The Social web– how to use Facebook Twtter or MySpace to grow or KILL your business?

1st you NEED to realize that your business is complete different and should be treated as such then your personal pages. People put up profiles on social websites for a few reasons– get new friends, keep in touch with old friends or have a place to voice your thoughts and opinions among people they like and or trust. HOWEVER– Your business should only be on Facebook, Twitter, or Myspace for  ONE pure Goal– To make money !!!!

This is extremely important because many business owners are  running their personal and business profile the same way and it can ruin your business forever!

and you work this utilizing these methods

3  REASONS–and only 3– 1)To get people to spend more money when they buy (if they buy $10 use it for promos to get them to spend $12 next time) and  2) How to get them to buy what you have more often (if they buy once a month to get them to buy once every two or three weeks ) and lastly 3) how to get one customer to bring in more customers (what is going to cause one person to tell the people they trust or trust them that you exist and they support your business as well — growing a customers circle of influence to benefit you)

For you business realize this what you put on on the web is permanent one and you can NEVER retract it. It is called Caching of a webpage in which your browser saves every version of a website to see this use achive.org the home of Googles Wayback machine.  And what your thing as a funny , cool or neat idea or opinion your OTHER visitors might not  agree with and THEREFORE my chose to NOT use your business because they read such things even though you do. This is a HUGE point for those people that have never used your business in the past and are searching the web to determine IF they are going to use your business today. Think about how often you use review sites to purchase a product to see generally how people feel about it. Its great because they are people you don’t know and there for are mostly just speaking pure about their experience. PEOPLE ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING WITH YOUR BUSINESS .

HERE IS THE KILLER OF BUSINESS ON THE WEB YOU WILL never FIND OUT WHO OR WHAT IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO DECIDE NOT TO USE YOUR BUSINESS . SO LOOK AT YOUR REVIEWS, FEEDBACK AND POSTS VERY CAREFULLY EVERYDAY BECAUSE THEY ARE DICTATING THE REAL OPINIONS .

 

IF YOU WANT POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO CHOOSE YOUR BUSINESS OVER YOUR COMPETITION email me at tom4change@gmail.com and will show you how exactly drive the web, social media and review sites in your favor .

Why you need to look at Apple retail stores if you want to run a great(and hugely profitable)business

Here are a list of just some things that you need to incorporate into your business Right NOW. I have picked them all up from Steve Jobs design of Apple retail business but they run a better business then anybody on the planet and it’s not because they make great products(wait that’s another post). Instead they understand what all customers want more than anything. An experience that literally transcends any other business (or human) interaction you have had before. Just look at this ever growing list of things they have given society.

1. The close when the last customer(s) leave not when a clock tells them to<shows customers they are #1>

2. The don’t sell they educate <people are mature enough to know when they are ready to buy>

3. They have instore classes all the time <even though you own their product that are not satisfied until you are in using it>

4. The use the clearest and lightest colors in their store <to make it some place you want to come in for the atmosphere and show you they HAVE nothing to hide>

5. You can stay as long or as little as you want with or without an employees help<please make yourself at home and I’m ONLY here if YOU would like me to be–to make your visit more ENJOYABLE >

6. All employees are armed(literally) with a credit card device that is ready where ever you are WITHOUT HAVING TO STAND IN ANY LINE(that’s a 1st–no waiting in line imagine that one)

7. They make ALL APPLE Store grand openings the EXPERIENCE of a life time. <Just like Disney World once in your life you have to attend an Apple store grand opening —you WILL feel the same emotion that YOU are KING>

8. If you Ipod breaks under warranty they replace it <they Don’t make you suffer because their product is defective or breaks–others try and find a way to put the blame on your actions and not honor the warranty–They feel it’s more important doing whatever it takes to keep the customer happy>

9. All employees are HAPPY to be there <makes the fact that you might need help less threatening because they WANT to give you anything you desire, instead of making you feel that they are only there because it’s their job requirement(ahem WALMART excuse me).

