best Choice?

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Last month, we discussed some strategies to consider when you realize you’re not the right choice for a product or service that your prospect needs. It earned lots of positive comments and some people even indicated that they had never even thought about some of the strategies mentioned. 

So, this topic should be obvious – ‘What if your business IS the right choice?’ Some of the brief 10 steps will be obvious, too, … but, some won’t. So read and heed.

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When You’re Not the One …

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A reader recently asked about what you should do if you conclude you’re not the client’s best choice during the fact-gathering process?

The answer may seem obvious, but let’s get down in the weeds to consider options when you realize that you can’t do it as fast or as well or as inexpensively as the prospect wants.

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 Gratitude Magnitude

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A key concept for a successful Referral Strategy is the Magnitude of your Gratitude. You have lots of potential people to thank – here are six steps to making the most of your gratitude. 

In this example, Bob is your current customer and you’ve just completed the transaction and delivered your service to him.

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Master Marketing R&R

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Time to focus on ‘Marketing R&R’— with every sale or engagement, savvy entrepreneurs ask themselves ‘How can I earn repeat or referral business?’ The answer is easy to understand but hard to do. So, read on for ‘R&R’ Best Practices.

 

To Ask or Not to Ask?

Two schools of thought here. One says never ask for repeats or referrals. If your customers were pleased enough, they’d do it for you without being asked. To ask for them may even look cheap, weak or annoying. If you concur, good for you. Stop reading now.

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FAQs About FAQs

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How often does a customer call, text or email you with a question? If you said ‘rarely’, then you’re either very good or very lucky. Stop reading now and go do something fun in stead. If you said ‘often’ or ‘a lot’, then read on …  this one’s for you.

How important are customer questions?

Our operational assumption is that effective, efficient and engaging customer communication is essential for any business to survive, let alone thrive. That said, responding to customer questions quickly, clearly and courteously is a critically important aspect of customer communication strategy.

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It’s ShowTime!

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Many entrepreneurs and business owners use business expos and smaller local trade shows to market their products and services and network with prospects, clients and colleagues. If that strategy works for your business, here are some Best Practices to help you maximize your experience, ROI and value by Asking the Right Questions.

The Attendee Experience

Business show attendees are usually in a hurry and most attend for specific reasons. They’re looking to connect with providers of products or services they may need. They cruise the isles quickly, looking for what they want, or good SWAG or … as in my case, snacks.

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Maximize Your Trade Show ROI

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The Covid-19 restrictions are lifting in many areas and many sales professionals and entrepreneurs are considering using expos and trade shows again. Properly managed, they can be an effective strategy to market products and services and network with prospects, clients and colleagues. If that strategy works for your business these days, here are four Best Practices to help you maximize your trade show experience, ROI and value.

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Brand Your Way to Success

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Everything a small business does brands itself. Everything we say or do brands us as worthy resources … or not. But, the marketplace really determines our brand. It’s what they really think of us. It’s why they buy from us rather than the competition. It’s their reaction to what we communicate as our value proposition.

So, to effectively communicate your small business brand, consider:

  • Accurately describe your Value Proposition – what you do through the lens of who benefits from what you do. You don’t ‘fix computers’, you ‘solve technology problems for small businesses.’ You may need help with the specific details from colleagues, or even better, from customers.
  • Be specific. Many small businesses provide lots of different products or services. Identify what you do best, sell the most and produces the most revenue … and profit. This narrowing of scope doesn’t limit your appeal, it makes it much easier for the marketplace to remember what you can do for them.
  • If your company name no longer communicates that value proposition – or never did – time to consider re-branding. What makes more sense – ‘The Andrew Peters Group, Inc.’ or ‘Tech Solutions, Inc.’?

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Embrace Permission Marketing

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(Now that some organizations are having in-person events again, it’s time to revisit the value of embracing Permission Marketing, another of my holiday gifts to you!)

Ever meet someone at a networking event who turned you off quickly with a negative first impression?  Or, who really annoyed you with ineffective follow up? I have – lots of times. I call them ‘Networking Slugs’.  They earn that designation for different reasons, but mostly because they don’t practice the simple art of Permission Marketing.

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