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Leveraging Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool

There are countless ways to reach new customers and grow your business. From traditional advertising to social media outreach, the options get more abundant each day. But perhaps the most powerful marketing tool to grow your business is the same one that generations of business owners have used – relationships with existing customers.

Existing Customers Are Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool

Existing customers have always been the best marketers for small businesses. Their role is often referred to as “word of mouth” advertising. With the advancement of technology and growth of social media, the relationship you have with your current customers is more significant than ever before. They have become an even more powerful marketing tool for your business.

Think about it. When a customer visits your place of business and they have a good experience, what do they do? They reach for their phone to tell their friends and family about it. If they have a poor experience, you know what happens? They reach for their phones even faster.

Happy existing customers may be your best allies in helping you market your business and reach new customers. Ensuring that your customers have the best experience possible is
where you come in.

Learn names.

Try to learn the names of repeat customers. Remember their names and use their names to greet them when they return to your business. This simple act can make your returning customers feel welcomed and create a more personalized customer experience.

Reward loyalty.

Another easy way to keep existing customers happy is through exclusive deals, discounts and giveaways. One of my favorite customer loyalty programs is through a locally-owned natural foods store that I frequent. I have a loyalty card in my wallet and every time I check out, the person at the register scans the card. For every dollar I spend, I collect loyalty points. When I’ve collected 300 points, I get five dollars off my purchase, on the spot. I love it when that happens!

Meet Their Expectations – Every Time.

Regular customers are regular customers because you have trained them to expect certain things when they show up at your business. It may be the quality of your product or service. Perhaps, it is the perceived value. Or, it may be the fun and welcoming atmosphere of your store, the friendliness of your staff, or your wide selection of products.

Whatever it is, deliver on those expectations each and every time they visit. If you don’t know why they keep coming back, just ask. Feedback from regular customers can help you continue to meet their needs and the needs of future customers.

Taking care of your existing customers will keep them coming back for more. If they really love your business, they’re going to refer more customers your way through positive online reviews and word of mouth referrals. Both are powerful marketing tools.

According to Vendasta.com, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Though customer reviews often come unsolicited, it’s ok to ask for help. Let your loyal customers know that you are trying to grow your business and ask if they’ll help you reach new customers by posting an online review, providing a testimonial, or telling their friends. Most will be more than happy to lend a hand.

Move Beyond Perfection Paralysis

If you push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking risk, really amazing things can happen – Marissa Mayer

We can be our own worst enemy, and when building a business many of us can fall victim to perfection paralysis. The Urban Dictionary defines perfection paralysis as, “The inability to start on a project, assignment, essay or any creative task due to the fear of not getting it perfectly right.” Sure, we want to wait until our idea is “perfect” to share it with the world, but that is not sustainable, especially if you intend to make a living. Nothing in life, and definitely nothing in business, is ever perfect. In fact, when you continue to rework and re-do, you often move right past the perfect spot and miss the magic.

You have to move forward with your ideas. As Amy Nelson, CEO & Founder of The Riveter, says, “Entrepreneurship requires you to jump in when something is 70 percent perfect and be willing to figure out the rest as you go. The difference between “good enough” and perfect could be the difference between success and missing the boat (or making money).”

Perfection paralysis is a widespread problem, and not limited to me, you, and three other random creatives. In fact, even Mel Robbins has written that she fell into perfection paralysis when writing The 5 Second Rule. While the process was perfect in her mind, there were days that the words wouldn’t come, and it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine.

“When you strive for perfection, you are bound to fail,” she wrote. “By calling on the good-enough principle, you are giving yourself permission to fail. It is only when the pressure of perfection has been removed that you can tap into your inner genius and do your best work.”

“Good enough” has been an important lesson in my 20+ years as a freelancer, and by embracing it, I was able to beyond hobbyist status, and actually make a living. And moving beyond perfectionism isn’t just good for your productivity, it’s also good for your health. As Health.com reports, people who have perfectionist tendencies are sometimes more than just detail-oriented high achievers. They are often racked with anxiety, depression and fear.

