Getentrepreneurial.com » Customer Service

Turning Lost Customers Into Great Future Customers

Marcel Sim — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:19:08 +0000

Article Contributed by Sharpenz

The search for lost customer sales treasure does take work – but the upside of the effort is huge. Lost customers make great future customers. You never know what hidden gems of business you might find in your lost customers.

Once you’ve identified lost customers with the potential of becoming great new customers, ask
yourself a few questions:

Are the reasons they stopped being a customer relevant any longer?
What value might you provide them today?
What experiences have you had since you last spoke that would help them?
What information would help them right now?
What questions should you ask them?

Once you’ve answered these questions and you’re confident that it’s time to revisit your relationship, make CONTACT!

Here’s a sample re-connection to help get you started: “Hi Gary, it has been a long time. We continue to help companies such as yours increase xyz or decrease abc. When we worked together, we provided you with the product you needed at exceptional cost and deliver time. With all the market changes we’ve still been able to help companies with increasing
xyz. And I didn’t forget about you!”

Then turn the focus to THEM! And be prepared to listen. Maybe there is information you don’t know about why they are no longer a customer. This should be addressed first. Then you can move into a series of open-ended questions that will allow you to see if there is an opportunity to work together again. Some examples:

“How is this economy affecting your business?”

“What is most important to you these days?”

“What are you currently working on?”

“What new trends do you see emerging?”

“How has the change in supplier been working for you”

Looking for lost customers really works. In the past month, we’ve reconnected with former customers and found that some of them have done NOTHING since we worked with them. They haven’t left us for someone else at all, but we haven’t done business with them in a while. Now that we made the effort to re-open the discussion, we are moving through the sales process to see how we can help them this year. And the process is easier because they know us and we know a lot about them.

What’s your best approach to re-engage a lost customer?

About the Author
Sharpenz is dedicated to providing sales managers the resources and tools they need to energize, engage and equip their sales team to sell each week. Our 30-minute power sales booster meetings help companies increase sales by providing the right tools and training – fast. Designed with the busy manager in mind, Sharpenz ready-to-go sales training kits will give
your sales team the opportunity to grow and earn more – all in a half hour of power. To learn more, visit www.sharpenz.com and sign up for your free ready-to-go sales training kit today!

The Importance of Customer Service During a Recession

Resource Nation — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:46:19 +0000

Have you noticed the customer service in small businesses in your area has improved? During a recession small business sales slump, and every company is fighting for customers. This is when excellent customer service becomes important.

Many small business owners are realizing the important role that customer service plays in their businesses during a recession. Strategy is key, however, and many small businesses are failing to think strategically in analyzing their customer service needs. A recent article in Forbes.com found that 55% of the women-owned small businesses surveyed address customer service on a case-by-case basis and 27% don’t have any strategy at all. Only 18% have a comprehensive plan for addressing the issue.”

During the tough times it is important for a company to focus on building long-lasting relationships with its current customers while also prioritizing the existing customers. Building relationships is also cost effective because the only thing needed is your time.

Here are a few customer service techniques to help establish these relationships:

1. Touch base often – Show you care about their satisfaction through feedback and regular contact. Businesses are also keeping in contact with customers by looking to telephone answering services so that they can focus on their business and take customer calls when they are free.

2. Be proactive – Adopting a proactive strategy to customer service can help an organization reach out to customers and increase sales. Using appointment setting as well as other call center techniques can help achieve this.

3. Always listen – Listen to what your customer is saying. If they talk about an upcoming birthday or something of importance to them jot it down and remember them later. This is a great personal touch for building lasting relationships.

4. Have a communication plan – Once you establish a customer relationship keep in touch by getting their e-mail address and sending them periodic updates, resources and tips.

Customer service is an essential part of your business. But during tough times it is even more important. During a recession it does not matter who your customers are, if you do not service them with excellent customer service your competition will. Building these long-lasting relationships with customers takes time, but in the long run it becomes very invaluable. Take note of these and other customer service techniques so that during down times your customers will keep you in mind.

About the Author
Jessica Gombes is an expert writer on appointment setting and is based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as telephone answering services at Resource Nation.

Improving Customer Experiences – Is It Still Important Or Is Price The Only Thing That Matters?

