Archive for the ‘PR / Word-of-Mouth’ Category
“Let’s Shake On It, Then!”
Businesspeople make promises to their clients. It’s what we do. Unfortunately, the expectation of many (most?) clients is that a promise is likely to be broken.
You Need a SYSTEM
If your reputation for ‘keeping your word’ . . . or, promises . . . is so important but it seems to be the exception (not the rule) that businesspeople will break more than they make . . . you have to ask, “Why?”. The answer is not that they meant to break their promise, but that they don’t have a system in place to make sure they keep them!
Make a Promise . . . “Write a Check”
If you’re in a service business . . . where the client’s buying your ability to ‘come through’ as you promise (and, your client expects) then you need a deliberate way to ensure that happens . . . consistently. My suggestion? ”Write a check”. Literally. Not on your bank. On your time! Think of a ‘check’ as a written evidence of your commitment to your client’s happiness . . . with you.
When you make a promise . . . WRITE A CHECK to demonstrate your commitment to ‘cash it’ with your customer or client. Here’s an example:
Is this SCARY? You bet it is! Especially if you’re not committed to deliver. This is a huge ACCOUNTABILITY tool. But, if you’re as good as you say you are, it’s a NO BRAINER, isn’t it? Actually, it’s going to help you to DIFFERENTIATE yourself and your practice!
NOTE: If you’d like my Special Report on how to set up a ‘Promise Checkbook System’ . . . shoot me an email and I’ll send it right back!
KEY POINT:
You make promises every day . . . give people evidence of your commitment and watch your competition shake in their boots!
Thriving in a Difficult Economy?
In case you missed it, the last 3 years have been tough. The stock market crash in ’08 and the weak economy since then have made staying in business a challenge. So how then does a business actually thrive in such times? Is there a secret?
Reston Limousine Figured It Out
In 2008 Reston Limo and Travel, a Virginia limo company, was seeking a way to remain viable and (hopefully) profitable. Like many firms, Reston Limo and Travel needed more sales. That’s when Kristina Bouweiri, the CEO decided to implement a novel idea. She started taking her best customers to lunch.
Client Appreciation Event — “Let’s Do Lunch!”
Kristina selected 250 clients whose past business suggested significant and profitable future opportunities. These clients were then invited to a client appreciation luncheon to thank them for their past business. To create urgency, only 50 people would be accommodated. All seats were taken quickly.
Alliances Were Key
Once the luncheon was set, Kristina solicited other firms to help share the cost — in exchange for being a sponsor and gaining prestigious access to these top decision-makers. Eventually, these sponsors promoted one another to their respective clientele — thus leveraging the relationship capital inherent in the sponsors clientele.
Lessons Learned
One discovery was that ‘price’ was not a significant factor in determining which company would be hired. However, ‘reliability‘, was.
Kristina also learned that different people in the same company hired a limo company independently of one another. That prompted Kristina to find and support a ‘champion’ in each client company who would help raise awareness of and preference for her company within that client firm.
Valuable bonding with clients, marketing insights and aligned actions resulted from these luncheons. So much so that they’ve become a monthly event for the last 2 years. Why? It’s WORKING!! . . . to build relationships, revenues and profits for Reston Limousine and Travel.
KEY POINT:
A challenging economy demands a creative response . . . the more you involve your clients AND strategic alliances in your marketing, the better off you’ll be
