Prepare your marketing for the holidays

Now could not be a better time to do your research and figure out what your customers are looking for this holiday season.  If you want it to be a successful season for your business, you’ll want to plan your marketing prior to the holidays.  It’s great to take advantage of this down time before the storm hits.  You’ll want to define your goals for this holiday season.  Is it to make more money?  Get past customers to spend more?  Obtain new customers?  That will also help you determine what kind of marketing you want to do.  Here are some tips from this article to use your e-mail marketing to your advantage this season.

1. Get a fresh lead on your market.  Go to your customers directly to find out what their plans are this holiday season.  If you’re a social networker, great.  Post questions on Facebook or Twitter for your customers to respond to.  Ask them what they’re planning on spending.  Ask them if they’re looking for specific gift ideas.  This will help you stock your items and know what a good price point is.  This is a great reason to get on Twitter and Facebook, too.  If you’re not, make sure to send out an e-mail to some past customers to find out these answers.  Send it via a survey for them to fill out.

2. Re-engage your current customers.  This is just a great way to get back in the minds of current/past customers.  You want them to make sure they remember you this season for their holiday shopping.  Ask customers what they use your products/services for or the best way they incorporated it into their business.  Publish the best ones in your next newsletter and award the “winner” with a free gift.  Ask them what they’re doing in their business, given the current economy.  Maybe you can work out a joint venture between your two businesses to be more profitable during the holidays. 

3. Refresh and expand your mailing list.  If you do have some down time, you might want to remove those addresses that are no longer valid.  Make sure that you’re still doing everything to gather new e-mails, whether it be from a Web site sign-up button or handing out your business card at networking events.  Have fans/friends sign up on your Facebook page.  That’s another way to drive business back to your Web site. 

With these tips, you’ll be sure to have a successful holiday season.  And always remember to reward referrals with handwritten thank you notes to the sender along with a small gift. 

If you’re ready to get your holiday marketing out, we can help!  Visit us online at http://www.completeresourceschicago.com

Get over your fear of sales calls

So many Realtors and other sales professionals get into a bind when it comes time to making sales calls.  Whether you’re afraid of objection handling or have a fear of being told “No” or anything else, now is not the market to ease off these calls.  In order to keep your business income steady and possibly get more referrals, you still need to continue to make your sales calls.

Dirk Zeller, a real estate trainer, offers a step-by-step strategy to get over your fear in this article. We’ll go over the basics. 

Step 1: Be more confident.  So many people in the sales industry focus on their weaknesses, rather than their strengths.  Before even beginning a phone call to a new prospect, you have to know what it is you’re going to provide to that new prospect.  Write down a list of the benefits you will provide that prospect before picking up the phone.  That way you’ll never get stuck when they ask you what you’re going to do for them.

Step 2: Set realistic goals.  So many people think that in order to make money they have to make 100+ calls a day.  So not true.  It’s better to have made 5 quality calls than 300 calls that yield no results.  Obviously, the more people you call, the better chance of getting business.  Just make sure you set aside time every day to do your prospecting.  Even a goal of 10 calls or as many calls as needed to speak to at least 4 people can be a realistic goal.  Once you’ve hit your number for the day, you’re all set to be guilt-free.

Step 3: Get rid of those voices in your head… telling you that you can’t do it.  Of course you can.  And what’s the worst that’s going to happen?  You’ll be turned down.  These are not life or death calls.  They’re sales pitches.  If it will set your day right, call a past client that you’ve had a friendly relationship with.  That will put you in the right mindset to continue your prospecting.

Step 4: Before picking up the phone, visualize how a perfect call will go.  Think about how confident you are going to sound.  Think about obtaining a new client.  Think about what that money in the bank will mean to you.  That will get all those negative thoughts out of your head.

It can be scary to make those calls.  But if you do it every day, you’ll be so used to it that it will become second nature.  And in this economy, you probably need all the business you can get.  Enlist another Realtor in the office to make calls with you so you’re accountable to one another.  You never know – that next phone call could be your next client.

Once you’ve gotten your new business, or if you need marketing materials to send out to your prospects, be sure to visit us online to get quotes on how we can help!

When to fire a customer

We’ve all heard the saying “The customer is always right.”  While that philosophy may help when it comes to disputes or disagreements, it’s not ALWAYS true.  There are plenty of times when it’s wise to break off a relationship with a customer.  Some examples are when a customer . . .

