Six ways to build by simplifying Innovation is a cornerstone of successful businesses. It’s an essential part of companies that stay ahead of the market, that turn customers into raving fans, that thrive no matter the circumstances and challenges. A basic business reality is this: There’s no standing still; you’re either moving forward (and growing) [...]
Do the people in your audience understand you? Whether you're in business dealing with customers and creating written content for your website, social media and content marketing campaigns or you're a writer creating your own books, be sure you’re communicating in a language your audience understands. As I write this, we are in the final [...]
Why I Switched to MailChimp from Constant Contact When our company first started doing email marketing, we used Constant Contact as our email service provider. I appreciated many things about the service, especially the various training programs. But gradually my frustration level with Constant Contact increased, so a few years ago, we switched to MailChimp. [...]
When your customers complain, be sure you understand what they want before you take action. I recently downloaded a free digital product. I absolutely understood that the source was going to try to sell me more products—and that’s fine. But in the first few days after I downloaded the product, I was inundated with emails [...]
I remember the first time I called a professional service supplier and her voice mail announcement promised she would call me back "at my earliest convenience." My reaction was: Excuse me -- her earliest convenience? I was the customer and she just told me she'd return my call when she was ready without any concern [...]
You have contingency plans in place for when things go wrong, but what will you do when things go right – or better than right? What will you do when your performance exceeds your expectations? Companies that experience rapid and unexpected growth often stumble. Here’s how to be sure that doesn’t happen to you: [...]
Ever had a customer whose nuisance value exceeded his profit potential? Or who demanded champagne service at beer prices? The fact is that some customers just aren't worth it -- but how do you deal with such a situation? The first step is recognizing that the relationship needs to end. Some of the signs [...]
Satisfying your customers is not enough to keep them—you need to make them loyal so they’ll keep coming back to you instead of another supplier who does enough to satisfy them. Here’s how to turn your satisfied customers into loyal advocates: 1. Find out what your customers want and provide it. Don’t guess; ask them [...]
The highest quality e-mail database you can build is one where your subscribers have purchased from you and have opted-in to your list. These people are ripe to become repeat customers—as long as you don’t chase them away. I do a lot of online shopping and I like getting e-mails with specials, discounts and new [...]
Some customers are loyal; others will leave you on a whim. What can you do to keep those customers who are buying from you because it’s convenient but would switch to a competitor for a slightly lower price or because you have service failure? Consider making it so hard for them to leave that [...]