Steven Teo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:32 +0000

Has the economic downturn minimized the importance of the Customer Experience?
In Chapter 5 of my book, Strategy Activation: How to Turn Your Vision into Marketplace Success, I talk about how important it is to improve your holistic customer experience to differentiate your company from your competitors. As products and services continue down the inexorable path toward commodification, it is the ongoing customer experience that drives customers to choose one vendor over another.
However, in the past two years, as the economic downturn has forced significant changes in customer behavior, many have questioned the importance of the overarching customer experience. These naysayers claim that in tough times price is the only thing that matters. Customers, they say, are more likely to accept a bad experience as long as they are getting a good deal. This perspective, however, is not confirmed by the data.
When Money is Tight, Customers Expect an Even Greater Customer Experience…
The most recent Harris Interactive Customer Experience Impact Report surveyed consumers on how they engage with companies both online and via phone, what they find frustrating, and how negative and positive customer experiences affect them.
They discovered these facts that are startling to most business owners today…
* 87% of the surveyed consumers stopped doing business with an organization or company because of a negative customer experience. That’s up from 68% reported just two years ago.
* Even during tough economic times, the significance of customer experiences does not dwindle. More than half (58%) of consumers polled said they will pay more for a better customer experience during a down economy.
* Consumers stated that the most important thing companies could do to encourage them to spend more is to improve the overall customer experience
So, it’s clear that even when finances are tight, people still value good service.
Why This Study’s Results Are Not Surprising To Me…
When money is easy to come by customers are likely to be more forgiving. Consider this restaurant dining example…
When the economy was booming many couples found themselves dining out twice per week or more. With eight to ten dining-out occasions per month a single bad experience is easily forgotten. However, when belts tighten, monthly dining-out occasions may settle back to just two or three. With fewer opportunities to “splurge” on an evening out couples and families now demand that each experience justifies the expenditure of limited funds. Thus a bad experience like poor service, long wait times and cold food makes a bigger impression and stays with us longer.
Once you have a bad customer experience, you may wait months before you visit that restaurant again – and that’s if you ever go back. Plus, you’ll probably tell your family and friends about your experience. This will make them think twice before they visit that restaurant.
Real Proof That Bad Customer Experience News Travels Far…
A recently published Forrester Research report, “How Customer Experience Drives Word of Mouth” cites:
* Consumers tend to discuss bad experiences with more people than they discuss good ones
* Gen Xers, as a group, tend to tell the most people about a bad experience
* Gen Yers are the chattiest in general. They are more likely to tell someone about a good experience. They are also the most likely to share a bad experience.
So, don’t you think that you should find out right now exactly what your customers are saying about your organization’s performance over the past eighteen months? Have their experiences diminished in the wake of corporate austerity? As we begin to see the recession bottom out, now is the time to explore this issue; to find new ways to improve the customer experience; to ensure that your customers have only good things to say!
About the Author:
Strategy Execution Consultant Scott Glatstein, President of Imperatives LLC turns market opportunities into record breaking profits even in a recession. Now, with his new book, “Strategy Activation: How to Turn Your Vision into Marketplace Success,” Scott unveils his groundbreaking plan for improved customer experiences and higher strategic profits. Get your FREE Sneak Preview at: http://www.strategyactivation.com