I’ll continue this list as I think of more great ideas

Leaving the lights–ON when you are closed

Okay so may not all the lights but the one that make you money. Does your business sit in a road? Do you have a sign for your business? I know two REALLY stupid questions right. Have you ever thought about all the people that drive by when your closed? Yet a lot of businesses turn off there sign when they close at night. It maybe saving energy but at what cost is it doing so. I say get a really bright sign that grabs peoples attention at night so they are forced to say “whats that?” Best buy is so much easier to find at night than during the day did you ever notice that? It’s that bright Yellow that grabs your eye.  One of the best things I think for a business is to get a removable letter sign that has your company on top and put a random quote on the bottom(people love short GOOD quotes that are funny–they remember you). Look at your traffic patterns at night on different days to decide which times will have the most bang for your buck.

EVEN better put your website or an 800-number on your sign then track the hits. Ask EVERYBODY how they found out about you –I mean EVERYBODY –the results about how nighttime signage drawing attention may surprise you.

whats the most important day in your customers lives?

The day that they were born every single year!!!! More business is done on peoples birthdays because people feel special on that day(even though they may not admit it) I know several companies that send out gift certificates to be used on peoples birthdays that make a killin. The question is –are you giving your customers the oppportunity to do business with you on their special day. They almost always come back for a repeat purchase or refer somebody etc.

Why start up businesses FAIL –how to not be a statistic

There is a few very good reason why new businesses end up out of business before they know it. This is all the things that they do wrong so you don’t have follow in their footsteps. These all can be summed up by saying DO as much homework as possible before you get into business and you’ll have a lot less struggle while your in business.

1. They don’t plan to screw up they are so busy trying convince everybody else that it will succeed they don’t play devils advocate for the challenges they will face. If you don’t mess up your business will have no foundation. Great businesses are built on massive I mean HUGE Adversities. Plan for the worst case scenario then work for the best case.
2. Have a business plan that people would feel good lending you money on even if your no looking at any. When people say it won’t work instead of defending why it will instead tell them to read your business plan (most people will shut up at the sight of even seen a business plan) . Remember the things that most people that don’t believe in your business idea are saying one of two things either they don’t believe because they couldn’t do it or that you haven’t shown them enough working on the business only getting into business.
3. Read at least 5 business autobiographies– figuring out how others became successful will only help you to get there faster. It also makes smarter by learning the reasons why things do and don’t work. The more we can learn from those before us the more time we can take in focusing on achieving our dreams.
4. Interview competitors in your industry and similar industries that aren’t your direct competition or in your local market. You’ll find that almost all entrepreneurs are willing to help you because they understand how hard it is. Never “think”you understand you know the reason why things happen in your industry ask others and use their experience to your advantage.
5. Over estimate all your expenses by 25% and under estimate all your profits by 40% . In the beginning most businesses are cash strapped so if you set yourself up for things being HARDER than they will be you will surprised at how much cash flow your actually have. You need to give yourself a lot of leeway financially for all the things you never saw coming but show up when you least expect them too.

What motivates your customer to buy

You absolutely should be finding out what values your customer holds that will influence their final decision during your sales presentation. People are not as motivated by price as you may think. Actually they are destined by value. Unfortunately money or the price is how we communicate our values when we are making a buying decision. MOST sales people think that the price of something is what caused the customer NOT to buy which is simply not true. The value the customer PERCEIVES for the money that are spending not matching is not a no it just means you have to find a way to add more value to the perception is more balanced in customers head. Remember money is just the tool that we all use to communicate value through.

Find out what they want your product to accomplish in their life. How it will make them feel in owning it ? Does it make them look intelligent to their neighbors ? Does it make them sexier to their mate? Or does it help them to accomplish other goals by saving them money? What is this really doing to affect the quality of their life either directly or indirectly? If you find out what a customer true motivation is by finding out what their values and beliefs are you can design an individual sales presentation. You can then determine how to sell specific features about your product or service to this unique person based on ideas that you know will determine a more positive outcome for both you as well as the customer.

