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Feb 07 2017

Understanding Frame of Reference

Marshall McLuhan is famous for the saying “the medium is the message.” This is essentially the concept that the chosen method of conveying a message, in fact influences how that message is received.  As an example, an artist, in choosing to either talk or write about their art, potentially influences how others then perceive it.  Also on the topic of communication, Tony Robbins once said “to effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communications with others.” Finally, in considering effective communications techniques, Libby Larsen suggests; “The great myth of our times is that technology is communication.” So, what does each of these quotes have to do with communications from a business perspective? I believe that as entrepreneurs, it is imperative that we understand the Frame of Reference of our intended audience and are respectful of it at all times. Understanding F.O.R. ensures that:

  • You choose appropriate communication mediums to convey your message.
  • You have a clear understanding of your customer in order to address them in a manner that reflects their experiences with the world.
  • You recognize that while technology is important, you also understand that it’s not the only way of communicating with your target audience.

What is F.O.R.? Specifically, frame of reference has to do with how each of us experiences the world around us and how that influences both our understanding and our perspective of it. Our frame of reference is influenced by any number of things including:

  • Upbringing
  • Cultural background
  • Access to education
  • Gender
  • Religious affiliation and more….

 

All of these factors influence how we both give and receive information and therefore it’s imperative that you know and understand your target audience F.O.R. when considering how you will communicate with them.  Whether you are talking to a customer in person, communicating through email, creating website content or even planning a presentation, understanding their F.O.R. will help you tailor your message appropriately. Therefore, conducting research into your ideal client/target audience and how to share information with them just makes good business sense.

In addition, you must consider these other contributing factors when you will be communicating with your customer in person. They are:

  • Body language (open/closed)
  • Posture
  • Personal space
  • Eye contact

Each of these will also impact your chosen communication style. How? As just one example, consider this: In North America it is generally perceived that looking someone directly in the eye is a sign of telling the truth. In many other countries this action would be perceived as disrespectful and instead, downcast eyes are viewed as a sign of respect. Knowing your audience F.O.R. will prevent a potentially business ending gaffe.

Finally, when crafting your main message to customers you might also want to think about whether there are any language barriers and be wary of using too much industry specific jargon. It’s great that you are a subject matter expert but sometimes tossing around those big fancy words is neither necessary nor helpful to your target audience. Use these cautions even when considering how and when you use technology and when determining what methods of technology you might employ. Sometimes, technology can get in the way of effective communication because nuance, tone and facial/body language cues are all missing. To that end, consider whether your message makes more sense delivered in person vs. electronically.

Understanding the F.O.R. of your audience will contribute significantly to the successful communication of your message. It’s a lot to consider. Make sure your communications are carefully crafted, not from your perspective but from that of your audience. If you’ve done the research and taken the time to determine your ideal client, tailoring a message specifically to them shouldn’t then require a great deal of additional effort.

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Sheralyn Roman · Tagged: body language, communication, cultural intelligence, Customer, Frame of Reference, Libby Larsen, Marshall McLuhan, posture, Sheraly Roman, target audience, the medium is the message, Tony Robbins, Writing Right For You

Jan 24 2017

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.

Connect with Jacqueline

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Email

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Jacqueline Hunter · Tagged: 9 steps, connect, Customer, expert, follow up, hand written, information, perfect customer, personal, sale, special occasion

Feb 27 2015

This may be the missing piece to making more money and having more fun in your business!

Uchechi

You often hear that clarity is king when it comes to growing and building your business; and I couldn’t agree more. If you want to make more money and attract ideal customers, then you need to be clear on who they are.

If you’ve taken any marketing programs, then you would’ve come across the concept of Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA). The work of getting ‘inside the skin’ of your ICA is one many business owners find difficult to do. However, getting to know them at this level allows you to really hone in on those you want to work with.

Customer clarity helps you attract those who need and value your products and services the most. They are also more fun to work with. When you start to market your business without this clarity, you often attract people who are not the best fit for your business. Business is hard enough without you working with the wrong people.

Another important part of knowing your ICA is that it helps you better market your business and communicate to them in a way they understand. Get to know what issues and concerns your ideal customers have, and how your business solves them. What need do they have, that you’re able to fill? Understanding your customers is key to growing them, because you are then able to tailor your products and services to solve their needs.

A major mistake many business owners make is not using the same language their customer use to describe their concerns. The ‘language’ is the words your customers use to describe their wants, needs and desires? These are the same words you should be using in your marketing materials. Oftentimes as business owners, we tend to speak as if we’re speaking to our colleagues, and our customers may not get it. You need to use the same words they use to describe the problems and solutions they’re looking for. This allows your ideal customers to understand the value of what you have to offer.

An example I gave at a recent workshop on this topic was a personal trainer who used the word “functional exercises” in her marketing material. When I asked what that was, I was told, ‘it’s exercises that maximizes your time so your burn more calories in less time.’ I then said, use that in your copy! Instead of saying ‘functional exercise’ (which the majority of her target customers will not know what that means), she should have said something like; “burn more calories in half the time’.

When getting clear on your ICA, you really need to dig deep and understand what is happening in their world. What are the biggest frustrations they’re looking for solutions to? Overall, it’s important to answer the following questions:

  • Who is my customer?
  • What does my customer need?
  • How can I serve them?

You also need to find out where your ideal customers are. What websites do they frequently visit? What blogs do they read? What groups do they belong to on Facebook? When you have this information, you can then go where they are and offer valuable resources to them (I.e. guest blog, joining the FB group and contributing etc.). Build up your know, like and trust factor and strengthen your relationship with them. It is through this connection that you are able to form lasting relationships. This relationship will lead them to know you’re the obvious choice for them. When you’re able to master this, you’ll be well on your way to making more money and having more fun in your business.

Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse is a Business & Lifestyle Strategist, Speaker and Writer, but most importantly, a proud Mother and Wife. Uchechi is Founder of My Empowered Living (http://www.myempoweredliving.com) a website aimed at helping women shift their mindset and live their passion! Whether it’s starting and building their dream business, or helping them create a lifestyle they crave, Uchechi is the modern woman’s secret to success! Visit Uchechi at www.myempoweredliving.com to get her FREE online video training series The 4 Keys to your Business Success! This free 4-day business training reveals her 4 key strategies needed to build a profitable and successful business, and how to put them to work in your business!

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse · Tagged: business, business owners, Business Woman, Canadian Small Business Women, Customer, customer clarity, customer need, functional exercise, ICA, Ideal Customer Avatar, make money, marketing, missing piece, My Empowered Living, relationship, small business development, Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse, value, Workshop, your business

Oct 23 2014

How good is your Customer Service?

Martina New

 

We all know “The customer is King”. What are YOU doing to make your customers feel like Kings and Queens, and wanting to come back to you again and again? After all, customers are our businesses’ life-blood.

During a recent workshop by Jayne Huhtanen, of FocalPoint Coaching of Toronto, attendees learned how to propel their customer service to a whole new level. But first things first:

 

Why is good customer service so important?

An unhappy customer is a company’s worst enemy! They can undermine and damage your reputation, whether justified or not. With today’s Internet based news feeds and social media it doesn’t take much to dish the dirt on any business via Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. We know we can’t please everybody all the time, yet it is important to keep our customers happy (or at least satisfied enough not to campaign against our business).

Jayne sees customer service as four key areas: Service, Satisfaction, Staying, and Success.  Firstly, you want to provide not just good but amazing customer service, with which you hope to reach or exceed customer satisfaction.  In turn, that will lead to customers staying with you as a repeat client and contributing to your success. For most companies, 80% of business comes from 20% of clientele, so repeat clients are essential.

Providing excellent customer service and satisfaction requires knowing each customer`s wants and needs, and what their expectations are in terms of your product or service. One way to find out is by simply asking directly, getting brief feedback forms, or conducting customer satisfaction surveys.

One such method is the Net Promoter Score (NPS), which uses just one basic question: How likely is it that you [the customer] would recommend this company to a friend or colleague?  The resulting scores fall into one of three categories:

  • Promoters (rating you 9-10  in customer service, with 10 being exceptional): loyal enthusiasts, who will keep buying, and referring others;
  • Passives (rating you 7-8): satisfied but unenthusiastic customers, vulnerable to competitors; and,
  • Detractors (rating you 0-6): unhappy customers, who can damage your brand and hinder growth.

To turn your customers into promoters, there are five levels of customer service:

  1. Meet expectations: The bare minimum of service, not getting major complaints but also no loyalty; failure to meet expectations even once is seen as reason to leave; customers gladly switch to a competitor who wows them with a lower price and/or better service.
  2. Exceed expectations: Building customer loyalty; may lead to increased profitability; customers willing to pay more for this better service; helps avoid the Law of Diminishing Intentions, i.e. customers going elsewhere.
  3. Delight customers: Touching customers on an emotional/personal level; this increases client retention; showing them you truly care; makes it hard for competitors to pull them away.
  4. Amaze customers: Propels your business to a whole new level; you treat your customers better than gold; your amazed customers are keen to actively refer you.
  5. Not meeting expectations:  Not meeting customer expectations unintentionally or maybe intentionally because you’re trying to get rid of a ‘bad customer’ who is never satisfied regardless of the level of service; this customer and you are just not a good fit.

Here are just a few of the things you can do for good to excellent customer service: Always follow-up, offer help and solutions immediately, provide incentives or compensation, have personal interaction (by telephone or in person), be accountable, send hand-written thank you cards to repeat or major clients or small appreciation gift, hold client appreciation event, and offer finder’s fee for referrals.

We each have our own style, of course, and what makes working with us special. Importantly, always be friendly, sincere, and over-deliver, then as long as your product or service is top-notch, you should have no problem delighting and retaining your customers!

Sources:

  • Jayne Huhtanen, FocalPoint Coaching of Toronto, http://jaynehuhtanen.focalpointcoaching.com/
  • Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity, by Stacey Hall and Jan Brogniez, Barnes & Noble Publishing
  • The Power of Strategic Synchronicity explained:  https://s3.amazonaws.com/bml/pdf/attractingcustomers.pdf
  • Net Promoter Score (NPS), http://www.netpromoter.com/why-net-promoter/know/

Martina Rowley is the founder and operator of Beach Business Hub – THE co-working space east of the Don Valley. She combined her passion and experience in the environmental sector with her community engagement side to create a local work environment where space and resources are shared. She fosters and facilitates collaboration, networking, and learning for and with small business owners and new start-ups. Contact her at:http://www.beachbusinesshub.ca, on Facebook and on Twitter

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Martina Rowley · Tagged: amaze, Attracting Perfect Customers, Beach Business Hub, business development, Canadian Small Business Women, Customer, customer service, Detractors, entrepreneur, expectations, Facebook, Focal Point Coaching of Toronto, Jan Brogniez, Jayne Huhtanen, Kings, Net Promoter Score, NPS, Passives, Promoters, Queens, Satisfaction, service, small business, small business development, Stacey Hall, Staying, success, The Power of Strategic Synchranicity

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