Client Loss: Three Types of Women Entrepreneurs, Three Types of Responses

Marcel Sim — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:53:05 +0000

Article Contributed by Michele DeKinder-Smith
How will YOU respond when a customer threatens to leave?
Maybe it will be due to a gap in communication. Maybe it will happen due to increased pricing competition, a poor fit, a service problem, or a new product your competitor creates. Regardless of the cause, every entrepreneur faces the risk of losing customers at some point. But what we know from our research is that it’s very likely different types of women business owners will respond to this challenge in different ways. This article looks at how three of the types will respond to customer loss.
Jane Dough
As we’ve seen Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and makes good money. She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she’s five times more likely than the average female business owner to hit the million dollar mark. Jane Dough is clear in her priorities and may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. It is estimated that 18% of women fall in the category of Jane Dough.
Overall, Jane Dough has a fairly pragmatic, business-minded approach to everything that happens in her business, so when she encounter a problem with a customer loss, she most likely won’t get flustered or panicked. Instead, she may take the attitude, “It’s just a business decision on their part. Customers come and go based on what they need. We have to stay focused on growth and not let this get to us.” In some ways, this pragmatism is very good, because it keeps Jane Dough from becoming distracted by one-off events so she can continue moving toward her big goal – growing a thriving and profitable business.
However, Jane Dough should monitor (or have someone on her team monitor) her company’s on-going customer retention rate. Also, she should have someone take the time to conduct an exit interview, if her departing customer is willing. Why? Because Jane Dough often will delegate work to other people, she may not immediately be aware of a systemic problem in the business. Let’s say, for example, that she starts tracking customer retention and learns that roughly 15% of customers don’t return and half of those are because product delivery takes too long. Jane Dough could work with her team to find ways to address delivery challenges to improve the process and retain more customers. But she’ll only know what to focus company efforts on if she’s tracking the reasons customers leave and the magnitude or rate at which they are leaving.
One other word about Jane Dough – if it turns out that customer defections are happening as a result of something her company has fallen short on, she may be the type of leader to become angry with the person responsible for managing the function where the breakdown occurred. I have seen several Jane Doughs react with a rapid, “Fire them!” mentality, thinking that the problem is the person, not the system. Although there are cases where the problem IS the person, it is also true that systems can be at fault. Before taking extreme personnel action, Jane Dough should carefully dissect the system itself, along with other processes that feed the system, first. This is the better way to understand how and where breakdowns are occurring and prevent the problem from arising again if a new person is hired to do the job.
Accidental Jane
Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.
Because Accidental Jane tends to have started a business based on her personal networks and through referrals, the loss of even a single client may be difficult for her. First, she may worry that she’s let someone down (either the client or the referrer) – and this may cause her to doubt herself or her abilities. Secondly, because Accidental Jane’s business is often dependent on deep relationships and word-of-mouth referrals, she may worry about the negative impact on the future of her business of losing a customer – because each customer may represent a significant chunk of her income.
Accidental Jane would do well to speak with this lost customer herself to understand their reason for departure. Because her relationships are often with personal contacts or strong referrals, she has a fair chance of reclaiming the customer with an open dialog. This may mean changing the way work gets done so that the customer’s needs are better met. But, following this discussion, Accidental Jane should process what she heard with her business mind, not her heart. Sometimes, customers are just a bad fit. Other times, she may make the decision that it’s not worth it to change her process to fit a particular clients’ needs. In the end, even a lost customer can turn into a potential referrer for Accidental Jane if these discussions are held in an open, honest manner where both sides walk away with renewed respect for each other, even if they have “agreed to disagree.”
Secondly, a lost customer should always serve to remind Accidental Jane to not put all her eggs in one basket but instead to keep her eye always scanning the horizon for potential new customers. Therefore, it may behoove her to develop specific marketing systems (such as email newsletters, systematized referral programs, affiliate networks, etc.) to help her continue building a steady list of prospective customers, even if she has no plan to work with them in the immediate future.
Tenacity Jane
Tenacity Jane is an entrepreneur with an undeniable passion for her business, but who tends to be struggling with cash flow concerns. As a result, she’s working long hours, and making less money than she’d prefer. Nevertheless, Tenacity Jane is bound and determined to make her business a success. At 31% of women in business, Tenacity Janes are the largest single Jane type.
Because Tenacity Jane already tends to be struggling with cash flow, the loss of a client may be a substantial source of stress to her. She may wind up feeling that she needs to work even harder to gain and keep her clients. She may find the experience discouraging and not be certain what to do about it.
As with Jane Dough and Accidental Jane, Tenacity Jane would do well to speak with the lost customer candidly about what went wrong. Rather than doing so in an effort to “rescue” the customer, however, she should interview with her ears listening for the truths she can learn about her business. She should look for the clues that may help her understand why her business is not currently delivering the income she desires. Are there competitive pricing issues? If so, Tenacity Jane needs to understand how her competitors are able to deliver at a lower cost. Are there product, service, quality or delivery problems? If so, Tenacity Jane should listen carefully for opportunities to make improvements within the business itself. Is there a breakdown in communication such that customers expect something different than what is actually delivered? If so, Tenacity Jane should revisit her marketing and communication materials to see if they need to be clarified. In short, a lost customer can be a wonderful learning opportunity that provides the exact information to help Tenacity Jane’s entire business improve.
Next week, we’ll continue this article by looking at how Go Jane Go and Merry Jane would handle this issue.
Interested in learning more about the five Jane types? Check out www.janeoutofthebox.com
About the Author
Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com