How to connect your customers with your products

I was just watching “The Big Idea” on CNBC. Ive already talked about how great I think this show is for ideas. Well tonight when I was watching Donny was giving advice to a new company calledGraffeeti who make a new shoe for kids that you can write on and erase. (How many pairs of shoes did I ruin doing this?) Anyway he was talking about the message on the shoe and he starts talking about the core emotional benefit to your customer using your product.

So often I find that when companies use benefit messages they are talking to the customer in terms of what the product or service does instead of the emotional values. I often say if you give people a big enough reason why they will figure out the how. What I mean is give customers the end result of what they will gain in using your product or sevice on an emotional (not a logical level). In turn they won’t need to know what the product does or how it does it they will figure that out for themselves. The bigger you can make the emotional benefit to the individual the more valuable you will be to them. Let me give you a great example that applied to me of what I mean.

I am a huge music lover and when I first heard of the Ipod I thought that is nice. Then a friend of mine bought one and showed me how I could have my ENTIRE music collection in my pocket at all times. Now the idea of having that ability there was no wanting an Ipod I simply had to have one. As I was factoring the amount of time I would save never having to find a specific CD, figuring out what I wanted to listen to and the all the time I was wasting withcd cases, cds and loading them in and out of player.

My friend had showed me how much more productive, easier and more enjoyable my life would be with this device. When I saw it I was looking at the how this would hold my music (which doesn’t matter) when he showed me what it would do for my life I focused on the big picture– my enjoyment of music. I would figure out all the hows to get me to the reason why I wanted it. This is why Apple is so good in my book they simply show you how much better your life will be and literally the products sell themselves–how easy is that.

Getting back to “The Big Idea” the inventors talked about this statement on the shoe “Tag your it” and they where talking about the game of tag which was good. However what Donny said was great which was you should be talking about the individuality and the creativity of the end user. Create a great statement on that and those shoes will sell themselves. Here is why –the people taking a quick glance at the shoes don’t realize you could CHANGE the design to fit who you are whenever you wanted to. Well I gotta go “The Big Idea” is on again.

Starting a new business in a competitive industry

I had a friend walk up to me last night after I was done playing pool another passion of mine. He has seen some of the previous consulting work I had done for other small business start ups and asked me a question I get alot. So I figured I’d share this because I’m sure some of my readers may be asking the same thing.I have this idea for a business that I know other people make money at what do I do?What are you doing differently then they are to separate yourself in the potential customers mind? In other words why are people going to choose you over your competition. He then gave me a little info on what business it is  and I gave him some example that he hadn’t thought of yet. A really great question I love to ask people to help them with this concept is the oppposite minded. What need is not being met by the businesses right now that you could fill? What is it that you see other companies NOT doing that you have a passion toward?I call it looking for the gaps and if you find a gap big enough you can have a amazing business. So often though people have such enthusiam for starting the new business which I commend. They don’t stop and ask if the need is already being met. So why be one of many when you can create a new alternative? Business that ask if what can they do better than those already out their are the one with people beating a path to their door.This is a tried and true concept of the USP unique selling point. Which you find out what makes you business unique even in a crowded industry. Your businesses “voice” is what potential customers are going to use to decide if they will do business with you or not let me give you a great example of what I mean.The other day I went out to rent the movie “Wild Hogs” at Blockbuster they wanted $4.50 for a two day rental I thought that was a little crazy and didn’t know if I could watch if that night so I walked out. Before I went home I stopped at Hollywood video and they had it same price and same movie but one BIG difference to me. They had a five day rental at $4.50 BUT if I was done with it tommorow and I bought it back that would credit $1 to my account. Instead of punishing me for not watching the movie fast enough  (the late fees at blockbuster) Hollywood video would REWARD me for getting it back to them sooner BUT I the customer was in control and didn’t have too (I could keep it for 5 days it’s only a buck). So now im changing my habits because of how I felt like the getting back the rental was more important to Blockbuster than me then customers EXPERIENCE. Hollywood gets the visits first and probrably the majority of my rental income because of this shift. I made my decision because of each businesses voice and what each was saying to me.