• Never pays on time.
• Threatens to jump ship if you don’t constantly throw in a freebie or an extra.  An example, threatening to take their business somewhere else unless you reduce the price for them or give them a bonus item.
• Asks you to do something unethical or against your morals.
• Complaining to others about your services.  If there’s a genuine problem, definitely address it first.  If it’s someone who will never be happy no matter what you do to fix it, they are most likely complaining to others about you and therefore, hurting your reputation.
• Is extremely rude, belligerent, or aggressive to yourself or someone who works for/with you.

Consider the customer’s monetary worth to your business.  Are they your number one account?  If that’s the case, it might be worth discussing the problems between you to see if you can get it resolved.  Are they someone who doesn’t affect your bottom line?  Then let them go.  It will be easier in the long run.  It’s hard to consider letting go of potential sources of income in this economy, but think about the pros.  Your employees not having to deal with constant abuse or yelling from a customer can boost their morale.  It will increase their productivity.  Plus, it’s almost a guarantee that your most demanding customers are not the ones that bring you the most money.  They’re usually the ones who you work hardest for for the least reward.

So how should you go about it? 

1.  Be professional.  Don’t send an e-mail or leave a voice mail message unless that’s how you usually communicate with them.  It’s like a regular relationship.  It’s best done in person.

2. Don’t vent and get emotional.  That’s the first thing they’ll go complain to your competition about.  Let them know your reasoning in a straightforward manner.

3. Offer referrals.  Let them know of other people from whom they can obtain similar services or products.  It will help steer them in the right direction.

Firing a customer is not always an easy or black-and-white decision.  It’s important that you do your research on whether saving the relationship is worth it to your business.  But don’t let your customers run the show. 

For more resources on this topic, you should view this article or this one.

For help with your real estate or small business marketing needs, visit us online.

Get your money faster – tips on invoicing

While you’re doing your best to keep your clients happy and generate new business during tough times, it’s important to get paid for the work you’ve put in, too.  It may be hard asking for money from clients when they’re having tough times from the economy, too.  So you’ll want to be clear on your invoicing statements and make them timely.  Here are some other important tips to get paid correctly and on time. 

1. Don’t surprise the client.  If there’s going to be an unexpected charge this month, be sure to communicate that first via a phone call or e-mail.  If they’re not sure what the charge is for and they can’t get to the phone to call you, it will delay receiving your money.  Be up-front about all costs.

2. Suggest getting paid for some or all of your work up-front.  If you have up-front costs especially, you may want to ask for a down payment to help cover your expenses.  By having this money ahead of time, you won’t be worried at the end of the month that you can’t pay your bills.

3. Consider changing your invoicing date to the middle of the month instead of the end.  That way you could be included in the client’s monthly billing cycle and not have to wait past the end of the month for your payment if you have your own bills due.

4. On every invoice, make sure you specify what your late payment fees are and how it works.  If you charge a percentage after a certain number of days late or just add it to the next invoice, make sure that’s written out each time.  If these policies change at any time, make sure to draw attention to that fact in a bigger font or different color.  You may even want to call your client ahead of time.

5. As a bonus to your clients, you might want to send an envelope pre-addressed with your information and even a stamp if you have it.  This can definitely speed up payment by saving your client a step or two in finding an envelope, addressing it, and purchasing a stamp.

6. When making collection calls, keep a record of the date, time, who you spoke to, and the gist of the conversation.  This can become very important if you choose down the road to sue your client for past payments.  It will definitely work in your favor if you have this information and your client doesn’t.

Another very important step is to make sure you have a contract in place prior to working with/for a client.  What’s going to force someone to pay if there’s no agreement in place stating that money is owed??  More great tips can be found here and here. If you need assistance with getting your projects done, please visit us online.

Keep customers for life with these tips

We can’t stress enough how important it is to stay in touch with past customers since they can be your best source for referrals.  Small business owners and Realtors all know that you build your customer database with past customers and you should have many repeat clients throughout the years.  There are important strategies to learn about how to make sure a first-time customer is a lifelong customer.  If you are happy, your customers will be happy.  Here are a few of the tips:

1. Expect the best from your customers.  Don’t meet someone new and worry that they won’t pay on time and haggle them about your payment deadlines.  Don’t think they won’t show up for appointments and remind them how busy you are.  Expect that they will be a customer who pays on time.  From the very beginning, treat your customers with respect.  Expect upfront that they will be one of your best customers.  This will help keep your relationship a long-term one.