Forget Customer Service – Think Relationship Management

Abe WalkingBear Sanchez — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:46:03 +0000

“Wisdom is the integration of thought and analysis based on accumulated experience.” – Elkhonon Goldberg

Improvement starts with acceptance that a business doesn’t have to be sick in order to get better.
Some years ago the CEO of a 3rd generation manufacturing company asked that I conduct an evaluation of his credit operation. The company was expanding into Europe and with the expansion came greater demands on the ability to extend credit and cash flow. Following breakfast at my hotel the CEO and I drove out to the factory and administrative offices. On the
drive out the CEO continued the story he’d started over breakfast. His grandfather and father had built the business and now he and his brother, who was the VP of sales, were trying to take the company to the next level in growth.
We parked in the back of the building and as we walked through the production area on the way to the administrative offices, we must have passed by at least 20 production people…and there was silence. Not one of the employees we encountered said good morning, hello boss or even nodded…and neither did the CEO.
We met with the CFO, the Credit Manager, the Customer Service Manager, and the A/R and A/P Managers…all women. The brother, he’d stuck his head into the room and then disappeared.
I’d ask a question of the group and as one of the women would start to answer the CEO would butt in…soon the women shut up and the only voices heard were mine and the CEO’s. After I broke up the meeting I went to each member of the group individually to ask my questions.
On the way to the airport the CEO and I stopped for lunch and he wanted to know what I thought needed to be done. I told him that his people were approaching credit and A/R management in an old an out of date risk management way…like many other companies. I told him that I had an associate who in a week’s time could train his staff on our “profit” approach and that he could help organize and document the knowledge needed to ensure proper implementation.
The company president asked why I wouldn’t be doing the training, and I said to him, “I don’t like you.”
The man was shocked. “Why don’t you like me?”, he asked. I was hoping he’d ask and I said to him, “All the production people we passed were brown or black and you didn’t greet any of them and on their part they looked away from us. All the people in the front office are white and every time one of the women in our meeting tried to say something you cut them off as if what they had to say was of no value.” I went on, “I don’t have to look at any numbers to know that you have a high absentee and turn over rate. Morale is bad because the employees don’t like you and that leads to poor productivity and poor work quality. If you want to expand to Europe
you better know that those folks expect quality.”
All was quiet for a few minutes and I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to catch a taxi to the airport, and then he said, “You’re right , we keep retraining new people and we’ve had a big problem with quality and with employees stealing from us. My father and grandfather were loved by the employees and they would do anything for them but neither my brother nor I seem to have that ability.” We drove to the airport in silence.
In my follow up report I suggested to the CEO that he and his brother find themselves a GM (general manager) who liked people and wanted to be liked in return. To his credit they found such a person and things got better, he also had my associate out for the week.
The Point

Great Customer Service starts with great Employee Relationship Management. It Will Make You or Break You

Marvin Minsky in his book , “Society of Mind” says that the human mind is made up of thousands of learned agents/programs none of which on their own define the mind, but collectively they make up the mind. Every business and organization, including government, is a collection of people and none on their own, including the CEO, define the organization but collectively they are the company/organization.
Three Areas of Relationship Management
1. Employees. The highest priority is good relations with employees because if they are unhappy your customers better look out. An old friend once said to me, “If mama ain’t happy no one’s happy.”
2. Vendors/Suppliers. Vendors are critical to your success and if you disrespect and abuse them they’ll get even, and the word (buzz) will get out on your company and then others will demand a higher price to work with you,… if they‘ll work with you at all.
3. Customers. You might be able to get away with abusing consumers because so many businesses do, because they have short memories and because there’s a lot of them and more on the way. Business/commercial customers are fewer in number and they have generational memory. Get on the wrong side of a business customer and you find that long after the reason is forgotten the bad taste lingers on.
In Closing
In human society all real meaningful change comes from the masses. Institutions fight change even if it’s an improvement. James Russell Lowell wrote, “He who is firmly seated in authority soon learns to think security (their own) and not progress.”
In a business change must come from the management team. Business managers need to take time to seek out improvement or they’ll get lost in the day to day details.
It’s up to the top managers to be leaders and set the example of what great relationship management looks like, sounds like and feels like…and if they can’t do it they need to get help.
Abe WalkingBear Sanchez is an International Speaker / Trainer / Consultant on the subject of cash flow / sales enhancement and business knowledge organization and use. Founder and President of www.armg-usa.com, WalkingBear has authored hundreds of business articles, has worked with numerous companies in a wide range of industries since 1982 and has spoken at many venues including the Shakespeare Globe Theater in London.

