.jpg)
Archive for Customer Retention
You Are ALL Wrong - Here is the BIG Idea
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I was chatting to a lovely lady while walking with Tracey along the beach front.
We got talking because I stroked one of her dogs.
She was walking what had to be two of the world’s leading ‘low down bum’ doggies.
There legs were literally 2cm long - quite how they fit their knees into those 2cms I’ll never know.
And on top of that it was like they’d been stretched.
In fact it looked like evolution was having a bit of a laugh when it created these low down bum, too long doggies.
But they were lovely - really, really sweet and Tracey fell in love with them.
Anyway, we got talking and I mentioned we had 7 cats.
“7 cats?” she bellowed?
“Yep” I replied.
“7 cats??” she exclaimed again.
“Oh yeah” I replied.
“7 cats!!” she said with a look of disbelief.
“You goootttt it…” I replied.
“7 cats!” she said (by now it was getting a little tiresome. I’m all for repetition in learning - but neither I nor her were learning anything here).
“Corrrrrreeeecccttttt!” I replied.
“7 cats…” she said.
“YES! What’s confusing you - we have SEVEN cats” I replied (a little sharply actually - but in my head (which I didn’t do) I shouted it at her).
“Why would you want 7 cats?” she asked.
At this point my ‘brain’ was off on it’s own again and in my head I said ‘why have you got two short legged, too long dog that permanently look like they’re in on those mirrors at the fair that make you look weird’??
But I didn’t say that - I’m too polite.
Instead I said: “Because we like cats”.
That’s it for that story…. This article is actually about the one I posted on Wednesday.
Do you remember?
I asked you to spot the BIG IDEA in the post…
And then post your response in comments.
I received 113 email answers and ONE comment on the post.
It seems 113 people couldn’t or didn’t want to follow instructions (there is a lesson in there about your customers and their behaviour).
And guess what…
NOBODY got it right.
In fact nobody even came close.
I had all sorts of bizarre responses like:
‘Use cats to stimulate creativity’.
‘Cats help you relax’.
‘ Read your copy to your cats and if they don’t understand it, there is no way your customers will’ (brilliant).
But as I say, they’re all wrong.
The BIG IDEA (or in fact ideas - because after I’d writtent the post I realised there were a few) is:
THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN MARKETING IS BEING BORING!!!!!
There is nothing that will kill the return from your marketing faster.
And there is SO MUCH BORING marketing around.
Just flick through the next copy if OK or Hello or look around at all the ‘me too’ websites on the net.
It’s all sooooooo boring!
And therefore few people read it…. And if few people read it… Even less people will respond…
And that leads to one almighty waste of your time and money.
So TODAY - have a look at your websites, brochures, price lists, ads etc etc and ask yourself ‘ARE THEY BORING’??
If they are - here’s what to do.
Make them NOT boring! I guarantee you it will pay big returns.
OK.
Now…
There are a fe more BIG ideas the post revealed (and in fact this one does too) but I’m keeping those close to my chest for now. They are the KEY to building long term value from your customers…
Any ideas???
Post your responses in COMMENTS (not via email - email annoys me).
Dedicated to your success,
Henry.
PS: If you have yet to accept your FREE trial and FREE gifts to my VIP Inner Circle, you still have chance to do so. Simply head here and accept them 100% risk free - YES HENRY! GIVE ME MY FREE GIFTS AND FREE TRIAL TO YOUR VIP INNER CIRCLE
PPS: If this is your first time here then be sure to enter your details below and receive my ‘Daily ‘Killer’ Success Tips’ - you can of course unsubscribe at any time and we will NEVER share your information. Register below.
———————————————————–
![[Post to Twitter]](http://henry-baker.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter-big2.png){kind=icon}
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
The SIMPLE Path to Business Success
Posted by: | CommentsWow!
What a weekend.
Sunny, hot, barbecues and relaxation.
Fantastic.
I hope you had a great weekend too.
Over the weekend I spent a little time filtering through all the different options we as business owners have to attract and keep customers.
And there are MORE than ever.
Just tons and tons of them.
In fact, there are SO many it’s often difficult to decide WHAT to do next.
