Archive for the 'Keep-in-Touch' Category

Start 2010 By Saying “Thank You!” (to everyone!)

Thank You!  When was the last time you thanked your customers for doing business with you?  I’m not talking about the regular, transaction related thank you, I am talking about just saying “Thanks”! for being my customer with no expectation of getting something back from them in return. 

This is all part of a bigger movement called “gratitude marketing”.  You will hear more about this in 2010, and I predict that it will be the overriding marketing theme for the next decade.  Making sure that your customers know that they are appreciated and valued is a simple concept, but one that tends to get lost inside of the other challenges we are facing as we all begin 2010.

My challenge to you is to tell every one of your customers (including your employees, vendors and suppliers) that you appreciate them and look forward to working with them in 2010.

If you are looking for a fantastic way to execute your “Thank You Strategy”, check out what I do at www.mykeepintouchstrategy.com. 

Lastly, and most importantly, THANK YOU! for being a part of my world.  I look forward to serving you in 2010 and beyond!



Published on Sunday January 3, 2010 in Core Self-Promotion Strategies, Customer Retention, Direct Outreach and Keep-in-Touch. 0 Comments Tags: .

Blamestorming

I was watching golf over the weekend and a commercial came on for DirecTV, the series of ads that has the Board of Directors for the “Cable Company” sitting around a table trying to figure out why they are losing customers to DirecTV.  One board member suggests a “blamestorming” session, where he promptly “blames” their problems of one of his fellow board members.  Hilarious.

According to www.unwords.com, the definition of “blamestorming” is as follows:

(blām’stôr’mĭng)

1.      (n.) A method of collectively finding one to blame for a mistake no one is willing to confess to. Often occurs in the form of a meeting of colleagues at work, gathered to decide who is to blame for a screw up.

So, my question to the small business owners of the world today is, are you spending your strategic planning time “blamestorming” or are you actually brainstorming?  It is very easy to fall into the trap of excuses about the economy, your lack of sales, the consumer not spending, etc.  What is harder is to come up with out of the box ideas that can gain market share or retain your current customer base.  My challenge to you today is to come up with one idea that can either bring new clients to your door or add value to your current customer and then act on that idea, violently.  As General George Patton said, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week”. 

Please leave me a comment letting me know what your idea is!

Published on Tuesday June 23, 2009 in Customer Retention, Direct Outreach, Keep-in-Touch and Why People Buy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

First Friday Focus Call — The Power of a Customer Advisory Board

Please join me at Noon Central (1:00 pm Eastern, 10:00 am Pacific) on Friday, May 1, 2009 for my monthly First Friday Focus call. 

Please dial 712-432-3900 and enter conference code 6904581#.  30 minutes plus time for questions after. 

This month’s topic will be on the power of a Customer Advisory Board for your business.

I hope you can attend!

Coach Brent

Published on Thursday April 30, 2009 in Customer Retention, First Friday Focus and Keep-in-Touch. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The Power of a Customer Advisory Board

I speak to many groups on Customer Retention Strategies and I am noticing that the concept of establishing a Customer Advisory Board for your business is consistently identified as the number one “takeaway” from the groups that I speak to.  In my presentations, I speak about “thinking outside the box”, as it relates to customer retention.  The number one “out of the box” strategy I recommend is establishing a Customer Advisory Board for your business.

 

First, for the sake of definition, what I am talking about here is getting together on a regular basis with a group of your best customers, soliciting their advice on how you could be serving them better.

 

Sounds simple, right?  Well it is.  Big companies have been doing it for years, so why not you?

 

What will this accomplish?  Several things, I expect, here are some possibilities:

 

-          You will continue to build on the trust relationship you have with those clients that participate.

-          You will get ideas on building your business that you had never dreamed about.

-          Your customers will be much more likely to become “raving fans” of your business, leading to more and better referrals.

-          You will have a chance to run new ideas (marketing, product, or service) past the participants and gain valuable insight on which ones might work best

-          You will have the ability to connect your customer with each other, thereby increasing your value to them (be strategic about the groups you get together!).

 

How will you execute?  Simple, send a formal invitation, followed with a phone call.  Tell your client that you appreciate your relationship with them and want to reward them for it.  Have your event at a local restaurant (a little more upscale is better), in a private room if possible, at a convenient time for them.

 

Write out your agenda in advance; start with the question, “Why do you like doing business with me/us?”

 

I challenge you to try this strategy and look forward to your comments and success stories!

Published on Sunday March 8, 2009 in Core Self-Promotion Strategies, Customer Retention, Keep-in-Touch, Networking and Referrals. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Are You Excited About the Recession?

I am, here’s why:  Ever hear of the 80/20 rule?  You know, the theory that, in any given industry, 20% of the people do 80% of the business.  So what happens to this rule during a recession? 

For starters, you can bet that many of the 80% that weren’t doing the majority of the business got out all together, right?  How many ex-Realtors or ex-mortgage brokers do you know?  A lot I bet.  Now, this also means that the 20% who do the majority of business are still in business.  If you are part of the 20%, you have an opporutnity to pick up the slack and change the “rule” to 90/10, or even 95/5, right?

Even better, for those of you still working (and many times thriving) in your industry, there is an opportunity to go deeper with your clients, keeping in touch and getting feedback to make your relationship even more solid.  There is also the opportunity to tighten up your Red Velvet Rope policy (from Book Yourself Solid, the concept of choosing to work only with those clients that inspire and energize you), narrowing and focusing your definition of your ideal client, and choosing only to work with the clients that provide the most energy and most inspiration to you.

How cool is that?

So, I want you to think about “going deep” with your clients.  Talk to them about what they like about your relationship and what you could be doing better.  Most of all, I welcome you to the new 10% (doing 90% of the business)!

Published on Monday January 26, 2009 in BYS Sales Cycle, Customer Retention, Keep-in-Touch and Red Velvet Rope. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .