Where did my best customer go?

Picture this: you’re a busy sushi restaurant owner, working long hours and doing everything you can to make your business successful. You have solid staff, great food, a profile on Yelp with good reviews, a Facebook page you update once a week or so…you’ve done a reasonably good job of covering your bases to grow your business…

Then one day something triggers your memory and you realize that regular customer who used to come in 2-3 times per week with a few friends hasn’t been in since new year’s day. He used to spend $300 per week! What happened? Did he have a bad experience? Dislike something you made? Move away? Get lured away by that new place down the street? WHY!?!

What does the restaurant owner do?

Nothing.

Does this sound like a common problem for small business owners? You bet. We’re all consumers – when was the last time a local business reached out to you and said they missed you, valued your business and want you back? How many businesses have you done this disappearing trick with? Do you think money would be better spent investing in their loyal regular customers, or hunting the community for new ones looking for a ‘deal’?

The irony is that consumers WANT to be more connected with their merchants. I work hard for my dollars, and I want merchants to appreciate when I spend them at their business.

“I WANT merchants to be LOYAL to ME”

This is a new way of thinking, but consumers are driving the flow of commerce and using mobile communication tools to determine how and where they spend their dollars. Smart merchants will adapt, the stubborn will find it hard to compete.

The Root of the Excuse

We’ve all heard excuses in sales. An excuse is simply a reason not to buy. Ever heard these?

“I don’t think my customers would be interested.”"I have to ask my business partner.”
“I don’t think we can afford it at this time.”
“Let me think about it.”

Another thing you might hear is objections. These are often excuses in disguise. Just a few I’ve heard include:

“That’s too expensive.”
“I don’t have wifi.”
“You kids and your technology… it’s just a fad!”

The most important thing to remember if you start to hear excuses or objections is not to prove the merchant wrong. It’s your first impulse to tell them they’re wrong, but the right way to handle it is to get down to the root of the excuse. Affirm their concern and understand they’re not wrong for having a concern; they’re just uneducated. Want more? Watch the video below!

How to Advertise on Pinterest [INFOGRAPHIC]

With all the chatter about the powerful impact of social media marketing, it’s important to remember that there are other valuable social channels beyond Twitter and Facebook.

In the short time that Pinterest has existed, it has begun building some major credibility of its own as a social media marketing powerhouse.

But advertising products and brands on Pinterest doesn’t seem as simple or straightforward as Twitter and Facebook. Is that true or just a misconception among those unfamiliar with the Pinterest platform?

A new infographic from Prestige Marketing, Inc. is a great starting point for those looking to capitalize on the full scope of social media marketing by advertising on Pinterest. Check it out below.

Article Source: http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/infographic-how-to-advertise-on-pinterest-33257/

Interruption, Irrelevance and Other Habits to Avoid in Mobile

Mobile marketing is like the game Operation. If you’re spot-on, you make a vital connection with your consumer. If you miss, even by a little, the buzzer goes off, your customer lights up and you lose, not only for this transaction, but maybe for the life of the consumer.

While sitting at home for dinner recently, I got an alert on my phone from my American Express App telling me I’m right near an Italian restaurant in town. Naturally, I think, “why does American Express care? I’m already a loyal customer to their cards.” But I move on and decide to turn off that function. Well, after ten minutes of searching in notifications and other settings, I come to the conclusion that there is no way to turn off the notice. The difficulty in opting out coupled with the fact that I never said I wanted them to notify me could only lead to one thing: I deleted the app.

With mobile usage at an all time high, stories like this one are happening every day, making it a tricky channel for marketers and increasing the need to get it right when it comes to mobile engagement. Here are some questions to ask yourself while you’re developing your mobile strategy:

Did the customer ask to be notified? Whether it’s through an opt-in or an app download, make sure you’re reaching out to customers who are eager to hear from you.

Is my message relevant for that consumer/persona? Using data to drive your messaging will help you hit the target in a timely, meaningful way. A message about a nearby restaurant is less impactful when I’m at home than if I’m at a meeting across town just before lunchtime.

Is there a way within the notification or via text to turn off or limit notifications? If you’re successfully optimizing the mobile channel, it’s not likely customers will want to silence you but customers like to be in control, especially in a space as personal as mobile, so give them some freedom to decide how often they want to hear from you.

Are you creeping out your customers? Beware of automation! Does your offer make sense? Is it well-timed? Mobile is sacred ground for consumers. Tread lightly.

Marketers are scrambling to establish best practices for mobile, particularly when it comes to loyalty. This is a prominent channel but with high risk attached to it. That is, if you’re going to ping customers in the most present, targeted way to reach them, your messaging better be spot on and, most of all, of value to them. And moreover, the consumer needs to feel in control of the engagement process.

Without a carefully thought out strategy that is segmented based on the consumer type, lifestyle, and their technology adoption, more firms are going to find their apps being deleted.  The result? Creating more distance between the consumer and the brand in a space that has the potential to greatly increase engagement.

