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Client Relationship Management Software – Get It, Use It, Integrate It

Maybe you have heard businesses refer to the acronym “CRM”.  Maybe you even know what it means, but do you really know what it means to have Client Relationship Management software? Let’s break it down:

Managing client relationships is the first step in any business and has been since the first business was opened. Although, today’s business world offers more opportunities to connect with customers near and far, it is often overlooked more than ever before. It’s easy to become disassociated with our customers when we don’t meet them face-to-face, which is why utilizing a good CRM software is vital to your businesses success.  

Building a Local Search Strategy

Do you need more foot traffic? If so, a local search strategy is for you. Simply advertising through the traditional medium is no longer the smartest or best strategy. Today you need a good mix of local advertising, an online presence that functions both globally and locally. When is the last time you used a phone book…yeah, I don’t know either.

Thank You 2.0

This time of year and gratitude seem to go hand-in-hand. As business people we reflect on the past year’s sales and all our clients throughout the year. It’s important to let them know how much you appreciate them by a simple “thank-you.” I watched a TED talk video by Dr. Laura Trice a while back about the power of praise, admiration and saying thank-you. She had two main points regarding this topic (https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_trice_suggests_we_all_say_thank_you/up-next).

Her first point was that most of us really do want to hear someone thank us. Not that we need a flashing billboard in our honor, but being appreciate is one of those things that motivates us and a little can go a long way. Secondly, she says we need to make it clear when we want to be appreciated. You know as well as I do that our customers use their “voice” in this area by not doing business with us anymore. How many times have you left a situation because you felt underappreciated?

Are You Digitally Ready for the Holidays?

Many businesses assume that just because they’re not in the retail business that they don’t need to plan for the holidays. The fact of the matter is that it’s possible for all businesses to take full advantage of the holidays. While you may not see the dramatic spike in sales as the traditional retailer, you can capitalize on the most wonderful time of year. For example, my family is in the new residential construction business and people aren’t exactly sleeping in tents outside our office on Black Friday. Actually, I would be willing to bet that building a new home is probably at the very bottom of their list when they’re checking the Target ads.

Distribution Materials

How many of you miss the 4,000 daily postcards you received during the last election? Yeah, I don’t either. Now, when we’re talking about distribution materials, please don’t think about the last political campaign! Although, you must admit, political campaigns spend thousands observing their target audience and generally get it right which leads me to believe they think it is beneficial to invest money in those postcards. Either that or it’s like a monkey see, monkey do kind of thing. Regardless, they don’t want to miss an opportunity to get their name in front of you. Long before the social media marketing and quality websites, my husband and I built our businesses on old-fashioned distribution marketing.

Newsletters

 Newsletter – “a written report, issued periodically, typically by a business, institution, or other organization, that presents information and news to people with a specific interest in the organization or subject”  (http://www.dictionary.com).

Hmm…well when you put it that way it sounds a little old-fashioned. Old-fashioned or not, the fact of the matter is that a properly written newsletter works with a little modern-day tweaking. Fortunately, gone are the days of actually printing, labeling and mailing hundreds of hard copy newsletters. I can remember vividly doing this for one of my businesses years ago before emailing was the preferred method. Oh how I dreaded that day of the month. I loved writing the content but the printing and preparing for mailing made it an audacious task. It’s so much simpler these days. From the receiving end, there’s no more keeping up with the hard copy and not having it with you when you need it.

Social Media

 Last month’s blog discussed the importance of a great, user-friendly website. Now, it’s time to knock it out of the park with a strong social media presence. Think of social media and your website like peanut butter and jelly. Alone they are both good, but together they are great! That is why it’s so important to hire a professional that is able to maximize both by making them function individually all the while functioning together as one strong marketing tool. Oh sure, it seems like something that is easy enough to keep up with…..at first, but then you get busy running your business and before you know it, a week has gone by and then another and then a month or two. All of a sudden, your target audience forgets your business. I have outlined a few basic social media points to get you going:

Website and Design

Did your mom ever say to you, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Mom we love you, but unfortunately, we can’t help not to judge a book by its cover when we’re talking about websites. I’m certainly not insinuating that a company is not a great company that doesn’t have a good website, but to potential customers it does establish a preconceived notion before ever speaking to the business. How many times have you not done business with a company because their website left a lot to be desired? For me, it’s too many to count. The simple reason is that the website didn’t give me the information I needed when I wanted it and someone else’s did. As a matter of fact, just this week I was looking for caterers for an event I’m hosting out of state. I found several via Google and looked over all of them. After speaking to all of the caterers, I found that I had a bit of a bias toward the one that had the better website and that’s who I ultimately ended up choosing.

Branding: Logos, Colors and Signage

Do you think branding is something just for big corporations? Think again. Whether you’re a small business, an individual selling your wares on Etsy or a large business setting yourself apart with a brand is probably one of the single best business decisions one can make. How can a small business accomplish this on a small business budget? The question you really should be asking yourself is, “How can I not afford to brand myself?” This is the first in a series about creating your brand. This installment focuses on your logo, colors and signage.