2. Beat their expectations.  Of course, it’s important to have quality products and offer what it is you are promising in your marketing pitches.  That is the first step.  But once you have that under control, go beyond the norm and what is expected.  If you’re a Realtor, offer to help them stage their home at no additional cost.  Send them articles about their neighborhood they would be interested.  As a small business owner, if you have a customer looking for a product that you don’t stock, offer to find it for them.  If you have someone who can’t get to your store during business hours, offer to have it open when they’re available or help them order online.  By exceeding expectations, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how loyal your customers can be.

3. Incent customers to want to remain your customers.  Offer a loyalty program for repeat customers.  For instance, they can regularly get a discount on regularly priced merchandise or free shipping with every order.  Realtors can offer money back on their commissions or always provide a $250 gift card to a home improvement store upon closing.  And always provide an incentive for customers who offer you referrals.  Always send a handwritten thank you note with a token of thanks, whether it’s a $5 Starbucks gift card or a coupon for a free dinner at a local restaurant.

4. Listen to their opinions.  Find out what products you don’t have that you should offer because it’s what your customers are looking for.  Ask for suggestions on store layout or how you can speed up your service to make them happy.  By implementing their ideas, they’re more likely to come to you in the future.  Not only that, but it’s an other easy way to earn their referrals.  They’ll know that you’re likely to listen to what they have to say.

More great tips can be found in Jeff Wuorio’s article here.

completeREsources Chicago prides itself on customer satisfaction. We are available for all of your marketing needs. Give us a call at 773-267-6167 for help with your next project.

Make sure you schedule marketing time

We’ve talked the past few weeks about making sure your marketing messages were going to the right target, how to improve direct mail campaigns, certain mistakes not to make with your marketing.  While those are all important topics, it’s equally important to make sure you have time in your schedule to get your marketing done.  And we don’t just mean a few minutes on Tuesday and an hour on Friday afternoon if you get a chance.  You need to plan a schedule.  Just like anything else (an appointment with a client, a teleseminar on the housing market, etc.), you need to schedule time in your daily or weekly schedule to get your marketing done.

There’s two easy ways you can set this up.  The first is to break the activities up by working on a theme for each day of the week.  For example, Monday would be a day for communications.  This can be posting blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc., catching up on e-mails for the past week, or creating a new telephone script.  Tuesday could be client day.  Meet with clients, schedule time to meet with clients, handle paperwork related to clients.  Other themes can be writing (blogs, newsletters, articles, ad copy), research (test new marketing, collect new e-mails for e-newsletter, develop new ideas, find articles for newsletters), administrative (paperwork, pay bills, create to-do list), Web site (new pages, collect new e-mails, respond to leads, add photos), etc.  You should have no problem breaking down your week into five days so everything can get done.  Then set time in your daily schedule to accomplish everything.  Try not to answer phone calls and e-mails throughout the entire day.  Block off two one hour periods (once in the morning and once in the afternoon).  It will help you to accomplish a lot more.

The other way to set up your schedule is to devote a day of the week to a particular marketing activity, rather than a theme.  For example, Mondays could be about sales.  You could spend that day working on e-mailing your lists about a new promotion, writing copy for your next direct mail piece about your monthly sale, or make every Monday a sale for your business.  One day could be about adding to your client database by collecting new e-mail addressesand contacting past clients for referrals.

However you choose to set up your schedule, the most important fact is that you have a schedule.  Don’t just say I’ll work on it in the hour you have free time.  Schedule it in there.  You’ve heard the saying, “It’s as important to work on your business as it is in your business.”  Make working ON your  business a priority.  Promise not to go home for the day until you’ve touched base with 5 past clients.  Jody Gabourie, the Marketing Plan Queen, offers more tips here. For help with your marketing pieces, please visit us online.

Don’t lose customers with these marketing mistakes

One quick mistake in your marketing message or delivery might not only make you lose a customer, but could keep you from gaining a new one.  These tips should help keep you on track to make more money, and not lose any!

