Image via Wikipedia Profits define industry -- the quest for quarterly rewards, the relentless pursuit of revenue. Companies snatch every penny they can, shoving them into banks to gain the necessary interest. Success, it’s assumed, is shaped by dollars. Those dollars disappear when customer service proves useless, however. Corporations with weak responses and weaker smiles find themselves forgotten -- with the public hurrying toward more friendly options. A poor reception offers poor results. Businesses rely on far more than their product reputations. Instead they need customer … [Read more...]
The Value of Listening: Customer Service
July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image by Getty Images via @daylife It’s an easy dismissal -- a client stumbles over words and technical meanings, fails to name the source of his (growing) frustration; you listen, distracted. His tone doesn’t impress. His complaints don’t concern. He is just one of the thousands you’re forced to deal with each year: who didn’t read the instructions and didn’t follow the rules. Your job is a tribute to public laziness and you offer it the apathy it deserves. That apathy proves damning, however, when the client turns suddenly angry -- tired of being ignored, of being … [Read more...]
Marketing Big and Small
June 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Marketing is a huge undertaking for any organization big or small. Branding your products and services means success or failure. With a great jingle, customers remember what you stand for. With a lackluster slogan, failure can ensue. Marketing today often means social marketing through social media endeavors. Sites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have cascaded through the online forum and overtaken marketing for companies. This form of marketing has exploded and provided potential business in an otherwise media immersed society. Advertisements through magazine ads, billboards, … [Read more...]
Reducing Your Marketing Budget
May 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Image via CrunchBase As a business, it is critical to have the attention of would be customers. What is not so good, though, is spending a lot of money on marketing that does not get the attention of those who should see it. As a business owner, finding the right marketing budget is key. Cutting Costs To cut the costs of a marketing budget, start by knowing what you are currently spending on marketing. Is that a realistic number? Then, consider these tips for getting better marketing for less. Consider social media. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace allow … [Read more...]
Spreading the News of a Business Grand Opening
April 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Opening up a new business is an exciting time. It is the start of a new adventure, one that will hopefully bring much satisfaction to the new owner. However, potential customers need to know that the business is about to open. Getting the word out to people should be the number one priority of the owner. There are many ways to do this through various forms of media. The budget for advertising may not be that large, especially after the expense of the start up, but creating a grand opening blast does not have to be expensive. In fact, one of the most effective methods to get people's … [Read more...]