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My Business Tips by
Tim Shaw www.timshaw.com.au May 2008
Your customer might go somewhere else
All of us assume that once a customer, always a customer.
Not so. Customers have the money and they choose what they
want and when they want it. If we are not available when they
want us, they will either shop elsewhere or wait because your
product or service is well priced or worth waiting for. It
is very competitive out there for service and sales at the
moment. Competition for the sale is important. For us in business
it’s about being positioned top of mind in your customers
head, but price is not always everything.
Listening to radio recently, I heard about a hair salon that
charged $25 for haircuts. A competitor moved across the road
and heavily advertised $6 haircuts. The existing salon could
do one of two things. Drop their price from $25 to $6 per
cut (not sustainable) or be creative. So they put up a sign
saying “We fix $6 haircuts!” They kept customers
and attracted new ones as well.
I think local business needs to get creative every day with
ways to meet competition from the big boys (who lead by price
or finance terms so often), but your business is better positioned
to be more flexible and creative with product and special
offers or in some cases availability of personnel at a fair
charge for service..
Imagine your business is like a daily news bulletin and you
need to add a news item to the northern beaches customer news
service. What could you email me now to timshaw@bigpond.com
which would be news worthy to customers? Just try it. Sit
in front of the computer, type me an email and tell me what
you do. Then in 20 words or less, try and compel me to get
in the car and buy your service, or order online at your website
or pick up the phone and give you my credit card number. Try
and make the offer simple and value related, but value for
professional service or product does not always mean lowest
priced. Can you add value to a ubiquitous product offering
but tailor it with your own special pizzazz?
As I have said many times, sit down with your team and ask
them what they think should be on the daily news bulletin
in the office, anyone that talks to a client can simply say
‘by the way, today we are offering…’ Very
simple and effective communications works best internally
and externally. Sometimes you need to sell people what they
need, not necessarily what they want.
Don’t forget. Email me your ideas and I will give you
some feedback. I might even come down and design some ways
to grow sales for you personally. Let’s talk!
Happy Selling!
Tim Shaw can diagnose sales and marketing opportunities
available for your business today. Tim is available as a keynote
speaker for your next sales meeting or conference. Visit
www.timshaw.com.au
or contact Tim directly at timshaw@bigpond.com
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