It’s been said that the best business deals are made on the golf course. There’s no doubt that a lot of business happens outside the office, whether it’s golf, lunch or dinner. That’s because people do business with people. A social setting gives you and your prospect the opportunity to get to know each other better, as people. Poor etiquette can turn your prospect off rather quickly so, on National Etiquette Week, we’ve compiled four etiquette tips to help you score more business.
Tee time
If you want to lose a potential customer before you even meet them, then show up late. You should respect the fact that they’ve given you precious time from their busy day to meet with you. Try to be there early if you can. If you show up late, you give the impression that you had something more important than meeting with them. If you are going to be late, let them know as soon as you can.
Flag down the beer cart
Ordering alcohol with a prospect can be a sticky situation. A formal dinner typically calls for a bottle of wine, but for lunch or on the golf course, it isn’t as easy. A good rule of thumb is to allow your guest to order their drink first. If they go for a water or soda, follow suit. If drinks are in order, remember that you are at a meeting so moderation is key.
Par for the course
The number one question most people have is, “Should I let them win?” The answer is no. Intentionally losing can be an insult to a customer, so play to your ability. A golf outing with a prospect is about building a connection. Make sure they have a good time and the business side of things will take care of itself.
Keep the club in your hand
This should go without saying, but be polite. If people are doing business with people, most don’t want to do business with a jerk. The better the personal connect you make with this prospect, the more loyal the customer will be in the long run.
Most of us like a good laugh. We want to be entertained. While there are several approaches to create advertising, humor often gets people talking. Think about the Super Bowl commercials that have become an anticipated attraction beyond the game itself. Adding humor to your marketing can increase brand awareness. Here are a few ways you can leave your customers laughing.
Get a sense of humor
When you use humor in advertising, you’re typically creating brand awareness and buzz for your business. So you need to understand your brand essence. This is the heart and soul of your brand. It’s what makes you think of Disney as “family fun entertainment,” or Hallmark as “caring shared.” Your advertising efforts—and your humor—should reflect the emotional connection you want your customers to have with your business.
Ruffle some feathers
You’ve figured out your personality, now you need to know your audience. Comedy is a risky business. There’s a fine line between humorous and offensive. But you can’t play it safe if you want the buzz. Understanding your audience will help you determine how close to the line you can go. Humor in advertising usually provokes attention so expect the phone to ring. If you’ve done your job, the majority of calls will be for more sales.
Make me laugh
Ask any comedian. Comedy is no easy business. You can leave them laughing or completely tank. You may want to turn to a professional copywriter to help you set the right tone for your business. Consider testing your marketing with some of your current customers before sending it out into the world.
Humor in advertising can be employed in any medium, whether it is direct mail or radio. Social media is a great platform to test out your humor. Most people visit social media sites to be entertained so get out there and knock ‘em dead.
April 28 is Pay It Forward Day. Based on a novel, the holiday employs the simple idea that, if you do a good deed for another person and encourage them, in turn, to do something nice for another, the world would be a better place.
This notion can be applied to marketing your organization. If you give your customers something that’s buzz worthy, they will forward it along to others. Here are some ways to get your marketing forwarded.
Be Unique
If you get ten envelopes in the mail—nine of them are white and one is a bright color—which will get your attention? The point is to think differently about your marketing, even down to a simple choice like envelope color. Challenge yourself to create memorable and unique marketing for your company so your message will get shared.
Keep it Simple
If your customers don’t know what you are trying to tell them, they won’t be able to spread the word. Give them a simple message so they can easily convey it to their friends and get more people excited about what you are doing.
Don’t Play it Safe
It can’t be stressed enough how important it is to take chances if you want your message to spread. If you keep doing the same things, you’ll get diminishing results. Continue to reinvent yourself. Try different marketing mediums, use humor and get your employees involved.
While your marketing message spreads, remember to celebrate Pay It Forward Day by challenging yourself to do three good deeds for others and encouraging them to pay it forward. The goal of this holiday is to reach three million acts of kindness. To participate in the official holiday, visit www.payitforwardday.com.
Seems like just when you understand how to use Facebook to market your business, they change something. Here are some helpful tips to keep up with recent changes on Facebook.
Page Upgrade
If you’ve been to your Facebook Page for your business within the last month, you’ve probably noticed the changes to the layout. The most obvious are the five photos across the top of your page. If you don’t have interesting photos showing, you’ll want to load some now. It’s the first impression visitors have of your company. Also, check to make sure all of the tabs that were across the top of your page are in working order, now down the side of the page.
Question
There’s a new way to share on your Facebook Page through asking questions of those that like your page. What a great way to get valuable information about your customers. Consider asking a question a week. Make sure it’s engaging so people will want to participate.
Check-in Deals
Deals is the latest addition to Facebook Places, which allows customers to share that they visited your business. Now you can reward those loyal customers with deals to help boost in-store traffic and build customer loyalty. You’re probably used to the loyalty punch card concept for frequent customers. Now you can run a similar program through Facebook, and all of your customers’ friends will know they stopped by and got a deal. Make sure you’ve claimed your place and linked it to your page so you don’t confuse your customers.
