TRUDY'S MARKETING TIPS

Marketing and Customer Service

Customer service IS marketing. The other day a woman called to remind me of an annual doctor's appointment that I have. Does she have to do this? No. Do all doctors do this? No. Would it make life better and happier? YES! Should all businesses (not just doctors) do it? YES!

She was friendly and happy (I could tell even though it was a phone call). She may have been born this way, like her job or love what she's doing. It doesn't matter. She was friendly to me - the client.

This can be seen as a type of marketing because I'll tell others about it (here I am writing about it in my blog!)

What do you do for your clients to be "of service" to them?

Market at a wedding?

Yes! In April of this year I wrote about marketing to everyone everywhere. I meant it. This past weekend I had another chance (I'll tell you of marketing when I was buying a t-shirt, next time). I was at a wonderful wedding of a friend of mine. We (my brother who was my escort and I) were seated with three other couples and I knew only one woman at our table.

We struck up a conversation with the woman beside us (digital cameras, her flying license, my brother's work at a film company, etc) and eventually came around to what we each did. She is a personal coach (Linda Noppe) with a new business who needs the kind of marketing help I give. We both had cards which we exchanged.

No business --- yet but you never know where business will come from --- or who may be right beside you!

Write a little in your blog ... but have one!

You can see that I'm a believer in blogs - I have one and write for it. Recently I was at a networking event that I go to every month (and people know me!) and the speaker Leesa Barnes of MarketFit was talking about social networking. I agree that this is a good way to market and you have to learn how to use it.

One of the objections to having a blog (which she says is the foundation of social media) is that there isn't enough time to write. I used to think the same way when I wrote "full" articles for my blog.

There are four ways to make writing - in a blog - easier.

1. Write short things about 3 times a week. Don't write a long piece here.
2. Record what you say(on a tape recorder. There are digital ones now) every time you speak to an audience. That way you can break up the content in MANY blogs.
3. Use something you wrote elsewhere. Re purpose or reuse EVERYTHING not just your paper or tea towels!
4. When you answer a client or prospects question, use this answer as a blog

There are many more ways to get content for your blog, too. These are just a few.

What do YOU do?

HAPPY CANADIAN THANKSGIVING!

To everyone, whether you're Canadian or not I'd like to wish you Happy Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for and should stop and feel it every day not just on Thanksgiving.

Yesterday one of my brothers (the one who lives here in Toronto near me) and I drove to London (Ontario, where we're from) to have a thanksgiving dinner with another brother, his family and our mom. She is 83 was diagnosed with breast cancer last October, had the operation for that and now lives in a retirement home. It was great to see her and hug her and not just talk by phone (I call her often). She is grateful to be alive every morning and to see us together. I continue to learn from her.

We listened to CBC radio in the car going down and there was a fellow talking about feeling gratitude not just being thankful. He recounted the story of how he and his wife were at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California standing in the room with a "BIG" tank all around them and feeling gratitude that creatures like "skates" lived in the same world as we do. "Isn't it wonderful?" he said.

The world is FILLED with things we can be grateful for - some of them small and some big.

What are you grateful for?

Marketing Is Smiling and Being Happy

The other day I had to go to the hospital to get a blood transfusion. I've had more than 30 transfusions since 1978 when my "rare" blood condition was diagnosed. So while it's very "frightening" it's also fairly routine for me. Don't worry :-)

This was in the outpatient clinic of a major hospital here in Toronto (Princess Margaret). It's known as a cancer hospital so they give a lot of transfusions - blood, iron, etc and do a lot of chemotherapy.

I've been to MANY hospitals and departments in them in Canada and one in the U.S. over the years and sometimes people who work there are happy and sometimes they're not - and show it. I wanted to write about this experience because EVERY experience with you, your staff and your business CAN and SHOULD be like this!

Every person I came in contact with was not only smiling on the outside but a positive person and they showed it. I know they deal with a lot of "deadly disease" and they should be positive but not only did they not have to but they WERE!

How do people feel about their experience with you? I know very few of us deal with a "life or death" occurrence but everything we do can leave us feeling happy and smiling ourselves! Do your clients?

Learn Marketing From Soap Operas

I admit it. I watch Coronation Street (an English soap) as many other Canadians do :-( Besides watching it (and talking to the characters!), I learn what to do that they're NOT doing. Recently I watched an episode and kept saying "Just be honest and tell the person! Talk to them! Be honest!"

Are you that way with your clients? Do you tell them what you do and what they "should" do? It really helps. On Coronation Street when 2 of the "stars" told each other exactly what they were feeling - face to-face - things between them got better.

What do you say to your clients? Do they remember you? This is all marketing!

Say Thank You

There are many ways to show your thanks but we were taught that we should say it, weren't we? Do you remember being told that the "magic" words are please and thank you?

After EVERYTHING that's done for us, we could send an email, make a phone call, mail a "thank you" card, send flowers, do something special that the other person likes (and that you know they do) or send an electronic card that makes them smile.

Say thank you all the time and know that very few others do!

Here's another good side effect of this. You get remembered. You get cheques faster, things done for you with a smile and immediately, repeat and referral business and best of all you feel good.

What have you done today?

A Movie Shows How To Do Customer Service

Wow! I saw the movie Mamma Mia yesterday with a friend and her daughter and boy did we feel uplifted during and after. There is a song called "Thank you for the music" with these words in it .... " Thank you for the music .. The songs I'm singing.. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing.. Who can live without it.. I ask in all honesty .. What would life be.. Without a song or a dance what are we?"

That is how we can leave every client "feeling" after they've heard or seen us. They should be smiling and happy. That can be our mission. I'm smiling now :-)

How do people leave an encounter with you?

How is your business different?

That's the first question you're asked, isn't it? There are lots of coaches, coffee shops, clothing designs, office organizers but what makes YOU unique? Is it how you offer your product? Is it the niche you help? Is your coffee from Brazil?

Why don''t you ask your clients how they describe you and your business to others? That will tell you what they most remember of their experience with you.Make sure they give you detail not generalities like "I was happier when I left" or "the clothing fits well". Ask how.

Is it what you expected? Tell me (and us) how you're different. Writing a comment to this blog post is free promotion.

Hire and Use a Coach, Consultant, or Mentor

A coach, a consultant and a mentor are different. The way I describe this is to say that a coach believes you have the information already and draws it out of you, a consultant has the information and does it for you and a mentor tells you what to do. All three have the experience and expertise you need (or can get from others who are more "expert" in a particular area). A coach and a mentor can do all of their work either in person, on the phone or by email or any combination of those.

You should have just what you need to grow your business. Do you know what kind you want? Have an external, unbiased person or team to discuss your business problems and possibilities. Use them for what you want done.

Pick one .... then do it!