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Sadly, I realize that so many people miss that business lesson in a big way. So often I see and hear about companies taking their current customers for granted and later missing out on repeat business and referrals.

They spend all their time, efforts and marketing dollars on trying to get new business that they forget about the huge and great resource their current customer base is to them.

Ask yourself this one question; where do I receive most of my new business? Not knowing what your business is, I can almost guarantee it’s from referrals… am I right? Now ask yourself this; who are those referrals coming from? That’s Right! Your existing customers, that’s WHO!

Now that we have figured out where the referrals are coming from, let’s talk about some little gestures we can be doing to show our appreciation and gratitude for their business. As consumers we all have a choice on where to spend our money, the fact that our clients continue to choose us is something to be grateful for and I believe our gratitude should be expressed.

As a good example I’d like to quote a friend of mine who always says “Turn those customers into your cheerleaders!”

Here are just a few ideas of what companies may be doing in your line of work:

1. Leave behinds or gifts are great! Especially when they have your name on them.
2. A painter friend of mine will leave behind a nice candle after finishing a job. He also will give them some extra paint with his logo and phone number on it in case they ever need to do any touch up.
3. Customer Rewards Systems – we talked about this in a previous blog post.
4. How about this one; a remodeling contractor I know will host a catered dinner for the neighbors of the homeowner whose kitchen they just remodeled…. Pretty powerful when everyone is eating in the kitchen you just created telling the homeowner how beautiful it is! Not to mention all the other homeowners are going to want to keep up with the Jones’s.
5. A roofer I know will have a block party at the house they just completed apologizing for any inconvenience they may have caused during construction, if that doesn’t make your customer a cheerleader what will?! J
6. A property manager I know will always have a beautiful flower arrangement waiting for the homeowner welcoming them back for season. Everyone loves flowers!

Now it’s your turn; remember to think outside the box. Get creative and always leave your name and contact information behind for future use and for them to share. Chances are your customers are already referring you based on the great service you offer, these tips will just help send your referrals into the stratosphere.

I know that you at times, much like me, feel overwhelmed and don’t need another thing added to your ever growing “To Do” list. However, I recently learned that I was overlooking a very important part of my business – The Follow Up Phone Call.

A few weeks ago, my wife had Captain Steamer Carpet Cleaning  over to our home in Fort Myers Florida cleaning the carpets and the upholstery for one of our couches. As usual, they did a terrific job erasing the signs of  my children and dog from the house! The gentleman they had representing their company was on time, kind, neat and courteous. He also had a real passion for what he was doing with a focus on making sure my wife was totally satisfied with the work he did (which is always a plus).

A few days had passed and as I walked in from work my wife said: “I had a really nice phone call today from that Kyle guy. You know the owner of Captain Steamer.” Apparently, Kyle had just called to follow up and make sure the job was done to her satisfaction. “What a thoughtful thing to do.” she said and then she proceeded to ask me: “Are we, by chance, doing that with our window cleaning business?” I paused for a second and softly replied “No”. “Well why not?” she asked with her hands on her hips and that all too familiar serious look. You know the one… with the tilted head and raised eyebrow? I was a bit embarrassed as I replied: “Because I’m afraid of what my customers might say…”.  As hard as that is for me to admit, it’s true. But if the main focus of this blog is to create small business success and it is, than I feel I need to share that in all honesty.

After taking some time to ponder my fear I realized that some things are just out of my control and mistakes will always happen but leaving them in the dark isn’t really the answer. When we find the courage to pick up the phone and follow up with our clients we are giving ourselves the opportunity to find out how we’re really doing out there in the field and beyond our reach. With knowledge comes power and this means we can then fix anything that didn’t go as planned. We actually take control of our business relationships when we take the necessary steps make each and every one of our clients happy. This reminds me… happy clients are very likely to refer us new business!

You know, I think it was the fact that I was afraid to follow up that made me realize I had to immediately start doing it. Face the fear and do it anyways I reminded myself. Deep down I know I have a good team of employees working with me, so why the fear? I changed my perspective on things and as I dialed I expected from my customers nothing but glowing remarks, just like Kyle had received about the carpet cleaning they did for us.

