The Promo Coach

The holidays are over. People are relaxing, they have been wooed and filled with promotions, cards, gifts, and good will and now you can relax and enjoy the fruit of your labor, right?
Wrong.
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Many businesses are feeling the pressure of a difficult economy and cutting costs in as many areas as possible. Even if you found that there was no budget for customer appreciation gifts it is important consider sending holiday cards. Sending cards to your customers lets them know that you appreciate their past loyalty and look forward to serving them in the future.

Even with less than a week until Christmas there is still time to get cards in the mail. Waiting until the last minute has its own reward; more than likely the cards will be on sale.
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While being cheap is bad, there is nothing worse than a customer appreciation party that got out of control. We have been known to call these Sodom and Gomorrah parties.
Everything starts off well, everyone is having a good time…and then all of a sudden you realize that you have a few customers that have had one to many sips of punch and they seem determined to totally embarrass themselves and you.
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Over the years we have been to and been part of a lot of customer appreciation parties. These events can be a huge boost to your business, especially if you are retail, but they are as filled with pitfalls as the swamp scene in Princess Bride! Depending on how you plan and carry it out it caqn make your company look really really good…or really, really bad. Over the next week we will look at some of the differences between a great party and a lousy one. The first hint is “Don’t be cheap!”
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Promotional gifts, when used properly can increase sales, customer base, and even customer loyalty. They can lock in your brand identification as well as let potential clients know what you are all about.

When corporate gifts are used improperly they are little more than a waste of money. In today’s economy who can afford to waste money?

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I recently bought a new dryer from a friend of our family. I’ve known this guy for a few years and immediately thought of him when my not-quite-five-year-old-top-of-the-line dryer caught fire. I knew he was the guy to help me sort out what is truth and what is fiction about household appliances in 2008. (continue reading…)

Corporate branding is almost a worldwide mantra in our society. Each corporation must make an unforgettable impact on the consumer if it is to survive. From the business cards to the invoices, from the Christmas cards to the signage, every item must appeal to the consumer’s senses and be unique enough to be set apart from the competition.

That is a tall order, and yet many companies have done it successfully. Probably 75 percent of the country calls facial tissues “kleenex”. In the south nearly any fizzy drink that you order at a truck stop will be called a “coke” even if it is pepsi, and Jell-o is more well known than fruit gelatin. Many more companies have become adept at corporate branding an secured the success of their company.
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Everyone would like to think that they will never need to know how to handle an angry client.

It happens. Your business can be going along smoothly for a period of time and then all of a sudden someone drops the ball, a deadline isn’t met, or an important order is totally messed up. The client is furious.

The clock is ticking, you have a very short time to do damage control. What do you do? (continue reading…)

Writing business thank you notes is part of good business manners. Good manners have never gone out of style and this is especially true in business.

If you want to set yourself apart from the competition, and you do, it is important to cultivate the habit of writing thank you notes for your business. (continue reading…)