That’s Telemarketing? A guide to inbound services

Merrin Muxlow — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:24 +0000

Almost everyone associates the telemarketing industry with outbound call centers. You know, the gigantic room full of people with headsets on, “cold calling” customers to make sales, generate leads, or collect information for surveys. There’s another kind of telemarketing, though- think customer service 1-800 numbers, customer help desks, or order processing over the phone. Inbound telemarketing is becoming a popular way to outsource processes that businesses might not have the staff capacity to handle. Here are a few ways you can use inbound telemarketing to benefit your business:
Order Processing
Inbound call centers can take customer orders over the phone and even process sales when customers pay with credit cards. Any business with time restrictions, such as those whose employees only work during business hours, can take advantage of this extended availability- the more you’re available to customers, the more sales you’ll make. You can also use inbound call centers for order processing for their language capabilities. While you might not have the resources to hire sales representatives that speak Spanish, Japanese, or Tagalog, an inbound call center does- this allows you to reach and communicate with more potential customers in a language they’re comfortable speaking.
24/7 Customer Service
If your employees can’t be available for customers at all hours of the day, inbound telemarketing offers a solution. Many businesses assign a 1-800 number to a telemarketing firm for in order to give customers around the clock access. Businesses like banks, hotels, and insurance companies that need to provide constant access use inbound telemarketing companies to fill the gaps when their own employees aren’t available to answer questions, fix billing errors, or file claim reports. If your company could benefit from offering 24/7 support to customers, telemarketing is an option you should consider.
Helpdesk and Customer Support
If you sell a technical product, such as software, it can be a good idea to use dedicated telephone service representatives- telemarketing company employees trained by your business that only answer calls on behalf of your company- rather than employing a full-time helpdesk employee as a member of your own staff. You can also reach more customers- telemarketing companies keep longer hours, employ representatives with different language capabilities, and are able to stay open to customers in different time zones more easily.
Lead Generation and Appointment Setting
Inbound telemarketing is often used for lead generation and appointment setting. You can direct sales leads to call the telemarketing company directly to set up a sales appointment, or gather sales lead information when customers place calls for more information about your products or services.
Inbound call centers can be used for several purposes in addition to those mentioned above. Inbound call centers can assist with promotional contests (such as radio call-ins) can help collect survey or donation information, or for any other service you can think of that might benefit your business. It’s always a good idea to speak with at least a few different companies before making a decision about which company to choose.

How to Thrive in a Recession

Brandt Smith — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:00:03 +0000

Every time I turn on the news I feel like screaming. I am sick and tired of hearing about how bad the economy is. Unemployment is up and is only going to get worse. Banks are in trouble and going under. Real estate is a mess and there is no end in sight. Major corporations are going bankrupt – heck, even the big three automakers may go under.
I hear about how this is the next great depression. I hear about the collapse of the dollar, the collapse of the western world, and the end of society as we know it.
It Isn’t As Bad As It Sounds
The sad part is that it isn’t all that bad. Yes the economy stinks, but this is only when compared to the amazing boom we experienced in the last decade. Companies have been able to go after the low hanging fruit-heck, there was more lying on the ground than you could pick up!
Just because the ground isn’t littered with business anymore doesn’t mean that there isn’t business out there. You just have to work for it. And the past decade of easy business means that most companies have not made the connections and built relationships. Now they pay the price.
And at the end of the day, now is the time where entrepreneurs can really shine.
No, I’m not crazy. Think about what a true entrepreneur does.