So think about it, are you afraid of the unknown? Are you nervous about making that phone call? Are you worried about what the customer on the other end of the line will say? Well remember that you can’t fix what you don’t know about and that the old saying really is true… 99% of what we fear never really happens.

I would like to say thank you to Kyle for following up with us. Kyle, it’s because of you that today I’m following up after jobs and I’m inspiring others to do the same.

Talk about paying it forward…

Like any relationship, each business relationship you have needs to be nurtured and built over time in order to keep it in good standing and active.

I believe one of the easiest things we can do to show our gratitude is to just send a simple thank you card in the mail. Are you currently expressing your appreciation to your clients? If you are, how are you doing it?

In today’s busy high tech business world, with all the e-mail’s and text messaging going on, there is an obvious absence of that good old fashioned one on one contact with the customer. Now is the perfect time to set yourself and your business apart from the competition by taking your client relationships to a more personal level.

I recently started sending out thank you cards to all my clients, and I have to say the response has been nothing short of incredible! I was amazed at how many people took the time to call me just to say thank you for sending them a thank you card. I have to tell you it felt pretty awesome! At a time when my goal was customer satisfaction and improving customer interaction, that’s exactly what I got. The only difference was they were calling me!

I have to say that I’m still caught up in the virtual world of the internet. I have yet to walk into a store and buy a thank you card. There are web-sites out there, in which you can pick a card for any occasion, fill in a personal message and send it out. All of this done with the touch of a button, conveniently, from the luxury of your own office! Amazingly, you can even have them copy a sample of your hand writing to duplicate it in print and give it an even more personal affect.

Keep in mind that thank-you notes that contain a clear and specific message will appear personal and sincere and they will be appreciated more by the recipient.

As always, your feedback is welcome. I would love to know how you are thanking your customers.

It’s no secret, nobody up sells better than restaurants! Being a waiter for a couple years myself, I learned firsthand the importance of the UP SELL.

I remember my roommate and me sitting on our apartment floor counting up all the tips after a night’s dinner service. I was shocked to see that we had virtually serviced the same amount of customers in the same amount of time, at the same restaurant, with the same menu…  However, our tips were hardly the same! Once again, he had made much more! So I finally asked, “What gives? How are you making way better tips than me?”  He replied “By up selling! I get my ticket price higher therefore on a twenty percent average tip I can make more money.”

If you use this same philosophy in your business today, I guarantee you will see increased profits quickly.

Here are a few examples for up selling your business:

• (Painter) Would you like to upgrade that paint? It’s a little more money but lasts twice as long.
• (Landscaper) Would you like lava rocks instead of the standard mulch? It’s a little more money but doesn’t wash away in a rain storm.
• (Electrician) Would you like an energy efficient light bulb? It’s more money up front but over the year it will save you on your electric bill.
• (Window Tinting) Would you like our impact resistant film? It’s a little more money than the standard tint – however it can protect you during a storm.
• (Pool Cleaner) I noticed the pool gets dirty quickly with all the overhanging trees, I would recommend buying one of our automatic pool sweepers for in between cleanings.
• (Roofers) Would you be interested in any sky lights? It’s very easy to install once the roof is off and would really let the light shine into that dark room you mentioned.
• (Plumber) I know you wanted standard toilets in those three bathrooms; however you may be interested in this new toilet? It’s a little more money up front, but uses half as much water when flushing and will save you a lot of money over time.

You get the idea! So from now on, just remember “Suggestive Sales”. If you don’t offer any than you won’t reap the benefits in the end… after all, what do you have to lose? Only extra sales!

After spending lots of creative time on ideas and money to put together the ideal marketing ad to WOW everyone and getting it mailed out – your phone finally rings… AWESOME!

Your receptionist or phone person quickly answers the phone with so much enthusiasm, professionalism and politeness that her smile was felt right through the phone… GREAT!

Now it’s up to the sales staff to quote the job. Your sales person shows up on time as scheduled, he’s dressed to impress and shows a good amount of knowledge about your company and products. To top things off he delivers a competitive, well put together proposal that your potential client really likes. You finally landed the job… YAY!