Don’t forget to remind customers of your Facebook presence through all of your printed marketing materials.
Technology continues to change the way businesses interact with their customers. About the only time a small business thinks of their signage is when they first open their doors. But, signage is a great marketing tool that shouldn’t be ignored. You’ve probably noticed many companies adopting digital signage at their locations. As the cost of digital signage becomes more accessible, it may be a wise investment for your own business. Here are some good reasons to consider digital signage.
Flexibility
As Dylan said, “the times they are a-changin’;” and so are the messages you want to get to your customers. Digital signage allows you to change your marketing instantly. Look at a restaurant as an example. You can program signage to switch from the breakfast menu to the lunch specials at a specific time.
Image
Digital signage can increase your customers’ perceptions of your business instantly. Having quality graphics displayed and up-to-date are impressive and leave a good impression. Digital signage can be programmed to display a number of images at the times you desire. Make sure to hire a good graphic designer to add that professional touch.
Video
Imagine showing your customers how they can interact with your products. Or, what if you had powerful video testimonials of satisfied customers. Digital signage allows for video to be played in your business and can work as an additional salesperson if customers have to wait.
Interactivity
One of the coolest features of digital signage is giving customers an opportunity to interact with your business in a new way, and attract some attention. Touch screens and software like Xbox Kinect offer new and exciting ways to make your business stand out.
If you want to see digital signage in action, you can check out national companies like Starbucks, McDonald’s or Pepsi, all of which use digital signage in various ways. Small businesses don’t operate with a marketing budget of those big brands. But, there are entry-level options. Digital signage comes with a large upfront cost, but can realize a positive ROI over time.
March Madness comes to an end tonight, and while it’s been acceptable to be a couch potato in front of the tube watching basketball for the past month, it’s time to get back out there and put on your networking hat. Networking is a great way to build your personal brand and bring in more revenue to your business. What better time to get back out there than National Networking Week, which starts today.
Networking the traditional way
Get ready to juggle a plate of appetizers and a drink while exchanging handshakes; you’re off to a networking event. There are several formal networking events throughout the community where the sole purpose is to meet new people and find new business. Check with the Chamber of Commerce for a list of business networking opportunities. There are also professional business networking groups that you can be asked to join if there isn’t a member from your industry.
Networking the casual way
Some people may freeze at the thought of small talk with complete strangers in a traditional networking environment. Think about the hobbies you enjoy and get involved. Maybe it’s a golf league or a bowling team. Take a cooking class or act in a play. Volunteer for a nonprofit organization whose mission you support. There’s nothing like a group of people working toward a common goal that gives you a foundation for a business relationship.
Networking the online way
Maybe you want to stay in that La-Z-Boy a while longer. With social media today you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your home to network. Set up a profile on LinkedIn and join groups of interest. Start answering questions posed in the groups and soon you’ll be an expert people will call on for your services. Depending on your business, Facebook may also prove fruitful to find contacts. Make sure you sell your services subtly.
As an added bonus, it’s National Beer Day on April 7. Often cocktails and networking go hand in hand, so you can celebrate the end of prohibition while honoring National Networking Week.
Forty percent of the world walks the Earth shoeless. TOMS Shoes is working to change that one pair of shoes at a time. You probably know that if you purchase a pair of TOMS Shoes, the company gives a pair to a child in need. They call it the One for One Movement.
For the fourth year, TOMS will host One Day Without Shoes on April 5. This event encourages people to go a day without shoes to raise awareness for the millions of children that go without shoes every day.
TOMS Shoes is a social entrepreneurship business and a notorious example of cause marketing. While you can certainly make a difference through their cause by participating on April 5, you can also learn something about how your business can get involved in cause marketing.
Discover your passion
TOMS Shoes found success because founder Blake Mysockie discovered, after a trip to Argentina, a desire to put a shoe on every child’s foot. The most successful cause marketing campaigns work because the company truly believes in the mission of the organization they are supporting. Meet with your staff and discuss different organizations you wish to support. Then brainstorm ways you can translate your passion into giving. Develop a program that resonates with your potential customers.
Integrate your cause into your marketing
Now that you have your program it’s time to raise awareness of your campaign through marketing efforts. The more creative the marketing campaign, the more people will take notice. Imagine thousands without shoes on April 5. Use all traditional marketing channels like you direct mail and newsletter; and don’t forget to utilize your website, Facebook and Twitter to spread the word.
Other ways to give
Maybe a major campaign like One Day Without Shoes is too involved for your business. There are easier ways your business can align with a nonprofit organization and garner respect from your customers and community. It can be as simple as participating in an already established activity such as One Day Without Shoes. Just make sure you capitalize on your generosity by letting your community know. If shoes are not your passion, then work with a local organization and find ways you can make a difference while impacting your marketing efforts.
Of course, sometimes it just feels good to give regardless of business motives.
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