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Atricle Dump - Finding New Customers and Encouraging Loyalty - Simple Strategies for Car Care Professionals
Re-Evaluating Your Brand Will Heighten ROI and Marketplace Performance ay for free when the customer may never even come back?" Good question. Why offer your premium services for free when you could just as easily offer one of your less expensive services—or better yet, a simple discount coupon that grants customers 10 or 15% off the price of a normal car wash? Because you are creating a new customer relationship, and the first step to creating lasting relationships with members of your community is to impress them with the quality of your services. Not many customers will be impressed by an offer of 15% off a normal car wash—but most will be surprised at a special invitation that offers a service valued at $24.99.Marketers charged with achieving return on investment and marketplace performance in today's competitive landscape know that powerful, relevant brands make the difference between success and failure. Keeping brands up-to-date requires constant vigilance because quick fixes to tactical elements rarely offer long term rewards that lasting brands provide.The power of observation can reveal volumes about the relevance of your brand today. Consider these top ten symptoms to decide if it is time to re-evaluate your brand.1. Your sales and marketing people are producing their own marketing tools or selling pieces. If corporate-produced materials exist, they're not always used. You may feel that you are over communicating, yet under-delivering. As a result, brand consistency is suffering.2. Your brand's marketing tools don't seem to express what the brand truly stands for.3. You worry that the brand may be losing its external appeal that in earlier days felt much stronger. Perhaps it's simply become dated.4. Bran Business owners must remember that humans are creatures of habit. One of the most compelling reasons to target new movers is to establish your business as part of the mover's new routine. If you can impress your customers with your premium services, chances are they will not settle for just your basic "wash-and-rinse" next time they visit your facili Building a Logo Car care facilities are like many local businesses; they rely on loyal customers who, time and time again, return because they like the service, atmosphere, and price. And, whether your facility is a self-serve establishment or an automatic, building positive customer relationships is crucial to business success. But, how do you grow your business and attract new customers? Do quality service and good prices translate into more customers and expanded revenues? Not necessarily…All businesses have to have some sort or other logo of their own. This logo is the media wherein they introduce themselves to their clients. It is a known fact that visual processing is a very important way of gathering information as a good design is always remembered for ages. Keeping this in mind, most of the multinational companies spend millions of dollars on the development of their logo and any other branding material they need.There are some logo design tips that ensure that the logo design becomes a successful logo for your business. Have you ever noted that most of the greatest logos around are simple? This is because it is then easier to remember and recognize a simple logo than to identify a complicated logo design. The typeface of the logo design too makes a lot of difference in the success of the logo. Make your logo design using vector graphics as these graphics can be easily resized without suffering any loss of details and image quality and take lesser memory capacity in the computer.However, it is better if you em Oftentimes consumers think of a carwash as a commodity-level service. As professionals we know that this is not the case, and that the quality of both car care products and services varies widely within the industry. Our job is to demonstrate that the quality of car care service depends on the provider, and that our facility offers consumers the best value for the best price. But, before we are ever able to demonstrate the value of our services, we must first give the public a reason to visit our car care facility. Many times consumers choose a car care provider based solely upon proximity, visiting a facility simply because it is close to work or home. But there are simple ways to entice customers to drive past other car care facilities while they are en route to your location, and to keep them coming back year after year. In order to find and catch long-term customers, car care business owners simply need to; 1. Speak to the right audience, 2. Present potential customers with the proper "bait," 3. Impress them with quality service, and 4. Give them a reason to return. Speaking to the Right Audience While most business owners would like to market their services to their entire community, savvy entrepreneurs realize that businesses must be selective when initiating a new marketing campaign. Marketing dollars work best when businesses target population segments that are most likely to be receptive to the advertising message. One such demographic often overlooked by small business owners is new movers. New movers are individuals that are just joining your community, or that have relocated from a different neighborhood or section of town. What makes new movers special from a marketer's perspective is that new movers are generally more receptive to product and service offers, and are more likely to be willing to establish new routines and visit new locations. With a little effort and the right "bait," your car care facility could quickly make its way into the routine of a new community member. Presenting Your Bait New movers typically establish their daily routines within the first few months of arriving in a new location. And, once they establish their day-to-day routines, they are typically more reluctant to incorporate a new business into their daily behavior. Therefore, entrepreneurs have only a few months to persuade new movers to visit their business and try their services before it is too late. Business owners should recognize that this small window of opportunity could develop into a valuable and lasting customer relationship if handled properly, or a missed opportunity if handled poorly. What