He connects with his customer
identifies his needs and problems
then creates products and services to fill those needs or problems

In other words, he gets paid to solve problems
Now more than ever companies are in trouble. Your customer desperately needs you. No, he isn’t spending indiscriminately. But if you solve his problem and help him survive (or thrive) in this downturn he will be your customer for life. And you solve your “slow business” problem at the same time. Only an entrepreneur can do this, and you finally have an advantage over larger companies.
Simple, but Hard to Do
This is a simple concept that is hard to do. I’ve written several articles that are aimed at this:

Recessionproof your sales
How to Thrive in a Recession
How to Thrive in a Recession – Ignore the News
How to Thrive in a Recession – It’s All About the Customer
How to Thrive in a Recession – Working for Someone Else

Brandt Smith is a sales, marketing, public speaking, and professional development expert. Learn about achieving wealth and life balance through entrepreneurship at Wealth and Wisdom, where he is cofounder and senior editor. Their advice on wealth building, personal development, and life balance can help take you to the next level. You can also read more of his thoughts on his blog.

Making the Most of your Online Marketing Efforts

Merrin Muxlow — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:58 +0000

If you’re starting a business right now, marketing can be one of the first efforts to take a hit. After all, why should you market products aggressively to customers who aren’t ready to spend?
Cutting back on marketing efforts right now is actually a pretty risky move- studies show that companies who increased or maintained marketing budgets during lean times are rewarded with more sales as the economy begins to pick back up. According to McGraw-Hill research, companies who increased or did not change marketing budgets during the ’81-’82 recession saw significantly higher sales growth within five years- over twice as much as those companies that chose to cut back.
So how do you design and implement an online interactive marketing strategy on a shoestring budget? What can you save on when contracting for services? Here’s a quick primer on choosing an online marketing company and forming the contract you want- at a price that’s within your budget.
Evaluate your requirements.
Do you already employ online marketing strategies such as email blasts, customer follow-up emails, or search optimization strategies? If you’re already working with an online marketing firm and are unhappy with the services you’re receiving, the price you’re paying, or both, figure out exactly what you need before you switch or begin to negotiate. Do you want to build relationships, increase brand visibility among certain customer groups, or stay in touch with existing clients? Evaluate your needs before choosing- or choosing to stay with- a company: List the services you want and how much you’re willing to pay.
Re-negotiate.
If your current online marketing firm is meeting your needs, you can still negotiate on price. Most of the time, this means contracting for additional services or a longer term- a better deal in the long run if you’re working with a reputable company. You may be able to get discounted services simply by asking, especially if your contract is about to expire. Trying to re-negotiate your existing contract- if you have one- is a step you should take before looking for a new provider.
Use smart bargaining tactics.
If you’ve narrowed down the field of providers to a few worthy contenders, try to negotiate with each to get the best deal for services. Most vendors are a bit more flexible and open to bargaining near the end of the month or the end of a sales quarter. You can ask for more services, an extended agreement, a payment plan, or any other compromise that reduces your out-of-pocket-cost. Up-front payments (retainers) are usually not negotiable- most vendors will require some monetary outlay before beginning work.
Get a written estimate or service quote.
These usually serve as previews for the final contract. It should be specific, but not too specific- it can be a good idea to split projects into phases if you’re using several different strategies. You should have access to all necessary information (graphics, advertising agreements, affiliate information) in the event that you ever decide to use a different company for later efforts. Make sure that you compare several different service quotes to get an idea of the “going rate” for services- this places you in a better position to negotiate.
Make sure you can track efforts.
Make sure you know how results are tracked. Will you be able to monitor key information (web traffic, conversions, etc.) yourself? Make sure you know how results of the marketing strategy will be measured.
Online marketing is one of the most effective methods of sales generation. Make sure you shop around for a company, compare price quotes, and ask for references. A good firm won’t ever “guarantee” a certain search engine result or output, but will be able to accurately track the results of their efforts. Spending on marketing is effectively investing in future sales- make sure you invest wisely.
Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