Now that you have carefully built up your company and service in the eyes of the customer, they have a certain expectation to live up to, correct?

Now visualize this happening next…

What if the employee who shows up at the home to do the job had a bad night? What if he’s running late, his hair is disheveled, he didn’t shave and there is no pep in his step? Now what if, to make matters worse, he’s a little quick or rude to the customer… OUCH!

All the hard work and effort that everyone before him has contributed, not to mention the investment of time, labor and money attached to this job was just lost! You can now forget about any REPEAT BUSINESS or word of mouth recommendations!

Even in today’s challenging economy, this scenario happens much more than we realize. I feel employee preparation, presentation and behavior is so important to the future success of any business and it’s so crucial to train your employees on how to act and behave in front of the customers.

If you are working hard at selling Cadillac’s to your customers what happens when a pinto shows up at their door? The solution can be a simple one. Take the time to put your customer service rules and regulations in writing, discuss them with your employees and let them know they will be held accountable with consequences. Lastly, get feedback from your clients after every job with a quick follow up call so you can  correct and improve on any customer service glitches you have currently have with your service team.

…when it comes to reaching new customers and adding convenience to his existing customers:

Jay has found a way to bring his showroom to his customers!

In this day and age, everyone wants it now.

Not too many people want to take the time to load up the kids drive across town to your showroom only to find out you may not have the type of flooring or carpet they are looking for.

Jay knows by bringing his showroom to the door of his customers they will appreciate the money they saved in gas and the time saved in traveling to his showroom.

Using this approach, Jay says it’s so easy to establish a relationship with no interruptions, such as:

• the phone ringing,
• a new customer walking through the door,
• an employee interrupting him, etc.

Jay, I commend you on creating a win-win for you and the customer keep up the good work and keep sharing these great ideas!

If you’d like to learn more, be sure to contact Jay at (239) 574-5099, visit his web site at www.CarpetConceptsFL.com, or e-mail him at: jay@carpetconceptsfl.com.

About Carpet Concepts:

Carpet Concepts is a flooring company offering carpet, tile, stone, wood, laminate and vinyl flooring in Sunny Southwest Florida!

This is a topic of conversation I hear in many places:

• networking events,
• trade shows, and
• one to one discussions with business owners.

It sure seems to be the water cooler topic among many business owners!

A great example of rewarding customers for referrals and service is currently being done by a Pest Control Company in Southwest Florida, Larue Pest Management.

I feel it’s a great concept worth sharing –

They’ve implemented a rewards program in the form of points awarded to customers for repeat service & referrals to redeem for items on their web site!

I must say – I wasn’t real sure of this concept or how it would be received by the customer, until I was awarded some points to spend on an item that fell within my points budget!

Let the Shopping Begin!

I realized how much I enjoyed searching through the items until finally choosing one.

Now every time I watch the DVD I purchased – I think of Larue Pest – who awarded it to me…

Are you currently using a ‘point rewards system’?

Do you give a referral fee?

Do you have any comments, or feedback, on this concept?

If so – I’d love to hear about it, and how it’s working; please comment below.

Here’s to your success,

- Jason

PS – Here’s a link to a Rewards Points Company you can consider.

when all they have to do is reach out to their existing customers to generate plenty of revenue?

I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine, Joe, who owns a pool construction and pool cleaning business in Sunny Southwest Florida.  Joe’s company, Pool Pros, Inc., services the Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Cape Coral area.

“What are you doing in this economy to keep your phone ringing?”, I asked.

“Well, Jason what I’m doing is reaching out to my existing customers, getting that face time that I felt was lacking in the past few years…  Basically, doing the very thing that built my business up to begin with.”

His goal is to get in front of 5 to 10 of his existing customers per week.

Joe called his existing customers, and asked when would be a good time to stop by, check in, and take some photos of their pool (Joe keeps photos of each client’s pool configuration so it’s easy for him and his staff to know what the the client has).