if the next time a new mover arrived in your community he opened his mailbox to find a welcome note penned by your car care business, inviting him to stop by for a free deluxe car wash and wax? Chances are most customers would appreciate the gesture, evaluate the offer, and possibly make a mental note to stop in to receive the free service. Suddenly your car care business becomes one of the only small businesses the customer knows in his new community, raising the chances that he will stop in for a car wash. And, if you have given the customer the right reason to stop by (i.e. an invitation worth one free deluxe car wash), the chances become even more likely that your invitation will bring him to your business's front door. Impressing Customers "But our deluxe car wash retails for $24.99," you may ask. "Why should I give it away for free when the customer may never even come back?" Good question. Why offer your premium services for free when you could just as easily offer one of your less expensive services—or better yet, a simple discount coupon that grants customers 10 or 15% off the price of a normal car wash? Because you are creating a new customer relationship, and the first step to creating lasting relationships with members of your community is to impress them with the quality of your services. Not many customers will be impressed by an offer of 15% off a normal car wash—but most will be surprised at a special invitation that offers a service valued at $24.99. Business owners must remember that humans are creatures of habit. One of the most compelling reasons to target new movers is to establish your business as part of the mover's new routine. If you can impress your customers with your premium services, chances are they will not settle for just your basic "wash-and-rinse" next time they visit your facilit 7 Steps to Your Career Success imes consumers choose a car care provider based solely upon proximity, visiting a facility simply because it is close to work or home. But there are simple ways to entice customers to drive past other car care facilities while they are en route to your location, and to keep them coming back year after year. In order to find and catch long-term customers, car care business owners simply need to; 1. Speak to the right audience, 2. Present potential customers with the proper "bait," 3. Impress them with quality service, and 4. Give them a reason to return.Don't know where to start when you need to change jobs or even your career? It's just a matter of following these 7 steps that will mean you know what to do and when.Stage 1 - What Have You Got to Offer? That piece of knowledge or bit of experience that others haven't got can make all the diference. Take time to sort out your unique difference.Stage 2 - What Can You Say About Yourself? If you have done something that you're proud of there is no need for bragging; just tell it like it is. Talking about yourself isn't easy but a little practice will get you there.Stage 3 - Who do You Know? You might be surprised to find that someone you know, knows someone else that needs you. So get talking! Everyone knows someone who could be a vital link in your network.Stage 4 - The Best CV or Resume Ever.Is the one that shows you to be the right choice. Don't let it knock you out of the running. Keep to what is relevant and don't try to include everything you have ever done. Speaking to the Right Audience While most business owners would like to market their services to their entire community, savvy entrepreneurs realize that businesses must be selective when initiating a new marketing campaign. Marketing dollars work best when businesses target population segments that are most likely to be receptive to the advertising message. One such demographic often overlooked by small business owners is new movers. New movers are individuals that are just joining your community, or that have relocated from a different neighborhood or section of town. What makes new movers special from a marketer's perspective is that new movers are generally more receptive to product and service offers, and are more likely to be willing to establish new routines and visit new locations. With a little effort and the right "bait," your car care facility could quickly make its way into the routine of a new community member. Presenting Your Bait New movers typically establish their daily routines within the first few months of arriving in a new location. And, once they establish their day-to-day routines, they are typically more reluctant to incorporate a new business into their daily behavior. Therefore, entrepreneurs have only a few months to persuade new movers to visit their business and try their services before it is too late. Business owners should recognize that this small window of opportunity could develop into a valuable and lasting customer relationship if handled properly, or a missed opportunity if handled poorly. What if the next time a new mover arrived in your community he opened his mailbox to find a welcome note penned by your car care business, inviting him to stop by for a free deluxe car wash and wax? Chances are most customers would appreciate the gesture, evaluate the offer, and possibly make a mental note to stop in to receive the free service. Suddenly your car care business becomes one of the only small businesses the customer knows in his new community, raising the chances that he will stop in for a car wash. And, if you have given the customer the right reason to stop by (i.e. an invitation worth one free deluxe car wash), the chances become even more likely that your invitation will bring him to your business's front door. Impressing Customers "But our deluxe car wash retails for $24.99," you may ask. "Why should I give it away for free when the customer may never even come back?" Good question. Why offer your premium services for free when you could just as easily offer one of your less expensive services—or better yet, a simple discount coupon that grants customers 10 or 15% off the price of a normal car wash? Because you are creating a new customer relationship, and the first step to creating lasting relationships with members of your community is to impress them with the quality of your services. Not many customers will be impressed by an offer of 15% off a normal car wash—but most will be surprised at a special invitation that offers a service