Leveraging Your CRM System to expand your Client Relationships

Marcel Sim — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:25 +0000

Article by Ronald Lang, the CEO of Majestic Consulting Group. He offers readers simple recommendations for leveraging your CRM system to maximize your client base. His insights help both product and service-based organizations discover new revenue opportunities.
A critical part of building your CRM strategic plan should be an effective “Customer Profile” to identify up-sell and cross-sell opportunities. While new customers come at an extreme premium today with longer sales cycles, existing clients would be more receptive to hear your offerings, especially if it can be a positive impact to their business. Take the following three recommendations if your business is primarily a product-based sales operation:
1. Are there products you have sold to a client in the last three years that have new accessories or a new model (or discontinuation of the current model)? – if so, this is a golden opportunity to setup a presentation with the client.
2. Do you have service-level agreements (SLA) with your clients? This is an opportunity for you to strengthen your relationships with your client prior to the SLA’s coming due. Reinforce your support commitment, response time and quality assurance. The SLA coverage information should be tracked in your CRM system.
3. Do you have your clients organizations mapped out? Meaning, if you have done well selling into one or more areas of the organization, it is time to map out the rest of the organization and key contacts with each department or division. Connect with each of them and/or get referrals and introductions from the current contacts you are doing business with above general satisfaction levels. Your CRM system should be able to track hierarchy and organization charts of your clientele.
Take the following three recommendations if your business is primarily a service-based sales operation:
1. Have you done a customer survey lately of how satisfied your clients are with your services? If not, put together a 4-7 question survey that should take more than 5 minutes to complete. The questions should focus on the quality of service you are providing. You might want to ask about other services they may require. Track this in their CRM customer profile and target a campaign around their needs. If the client is not happy, make a call with your manager or CEO to the client within 24-48 hours.
2. Are your customers using competitive services along with yours? If so, find out how happy they are with them and see if there is an opportunity to win that business. If they have a contract, find out when it expires and track that with a reminder. Also have an automated report sent to you when expiring competitive contracts the first week of every month. This is a strategy to win more business without trying to pitch your services on a frequent basis.
3. If you offer services that your clients use frequently (i.e. weekly, monthly, etc.) look to offer them a services agreement for a year at a discounted rate. This will provide you predictability and consistency over the next 12 months. If the client calls frequently now, a schedule can be constructed or a block of time can be pre-purchased as part of this annual agreement. This will also help with resource planning. The CRM system can track this contract, hours against it on a monthly basis and most importantly profitability.
These are just a few simple recommendations to leverage your CRM system to maximize your client base.
Contact Info: Ronald Lang, CEO – Majestic Consulting Group, Inc. – rlang@majestictechnology.com – (888)403-9400

Top 10 Reasons Volunteering Can Help You Grow Your Business

Michelle Ulrich — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:47 +0000

This article is contributed by Michelle Ulrich.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” by Margaret Mead
Here is a list of my Top 10 Reasons Volunteering Can Help You Grow Your Business:
1. Volunteering helps you find your place in the community, whether online or in person, especially if you are “the new kid on the block.”
2. Volunteering facilitates many new learning opportunities. This occurs through mentoring or just being around others who share your passion or interests.
3. Volunteering fosters new relationships and builds on existing ones.
4. Volunteering can be a great opportunity to try out new skills or hone existing ones.
5. Volunteering gives you a sense of giving service; studies have found this to be very healthy for our brains, our overall health and our psyche (soul).
6. Volunteering creates opportunities for you to be on ‘ground zero’ of your community or industry.
7. Volunteering builds self-confidence and great potential for leadership building opportunities.
8. Volunteering can lead to business opportunities as most people like to do business with people they know and trust.
9. Volunteering is an important value we can teach our children. We can also act as role models for those in need. You may be the reason they give back and volunteer when they are ready.
10. Volunteering is a way to share your knowledge with others as others before you have passed down history and traditions from one generation to the next.
When you are in a rut, need some help or want to impart your knowledge to others, find a community (online or offline) and get involved. It won’t feel so lonely, your questions will be answered and you can pass down your legacy to share with others. Besides, it’s good for your health and well-being.
P.S. Volunteering can be a great way to ‘pay it forward.’ I have seen commercials where one person is having a horrible day and takes it out on someone else, and then the next person takes it out on the next and so on. If we turn that around and perform random acts of kindness via volunteering in our communities, what an incredible and beautiful synergy we can pass on to others. We can affect our communities with one single act. Imagine if everyone pitched in and volunteered for something…what a peaceful and happy planet this would be!

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members. Education is the foundation of her organization as well as for her own personal and professional development. Michelle has been a community college instructor teaching a Virtual Assistant certificate program online. Aside from coaching and teaching, she is also a speaker and soon-to-be author on the subject of Virtual Assistance. She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific Time zone.