Sometimes, I sound like a broken record. Write thank you notes, write thank you notes, hand-write thank you notes. This is the most important piece of literature you can mail out to your customers, and yet everyone tells me that they don’t do it. A hand-written thank you note is guaranteed to be opened by the recipient – and often, left out on their desk for themselves and others to see. A hand-written thank you note is guaranteed to be read by the intended, rather than filtered through by an assistant. A hand-written thank you note is one of the best ways to put your brand in front of your target market.
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I was a guest at a networking leads group and was enjoying the commentary going around the room as each person recited whom they had referred and done business with recently. It was inspiring to hear so many people add value to the others in the room by being walking testimonials for each other. I love hearing people brag about others they’ve done business with because it fits my philosophy that you are the worst person to be selling your product. …click here to read more

If you hang around Angel or me for very long, you are guaranteed to hear about our passion for campaigns as an effective alternative method of business development. A campaign is defined as an event or promotion – or just something worthy of getting the word out – and is often associated with multiple methods of connecting with your existing customer base.

Our friend in business, Nelson Wahlstrom owns Iron Forge Trailers in Englewood, CO. He recently ran a campaign (a pig roast) that was designed to honor his existing customers. It was a huge success. Whereas he was expecting a turnout of about 35-40 people, more than twice that many showed up. He honored his “best” customer with a beautifully framed photo, commemorating the great relationship that they share. He aligned with several other companies, and promoted their work as well as his own. And he touched the lives of many in the process. …click here to read more

Angel and I attended a rather unique Business After Hours networking event last night. It was held at a mortuary. That’s right… a mortuary. Dead people. Tomb stones. Creepy, right? NOT AT ALL!

I have to say, it was one of the most wonderful, truly ALIVE events that we’ve been to – ever! Every detail was thought of and planned for. The catering was unbelievable! The location was immaculate and well-suited for a gathering. The staff were attentive and pleasant – truly pleasant to be around! The weather was amazing, and the turnout was impressive. …click here to read more

I had a difficult customer experience today and it got me thinking about the different stores that I’ve stopped shopping at based on my customer experience. Right off the top of my head, without having to think long at all, I recalled three different stores that have lost my business due to poor customer service. They didn’t lose me as a customer because of the economy, they lost me because they treated their customer poorly.
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I was having coffee in a local coffee shop where they were anticipating a visit from their District Manager that afternoon. This was a scheduled visit, so they knew he was coming, and they knew what his expectations were for their store.

There was a lot of hustle and bustle straightening shelves and the countertops, clearing away the items that were out of place. Someone was washing the fingerprints off the door and another was emptying trash cans and straightening chairs.
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One afternoon last week, my schedule was full of back-to-back meetings and events and I had a decision to make about squeezing in a networking event. I knew I would only be able to drop in for half an hour, and with only half the events of the day under my belt, I was toying with the idea of skipping it. However, it was my friend, Theresa Sanford, hosting the event and she had personally invited me. Based on the personal invitation, I decided to go. I was in and out in thirty minutes, but made a valuable connection before I left, which turned out to be very worth my time. …click here to read more

Bad Economy or Poor Customer Service?

In the strip mall near my house, there are an unusually high number of empty retail spaces available. It seems as if some shops close as quickly as they open. Whenever a new shop or restaurant opens up near me, I make it a point to check them out. I try to make a purchase and bring someone with me whenever I can. I think that business owners need to stick together and be as supportive as we can be. Plus, it gives me a chance to check out their customer service. It’s a quirky hobby, but I really learn a lot from watching people take care of others. I’ve noticed that a lot ‘out- of- business’ signs are hanging where places without any customer service used to be.
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