valued at $24.99. Business owners must remember that humans are creatures of habit. One of the most compelling reasons to target new movers is to establish your business as part of the mover's new routine. If you can impress your customers with your premium services, chances are they will not settle for just your basic "wash-and-rinse" next time they visit your facili Interviewing Techniques ew movers.1) RESEARCH THE EMPLOYER The first part of any interview process is research. The idea is to learn as much as possible about the organization, its philosophies, goals and future plans. You are showing them that you took the time to research their company, you are showing them how you go that extra mile.2. REREAD/REDO RESUME Make sure you’re familiar with contents. It will be the employers basis of asking questions. Know your strong points. Be able to tell them (indirectly) why they should hire you.3) DRESS FOR SUCCESS Always look the part of the position you want. Be meticulously groomed and bring properly organized work with you (letters of recommendation, resume copies, performance evaluations, list of questions).4) BE ON TIME There is no excuse for being late. There was too much traffic, a car accident, family emergency...just doesn’t cut it. Find out where this is and make a trial run. Where is the parking? Be prepared to be on time. Keep a note of the person you will be talking with. Revie New movers are individuals that are just joining your community, or that have relocated from a different neighborhood or section of town. What makes new movers special from a marketer's perspective is that new movers are generally more receptive to product and service offers, and are more likely to be willing to establish new routines and visit new locations. With a little effort and the right "bait," your car care facility could quickly make its way into the routine of a new community member. Presenting Your Bait New movers typically establish their daily routines within the first few months of arriving in a new location. And, once they establish their day-to-day routines, they are typically more reluctant to incorporate a new business into their daily behavior. Therefore, entrepreneurs have only a few months to persuade new movers to visit their business and try their services before it is too late. Business owners should recognize that this small window of opportunity could develop into a valuable and lasting customer relationship if handled properly, or a missed opportunity if handled poorly. What if the next time a new mover arrived in your community he opened his mailbox to find a welcome note penned by your car care business, inviting him to stop by for a free deluxe car wash and wax? Chances are most customers would appreciate the gesture, evaluate the offer, and possibly make a mental note to stop in to receive the free service. Suddenly your car care business becomes one of the only small businesses the customer knows in his new community, raising the chances that he will stop in for a car wash. And, if you have given the customer the right reason to stop by (i.e. an invitation worth one free deluxe car wash), the chances become even more likely that your invitation will bring him to your business's front door. Impressing Customers "But our deluxe car wash retails for $24.99," you may ask. "Why should I give it away for free when the customer may never even come back?" Good question. Why offer your premium services for free when you could just as easily offer one of your less expensive services—or better yet, a simple discount coupon that grants customers 10 or 15% off the price of a normal car wash? Because you are creating a new customer relationship, and the first step to creating lasting relationships with members of your community is to impress them with the quality of your services. Not many customers will be impressed by an offer of 15% off a normal car wash—but most will be surprised at a special invitation that offers a service valued at $24.99. Business owners must remember that humans are creatures of habit. One of the most compelling reasons to target new movers is to establish your business as part of the mover's new routine. If you can impress your customers with your premium services, chances are they will not settle for just your basic "wash-and-rinse" next time they visit your facili Interview Expenses: Should You Be Reimbursed ForThem? of opportunity could develop into a valuable and lasting customer relationship if handled properly, or a missed opportunity if handled poorly.Should you get reimbursed for interview travel expenses? I've helped a number of job searchers who had to travel a fair distance to get to an interview.In most cases the hiring manager I was dealing with would cover reasonable interview expenses.In some cases it was a fairly easy answer especially when it involved flying a person in. In this case, I have never had an experience where a company required someone to fly in for an interview and didn't pick up the costs ie. I have never had a job searcher have to pay out of their own pocket to be flown in an interview.A reasonable company would cover the costs for flying someone in for an interview, I believe, if they were really interested in the person and were interested in gaining a reputation as a reasonable company.It doesn't take long for companies to get a reputation for doing things the "wrong way" and this case, being cheap if they force potential employees to pay for their own airfare, hotel, etc!But what if you need to incur i What if the next time a new mover arrived in your community he opened his mailbox to find a welcome note penned by your car care business, inviting him to stop by for a free deluxe car wash and wax? Chances are most customers would appreciate the gesture, evaluate the offer, and possibly make a mental note to stop in to receive the free service. Suddenly your car care business becomes one of the only small businesses the customer knows in his new community, raising the chances that he will stop in for a car wash. And, if you have given the customer the right reason to stop by (i.e. an invitation worth one free deluxe car wash), the chances become even more likely that your invitation will bring him to your business's front door. Impressing Customers "But our deluxe car wash retails for $24.99," you may ask. "Why should I give it away for free when the customer