1. Signing up customers to your newsletter without permission.  Do you ever hand someone your business card and then start receiving their e-mail mailings or newsletter?  It’s very common, and unfortunately, could break a customer relationship.  People want the option to opt-in to these mailings.  They don’t want to receive it without being asked first.  This is especially hard if you just meet someone.  You want to develop a relationship first.  You also want to have the freedom to look at their information and then determine if you want to be on a mailing list.  If you send these newsletters out, make sure you have a sign-up form on your Web site or in your e-mail.  And always ask permission when meeting someone new if you can add them to your list.  Don’t just assume they want to be on it.

2. Changing your message because you didn’t get enough sales.  It’s also very common to see an advertisement: 30% off everything until Wednesday!  Then Wednesday is crossed out and it says 30% off until Friday!  You’ll create a much more powerful message if you stick to your word.  If you didn’t get enough sales, save the promotion for a few weeks.  It creates a lot more urgency and shows your customers that you are willing to offer promotions.  You’ll seem desperate for business if you keep changing your current promotion.  It can make customers think you’re going out of business. 

3. Making everything urgent.  Sending out mailings that say “Urgent!” or “Open Immediately!”  This tactic can definitely work, but once is probably best.  If customers continue to see the same messages on all of your mailings, they’ll know it is just a tactic and probably put it right in the garbage bin.

4. Spending it all in one place.  Don’t blow your entire marketing budget on one expensive TV ad or national magazine appearance.  It could be great to get new customers, but once you’ve done that, what’s left for other marketing?  Make sure to evenly spend your marketing dollars and find the best ways to do that based on your customer profiles.  We blogged a few weeks back about sending clear messages to the right target group.  Don’t get all excited about a new advertising stream without researching it first and determining that it’s right for you and your business. 

5. Fixing what isn’t broken.  Some companies think changing their marketing pieces is necessary, even if they’re still getting great success with the same old pieces.  This isn’t necessary.  If it’s working, that’s fantastic.  Don’t just assume you need to change something because it hasn’t been done in a while.  Use test markets and get feedback before trying something new. 

You can find more common mistakes in this article. Visit us online for help designing your marketing piece!

Make sure your marketing messages hit the right target

Have you ever been in a situation where you just moved into a new apartment complex and you received a postcard for someone offering discounted exterior painting or snow shoveling service?  Obviously, as a renter, you don’t need these services.  So the person that is sending you this mail is completely wasting their money and they’re completely wasting your time.  If you are a small business owner or real estate agent, you want to make sure your marketing pieces get to the right audience.  Otherwise, you’re wasting everyone’s time and money.  Here are some simple ways to get to the right target.

1. Identify your potential customer.  You want to aim your marketing pieces at those people who are likely to be your customer – not to everyone.  Pay attention to those who are your customers already, since future customers will most likely resemble them.  You’ll want to identify where they’re from, their demographics (age, gender, income level, household makeup, etc.), and their behaviors and beliefs.

2. Pinpoint your actual market.  How often do you check out at a store nowadays and the sales clerk first asks you for your phone number or zip code?  They’re collecting this information so they know who is shopping with them so they can market to that target area in the future.  Start asking your customers for a zip code and/or phone number (for the area code).  If you have customers that are shopping online, it’s still important to collect this information.  You never know – you could be in Chicago and have a huge group of customers on the East Coast!  Find out that information so you could potentially market to them in the future.

3. Observe your customers.  Gather important information such as: age range, gender, job titles, owners vs. renters.  You may gather some of this information by observing them.  However, it’s important to ask questions, too.  Try to strike up a conversation as they’re checking out.  Not only will that make you seem more friendly, but you can learn a lot about them.  Maybe they’re purchasing something for their son’s graduation from high school.  Now you have an idea of their age range, that they have children, and money could be tight in the next few years if they’re going to help him with his education. 

4. Find out what interests them and their purchasing habits.  Are they online shoppers?  Do they get product recommendations from friends or family?  Do they make most of the purchases for the household or does their spouse or partner?  Do they choose quality or price first?  These important questions will help you learn what they value in making purchase decisions.

All of these bits of information will help you stay informed of your current customers to help you generate marketing messages that are getting to the right target audience.  Not only will it save you time and money, but hopefully it will help you learn more about your customers to generate referrals for years to come.