So - I’m gonna simplify things for you a lot!
There are ONLY 3 things you need to do.
1. Attract more customers.
2. Get each one spending more.
3. Get each one referring more people.
That’s it.
Nothing more.
Now, the ‘tools’ you choose to use to grow your business MUST do one or a combination of those 3 things.
If they don’t - don’t spend your time on them.
The secret is to use as many different strategies as you can to do those 3 things.
AS LONG AS THEY WORK!
And that sentence there is the clincher.
So how do you know if they work?
Well, you MUST get an accurate measurement of at LEAST the following TWO statistics.
How MUCH it costs you to get a new customer. Whether that’s from direct mail, the internet, press releases, face to face, the telephone, ads, yellow pages, Twitter etc, etc.
AND you must work out your AVERAGE LIFETIME CUSTOMER SPEND.
Now, as long as the amount it costs you to acquire a new customer is less than the your average lifetime spend… Guess what…
It makes YOU MONEY!
So keep doing it - and if you can - do MORE of it!
The BIG problem most businesses have and the reason they feel their advertising and marketing doesn’t ‘pay off’ is because.
a. They don’t know these numbers.
and…
b. They don’t spend any time trying to improve them!
And that is WHY you should ONLY use direct response marketing.
So when you spend a pound, you KNOW how much you get back.
Think how much it would be if you knew with certainty that if you spent £1000 on marketing you’s get £3000 back!
What fun!
And how easy would it be to walk all over your competition??
I think… VERY!
Dedicated to your success,
Henry.
PS: If you have yet to accept your FREE trial and FREE gifts to my VIP Inner Circle, you still have chance to do so. Simply head here and accept them 100% risk free - YES HENRY! GIVE ME MY FREE GIFTS AND FREE TRIAL TO YOUR VIP INNER CIRCLE
PPS: If this is your first time here then be sure to enter your details below and receive my ‘Daily ‘Killer’ Success Tips’ - you can of course unsubscribe at any time and we will NEVER share your information. Register below.
———————————————————–
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
A BIG Thank You from Me to You
Posted by: | CommentsBIG NEWS!
I’ve decided it’s time for me to say THANK YOU… To YOU!
Thanks you for spending your valuable time reading, absorbing, implementing my advice.
I REALLY appreciate it.
And to say thanks I’ve lined up something I know I will regret…
Head here to see what it is:
HENRY WANTS TO SAY THANK YOU — CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW
Don’t miss this one… It’s a real ‘hum-dinger’…
Have a great day,
Henry.
PS: I really am giving away £12,900.00 in stuff. NO COST WHATSOEVER… Not even shipping. Click Here to See all the details.
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
How YOU Can Become a Celebrity Business Owner
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I spoke a little about the ’sorry state of affairs’ we find our society in right now.
It used to be that ‘children spoke when spoken to’, teenagers respected their elders, your credibility as a business owner was dependant on your ‘track record’ and your success as a business owner was dependent purely on delivery of high quality products and services to the marketplace.
Nowadays, we are driven by something a little different.
We are in a ‘Celebrity Driven’ society.
Now, I actually ‘jest’ a little when I said our society was in a ’sorry state of affairs’ because there are of course two sides to a coin and a lot of GOOD things are all around us right now.
But whether we like it or not, one of the fastest paths to ‘Ultimate Power and Attraction’ is CELEBRITY.
Just take a peek around.
We’ve got X-Factor, Britain’s got talent, Fame Academy, Big Brother, that terrible program about people stuck in a jungle, Dancing on Ice, Strictly Come Dancing…. We’ve even got ‘foul mouthed’ aggressive chefs achieving world wide domination via the ‘F’ word (and don’t get me wrong, Gordon Ramsay has me in stitches).
SO…
While celebrity status does of course mean you open yourself up for ‘attack’ from all sides by anyone wishing to have a ‘pop’ (and that’ll happen anyway as your success rises) it brings with it a HUGE dose of INSTANT credibility, STATUS, and a WOPPING amount of new business, opportunity and for many excitement.
So how can you become a celebrity business owner (or individual if you wish).
