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| Be Careful Who You Decide To Chase Away...A Zero Deposit Is A Zero Deposit! |
In every business a certain list of duties become very important things to do. Those things not only become very important to do but can rarely be found written somewhere in the business plan. They became important to the business model as they evolved with time.
Those 'special' duties of consideration occur with their own volition, in their own space and time inside their own 'special' art of attraction policies. Those 'special' considerations eventually grow and become part of the personality each business successfully creates. They become in large part, the driving cloud of your business atmosphere. In most successful business models, you will find an atmosphere of 'special' considerations that is significantly different than anything their competitors provide. The really successful ones do it differently. Their business atmosphere reflects a wholly separate set of 'special' attraction considerations.
If you are blessed enough to experience how the growth of your business model becomes directly tied to the atmosphere your model generates, you will be one of those who can share this wonderful effect better than I can articulate. For those who have experienced this kind of success first hand, make sure you share with the readers how you made that kind of thing happen in your business affairs. To the business leaders who have never experienced this effect, it can be a very invisible thing to see.
Now, back to the three questions of description. There are three questions that can help to describe the title of this post, "What is the first thing your customers see?"
Number one, what do your marketing efforts say to your customers?
Number two, what is the impression your customers get when they enter your establishments for the first time?
Number three, what does your business say to every one of your repeat customers?
Answering all three of these questions will help you to evaluate how your business answers the question in the title of this post. What your customers see when they glance at your business is as important to them as what you decide to do next. The day you forget the value of this impression is the day you misunderstand how to market your wares properly. That kind of misunderstanding will cost your business its pursuit of greatness. Hands down.
Too many business owners get all wrapped up with the distractions of life and limb long before they lift up the importance of knowing what their customers see. I chit chat with a lot of small business owners who spend too much time manipulating how their time is spent, placing their ego's above the art of proper business balance and directing their personal opinions to the front of the consumer line. These small business owners suffer greatly in their pursuit of economic success. They may not actually see how they have placed untold limits on the shoulders of the atmosphere their customers see. What's worse, in most cases even the customer cannot easily articulate why they do not prefer to do trade within the halls of these broken business atmospheres. The 'special' duties of consideration are null and void. Somehow those customers know it.
To some, this might be too slippery to discuss. It might be too heady to consider. Whatever the case, the effort to improve the view the customers see becomes less important to the leader who finds it too hard to understand and therefore, manage. A kind of 'oh, well' sense of attitude takes over the drive to improve. This allows the harder working competitors a better chance for gaining more. Each business model faces these critical realities. What is the first thing your customers see?
Let's examine your answers to the three questions posed.
Page two.
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| Be Careful You Might Be Chasing Away Customers And Not Know It! |
Are you known as Sale, Sale, Sale!? Are you known as Take, Take, Take!? Are you known as Give, Give, Give!? How does your customer see your business model? Do they see someone who is fresh, timely, understanding, obliging, respectful, considerate, competitive, resourceful, innovative, ambitious, hard working, balanced, honest and sharing? If not, why not? Why do your customers not see these things in your model? Why do your customers fail to believe your model can provide these things? Are your marketing attempts able to project any of these things? What do your potential customers see when they witness your marketing campaigns? Are you trying to become a comedian in your advertising? Are you trying to capture those customers with humor? Do you want to be recognized as being funny? What are your plans in this area of 'special' considerations?
Remember this. The only important view about how your business is viewed is the one the customer holds. Nothing else matters.
When your customers see your business model in the light that holds their interest you will eventually capture your fair share of the marketplace. As soon as they lose interest, your business efforts become toast. You are done with what they have to offer. Their trade will disappear.
What do your marketing efforts say to your customers? It might be time to become more clearer about this effort. Your marketing message may need a slight overhaul. Tip: Get closer to where they want you to be. It has nothing to do with what you want. Put your personal desires to the side and begin to learn more about what your customers desire. It is their view that matters most.
Number two, what is the impression your customers get when they enter your establishments for the first time?
What do your customers see? Is your business a look of something worn out and tired? Does their first impression match what your marketing promised? If you promote great service in your marketing efforts and nobody is at the front counter to greet them when they finally elect to arrive, what do you think their immediate impression has become? Liar? That is how they will immediately see your world. If you are a retail, service or hospitality business model, do you show them your office and administration atmosphere when they first arrive? Does that seem like the best thing you can do with your first impressions?