Article Source: http://www.plurismarketing.com/interruption-irrelevance-and-other-habits-to-avoid-in-mobile/

Hard Work is a Prison Sentence ONLY if it Doesn’t Have Meaning

I was listening to ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell via audiobook last night, and was particularly struck by the section that referenced ‘being inspired’ as a common characteristic between successful people. I couldn’t agree more – but how do you make that concept actionable?

Sure, it sounds simple – if you love what you do, you’ll do more of it, and better – but those decisions are not always obvious. We all have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and may be in the middle of doing something ‘uninspired’ but it’s getting the job done. We take little vacations, try to ‘unwind’ and enjoy life with friends before going ‘back to the grind.’ Being ‘inspired’ sounds idealistic…which can feel synonymous with ‘unrealistic.’

Finding the right place for your professional career is worthy of your time and energy to pencil it out and see if it really is as out of reach as it seems. I’m a list guy – so I start by taking a sheet of paper and writing things down. Here is an example of my personal thoughts:

What I love: interacting with people, mentoring someone who wants to start a business, traveling, technology (gadgets!), making sales/closing deals, building relationships, working smart.

What I dislike: doing the same thing every day, moving at a slow pace, too much control over my time, brick & mortar businesses, doing BS work, working hard.

Pros of starting my own business: freedom with my time, unlimited income potential, more personal responsibility, opportunity to be creative, pride of ownership, opportunity for wealth, doing more of what I love.

Cons of starting my own business: more personal responsibility (I eat what I kill, or starve if I don’t), stress, dealing with the ‘back office’ of setting things up (merchant accounts, bookkeeping), losing money/savings, may be forced to do more of what I dislike.

Note: ‘personal responsibility’ is both a PRO and a CON. This is where you have to decide whether you are the kind of person that naturally takes personal responsibility – this is a critical component of entrepreneurial success.

Then I would try to get specific. Does the potential upside (what I can make), outweigh the risk of the potential downside (loss of money & time)? If I do fail, can I at least say I had a good time trying and gave it hell? Can I limit my downside without minimizing my upside? Does the possibility of failure terrify me, or can I grow from it?

If I know I’ll enjoy the journey, invest in myself, and have a solid shot at success, I’m likely to go for it. I LOVE the feeling in my belly when I create a new technology or close a deal. I LOVE being able to leave at 2:30 to pick up the kids from school and go coach their softball team. I LOVE knowing that I am in control of my own destiny.

Not everyone is cut out to be their own boss, nothing wrong with that, but it can be life-changing for the right person.

Two Most Important Words in Sales

What are the two most important words in sales? You and Why.

In order to close deals, take orders and build your business you first have to believe that YOU are the most important person in the room.The success of everything you’re selling is dependent on your ability to deliver. Customers buy you first and your product second.Without you there is no relationship, no one to drive, deliver and be accountable. 

The next most important word is the word “why”. Why leads to one of the most important elements of the sales process… Answers.When you ask “why” you’ll be able to dig down and learn what really makes your prospect tick and find their true values.Mastering the art of asking why will make you the master of your sales.

 

Deliver values that having meaning to the customer

Examples:

• Sharing industry best practices.
• Manufacturing components and offering plant safety tips.
• Medical devices to doctors and teaching bedside manner.
• Teaching clerks how to close sales when a customer comes in to buy using your coupon or voucher.
• Office supplies and teaching customer service to receptionists and accounting.
• Anything in favor of your customer that helps them increase productivity, communication, operations, morale, and especially profit.

TIP: If you really want to deliver value, ASK YOUR CUSTOMER what he or she considers valuable. Whatever they say, do that, offer that, share that, communicate that, teach that, print that, and say that. In a nutshell, that’s value. Real value. Value perceived.

 

Source:

http://www.salesblog.com/the-two-most-important-words-in-sales/

Want to listen to Geoff’s conference call this week? Click here!

The Digital Marketing Trio of 2013 [INFOGRAPHIC]

When we talk about digital marketing, it’s not just social network marketing, this infographic suggests. Digital marketing also includes mobile marketing and content marketing.

If people who have been following Social Barrel and our articles have not been entirely convinced that social network marketing is something that needs to be given attention too in today’s digital marketing, let us give you more reasons.

As noted by this infographic, social media produces almost twice the marketing leads that trade shows, telemarketing, direct mail, or PPC do.

Furthermore, social media conversion rates are 13 percent higher than average lead conversion rates.

According to the infographic, 46 percent of online users rely on social media when making purchase decisions. In addition to this, 63 percent of companies say posting valuale content on social media has increased marketing effectiveness.

Nonetheless, social media marketing is only one of the facets of digital marketing in 2013 as suggested by the infographic. Learn more, but more importantly, take action after reading the digital marketing infographic below from SlickText.

Article Source: http://socialbarrel.com/the-digital-marketing-trio-of-2013-infographic/51687/