It’s a common practice for businesses trying to get people in the door: send out coupons! I think coupons and discount offers are a great way to bring in new customers, but BEWARE! Sometimes you can be overzealous in attempting to seal a deal, and you end up losing money. Here are some things to consider when you’re putting together a special offer: Put a lid on it! Have a limited run – maybe you

Did you know about the huge, untapped market right under your nose? It’s your existing customers & great customer service If you’d like to see more business coming in the door, look to your current client base. Are you doing everything you can to keep them happy? Do they have a high regard for your business? Do they refer friends and acquaintances to you? It might be time for you to work harder to please

How do you sell? When it comes to business interactions, specifically with customers, most people fall into two camps: Schmoozers and Closers. Schmoozers are the perfect “face” of the business – they are glad-handers, door-openers, and excellent conversationalists. They always remember a customer’s name, a detail about their life, and their history with the company. Schmoozers are friendly and often seem to loosely befriend everyone they interact with. Closers, on the other hand, are pleasant

Are you having trouble communicating with your clients? Feel like you’re not getting your point across? Maybe the problem isn’t what you’re saying, but what you’re hearing. Are you listening? Good listening techniques make it easier for you to understand what a client (or potential client) is looking/asking for. If you practice great listening, you’ll be able to focus on specific key points that really target your client. Hear what they’re saying and you’ll know what to

Small businesses can compete with “the big guns” by making wise choices about their marketing: who to market to, and where to market to them by defining your target market. The keyword here is “niche.” Focus your marketing dollars on specific groups of people that are more likely to buy from you. You’ll get an affordable, efficient, and effective return-on-investment. How do you determine who’s in your target market? Think about the following: What is

Customer loyalty takes time to achieve and is worth paying attention to. Experts have found through extensive research that it is 5 times more profitable to spend advertising and marketing dollars to keep current customers than it is to attract new ones. Customers and people in general are many times persuaded to buy a product or take action in a certain direction, based upon good feelings about the company-not the quality of the product or