Outside of giving up all dignity, stripping butt naked and running round the Big Brother house bashing ya ass with a tea strainer, there are fortunately some others options.
And best news is those other options can still keep your dignity, integrity, self worth intact and your parents still talking to you.
Here are two of the best:
1. Become a published author… OR, become a SELF PUBLISHED author. And before you start shouting ‘Henry! I can’t write for toffee’, or ‘how’s that going to help??’, let me make something crystal clear. If you KNOW something about what you do (which you do of course), you CAN write a book about what you do. Now, of course just writing a few pages isn’t enough, you gotta sell ‘em too. BUT, it’s not as hard as it seems… And if you want to know how, you’ll need to join my VIP Inner Circle… In a few months I’ll be interviewing a VERY FAMOUS person who has come from nothing to stardom from a simple book… You can get a free trial to my Inner Circle Here - Click Here
2. Use the very people that plaster the celebs all over their covers everyday. THE PRESS. There are endless opportunities for you to get local, national and international exposure for your business and yourself. But you gotta know how to get it. Simply sending out a press release letting journalists know ‘Joe Bloggs has been promoted to Finance Director ‘aint gonna do it. Nor is ‘XYZ Widgets Launches New Gadget to Stop Ear Fluff’… You have to ask yourself ‘WHAT IS IN IT FOR THE JOURNALIST?’ Remember, they are sat their everyday sifting through mountains of press releases looking for something RELEVANT and INTERESTING for their audience. They don’t really give a HOOT about you…
And there are a LOT more ways to catapult yourself to celebrity status.
And keep in mind, when I talk about celebrity status I DO NOT necessarily mean ‘front page news’. Celebrity status in YOUR industry, YOUR local area, within YOUR group of prospects and clients can be just as lucrative…
So…
It’s Time to GIve In
We have two choices… Either get really wounds up and down right cross about the celebrity driven society we live in OR, embrace it and use it to our advantage…
Take your pick…
Dedciated to your success,
Henry.
PS: For some unknow reason our web designer hasn’t yet removes our EASTER OFFER and therefore there is still a bargain to be had when accepting your free trial and free gifts. He should be expecting a rather cross Henry on the phone today and you can expect the offer to be gone by tomorrow. But if you want to grab it see it, head here, enter your details and you’ll be taken straight to it: Click Here
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
These Celebrities are Waiting to Promote Your Business
Posted by: | CommentsWalk into any supermarket, newsagents or local store, take a peek at the magazine stand and what do you see?
Bundles and bundles and bundles of magazines ’screaming’ “Angelina Jolie”, “Brad Pitt”, “Britney Spears”, “Prince William”, “Cheryl Cole” and on and on and on….
Quite frankly I find them more tedious than an afternoon peeling 1,500 potatoes ready for a ‘chip fest’ (I don’t do that - just couldn’t think of anything else… brains a bit off colour this morning).
Yet millions upon millions of the damn magazines are sold every week - and not for their educational interest.
And while it saddens me that a generation has grown up with this codswallop rather than spending time reading ‘real’ books which can enhance their and others lives there IS an undeniable LESSON and something you MUST take advantage of.
In fact to not take advantage of it is just down right ‘wasteful’…
What is it?
Well… CELEBRITY SELLS!
We are now living in a celebrity driven society. And that ‘aint gonna change anytime soon.
So use it to your advantage.
Simply by linking a local, national or even international celebrity to your business a few things happen:
- Instant, increased credibility.
- Instant competitive advantage over your competition.
- INSTANT magnetism to the affluent (IF you pick the right celeb(s)).
- Instant reason for FREE publicity.
You see, if you were looking for a haircut and you could either go to the barbers in town with the ‘gossipping’ teens and ‘funny looks’ or the one in town that’s USED by Keira Knightley (not even fully endorsed by her), which would you choose.
Now, I don’t know of course but I’ll tell ya this much… A whole bunch of people will choose the one who sees Keira - why?
Well, just to see her, to hear what she says AND to tell ALL their friends they go to the hairdressers used by Keira Knightley!
So How do You Get Celebrity Endorsement?
