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Unlock the Potential in All Your Customers
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A Positive Light
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Sell Your Site Offline
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A Message From Bert McCaffrey & Gary Riedel |
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One Smart Old Dog
If you’ve ever been surrounded by a bunch of young pups who make you feel old, here’s a humorous little story to put some pep in your step and remember that with age comes wisdom.
One day an old German Shepherd becomes lost in the woods while chasing rabbits. He notices a hungry panther approaching him, so he immediately lies down next to a nearby pile of bones. As the panther is about to attack, he says loudly, “Wow, that panther was delicious. I wonder where I can find another one.” The panther looked terrified and slinked back into the trees, relieved thinking he escaped the killer dog.
Meanwhile a squirrel who had been watching from a tree catches up with the panther and spills the beans about the farce. Furious about looking like a fool, the panther says, “Hop on my back and we’ll teach that old dog!” The German Shepherd sees them coming and just when they get close enough to hear, he says “Where is that squirrel? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another panther!”
Here’s the way I see it: If you can’t beat ‘em, use your experience to outsmart ‘em! Stop by next time you need help creating print materials that will keep you one step ahead of the competition.
Bert McCaffrey & Gary Riedel
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Idea of the Week |
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Four Keys to More Meaningful Customer Relations
 Companies lose an average of 10 to 30 percent of their customers each year. Much of this loss can be attributed to poor service. Companies that focus on customer retention tend to see profits grow anywhere from 25 to 100 percent annually. Nonprofits that focus on customer retention often see reductions in turnover and better results. In business, we all strive to provide outstanding customer service. Unfortunately, we don’t always live up to those ideals. Here are four keys to unlocking richer, more meaningful relationships with your customers:
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Learn your customers’ names. Everybody appreciates being recognized when they walk into a place of business, particularly if they visit that company frequently. As the theme song to Cheers puts it, “Sometimes, you want to go where everybody knows your name.” Make a concerted effort to learn the names of the people you come into contact with regularly, and greet them by name whenever possible.
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But start with last names first. Of course, before you start addressing customers on a first-name basis, make sure they’re comfortable with this practice. Some customers might find it disrespectful or “too” personal to have you greet them by their first name. Follow the customer’s lead, if possible, or try starting with “Mr. Johnson,” before calling your customer “Bob,” particularly if they are not your peer.
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Show genuine appreciation. Let your customers know you’re glad to see them every time they walk through the door. Make an effort to greet people with a warm smile and an enthusiastic hello. Then back it up with outstanding service and a “can do” attitude. Thank your customers when they buy from you, and keep in touch to let them know they’re on your mind... and appreciated for everything they do.
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Avoid judgments and negativity. We’ve all heard the adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover.” The same is true of people. Strive to approach each new or prospective customer with an open mind and positive attitude. Don’t rush to judgment based on a first impression. Many times, those initial reactions and snap judgments don’t hold up to the test of time. |
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Click here to visit the Business Card Factory of Colorado Ideas Collection.
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Marketing Tip |
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Dealing with Negative Feedback
Social media, product reviews, and online message boards are a great way to communicate openly with customers, and allows customers to communicate with each other as well. However, when you open up the lines of communication, you must be prepared to deal with negative feedback that may occur. Here are a few tips on how to stay on the positive side of negative comments:- Respond in a positive manner. Adding more negativity to the conversation by letting yourself be drawn into a fight with a customer will only reflect poorly on your business.
- Avoid corporate lingo and use a more conversational tone.
- Turn negative comments into teaching moments, but also be ready to take a conversation offline for resolution.
- Quickly resolve any complaints and reestablish credibility with your customer by offering refunds, discounts, gift cards, or coupons for future purchases.
- Negative feedback shows that your customers are listening, and helps you create better products and fine tune your marketing messages.
- Maintain a constant online presence to neutralize negative conversations and quickly delete any inappropriate comments.
- Always take the effort to thank those who took the time to provide you with a suggestion or comment.
- Your willingness to consider different perspectives makes your social presence and content much more believable. Negative feedback provides credibility and tells customers the retailer is confident enough to show a range of customer feedback.
Look to us next time you need help creating marketing materials that will put your company in a positive light.
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Uncommon Product |
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Promote Your Site with a Web Card
Believe it or not, many people still do not have access to the internet or are computer-challenged. Because this audience will not likely seek out your website online, a “web card” is a great way to highlight your site benefits and entice readers to visit.
Web cards are a versatile print marketing tool to help promote your website. Because the internet experience level of your audience may vary, web cards are a great unique way to announce a new (or re-designed) web site to your web savvy audience, and can also help pique interest among those who are new to or still learning how to use the internet.
A web card can be mailed as an oversized or folded postcard, as an enclosure in a standard #10 business envelope along with a cover letter, displayed in public areas, handed out at trade shows, enclosed in packages, distributed by partners, and handed to customers and prospects that are browsing or making a purchase.
When creating a web card, keep the message simple and define the primary benefit of your website and direct readers to it by using colorful visual images. When created to mimic the design of your site, web cards can highlight functionality and new features of your website. For example, a car dealership’s web card could show your home page and say, “Check out photos of new vehicles, view pricing, and get detailed information instantly.” If you want to highlight multiple site features, consider creating subsequent web cards that can be mailed to your mailing list over several weeks or months, which will also increase your top of mind awareness.
If you’re looking for other innovative ways to market your web site, give our creative team a call today!
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