MARKETINGWrap It Up
Dan Reitman of Dan’s Pet Care in New York sees staff as potential mobile billboards. He offers them the option to wrap their cars in his company’s logo, at his expense, and receive $200 a month in exchange. Reitman told INVISION’s sister publication PETS+: “It’s massively successful! We get so much business from it, and it adds to the perceived legitimacy of your business in the eyes of the consumer when they see you everywhere.” Could you do something similar for your business?
MANAGEMENTMark Staff “Anniversaries”
Studies show successfully married couples tend to make a point of celebrating milestones. You can too — with staff. Jenn Heller of Pend Oreille Vision Care in Sandpoint, ID, makes a point of marking her staff members’ “anniversary” (of hire) dates. “I sit down with them for a two-way evaluation of everyone’s performance and brainstorm ideas for the future,” she explains.
MOTIVATIONTurn Dull Into Meaningful
When times get busy and the tasks pile up, it’s easy to focus on the stress or drudgery. Try instead to encourage a mindset fixed on the big picture and the help you’re providing to your patients and customers, writes Dan Ariely in Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations. “When we reframe experience so that we focus on the meaning, so that we see how it helps others, dull activities can give us purpose and even be inspiring.”
LOSS RETENTIONSecurity Screen
If you have suspicions about an online order, ask the customer to join you on Zoom or Facetime. “Scammers will not do video chats,” Mark Fenton, an online private investigator told Bloomberg News.
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CUSTOMER SERVICEFuel for Conversation
Two things to ask customers for: favorite restaurants and favorite charities. That’s the advice of Carl Marino, CEO of Intramedia Services. The information will help you create better incentives, and choose the right community group to become involved in.
PRODUCTIVITYUse Your “Boss Voice”
The ceaseless chatter in our heads is not always helpful, especially when we’re confronted with something that has the potential to be slightly unpleasant. Andy Frisella, the social media entrepreneur behind the “75 Hard” self-improvement challenge, recommends labeling negative inner monologues as your “bitch voice” and then replace it with your “boss voice” to take control. Here “bitch voice” is the label for the voice that’s saying things like: “Not now,” “Maybe tomorrow,” “I’m not in the right mood”… Having a label like “bitch voice” makes it easier to recognize these thought patterns and turn them into more productive ones, says Frisella. “It allows me to greet them like an old friend — “Oh hey, bitch voice!” — smile, and do the exact opposite of what it’s telling me to do,” he says.
SALESDon’t Sweat Price Cutters
That order you lose to the optical retailer who undercuts you down the road? Sometimes the loss can pay off for you in the long run, says Sam Parker on justsell.com. “When the lowest priced product or service doesn’t meet the expectations of a customer, a deeper appreciation of the price/value relationship is developed.” Bottom line: Know the value you provide.