Franne McNeal
Take a moment to re-examine how and why your products and services add value to your clients. The benefits include increased sanity, increased clients and increased profits.
Are you forgetting the business basics, because you wear many of the hats (deliver products and services, customer satisfaction and retention, cash flow, appropriate record-keeping) required to run a business?
Tip #1: Think about your ideal client, three times a day for five minutes.
Everyone can’t be your client. Be honest and specific with yourself. Identify exactly what you do that adds value (solves a problem, meets a need, makes them excited) for your clients.
Create pictures and scenarios of the ideal client and how they benefit from your product and service. Identify what you need to do more of, stop doing, or continue doing to make sure that your customers know about and understand the benefits of your products and services.
It is helpful to have a 15-word statement of what you do and why it is beneficial to your ideal clients.
Tip #2: Create a marketing plan.
If you write down goals and steps to reach your goal, you are more likely to get what you ask for. Set up a plan, follow your plan, evaluate what worked with your plan, modify your plan, and follow the modified plan.
Tip #3: Look at your office, store, materials or Web site from the customer’s point of view.
Customers (potential and existing) look for benefits not features. Are you providing an environment where customers are welcomed and comfortable?
Can they quickly find what they need, when they need it? Are you providing answers to a problem or need that they have? Help your customers take the actions that you want (using your services, calling for an appointment, subscribing to a newsletter, etc).
Tip #4: Contact three former customers now and thank them!
It is less expensive to keep customers than it is to get new customers. If people have used your services and paid you for those services before, find out how they are doing now. Ask questions about the benefits they found in using your services. Listen for what their needs are now and what services and products they want from you now. Firm handshakes, smiles, thank you’s and a sincere effort to provide quality products and services never go out of style. Reconnect with your customers so they are truly regular customers.
Tip #5: Contact three recent referral sources and thank them!
When people have the comfort level and confidence to recommend your service to others, they are people that you want to thank! People who refer business to you provide the “word of mouth” advertising that carries a lot of credibility. Referral sources are helping you build your business. Referral sources are partners. Reward the behavior of referring business to you—send a thank you card, send flowers, send a coupon, take them to lunch.
Go for it! Businesses generate revenue because customers purchase products and services that meet their needs. Re-examine who your ideal customers are and what they want and why they buy. Create a plan and a system to regularly reconnect with your customers so you are providing value and increasing your bottom line.
- Franne McNeal is the Significant Business Results Coach for HR Energy, www.hrenergy.com,
a business coaching firm that helps entrepreneurs get more clients,
revenues and profits. She has coached over 450 entrepreneurs and helped
a startup win $20,000. 83% of her clients gained 2 new clients within 2
months of coaching. 64% of her clients increased their profits by 10%
or more in 1 year. She is a regional and national business plan
competition judge. She is a serial entrepreneur and the author and
keynote speaker on the topics of entrepreneurship, leadership and
technology. Franne provides a free business assessment and 30-minute
coaching at www.hrenergy.com/freecoaching.htm