Don’t Work So Hard: Target to Grow Your Pool of Tier 1 & 2 Customers

Jul 1, 2014 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

If you want to increase your customer base, be smart and target the types of customers you really want. Tier 1 Customers are your ideal & highly profitable customers. They bring new needs to you to service -- typically because you have an established track record of successfully helping them. They challenge you to learn, stretch & grow -- profitably. You want to PARTNER with this type of customer for mutual growth. (Identify and share characteristics of Tier 1 Customers...

Know How You’re Different & Valuable – Know Your USP

Jun 17, 2014 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

If you want prospects to first notice you, second pay any attention to you, and then third, buy from you, you need to make it easy for them to choose you over someone else. You need to make it easy for them to pick you. Know your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) Your Unique Selling Proposition is a basic statement that clarifies how your business is unique and valuable to your targeted customers. It helps you answer the customer's question: Why should I buy from you instead of the other...

Be Careful What You Ask For – You Might Just Get It…

Mar 4, 2014 | Leadership Development

Ron Ashkenas wrote a great blog for Harvard Business Review in 2012 in which he outlines a seemingly obvious fact: Don't Ask for Feedback Unless You Want It. His perfectly titled article highlights the obvious blunders other leaders make by asking for others’ comments, input, or feedback, yet being irritated when they receive it. The hypocrisy of their actions is blatant. But what I most appreciate about Ashkenas’ article is his honesty in stating, “These behaviors, by the way, are much...

If Zoop^® is Valuable, Why Aren’t You?

Nov 12, 2013 | Strategic Planning

(I came across this article in my archives. I think the lesson it shares is still highly relevant. So I thought I'd share it again...) I attended a conference yesterday and had the opportunity to hear Mark Sanborn give the closing keynote. Mark is an internationally acclaimed business speaker on leadership. During his speech, Mark provided a number of techniques for dealing with this new, difficult economy. One story he shared, however, really struck a chord with me. He relayed the...

See Your Business From the Other Side

Oct 15, 2013 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

Do the unthinkable -- be your own customer. Take a critical look at your organization one afternoon and walk through the front door as a first-time customer would. Notice things such as the clarity of your website, the friendliness of your telephone receptionist, the lighting and cleanliness of the floor, countertops, and displays. Notice the arrangement of your information, merchandise, and the responsiveness of the staff. Do you feel comfortable and are you welcomed, or do you feel...