Think hard about this kind of stuff. I once entered a Hawaiian hotel and the first thing I witnessed was a fruit and cookie stand in the entryway with a very pleasant steward who offered to take my bags and placed a traditional lei over my head. She then offered a very warm macadamia nut cookie with a small set of fresh pineapple slices on a guest plate for me to keep. The plate was a simple souvenir that said, "Welcome." the administration check in counter was not in sight. Once we exchanged friendly conversations, had a warm excellent cookie, she then led me around the corner where the check-in staff was waiting to serve me. My second impression was the office and administration, not my first. At the check in counter, they offered warm towels to clean my hands, just in case I got some sticky pineapple syrup on my fingers. Then the Concierge stepped over to introduce himself and assured me that his services were already compensated. He described how he was at my service, free of charge, no tips necessary. He was extremely pleasant, then faded away. We checked in.
What is the first impression your business offers its new customers? Do you even address them in a friendly and welcoming way? If not, why not? What is the matter with how you see what your customer can supply? Do you not recognize the importance of this part of your business equation? It might be time to become more clearer about this effort. Your first impression message may need a slight overhaul. Make sure your customers do not see "administration" when they first set foot inside your business halls. It is definitely the wrong first impression to deliver. A lot of business owners make this simple mistake. Tip: Get closer to where they want you to be. It has nothing to do with what you want. Put your personal, business acumen and efficiency desires to the side and begin to learn more about what your customer desires. It is their view that matters most.
Number three, what does your business say to everyone of your repeat customer returns?
This one is simple. Unfortunately, most business owners fail to do this step correctly. When a customer comes back for their second look, they are not sold on why they have come back. Every repeat customer must be re-sold to return again, and again, and again. It is a serious constant that must never be forgotten.
Familiarization will breed contempt. Every single time. Do not take repeat customers for granted, ever. Do not become accustomed to expecting repeat customers to carry some of your business load and responsibilities. I see this happen well too often. A repeat customer comes in, shares a story or two at the sales counter and begins to acquire the sense that they need more special attentions. They do. Do not deny them, unless of course, you prefer they quit coming around.
Every well-trained employee can perform their tasks and current responsibilities well while at the same time still serving the increasing demands of the repeat customer. Train your staff well. I recognize how much training for employees has disappeared in our current world of business. I have a contrary suggestion for all of you, return back to the training ways of those great business models from the past. Business is not just a machine. It is an atmosphere of welcoming concepts that feed growth and honors all consumers. The best trained staff will be your best method, as well as your secret weapon for capturing this consumer need. Honor it well with improved training and improved business designs. Get creative here. The hotel in Hawaii did this part well. They had an "express check in" door built on the side of their large entryway for the repeat customers who did not want to take time to eat a cookie or support a new lei. It was designed in the model with a recognized and well-trained staff to support. Repeat customers got a free cookie coupon placed in their room when they wanted to leave for their outside activities. They were never taken for granted.
Sometimes the good will need to blend with the bad. It happens. Get used to it and honor those consumer desires. Not all consumers come packaged with good experiences. That does not excuse your business model form doing well anyway. Do not begin the rude business of designing your future developments to arrange the exclusion of certain consumer tendencies. Do not limit who you serve and who you prefer to chase away. Your business success will likely hinge on how well you manage this wonderful challenge. Get very good at respecting your repeat customer flows, all of them. This is where your base of security will find its best future. Design your business model correctly. Respect how this kind of growth can be better managed.
Your tired but repeat customers have money that looks exactly the same on a deposit list as the money you collected from the excited new comers. The measurement of that money is exactly the same. Do not become caught up with slighting anyone. It will eventually become the disease that kills your growth. Serve all of them equally well.
What about your repeat customers? It might be time to become more clearer about this effort. How you treat your repeat customers will become your best trademark for success. Tip: Get closer to where they want you to be. It has nothing to do with what you want. Put your personal, business acumen and efficiency desires to the side and begin to learn more about what your customers desire. It is their view that matters most.
What is the first thing your customers see?
Until next time...
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