60 Second Impact
August 2006
| Contents 60 Second Articles |
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| 60 Second Articles August 2006 60 Seconds of Information Impacting You and Our Fast-Forward Economy Estimated Reading Time: 60 Seconds 60 Second Articles: 1. The Ultimate Prize For "Owning" Their Customers: Apple And Nordstrom 2. Seven Ways To "Own" Your Customers � No Matter What Size Your Business Is 3. Do You Mastermind? 4. The 60 Second Close: The Benefits Of "Owning" Your Customers ********************* 1. The Ultimate Prize For "Owning" Their Customers: Apple And Nordstrom � The ultimate prize for "owning" customers goes to Apple Computer with their iPod products. Buy an iPod and you have to use iTunes to download your music. The user then usually chooses from an array of iPod home, car, and even clothing and backpack accessories. Everything has been designed to keep an iPod user "in the family," preventing defection to various other MP3 players. � The second ultimate prize for "owning" their customers goes to Nordstrom. Their "taking care of customers" philosophy is often copied by the competition, but never duplicated, simply because Nordstrom, from the top management down, understands that they're in the "customer-caring" business, not the retail business. ********************* 2. Seven Ways To "Own" Your Customers � No Matter What Size Your Business Is 1. Go above and beyond the customers' expectations of service, like offering bottled water or champagne while waiting, free Internet access, free valet parking, and free one-day delivery. 2. Develop a mailing list of your customers and start a VIP club, offering them special closed-door private VIP sales. Correspond on a regular basis with those on your list. 3. Celebrate your customers' birthdays with a card and a gift certificate. 4. Ask your customers for advice and feedback on service, merchandise selection, and prices. 5. Send a hand-written thank you note after each sale. 6. Develop a loyalty reward program, and make it easy for the customer to achieve their reward. 7. Have the store owner personally meet and get to know the customers. ********************* 3. Do you mastermind? � It makes a great deal of sense to regularly chat with people that are in similar markets to your business. You may even discover opportunities to co-market. � Three mastermind groups to consider are YEO (Young Entrepreneurs Organization), The Alternative Board, and Vistage (formerly known as TEC). � If you'd like to know more about mastermind groups, give us a call today at 770-457-3700. We'll be happy to share our experiences with you. ********************* 4. The 60 Second Close: The Benefits Of "Owning" Your Customers � If the objective of your company is to sell clothes, sporting goods, trips, furniture � anything at all, then you're leaving your customer wide open to one-night stands � here today, gone tomorrow. � Change your philosophy to embrace the customer and develop a program to "own" them. Only then will you have a loyal, lifetime customer base, plus, you'll actually be able to sell more. � Need help on "owning" your customer base? Want to change your business philosophy? Call us. Consider us as your "add" agency. Enjoy the rest of your summer. Best Wishes, Chris Lambrecht Come visit our website! |