TWELVE BUSINESS BOOSTING TIPS
Mike Walsh
In the face of falling demand and intense competition every order has to be fought for. Getting it right isn?t an option, it is a survival strategy. Business owners do become complacent and the haemorrhage of lost orders can cripple a firm. Most failings are avoidable. Here are twelve tips to help you survive the crisis.
Take the advice of your advertising representative. They want you to succeed. A small advert placed frequently works better than the occasional larger one. Use USP (unique selling points). Special offers for example.
It doesn?t cost much to make your website bi-lingual. You wouldn?t put a notice on your door: ?English Speakers Only? would you? If the wording is amateurish you will invite ridicule, not orders.
Make better use of e-mails. They have at least ten advantages over the telephone, which I listed recently. E-mail me if you missed it. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Poor signage is a no-no. How often I have heard it said: ?But our customers know where we are.? New ones don?t. An attractive high visibility sign will be seen by hundreds, thousands a day.
First impressions count. Sales are lost when potential clients telephone an answering machine. It cannot answer their questions. Be polite; listen and respond transparently.
If you are in business being a sales person comes with the territory. Improve your people skills; be pleasant, informative, highlight the advantages of your service, and ask politely for the order. Never ignore a spouse or partner.
If you don?t get the close right you won?t close. Be a pully-pully salesperson: Ask the customer; ?Which would you prefer?? or ?Would Tuesday be alright or might Wednesday be better for you??
Clients are offended and inconvenienced by poor timekeeping. If you are unavoidably delayed call them; explain; invite an alternative.
Customers are not thick. Explain what has gone wrong, what is necessary to put it right and why.
It is infuriating to be given a bill without a break down. If you do so you invite the charge of cheating or over-pricing.
A man bought a business and the first thing he did was ask for a list of dormant clients: Most had left due to poor service. By informing them of the new management and addressing their concerns he learned - and enticed most back.
Always leave your business card; respectfully ask your customer to recommend you and ask if they have friends or family who may be interested in your service.
By following these basic rules you can double, even treble your turnover without it adversely affecting your outgoings.
Michael Walsh was a senior executive for the Guild of Master Craftsmen for twenty years. He now corrects poor English copy in websites.
