Canadian Small Business Women

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9 Steps to Creating a Perfect Customer

You made a sale – congratulations.  Before you hand the customer their purchase, make sure you have the tools to effectively contact the customer again.  Get your customer’s information!

Customers buy from people they like, know and trust.  The customer already likes your product (and hopefully you).  Step back and get to know your customer, so they will trust you and come back for more.   Did you know that your BEST customer is an EXISTING client.

Here are 9 simple ways you can create a perfect customer, build a relationship and keep them coming back for more.

DURING THE SALE

1) Get their information:  Ask for their email address

2) Get their information:  Ask for their mailing address (you’ll find out why … see point 6)

3) Get their information:  ask for their birthday (see point 7)

4) Note their purchase (listen):  write a note for yourself (Ms. Smith, purple necklace for her sister)

AFTER THE SALE

5) Follow-up and make it personal.  It takes 30 seconds, and will make your customer feel good (and potentially come back for more).

Hi Ms. Smith.

Thanks for stopping by my booth today at the Made by Hand Show.  I hope your sister loves the purple necklace as much as you do. 

Sincerely

Sarah

6) send a handwritten thank-you… our mailboxes are full of bills – treat your customer to a hand-written card.  A short simple note is perfect.

MONTHS after the sale:

7) You know your customer’s birthday … and send them something special on their birthday.  This could be months from when you initially met them, but this little interaction will keep you fresh in their minds.

8) Be an expert.  You have their information, send them something interesting.  Trending colours, new jewellery techniques.  Maybe even a how-to or DIY.

9) Special Occasions.  Remember your customers year-round.  Mother’s Day is coming up … what a perfect chance to wish your customers a Happy Mother’s Day, or send a sample or gift.

Written by Jacqueline Hunter (Show Director, Made by Hand Shows)

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Jacqueline Hunter is the Director at Craftadian. In addition to hosting annual Craftadian Handmade Markets, Jacqueline is a resource for Handmade Business owners by offering online courses, work shops and support. She showcases, supports and promotes Canadian artists, artisans and designers.

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5 signs success is on the way

sandra

Clients often come to me struggling to stay focused on their goals. They don’t feel like their making real progress on their goals and often feel like they’re spinning their wheels in mud. It’s easy to beat ourselves up about things – we can be our own worst critic at times. You might not be exactly where you want to be. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t making progress, or that the goal isn’t possible. Here are 5 signs you are making progress towards your goals:

  1. You’re taking daily action towards specific targets

This is really the only way you’re going to make any progress on your goals. If you have goals, but you’re not actually doing anything to make them happen, what are you waiting for? You can visualize and affirm all you want, but you actually have to get out there and do things if your goal is going to become a reality.

  1. You’re meeting the right people and connecting with the right resources

When you make the commitment to your goals, the universe conspires with you to make them a reality. I know this to be a fact. When you stop talking about what you want to do and actually start doing it, the right resources and connections will be made to take you to the next phase. The key with this is to keep an open mind and stay focused on the end goal rather than worrying about how it will all come together.

  1. You’ve encountered obstacles, and overcome them

When you can remain committed to your goal regardless of the challenges, you’re well on your way! Persistence pays off. When you want something bad enough, nothing can discourage you or make you believe that it isn’t possible. You’ve got the mental tenacity to make it to the finish line. This is one of the most important ingredients to anyone’s success!

  1. You’re constantly adjusting the plan

This one ties in with #2 and #3. When you have an open mind and the right people and resources are finding their way to you, you have more information that allows you to fine tune the plan. When you encounter obstacles in your plan, instead of giving up, you look for alternate paths to make your goal happen. When you’re monitoring your progress on a regular basis, adjustments happen naturally.

  1. You’re even more excited about the goal than when you started

As the light at the end of the tunnel begins to shine brighter, you’re bound to get even more excited about your goal. It’s moving from a simple idea to an actual reality! I don’t know about you, but it really doesn’t get any better than that! You know that the blood, sweat and tears were all worth it, and you’re not afraid if you have to give a little bit more to make it all happen. Ride that momentum to the finish line!

Any goal worth achieving takes time to unfold into reality. Little steps, daily action and a focused mindset are just a few of the tools that are going to bring you that much closer to realizing your dreams. Celebrate your accomplishments, keep an open mind, stay focused on the goal and watch the magic happen!

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution. She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect:

www.embraceyourdestiny.ca

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook

www.twitter.com/sandradawes

Public Relations 101: What is it and what can it do for your business

CHuntly

Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to break into your industry or you are an established business of any size, your success is largely dependent on your reputation. Many different types of people can have an effect on your reputation such as customers, suppliers, employees and journalists. Their opinions of your business – good or bad – will affect the opinions of others.

Public Relations (PR) is part of your marketing strategy that focuses on managing your reputation through effective communication of your organizational message. It is the art of building and maintaining positive relationships and brand awareness in the public eye (AKA your target audience).

Simply put, PR is your strategy for getting your message – your story – out to your audiences. It is all about engaging your target audience(s) by connecting with them in some way. It should be complementary to your overall marketing and outreach strategies.

6 Key Factors of PR

  1. Media Relations: Building relationships with the media and other influencers with the goal of attaining editorial coverage (Not paid for). If you have ever read a story about one of your favourite brands, the latest celebrity gossip, or even a story about a politician, business owner, or prominent individual, chances are someone pitched that story angle to the media and they thought it was interesting enough to write about.
  2. Special Events/Experiential: Designed for both public and media outreach, these events usually have brand experience and/or informational components.
  3. Content Generation: Writing blogs and bylined articles both for your organization’s website as well as for other websites and publications is a great way to control your message.
  4. Industry/Competitive audits: Audits (research) will determine the best positioning for your organizational message in terms of making it stand out from your competitors.
  5. Crisis Strategies: As hard as you might try to maintain a positive image in the public eye, sometimes things go wrong. It could be a huge product recall, and it could be something as “small” as an internet troll leaving negative comments on your blogs. Having a crisis strategy in place before it happens is your best bet so you know exactly how to deal with it.
  6. Social Media: This is where there is a definite crossover with the rest of your marketing strategy. You need to make sure the messaging you are putting out on your social media channels fits with the rest of your outreach. It’s a great way to promote your story. It’s also a great way to showcase content across different mediums.

Why Your Business Needs PR

Your business would not go anywhere without some sort of customer, end user, network, or community of fans, which is why you need PR. You need to be able to reach them with your message.

PR helps your business to:

  • Connect with your target audience both through direct channels and infuencer touchpoints (working through people, media, and celebrities who influence your target audience).
  • Package your brand story for maximum effectiveness. A good PR strategy will create a foundation for your business to build its outreach and growth strategy.
  • Get your brand and organizational story in the public eye on your own terms (ie. You have some control of the messaging that is out there).
  • Define its voice. Your business is so much more than a brand name and a website. It has character, values, and purpose.
  • Utilize a variety of outreach channels so you can tailor your strategy to your budget and your organizational culture.

Maintaining a strong presence on multiple channels while reaching your target audience is priceless when it comes to building a business. Most people think the cost of running a successful PR strategy will be too much, but there are ways to work within any budget. Your reputation and business success depend on it.

Candace Huntly is the Founder and Principal at SongBird Marketing Communications, an agency working to take organizational and individual brands to the next level. With a passion for all things related to creativity and strategy, she specializes in business intelligence, marketing & branding, content strategy & development, media & influencer relations, and social media. Basically, if you need to put your brand, product, or cause in the public eye, she will find a way to do it, while making it unique to you.

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