More information can be found in this article. Now that you know who to market to, let us help you get that done! Visit us online to get started.

Easy ways to get someone to say yes to what you’re offering

Whether you’re currently negotiating a real estate deal, handling an objection with a customer you’re trying to prospect to, or need a lower price from a vendor you work with, you want (in all of these situations) to get the opposite side to agree with you.  Nobody likes a tough negotiation.  And for a customer, of course you want to guarantee a sale.  So here are some easy ways to get them to say the answer you’re longing to hear: YES!!

1. Don’t react.  This could be tough.  You hear something and your first instinct is to launch into your pitch or type your reply e-mail.  Just give it a minute (or 10 or 100) to take a breath and develop an appropriate response.  You most often get your foot in your mouth when you instinctively react to something without thinking. 

2. Do the exact opposite of what the other side expects.  Do they expect you to agree to their counter offer in price?  Don’t.  Try to get another $500 off.  William Ury is the author of Getting Past No: Negotiating with Difficult People.  He says to try to replace the word “but” in a conversation with “and.”  So instead of, “But I won’t go down anther $2,000″ try, “And I will go down if you agree to throw in all the appliances.” 

3. Reframe the objections to your counterpoint in your negotiation.  This not only allows you to deflect the objection, but it makes you come off stronger by showing the other side that you’re willing to work with them.  If an objection when you list a house is that you’re charging 7% commission and they only want to pay 5%.  Talk with them about how you’ll hold an open house every weekend until an offer comes in as long as they agree to your commission. 

4. Make it hard to say no.  Show the value in what you’re offering, not just the specifics or the price.  Isn’t this something they can’t bear to be without?  Aren’t you the best Realtor in your area?  This is a lot more important than your price or what you charge.  Get them to see the price of not saying yes. 

Now, once you get them to agree, you want to start marketing their home, if you’re a Realtor.  We’re here to help.  Visit us online for information on what we offer.

How to handle the tough objections

Anybody who has ever tried to sell a product or service before has run into the problem of dealing with objections.  You know, those few words that can pull you right back down after you felt so good delivering a presentation sure to close your sale.  Jeff Wuorio is a small business writer, and he offers suggestions on how to deal with some of the more popular objections that occur in a business setting.

1. I’m already working with your competitor.  First of all, know that no matter if the customer is happy in that relationship, they may feel particularly loyal to the competitor for a number of reasons.  It could be a past sale with them, a family relationship, etc.  And you don’t want to destroy that loyalty.  What you do want to do, is try to get them to listen to what you have to say.  The customer can’t lose anything from hearing your sales pitch.  Worst case is they don’t leave your competitor.  Nobody got hurt, and you got to practice your sales pitch again. 

2. You’re too expensive.  This could be another reason why they choose to go with a competitor.  When they say this, they often don’t understand the concept of the value you’re offering them.  They’re focused, instead, on the price.  Show them how your product or service will offer them a return on their “investment.”  Don’t automatically bring down your price because it takes the value out of what you do.  Instead, try to find out what they’re willing to pay and offer them a replacement product that will equally suit their needs for less money. 

3.  I don’t have time to talk or meet with you.  At least they’re taking the time to let you know that.  That’s a sign that you’ve already gotten through to them.  Wuorio’s article says, “”They may be dealing with something you’re not privy to,” says Chris Deren, CEO of SellMasters Inc., a Boston sales performance consulting concern. “Help them understand that what you do may help with what’s soaking up all their time.” Deren also suggests networking with colleagues, other people within the prospect’s company and others to try to get a personal feel for what your prospect may be dealing with. If nothing else, any extra insight may impress your prospect: “He may decide that you’re one of the few people that he does have time to talk to,” says Deren.”

4. I don’t see the value in what you offer.  Again, this is another misunderstanding because the customer knows that your offer does have value, they just don’t see it.  Try to sit down with them to show them how your service or product will help them.  Whether it saves them time, saves them money, keeps employees working their longer, etc.  Try to do research on the customer ahead of time to find out what’s most important to them, and then figure out what the value you’re offering can do to help.

Knowing these objections ahead of time won’t leave you tongue-tied when it comes out of your customer’s mouth.  It’s best to know the proper way to handle them to appear in a most professional manner. 

Visit us online to see the value and the time savings we offer for all of your marketing materials!