Five Guys Burgers –the best mission / customer statement ever

It’s not a secret that I LOVE 5 Guys Burgers and Fries.

However besides the BEST burgers they have one of the best business models I have ever seen. I will break down all the little things they do into a few posts because as simple as they are they are the most profound ideas I have ever seen for any business.

Most of the ideas has to do with the expectations that 5 guys has for the customer experience. They value the customer and they let them know it by showing it as well as telling it to them. Basically they back up their words with action. They let you know what the priorities are as you will see. It’s one of the greatest things I have ever seen. If you ever get a chance go to a five guys and before you eat look at this amazing business model. These five guys are the poster child for customer value and  loyalty.

EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS ON THE PLANET that serves customers should be using this statement in ALL areas of their company.

This is posted on the soda machine –the first place you go after ordering your food(I am going to ask 5 guys to post the actual sign but until I get approval here’s the wording)

Thank You Customers

You the customer are the most important visitor on our premises.You are not dependent on us, we are dependent on you. You are not an outsider in our business –you are a part of it. We are not doing you a favor by serving you– you are doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.

Thank You

Five Guys

If you live that mission statement I will tell that you’ll be ahead of over 90% of your competition and at least 97% ahead of all businesses. Remember it’s real easy to say but takes a serious mindset change and dedication to action to live it.  Did I mention the five guysi’ve been in are always busy and I’ve had to gladly wait in line for the best burgers? I think their revolutionary model is absolutely working.  TheyLIVE AND BREATH the customer is first and i’ll show you more later.

THANK YOU FIVE GUYS

Customer Appreciation #2-The most meaningful way to say “Thank you” to your customers

This one is really simple but still so profoundly powerful. Everybody on this planet that I have met up to this point they want to feel important and like their life while they are here has meaning. I sure as heck know I do and I have pretty good idea that you do to. So the best thing you can do for a customer might not even to be to give back to them directly. WHAT?!?! Tom you’ve lost it—I can hear you now. However hear me out you are going to be glad you did.

Let me start off this idea with an example of a great friend of mine Helen who is an animal lover or should I say activist. This woman who is in her 70′s defends the rights of animals that are being abused by their owners because they can’t defend themselves. <On a personal note–She is the reason that when I found a kitten that was left to die by her previous owners I was NOT about to let that happen and she’s healthy and on my lap as I type this>. Now this woman’s passion on the subject was simply amazing to me and helped me to open up my view of the world. She is one of those people that is so giving she would never even think of having you buy her a present.

I wanted to show her how much she meant to me (no I didn’t buy her a cat LOL) I gave a donation to the organization that helps animals in need the SPCA in her name. When she got the thank you from that she was on the verge of tears. She said “Tom that is the most thoughtful thing anybody has ever given me –THANK YOU”. I might add whenever I’m in her company and probably more when I’m not and I meet one of her friends she says this is my friend Tom Titlow and listen to what he gave me she there by launches into the story of that gift. Did I do it to draw attention? NO. Did I expect her to brag about it? NO. I was only trying to give a gift that would be meaningful to her.

However I took this idea and I applied it to my business. I did one thing that has worked like a charm to make my customers feel extremely appreciated, important and valued as human beings instead of just as my customers. This thoughtful approach has earned me many repeat sales. Do I do it for that reason? NO, but it is a nice bonus. The real reason I did it was to show how grateful I am to my customers for giving me the opportunity to serve them.

So instead of having sales I let them know up front if that I will donate any of the dollars off to what is their # 1 non profit organization. Now of course I make the donation in the customers name and nobody has ever told me no. Several have asked me if I would do the same for a second or a third sale? At this point I like to disappoint them (just for a second) and I tell them no unfortunately it is not good on the next sale……..pause, pause,pause I will be donating MORE to them with that purchase. Of course we both have a nice chuckle.

There are several times where I never mention a sale or discount and it works better. I just off- handed ask what organization means the most to them or I figure it out in conversation and I make the donation without their knowledge. Which then of course has them scratching their head asking “why did he do that if he didn’t have to?” In my mind I did have to because anything I can do to show my customers appreciation and how important they are to me is an absolute necessity whether I ever see them again or not.

