Don’t Leave Your Business Marooned, Without a Compass for Growth in 2012

Nov 28.  Elizabeth Kraus | 12monthsofmarketing.net

It often happens that I’m invited to meet up with a friend or business colleague for coffee or lunch at a restaurant I haven’t been to before.  In order to make sure I will arrive on time and endure as little road-related stress as possible, before I set out I go online for a map and directions.  As a backup, I also have a GPS in the car.  And that’s just to make sure that one little meeting goes well.

If you don’t have a marketing map for 2012, you’re leaving your business marooned without a compass.  You’ll be arriving ‘late’ to many opportunities and missing dozens of others.  If you don’t want to keep driving your business around in circles, hoping to arrive at your desired destination by luck, you need to get directions and follow them!  Start with the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar or use 365 Days of Marketing to build a plan to use all of the marketing channels available to you – from traditional marketing to cooperative partnerships, social media, events, etc. – in order to get things moving in the direction you want them to go.

Excerpt, ideas from 365 Days of Marketing
November 6 is ‘Marooned Without a Compass Day’

The last thing you want is for your customers to be “marooned without a compass” while at your business, unable to find what they need:

• Work from the outside, in; make sure customers can see your business sign, parking directions and street number easily from the road. 
• Include detailed driving directions on your website. Email them to new clients when they make an appointment.  Include a link in all client email appointment verifications. 
• If you share space with other practices or businesses, be sure that it’s easy for clients to find your business within the building.
• One of the first rules of marketing is: don’t waste space!  Take advantage of your lobby, reception or waiting areas, where you have a captive, interested audience.  Create signs and information-rich display areas that speak to common conditions and talks about service and product solutions.   Create ‘shelf talkers’ to post with product samples or in your retail area so that clients can quickly find the right products for home use.
• Make clients comfortable while waiting by setting up a hospitality station with fresh or bottled water.  Make it easy for them to locate bathrooms.  If clients will be waiting more than a few minutes, make it part of your receptionist’s routine to periodically check in with clients to ascertain whether they need anything and to let them know how much longer they may be waiting.  Anxiety levels rise when clients wait without information; make sure they know that you still know they’re there!
• Create signage and scripts for on-hold messages, emails, social media, etc., that suggests products for home use as well as provides them with "You might also like..." add-on ideas.
• Make specific gift suggestions; tell customers what products make great gifts, and for whom they would make the best gifts.

It’s only natural that from time to time you will need to reorganize or renovate:

• Draw up a new floor map following any remodel, renovation or re-organization project to e-mail and/or direct mail to customers and prospects, or one that can be handed to customers at the door or utilized at an open house event.
• Use this opportunity to draw attention to new products or services and hold an open house with door prize drawings, contests, entertainment and refreshments as well as product demonstrations, professional consultations and product sampling.

Educate customers as to products or services—solutions—you provide that they may not have been previously aware of, or which they may not have needed previously (but do now):

• Throughout the year, use your communications channels and events to put the spotlight on various products, services, departments, specialists, etc.
• Use your e-mail newsletter, blog, Facebook and other social media and your website to introduce new employees, products or services to your customers as soon as possible.
• Pair new items in promotions with best-sellers and clearly define their benefits in messaging across all of your communications channels.
• Create time-limited promotions to help fill appointments books for new employees or to support the launch of new products.

Create a formal mentoring or apprenticeship program within your business for your own employees, local students, adults in need of vocational training, etc. Help subsidize or provide resources for continuing education for your employees.

Become an important resource for your clients and other local businesses.  Post links to local resources that would interest your most important or ideal customer types on your Facebook page, e-mail newsletter or blog:

• Create brochures listing local attractions, the best dining, entertainment and family recreation centers, activities for rainy days, options for hiking, swimming, golf, etc. and which also features relevant products or services.
• Solicit ideas and recommendations from customers and post links on Facebook. Send copies to local hotels, motels, car rental agencies, travel agencies, etc.

Work with marketing partners and local education institutions to hold a career or job fair for adults, college or high school students:

• Work together to establish job shadow and intern programs.
• Create a community support group for job seekers or employers, or set up a specialty job listing resource online.
• Invite your marketing partners to participate in regular meetings to discuss ways to “map out” pathways to improve local economic health in order to benefit independent businesses and the community.

Don't leave yourself 'marooned without a compass' in 2012: even though this is probably a busy time of the year for your business, set aside time to map out your route to success in the New Year!

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Elizabeth Kraus is the author of 365 Days of Marketing and the owner of Be InPulse branding, marketing and design (Auburn/Bonney Lake)