So, the question is, how do you move from perfection paralysis to good enough? Perfectionism paralysis is defined by the inability to start, or sometimes to keep going. To combat that, you need to make a list, set goals, and get busy. If you have to have XYZ done by next Tuesday, you have your marching orders. If XYZ doesn’t have a deadline, make one and stick to it. Make sure your goals are realistic, while at the same time, moving you forward.

Lisa Guice writes in Forbes that she approaches her work with a recover and release mindset, meaning that once she completes her work and reviews for errors and realistic value, she releases it. “Once corrections are made, move into the release stage, where you let it go and are OK with what results from it. Your realistic view of its value will be the reminder you need to draw from to free yourself from continuing to overanalyze.”

It’s also okay to make mistakes. I know I do. I recently shared a workshop script with a client that I hadn’t done a final edit on, and told her there was a prize for the first typo she found. Remember, nothing is perfect, it’s just important that it be good enough.

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Help Wanted: Tips for Hiring Employees

Ideally, hiring employees should allow you to focus your time and talent on the areas of your business that require your attention.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Small business owners often find themselves spending more time (and money) training, solving problems or correcting employee mistakes than when they were operating as a one-woman shop.

The process of hiring employees may sometimes seem like a gamble. But there are some steps you can take to tip the odds in your favor.

Know what you need

Employees will bring the most value to your business when they have clear direction on what their jobs are. You may know you need help, but take some time to think about exactly what kind of help you need. Create a formal job description for the position. It’s okay if it includes the line “Other tasks as assigned by…” Your employee needs to know what your expectations are. If he/she has a list of ongoing responsibilities, it will save you the time and frustration of constantly having to tell him/her what needs done.

Temps Vs. Hiring Employees

If you’re not sure you need a permanent part-time or full-time person, you might consider using a personnel services agency to hire a temporary worker for times when you need some extra help. The benefits of hiring a temp are that the agency has already screened the worker for you and the agency handles the wages and benefits for the employee. You simply pay the agency for the service provided. But don’t assume that “temp” equals cheap. There is a cost for this convenience. If you really do need someone on a more permanent basis, trying to bridge the gap with temps may end up being more expensive than hiring employees on your own.

Hire Smart

When you post a job opening, you will likely be inundated with applications. Some will be qualified for the position. Many will not be. Others may be overqualified and be at risk for jumping ship the moment a better offer comes their way. Sifting through a mountain of resumes can be overwhelming, and setting up a parade of interviews is time consuming.

You need to bring only the best people in to be interviewed—preferably the top three applicants with the qualifications that you need to fill the job. To whittle down your options, set some guidelines on the front end of the process to help you decide which candidates will make the cut. Only pull resumes of applicants that meet those standards that you have established.

At this point, your main focus is filling the position, but you should be looking toward the future as well. While interviewing, try to pick up on cues that would indicate what type of employee the applicant would be. Does she seem to be just interested in a job, or does it appear that she is motivated by a challenge? Does the candidate seem to have a particular interest in what your business does?

Ask the right questions and be careful to not ask the wrong ones. Avoid asking applicants illegal or inappropriate questions during the interview.

If your schedule and responsibilities don’t allow for you to take the time you should to hire the best person for the position, you might consider contracting an HR consultant to help. Many solo HR consultants are willing to take on the task of hiring employees, and can even help you onboard and train your new employees.

Using Customer Testimonials To Promote Your Business

Business owners have been using customer testimonials to promote their businesses for centuries. And I don’t see this tried and true marketing method going into retirement any time soon.

Third party endorsements are marketing gold. When done well, they deliver a convincing message in a way that potential customers or clients can relate to.

But great testimonials don’t just happen. Powerful, effective customer testimonials require some thought and planning on your part.

Identify Your Target Audience

Just as you would with any other marketing effort, you first need to identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What might motivate them to buy your products or hire your services?

The answers to these questions will help you identify the right happy customer to ask for a testimonial and it will serve as the foundation for the message that is ultimately delivered.

Decide On A Message

What do you want your audience to remember, think, or do after they see the testimonial?

One big mistake small business owners make when using testimonials is leaving the message to chance. They simply ask a happy client or customer for a testimonial and take what they can get.