Start donating on your customers behalf and watch how it impacts your business in every area.

The simple path to make EVERY marketing program successful

SBO’s often think that the primary piece that their marketing program has to accomplish is to get prospective customer(s) to become interested, educated and willing to purchase the product. Here’s a surefire way to get a customers attention faster, better and keep it longer than your competition— DO the one thing that nobody would ever expect, but don’t offend the customer. Get crazy go nuts@!@!!@@! REalize that the beSt marketing, advertising, and sales programs ever created did one thing better than the rest before getting the customer to listen to YOUR message. The get the person to S-T-O-P paying attention to whatever they are doing. It’s called pattern interupt and its is crucial because your goal is their undivided attention and the funniest most creative , and ALMOST bizaarre way you can get it the more business you’ll get and the faster you’ll close sales because you’ll be in that persons forefront when making a decision to make a purchause in your industry. The more crowded the environment the more creative you have to be. Now this doesn’t nessarily mean the loudest. Sometimes taking away and being the quietest is what gets people to pay attention.

Step#1 pull peoples attention away from where it is now.

Step#2 then immediately create the desire to want to pay attention to what you want to say next.

Step#3 after you’ve created the desire then you give your message

here’s a few hints –If you have to compete for somebodys attention you’ve already lost.

Remember first you have to sell–needing undivided attention

Then and only then you say what you trying to say keep it short, Shocking and interesting. Remember the customer doesn’t feel they need your product as much as you feel they need your product–So you win in the delivery not the message.

“If you have a great product but you haven’t go peoples attention YOU will go broke it’s just a matter of when”

however

“if you make somebody enjoy their life a little bit more(maybe making them laugh) they will remember you and will go out of the way because you created interest.”

REMEMBER THIS—-
The more enjoyable you can make their life is the short term the more success you will enjoy in the long term.

MASTERY QUESTION–
“What can I do today for my customers that they wouldn’t EXPECT but would actually ENJOY?”

Customer Appreciation –Great ways to say “thank you” for being a customer

I’ve said before that showing your customers you appreciate them is so much more powerful than saying it. the reason is simple because your backing it up with action. So I want to do a quick little post(I promise lol)on ways that have been successful. So you can get your own appreciation action plan STARTED. Remember this one thing it is not that you have the best idea or most unique but that you start IMMEDIATELY so you can start seeing the dividends. If your looking for personalized ideas email me — tom4change@gmail.com or call me 302-757-0210

• a after hours preview party for new product, a new store opening, or just a party to celebrate your gratitude toward your customers. Great example #1
• The more ways that can SHOW your customers that you truely care about them (beyond their purchases) the more appreicated the will feel which leads to the more comfortable they will feel around you in the future. When people say hi to you on the street you are succeeding they want to be around you outside of your business.
• Using customers first names in conversation after the first purchase — There is nothing that sound sweeter to anybody than the sound of their name.
• Learn the first names of your top 30 customers and use them often (for a bonus find wives and kids names also). Like next time they walk through you door or call.
• Saturn (the car company) took all of it’s owners to Great Adventure theme park for a day for $20 (I think) which included free parking, all you could eat barbecue and admission to the park. All for their 10th anniversary.
• Have a presale open an hour hourly to let invited customers only have 1st chance to purchase during a big sale.
• Have a friends and family event where either employees or your best customers get a great coupon(say 20% to 30% off any purchase) to use during a specific time period.
• Send a thank you card for every purchase somebody makes
• Tell your customers that if they have a friend that comes in to make a purchase with in 3 week s and they mention their name you’ll give then a $25 gift certificate to any restaurant they choose
• Send them a birthday card with a gift inside (a pool room I worked with has play two hours for free on your birthday )
• Send out half birthday cards( there is a resturant in my neighborhood that give you half off any meal with regular one purchased during the month halfway to your birthday —The card says Happy HALF birthday)
• Treat every single customer like it’s the first time doing business with you. Putting your best foot forward goes a long way making your customers feel worthwhile
• Go all out an do a few free home deliveries to customers that call in an order offer to bring it to them to save them the hassle of making a special trip
• Donate something in their name to those protecting us or any other charitable foundation
• Sponsor a little league team or a school that your customers kids attend

When people feel appreciated they will go out of their way to reciprocate to you by either purchasing, bringing you new customers or just giving you great ideas to make you even more successful that you already are.