may never even come back?" Good question. Why offer your premium services for free when you could just as easily offer one of your less expensive services—or better yet, a simple discount coupon that grants customers 10 or 15% off the price of a normal car wash? Because you are creating a new customer relationship, and the first step to creating lasting relationships with members of your community is to impress them with the quality of your services. Not many customers will be impressed by an offer of 15% off a normal car wash—but most will be surprised at a special invitation that offers a service valued at $24.99. Business owners must remember that humans are creatures of habit. One of the most compelling reasons to target new movers is to establish your business as part of the mover's new routine. If you can impress your customers with your premium services, chances are they will not settle for just your basic "wash-and-rinse" next time they visit your facili Catalog Management: In-house or Out-sourced? ay for free when the customer may never even come back?" Good question. Why offer your premium services for free when you could just as easily offer one of your less expensive services—or better yet, a simple discount coupon that grants customers 10 or 15% off the price of a normal car wash? Because you are creating a new customer relationship, and the first step to creating lasting relationships with members of your community is to impress them with the quality of your services. Not many customers will be impressed by an offer of 15% off a normal car wash—but most will be surprised at a special invitation that offers a service valued at $24.99.Many organizations face the dilemma of whether to manage their inventory Catalog in-house or to out-source the function to an external provider. Should you tackle the challenges involved in creating or honing your in-house Catalog team to handle the job? Or should you step back and manage the relationship with an external expert who provides those services, tailored to your needs? The decision is not such an obvious one; there are several issues to be considered.Managing data integrity is a full time job, if it’s done right. Many organizations make the mistake of incorporating catalog responsibilities with other duties, so that the resource is neither focused nor dedicated to the task.Let me illustrate with a real-life example. A multi-site manufacturer had a part-time cataloguer at each of its twelve locations across the corporation. There were no established internal processes to follow, nor templates for data entry. Each cataloguer entered data into the free-format description field the way he/she liked to see it. These Business owners must remember that humans are creatures of habit. One of the most compelling reasons to target new movers is to establish your business as part of the mover's new routine. If you can impress your customers with your premium services, chances are they will not settle for just your basic "wash-and-rinse" next time they visit your facilities—and next time you can charge them full price! You've given away services that retail for $24.99 (but probably cost you far less) to establish a relationship that will earn that amount on a monthly or bi-weekly basis, maybe for many years to come. When you put the cost of giving away your free premium service to a new mover in perspective, it seems less like charity and more like a smart business strategy. A Reason to Return So, you've enticed new movers to your business with an attractive service offer and have impressed them with your facilities and customer service—now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the business to come to you, right? Wrong. While your new mover offer has certainly gone a long way, it will not guarantee you a steady stream of loyal customers. Unfortunately, while new movers may like your services, they may not automatically make your business a part of their everyday routine. Therefore, you must give them a reason to return. Now, take a step back to when that new mover entered your business for the first time after receiving his service invitation. He was new to your facilities, unfamiliar with the area, and hoping for a positive experience. And, if you did your job right, he was probably impressed. So why not invite him back? After your attendants have washed, waxed, and detailed his car, ask him if he would be interested in receiving information about future offers such as the one he just enjoyed. Tell him that from time to time your business sends out emails to preferred customers with information about discounted services. Chances are your new customer will eagerly offer his email address for future use. That email address is the beginning of a customer database that will help you to drive business to your doors whenever you choose, and allow you to speak directly to the very customers that appreciate your services. It works like this; let's say it's a cloudy Wednesday afternoon, and your car care attendants have been waiting hours for a customer. They're getting bored, you're getting anxious, and cars keep driving past your business. Now think proactively. Instead of waiting for one of these cars to stop by your facilities, why not draw customers who have used your services before to your business using the same tactics you used when they were new movers? Remember those email addresses you've been collecting? It is time to put them to good use. Decide on a special offer; let's say 50% off your premium service. Compose a brief email to customers outlining this discount, and explain that it is only available for the remainder of the day. Hit send and then wait. Your customers will receive that email, remember the positive experience they had last time they stopped by your business, and will consider dropping by for the special offer. And, if they do and you impress them with your friendliness and quality service once again, they will have yet another reason to visit you in the future. You've turned a slow day into a profitable one just by going back to customers you know have already used and enjoyed your service! That's smart business! Remember: customers hold the key to your success. The more often they come to see you, the more likely you are to reach your business goals. Go ahead and give them a reason to stop by.
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