It’s WAY easier than you think - and NOT necessarily expensive
You just need to get a little creative…
I’ll shortly be releasing a special guide on getting celebrity endorsement for my VIP Inner Circle Members. That’s the ONLY way to get it.
If you’re not yet an Inner Circle Member - Accept Your Free Trial and Gifts Here
And keep in mind.
Attaching a celeb to your salon or spa does NOT have to be difficult and it can create a tidal wave of new business - FAST.
Dedicated to your success,
Henry.
***************************************************
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
How to Send Referrals Through the Roof
Posted by: | CommentsAre we finally approaching the bottom of the recession?
Are things going to pick up?
Well, according to the BBC this morning and a Bank of England report, banks are ‘getting ready’ to ‘free up credit’.
What does that mean??
Are there a whole bunch of pin strip suit wearing portly gentlemen with green visor hat wotsits sat at the ‘cages’ to an angry mob of credit which is bursting to escape and unleash another round of ‘Boom and Bust’ on us?
Or is it that those pin stripe wearing portly gents are sat in the smoking lounge of the Polo Club having a last G &T and a Cuban Cigar while they ‘Get Ready’ to free up credit?
Ridiculous…
And of course yesterday it was announced house prices rose in March.
Oh… Well… Woopeee s**t…
Whatever you do, do not start hoping, wishing dreaming for better times - or start thinking they are just around the corner.
Having spent a long time learning the ins and out of economics and the London School of Economics it’s my assertion that ‘NO ONE’ has got any earthly idea what the heck is going to happen.
AND IT DOESN’T MATTER.
All you need to focus on is what YOU can affect (and it ‘aint that bunch of hairy assed credit which has been caged up for the last 18 months).
Anyway, sorry… Little too much tea this morning.
Now back to the important stuff… Stuff which YOU control…
I’m always being asked:
“Henry - what FREE marketing strategies really work?”
Well, first off, FREE isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Why? Well, anyone can do FREE! if you want real POWER in your market you should be acquiring the MOST expensive customers — the ones NOBOBDY else will dare…
Anyway…
When it comes to FREE, the best marketing strategy, hands down, by far is of course REFERALLS!
Referred customers tend to be easier to sell to, less price resistant, more loyal and more likely to refer others. That makes them well worth going for.
Here’s a 4 step system to help you BOOST your referrals:
1. ASK - As we all know, ‘if you don’t ask, you won’t get’ and that is certainly true for referrals. Most customers are happy to provide referrals if the service has been good. And if it hasn’t, that needs to be fixed anyway. The best time to ask is immediately after a ‘happy’ purchase.
2. Set the Right Expectations - From the moment you acquire a new customer you should make it clear that you rely on referrals to keep your costs and prices down. To facilitate that you will be asking for referral contacts if they are happy with your service.
3. Reward - When you receive a referral make sure you go back the person who made it and give them a gift to thank them e.g. a box of chocolates, something you sell etc. This will both increase that person loyalty to you and make future referrals much more likely.
4. Follow Up - Once you have a new referral make sure you follow up with them quickly. Be sure to mention where you got there name (having asked if that’s OK), and give them something physical to pass on to other people. That may be vouchers, offer cards, sample etc. THIS IS WHERE MOST PEOPLE FAIL.
Pretty simple huh…
The key is to turn your referral program into a SYSTEM and make sure every one of your employees knows how to use the SYSTEM and is using the SYSTEM.
Dedicated to your success,
Henry.
PS: If you’re fed up hoping, wishing and praying for better times…STOP… Instead, just wish for BETTER SKILLS… Here’s a FREE GIFT to BOOST those SKILLS => Click Here
*************************************************
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
The Fastest Way to Grow Your Business in 2009
Posted by: | CommentsKnee deep in recession and business owners all over the country are still making the same huge mistake.
Let me explain…
When the jewellery store owner becomes a marketer of fine jewellery, the carpet cleaner becomes a marketer of carpet cleaning services, the chiropractor a marketer of chiropractic care, etc., she takes a quantum leap up ability to beat recession and increase her income.
To beat recession, small business owners like you should stop making the mistake of being doers and start being marketers.