I personally have turned many customers into friends from using ideas and many more like it. The key is to be completely genuine in your approach and let the interaction and the ideas do all the work for you.

What can you implement NOW to show your customers how much they mean to you?

Now to show your employees how much your value them read this.

or a small business that is using this ideas right now you can visit–Willy’s Philly’s in Maynard Ma

Believing in your Dream– the Story of the new Willy’s Philly’s in Maynard Ma

Do this and make millions in any business

There is only ONE thing you need to do in business as well as life to become anything you could ever dream of. Its something extremely easy to do however its how you do it that makes all the difference. You already know the answer but you don’t realize that it controls everything I mean everything in your life.

The questions that you ask!!!!!!

let me rephrase that– the quality of questions you ask

Your questions determine your outcome in everything you do in your life whether you realize it or not. The reason why most of us don’t have the success we want in our lives is because we are asking for what we do want yet rather we are focusing on avoiding what we don’t want.

However when it comes to business it is a life changer. All the greatest accomplishments in business all had one thing in common. What ever it was the person who was asking it did it in a way no one else was think of YET. If you look back through the greatest business autobiographies they all had asked themselves a question that wasn’t being asked yet. Go out and read read the autobiographies of Ray Kroc(McDonald’s), Harold Schultz(Starbucks) or Walt Disney.  You will see that the way they approached their businesses through the questions the where asking themselves is what made them the giants they ended up becoming.

So what questions are you asking yourself on a daily basis? Are they bringing you closer to your goals or taking you further away from them?

Start asking yourself the questions that will empower you to start achieving the goals for your business and you will see your dreams come true quicker than you could have imagined!! 

Standing on the Soapbox– getting notice by the customer

In the old days or business people used to stand on soapboxes as a way of getting people to pay attention to them. Well unfortunately in today’s extreme integrated society it not that easy. Today everybody has a opinion on everything and they also have great free mediums to get that message out there.

<>So how do you attract attention to your product or service in a positive way?

<>Now let me give you a great example of what I mean.

<>This past weekend while at the baseball hall of fame ceremony for Tony Gwynn the people of Cooperstown, NY were all on their front lawns selling everything to eat and drink to us patrons. Since there was like 75,000 of us it wasn’t hard to make a ton of money. Everybody had signs that said$2 drinks, $1candy and $3 hot dogs.

<>However there was one guy that had a brilliant sign. Bottle of water $375,000 with a free house. Now that is thinking out of the box. I don’t know if he sold that house but everybody was laughing and taking pictures with that sign. So I know that he generated a lot more business than his neighbors you really couldn’t get near his food stand. He used the power of laughter and a touch of absurdity to stand out in this massive crowd.

So my question for you is –“In whats unique ways can you get your customers attention that they would actually enjoy ?”

IPN#6 –How do you say the two most important words?

The more you can show your customers appreciate them the longer you’ll be in business. How do your say thank you to your customers? Do you do it in ways that will cause them to remember you the next time they need your product or service? Create unique ways of showing your customers gratitude and it will do one think for you  create unstoppable word of mouth refferrals. Give your customers positive reasons why they should be talking about you.

So often companies let the customer go after they have bought and they never show the customer they are extremely appreciative that the chose them on where to shop. A good example of this is a cellular company I worked with didn’t do anything but just say thank you to the customer. So I suggest the sales people send out thank cards (so easy but whens the last time you got one?) and we included a coupon for a free car charger or leather case(cost was next to nothing) customers returned with friends and family asking is to help them too. It gave the customer a reason to come back in the store. They also often purchased more accessories for their phone while they where there.

In what unique ways do you show your customers you really appreciate them?