When he meets with his customers, Joe’s main concern is customer satisfaction, so he asks questions such as:

• Are you happy with your pool service?
  
• Can we do anything different for you to make you any happier?
  
• Have my employees been polite and courteous?
  
• Do you have any issues or concerns with it comes to your pool equipment?

What happened as a natural result of this was higher customer satisfaction – his customers were so happy to see him, also to know Joe, and his company, were taking care of them and their families.

This, in turn, has led to all kinds of new work!

For example, Mrs. Jones had no idea that:

• by putting in a more efficient pool heater, they could be saving money on their electric bill, or
• by doubling up on the schedule of pool cleaning would help keep the leaves and debris out of the pool, or
• by putting in some brick pavers on the patio could really get that outdated pool the curb appeal it needs without spending a fortune…

I think you get the idea!

By opening the lines of communications with your customers you can increase your professional image and create revenue at the same time good old fashion “suggestive sales”.

I hope this will be as helpful to you as it was for me, this can impact any of our businesses: Lawn Care, Plumbers, Electricians, Painters, Sprinkler Repair, Pest Control, Roof Cleaning – if you have an existing customer base – this can work for you too!

Thank you Joe for sharing such an awesome tip!

To learn more about Joe, and Pool Pros, visit their web site at: www.PoolPros-Inc.com.

I hear this so often from business owners, and my answer is always the same…

You can’t afford not to ask for the e-mail address!

Running a small business myself in Southwest Florida, I can tell you how important it is following up with your customer and keeping in touch.

So often your customers don’t know about your services –

They may have hired you in the beginning to do one service not knowing you offer many others.

An e-mail blast offering a special for one of your others services may just be the suggestion they need to prompt them into calling and generating you more income.

It’s VERY important for you to have an “opt out button” on your e-mail (usually at the bottom of the e-mail) as this gives the customer an easy way out without offending you.

The greatest thing about e-mails is the low cost to do it — they’re basically free!

I like to use software such as Constant Contact or Mail Chimp to stay in contact.

By using a company like this it enables you to have a professional look by using their pre-made templates, this always helps to build credibility and giving your e-mails a polished look.

You are also able to add links and pictures to keep the reader interested.

I know of a local Internet company in Fort Myers who uses this great approach, he says:

“We are a green company and are trying to eliminate all paper from our business would it be alright if we did our correspondence through e-mail?”

WOW!

What a great way to solicit an e-mail address what person doesn’t want to help you go green?

To read more ways this company is going green see his post “Our Top 5 Results from Going Green“.

Remember, continuing to build your relationships is easy, important, and a must!

- Jason

…the economy is so bad…

…we are so slow…

…I can barely pay my bills…

…I hope I can make it through this slow period.

Then why don’t they answer the phone?

So often we need a service now!

For instance:

• You have a leaky toilet.
• Your washer machine broke.
• You opened your door to a flood in your home.
• The car won’t start.
• Your computer won’t boot up.
• You need a tow truck.
• Your having a party tomorrow and the carpets need cleaned.
• Your garage door won’t open.

Those are just a few problems that need immediate attention, if it was you calling wouldn’t you want someone to handle this as soon as you called?

I know I would.

This is the most frequent problem small businesses have not answering the phone and losing out on the opportunity, with the technology we have at our disposal, call forwarding, answering services, Got V-mail etc…

…there is no excuse for not answering the phone.

Another huge problem that small business owners have is putting a new employee on the phone, they rationalize it by thinking this is a job anyone can do – WRONG!

That phone call is the first chance you have to make a great impression!

So often that opportunity is squandered by the lack of enthusiasm and or knowledge they are greeted with on the other end of the phone.

I’m going to end this blog post with 7 Common Mistakes Made Answering the Phone:

• Saying hello and not stating your company name
• Answering without stating your personal name
• Lack of enthusiasm
• Lack of knowledge about the staff
• Lack of knowledge about the product or service
• A bad attitude
• Disagreeing with the customer

Don’t let these kinds of things ruin potential new clients for you!

If you have any other suggestions, or comments, please add a comment below!  I’d love to hear from you!

- Jason