You probably know better than to follow up with someone like this: “Just following up!” You realize that doesn’t really help either of you. But you still might be making this mistake: “Did you do that thing you said you were going to do?” That feels like it’s helping, but from the customer perspective, it’s…
A few weeks ago, we talked about knowing your customers in order to help them answer questions they get asked. This week, get to know your customers better by thinking through what they want to be good at. What do your customers want to be good at? You help customers all the time. The…
Does your business have a sustainable advantage? Having one or more sustainable advantages gives you an edge in the marketplace. Advantages can be developed in several ways. Perhaps the most commonly sought after advantage is price. However, a price advantage is rarely, if ever, sustainable. Another business will find a way to offer a lower…
Are you getting what you want out of your business? Quite often, we, as people, get into a funk. We take a look at our surroundings and wish that things were different. This certainly holds true for small-business owners. So what can we do to change our attitude and direction? Last month, I discussed one activity…
Many retailers experience a sales slump during after the holiday season. How do you respond? The slump comes as no surprise and most small-business owners know they just need to plan for it and ride it out. They think of it as time to work in the business and perhaps to grab a short vacation….
“I need help in marketing my product. “ That short sentence is the one I hear often as I work with small-business owners. Most often, when asked to clarify what they want, the owner talks about increasing his or her sales. They want to see more goods and services go out the door. While sales…
The numbers are daunting. Every 60 seconds, 347,000 tweets are shared. 510,000 Facebook comments are made. 5,100 Instagram photos are liked. 48 hours of video are uploaded on YouTube. Now add information we get from other online information sources such as email, blogs and websites. Then there is what might be called the traditional sources…
Buzz words, the hot topic – You know what I am talking about. Go to a networking event and just listen. As you listen, there is a good chance you will hear certain words, tactics, techniques or ideas brought up and discussed several times. These same words are ones that you are probably also seeing…
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