Most service business owners, small business owners, self-employed professionals and consultants all view themselves as doers of what they do.
The marketer sees the acquisition, retention and value maximization of the customers as her primary role, with the doing of the service the necessary ‘evil’. Simply, marketers are much more valuable and highly paid than others.
This is very difficult for doers to accept.
When you attend a networking meeting, at least 80% of everybody’s conversation is about doing, not the marketing; in the cocktail lounge, people tell each other what they do… ‘I speak about X, I’m an expert in Y.’ If you ask most businesspeople what they do, they’ll define themselves as a doer of a thing rather than as a marketing of a thing.
This attitude or view of who you are has an enormous impact on how you allocate your time and energy.
The doers of things do those things and get around to marketing if there’s “time left over.”
In recession this is the exact opposite of how time should be allocated.
The smart business owner spends most of her time marketing her products and services, attracting, nurturing and growing clients.
It is infinitely easier to delegate the doing than the marketing.
There are plenty of doers who are terrible at marketing. There are very few good marketers and yet they are the ones with all the business…
Which are you?
Dedicated to your success,
Henry.
PS: If you haven’t yet done so, be sure to grab your FREE GIFT and start implementing ‘Killer’ marketing in your business now. It is THE BEST way to beat recession. Click Here to Grab Your FREE GIFT.
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
How to Use Social Media for Profit
Posted by: | CommentsThere is more and more and more ‘buzz’, hype and talk about social media.
For most it’s a confusing, new ‘idea’ that doesn’t immediately reveal its value to your business.
I’m going to shed some light on what it is, how it can HARM you and how it may HELP you.
So what is social media.
In simple terms it’s a number of different internet applications and ‘places’ where you can connect with friends, family, clients and peers.
The common social media types are:
- Facebook (I’m sure you know about that one).
- MySpace.
- LinkedIn.
- Flurl.
- Twitter (this is an intersting one…).
- All the types of BLOG (a little like this site).
And there are hundreds more.
Their power is in their ability to allow you to very quickly become ‘friends’ with your family, friends, clients and peers and SHARE stuff.
For personal use it’s fairly obvious what they’re for.
You can keep in contact with Aunty gertrude in Australia, fin old school friends, share pictures and stories.
But what about for business?
How can you REALLY use them to generate clients and profit.
FIRST OFF - BE CAREFUL!
Using these applications means you become VISIBLE, very VISIBLE. That’s great IF you want people to see what you share.
Dangerous if you don’t.
Where social media can help you is as follows:
- Keeping in regular contact with clients. e.g. you could set up a Facebook group for your clients, invite them to join and there share stories, client testimonials, offer, new products etc.
- You CAN create a ‘viral’ presence. Again, with Facebook the idea is simple. Your clients, friends and family will most often see what you post. They may well see something of interst, join your group and in turn become a client.
- You CAN use social media to ‘MOBILISE’ huge groups of people and MOVE them and their interest to specific things. e.g. IF you had a Facebook group for business you could run an open day and use Facebook to drive PART of the registration for that event.
BUT… These types of MEDIA (and that is ALL they are - like newspapers, magazines etc) are NOT a replacement for sound marketing systems dedicated to attracting the best, highest spending clients.
They are ANOTHER tool in your kit box.
The rules are also a bit different.
Social marketing is all about VALUE for FREE. You must ADD value to your audience.
For example you could provide an eBook to your Facebook group which details the “The 7 Reasons to Sell Your House Now Before the Real Market Crash Occurs”.
That eBook would explain the 7 reasons why the property market crash has hardly even starte and stimulate interest for estate agents…
Get the idea?
The key with all avenues to success is to use ALL the options available to you.
Social media is becoming more and more important. Have a ‘play’ create some ‘groups’ of people and just be careful about delivering HIGH VALUE, useful content and NOT just sales messages.
And keep in mind social media is called ‘Social’ media for a reason.
It is for SOCIAL interaction. Building friends, acquaintances, relationships. DOING so WILL stand you in good stead.
Oh…And to get an idea of how these things work…
AND, join me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/henrypbaker
Have a great day,
Henry.
***************************************
Click this Button and Share this Post on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
