In my last post, I mentioned the concept of a Welcome Book.  While I provided a short description of what it is and how it is different than a brochure, I want to go into the concept a little more because it can be a very valuable tool.

As business owners and professionals, we are used to thinking about ourselves and our businesses as “what we do.”  At networking events and parties, the first question asked after introductions is, “what do you do?”  What we “do” is our role.  It defines our activities and behaviors.

When we design a brochure to tell people about our business, it describes the type of work the business does and the services it offers.  Essentially, it describes the “role” of the business.

Continue reading "Brochure vs. Welcome Book and Role vs. Identity – what’s the difference?" »

Everyone knows that the best marketing is word of mouth and direct referrals.  It costs nothing and the message is coming from an independent source that has knowledge of your work.  By recruiting others to sing your praises and steer business your way, you create an army of volunteer salespeople.  For anyone involved in consultative sales, a strong referral network is the pinnacle of successful business development.

However, there is a dark side to referral marketing – you have no control over what the referrers are saying and how they are delivering your message.  They could be getting it all wrong!

Before we go much further, let us first get a definition of a true referral.  A true referral is not someone handing out your card, it is not someone passing along your name and number, and it is not them giving you a name and number to follow up with. 

Continue reading "If I’m doing a good job, don’t tell me, tell my next customer – better yet, show them!" »

Want to know a secret?  You do not have to look far for perfect customers; they are standing all around you.  There is just too much fog between you to see each other.  Even worse, you may keep changing your identity so that when they think they have found you, they turn around and you are gone.

One common mistake made by many business owners is that they try to be all things to all people.  The image and message they create about their business is very broad and vague so as to avoid alienating any potential customers.  What that means is that your company appears ordinary and the customers you most want to serve cannot see that you are the answer they have been looking for.

Continue reading "Don’t Keep a Secret Identity! Let perfect customers find you." »

Do you have any customers that:

• You avoid calling back until the last possible minute?
• You have to emotionally prepare yourself for before meeting?
• Make you wince and give you a feeling of dread whenever they walk in the door?
• Disrupt the operation of your business?
• Spread negative opinions of your company?
• Give you a headache or make you want to drink after meeting?

If any of your customers cause any of the above reactions, then you have a “Customer from Hell.”

Customers from Hell suck the life out of you; they make you start to hate your business.  If you have any Customers from Hell, it is impossible to have a “happy business.”  Most importantly, you are no longer in control – they are. 

But…that’s not the scariest part.  The scariest part is that you probably spent time and money to find the customer.  You PAID to have this nightmare!  Do you even realize that?

As business owners, we often feel compelled to chase down customers and accept anyone who is willing to pay us.  Why?  Because we have to keep money coming through the door and we consider any paying customer to be a good customer.

Continue reading "Count ‘em up…How many “Customers from Hell” do you have?" »

Do you know who your perfect customer is?  Are you looking for customers in the right places?  Are you looking for customers at all?

Marketing and attracting customers has changed drastically over the last several years.  Past marketing and advertising methods do not work today and if you are still relying on them, you may soon find yourself out of business. 

Mass media – television, radio, newspapers and phone directories – are no longer the source of information for the modern generations.  Marketing and advertising using those methods are one-way – they talk at you.  The new media is two-way – it’s a conversation.  It is also targeted – people do not want to see ads for companies and services they are not interested in.

Continue reading "I can't find any customers, let alone perfect ones!" »

I’ve been getting feedback from many people that they are unhappy and angry because they feel like they don’t have any choices in the current economy or that all of the choices they do have are negative and that no matter which direction they choose, the outcome will be bad.  What people are failing to remember at this critical time, however, is that no matter how powerless we may be to what is happening around us, that no one and nothing can take away from us our ultimate choice.  That is the choice to be happy.

Unhappy people choose to be unhappy.  When the economy starts to turnaround and most peoples’ financial situations improve, take a close look around.  What you will find is that many of the people who were unhappy when things were bad are still unhappy when things are good.  That is because they choose to be unhappy, they choose to only see the negative and they choose to not embrace the good things in life like love, friends and family.

Continue reading "Are you making the right choices? Or, do you feel like you don’t have any choices to make?" »

Seemingly simple questions, but they are not so simple to answer in today's financial climate; especially if you are happy and have had success. With so many people struggling financially and looking for work, many of us feel like we will be perceived as gloating or "rubbing it in" if we are openly enthusiastic and happy about good things that are happening to us. So, we hide it or downplay its importance.

When we hide our happiness and stop sharing our success, we are actually fostering the negativity the economy is causing and lengthening the amount of time before we see a turnaround.  Perception is very powerful.  During times like these, people begin assuming that silence means unhappiness or lack of success because of our old adage, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything."

Continue reading "Are you happy? Is your business happy? Do you have a happy business?" »

When we think about extraordinary people in the hospitality industry, people like Gordon Ramsey and Raymond Blanc often come to mind.  They’ve become icons in popular culture and built business empires with enormous following.  Multiple restaurants and cookbooks used to be the benchmark of extreme success, but now it is reality television shows and video games.

Yes, they are very accomplished - professionally, but without knowing more about the other side of their lives, I wouldn’t call them extraordinary. In my estimation, truly extraordinary people have successful professional and personal lives.  Although we constantly hear talk of work-life balance, it is a rare individual that not only finds that balance, but maintains it.  Are Gordon and Raymond balanced?  You would have to ask them.

Continue reading "Are you the next Gordon Ramsey? Would you want to be?" »