How does your brand differ from others in your industry?
What are some strengths of your business?
Are there some things you could improve on?
Innovation, creativity, and quality and some of the few very important aspects when it comes to running a successful business.You should be consistently taking trainings, watching webinars, networking, and reading books to provide the most efficient and highest quality product or service possible. While there are probably many competitors in your industry, it is going to be important that you find ways to make your business STAND OUT.
Here are a few helpful ways to give your brand a good swift kick in the rear,
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KEEP UP ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
A lot of business owners will try to do it all. Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, you name it. While they have good intentions of trying to diversify their marketing they usually fall behind and become overwhelmed with the amount of content needed to keep up on so many different platforms. It is best to choose 1 to 3 different platforms (do some research to see what would be the best fit for your target market) and make a content posting plan that you can stick to. Facebook continues to be the most widely used social media platform while Instagram is in a close second.
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ASK FOR HONEST REVIEWS
It is never a bad idea to give your customer a gentle reminder that you appreciate their honest review. Facebook, Google, and Yelp are some very user friendly sites for your customers to leave you feedback. 92% of consumers now read online reviews. (A 4% jump since 2014) If your business is just starting off you could offer a small incentive for clients who write a review about your product or service.
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BE PROMPT
Be prompt in all aspects. This is something that I am personally always working on doing better. Between texts, calls, emails, and private messages there is a lot to keep up on. Which also means there can easily be a customer that slips through the crack and you totally forget to reach out to them (happens to the best of us!). Make a habit of emptying your inboxes before you hop into bed. In a society full of automated answering machines and self checkouts, customers appreciate when they can talk to an actual human and get real answers. It shows that their time and needs matter to you!
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FOLLOW UP
It’s a very simple concept that seems to be forgotten about. The follow up time frame may vary depending on your industry. But shoot your clients a quick email, give them a call, or even send a text to see how they are liking the product or service they received from you and answer many questions that they may have. Most people will be surprised and impressed by this gesture.
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GO THE EXTRA MILE
I try to go the extra mile for literally every one of my clients. I buy cards for weddings and new babies. I will give up my dinner break if a client could use a little extra time for their appointment. I am constantly sending my clients links and pictures of things that we talked about during their appointment (and trust me, we talk about everyyythang!). I’ve even bought a client a dog toy for the arrival of their new puppy. Do I do this to try to keep them as a loyal client? Obviously. But I also do it to show them how much they mean to me and how much I appreciate their business. This principle can apply to many aspects of your business. Do you make sure your decor is perfectly straight on your wall? Do you check the cleanliness of your bathrooms multiple times a day? Do you spend the extra .10 to give your client a sturdy bag to take their items home in? It’s the little things, you guys. But I promise that these seemingly unimportant details will add immense value to your business.
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PROVIDE A QUALITY PRODUCT OR SERVICE
This may seem like common sense, but once in a while we all need a reminder. You could be doing everything right in your company but if your quality sucks then nobody will want what you are selling. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are or how many years you have been doing what you’re doing. Investing in yourself is NEVER a waste of money. There is so much access to educational material, self development, and business development content out there. Some of my favorite platforms are podcasts (one hour commute, anyone?), books, webinars, and hands on trainings. No matter what you do…selling, marketing, hair stylist, accountant…if you think you are perfect at what you do then your business is probably failing. A successful leader knows that they can always improve their skills no matter what.
