Monday Morning Motivators are espresso business tips designed to "caffeinate" your mind while your java gets you going. The archives are stored at: MondayMorningMotivators.blogspot.com
“Commitment unlocks the doors of imagination, allows vision, and gives us the "right stuff" to turn our dreams into reality.”
-- James Wormack
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Table of Contents
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Lean: Listening to Customers - Linda Fayerweather
Building a Better Website - Rebecca Booth
Distribute Your Information Through Various Resources - John Meyer
To Do This Week
Fine Print
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Lean: Listening to Customers
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Do your customers call you and say "When is your next workshop?"; "I'd like to buy a new car"; or "Can you give me advice on . . .?" These are all examples of customer value demand. We want this and when we hear it we should realize that our outreach and marketing is working.
When customers say "Your office said you would call back"; "The widget arrived and it was the wrong color and size"; or "No one has solved my problem". These are all examples of failure demand. Your customers are identifying your business's failures and helping you find solutions.
Listen to complaints - they can help you get lean because each failure represents waste in your business process and improvement will mean savings. Before you roll your eyes next time a customer complains, listen! Only 20% of unhappy customers ever complain. Fixing the problem means many more customers are going to join the value demand side of your business.
Copyright 2006 Linda Fayerweather
Business Coach
Changing Lanes LLC
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Building a Better Website
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The web has turned your 9-5 business into a 24/7 operation. But are you losing customers because the site is not user friendly? Here are some tips on how to build a better site.
• Don’t be all things to all people. Establish your niche and stick with it. The general rule of thumb is: 95% of your website should be used to serve your customers. If you need to have links to partners, investors and the media, reserve the footer area for these links.
• Use precise language. Don’t be vague. If people can’t figure out what you’re doing within a few seconds, they’re gone. Clearly state what you do and what promise you make to your customers.
• Keep it simple. Most people are irritated by Flash animations and other slow-to-load multimedia introductions to a site. Opt out of the glitz.
• Speak clearly and succinctly. Don’t use jargon, acronyms or overblown terminology on your site.
• Test your site before you upload it. Have your customers complete simple tasks on the site, like filling out a form or checking different pages and then get their feedback. You’ll probably get some great suggestions for improving your site’s performance.
Simplicity and easy navigation should be your priorities. If it’s too complicated, you miss an opportunity to talk to a customer – which can translate into a lost sale.
Copyright 2006 Rebecca Booth
Marketing Diva
Imagine That!
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Distribute Your Information Through Various Resources.
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Your networking sources can help you distribute your marketing information and materials. For example, they can include a flyer in their mailings or hand out flyers at meetings they attend. A dry cleaner attaches a coupon from the auto mechanic next door to each plastic bag he uses to cover his customers dry cleaning; a grocery store includes other businesses marketing literature in its grocery bags or on the back of the printed receipt.
Copyright 2006 John R. Meyer
District Director, BNI Ohio
BNI Ohio
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To Do This Week
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Call 3 customers and ask them what they like about your business and what they don't like about your business.