Here’s the problem with that. Every client or customer’s experience with your business is unique. Each may have different reasons for doing business with you. For some, the thing they appreciate most about your business may be so narrow that it would not be very useful to you in attracting new customers.

When using customer testimonials, try to determine common themes between your happy customers’ experiences and what you want to promote to prospects. Maybe it’s great customer service. Perhaps, it is your level of expertise or experience in a certain area, or your product is the best in the business.

Have A Hand In It

It’s ok to steer their testimonial in the direction that you want it to go. To be most effective, your testimonials must contain messages that align with the rest of your marketing messages.

All of this said, testimonials should be authentic and truthful. The message needs to match the messenger. Find those messengers whose experience with your business aligns with your desired message.

Ask the customers you’ve identified as testimonial messengers what they value most about the aspect of your business that you are trying to promote. Then take their comments and turn them into a concise two-three sentence endorsement of your business.

Simple Formula For Using Customer Testimonials

Keep it simple. Here’s a formula you can use as a guide.

This was my problem, this is how company x/product x helped me fix it.

Strive for just one key message per testimonial. If your messenger has a lot of great things to say, split his/her comments up into multiple testimonials and use them across a variety of communications platforms.

Using customer testimonials is a great way to establish trust and credibility with your audience. So use this tips to create authentic and effective testimonials for your business that turn prospects into customers.

Nyah’s Naturals: Teen Entrepreneur

When Nyah Claybaker heard about the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. on a school trip with her Social Studies class, she was determined to go. Her parents, Curtis and Christy, were in full support, but the trip was going to be costly. It was an expense they had not planned for. In the end, it proved to be the perfect set of circumstances to give rise to a teen entrepreneur.

Nyah’s Naturals

As a business owner, Christy encouraged Nyah to consider earning the money through a business venture. As a result, Nyah’s Naturals and a teen entrepreneur were born. Nyah’s Naturals is a natural body care product line. The line includes custom-blended sea salt body scrubs and bath salts.

Nyah’s decision to create handcrafted bath scrubs and salts as her product line came easily. She’s been mixing up homemade concoctions like slime and play dough for years. She translated that experience and her love of working with her hands into products with real marketable value.

It’s also a product line that is complementary to her mom’s massage therapy business. That opened the door for Nyah to have access to quality suppliers, Christy’s business and wellness industry knowledge, and an existing base of potential customers.

Lessons Learned

While the decision on what to create may have come easily, starting and running her microenterprise was hard work for this teen entrepreneur and her mom.

“I learned that running a business is a lot harder than I thought. There are a lot more details and stuff to pay attention to than I imagined. It’s not like running a lemonade stand where you just sell some lemonade,” Nyah laughs.

While Christy helped Nyah along with many of the details, she relished in the opportunity to watch her daughter learn and grow through her entrepreneurial journey.

“I think she learned the value of having a strong network to support you. Your family, friends and other connections are not only potential customers, but also promoters and cheerleaders,” Christy says.

“It was so inspiring to see her set a goal, come up with an idea to achieve it, and then follow through with what she needed to do to meet her goal.”

Results & Next Steps

It was six months from the time the business launched to the deadline for her Washington, D.C. trip. In that time, Nyah exceeded her sales goal and made a decision to keep the business going.

She’s now using her profits to help fund future educational trips. She is also saving for college and supporting a cause that is near and dear to her heart. A portion of her sales is going to support the Turtle Island Restoration Network. Even while saving for her Washington, D.C. trip, Nyah diverted 10% of her sales to this organization that supports sea turtle rescue and conservation.

“I have always loved sea turtles,” Nyah says. “Once when I went to the beach, I saw sea turtles with my own eyes, real, wild sea turtles and it was breathtaking.”

Support of the Turtle Island Restoration Network will continue to be part of the Nyah’s Naturals business model as Nyah and Christy work on the 2.0 version of the business. They are tweaking processes and finding efficiencies. They are also looking for ways to increase net profit without compromising product quality. Another priority is to find a way for Nyah to see a more immediate return on her investment of time in production.

For Christy, her ROI can’t be quantified. “The quality time we are able to spend together, even though it is hard work, is priceless.”

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