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Giving Out Great Customer Service!

Have you ever being on the phone with a big company and find yourself going from one representative to the next without achieving anything. This of course can become very frustrating. However big businesses utilize this process to run their customer service in a more efficient manner; at least in a more cost efficient manner, however as a small business owner you do not have to put your customers through this, as a result you can provide them with a positive customer service experience. This in effect is to your advantage and when you take care of your customers they will keep coming back to do more business with you.

When you are looking into providing excellent customer service, the best thing that you can do, first and foremost, is to make sure that you keep your promises. If you give someone a deadline, stick with it, and remember that this is the best way to build a reputation for yourself. Even if you suspect that you can get a project done early, give them the regular lead time. If you get done early, it will be a bonus, and in either case, you will be able to keep your word regarding his work.

Remember that something else that you can give a customer that a larger company cannot is a high degree of face time, so to speak. When you speak with your client, you are speaking professionally, but you are also speaking to them as regular people. You will find that this is a great way to get repeat business, because they will be able to put a face or a voice to the name. Make sure that your customer can get in contact with you. Whether you use e-mail, phone or chat, make sure that you answer promptly and with a great deal of enthusiasm This will help make you come across as someone who wants their business.

When you make a mistake, admit it. Do not try and cover things up, instead get out in front of any issue that occurs. You must always have your customers best interests at heart, they may have deadlines, and you have to understand their priorities. So if there is any issue or mistake made on your end, you do not have to go into detail, but you must communicate and let them know what is going on. Once you have identified a problem explain it to the customer, yet do so in a solution orientated manner. Challenges arise every day in business, your customer will understand, as long as you are proactive and provide solutions. Never skip on your responsibilities, and if at fault offer a refund, then make things right.

If you’re really looking to boost your customer service, pay attention to their needs and put in the effort to deliver on your promises. Good customer service is the key to your success, so make sure and get it right. Be there for your customers and they will continue to do business with you.

Did you know that 68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service? Learn the keys to good customer service – get effective customer service tips at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 6% [?]

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As a small business if you want to set yourself apart from the rest, then you will need to focus on providing excellent customer support. As a small business you may not have many employees, and often you are the one left carrying the torch. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially in light of the fact that you will be able to manage your customer service more effectively. Let’s take a look at what steps you need to take to ensure your customer service ranks among the best.

1. Give out discounts

If you have preferred customers, customers who have been with you since you started your business, make sure that you treat them well. They are what your company is based off of, and it is extremely advantageous to make sure that they keep coming back. Make a list of the customers that you consider your best clients and do something nice for them, whether you give them a discount on an order or you simply send them a gift with the next purchase. Word of mouth is still a great way to get business, so make sure that you treat your old customers right.

2. Handle complaints immediately

When it comes to customer complaints you need to deal with them immediately. As a small business you do not have to get bogged down with paperwork. Get out in front of any issue that arises. Investigate and find out what the facts are. While we all know that the customer is not always right, one thing is for sure, if the good will of the customer becomes damaged it mat affect your bottom line.

3. Add a Personal Touch

These day’s with all the technology that we have to communicate, many business people are not out there talking face to face with their customers. Provide your customers with a direct line of communication. This is one effective card you can play against the bigger companies. By the very fact that they can talk to you face to face, you will set yourself apart from the rest of the field.

4. When You Say You Will Deliver – Deliver!

If you cannot deliver on time then you need to explain why. Reliability is the key to your success, so always try and deliver on time. As a small business your relationship with your customers is critical, a healthy relationship means that your business will have a good reputation, one that your customers can rely on. Communicate openly and always make sure that your customers know what is going on with their orders, bottom line under promise and over deliver.

Did you know? FACT: 68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service. Find out how to give great customer service – get effective customer service tips at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 6% [?]

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Write Great Sales Copy in 10 Steps

When you embark on copywriting, it usually involves a product, person, service or concept that you want to deliver content about in a persuasive manner the reader feels compelled to read. If you are selling anything, or if you want your users to sign up for an opt-in email list, you’ll need to master some basic copywriting principles to achieve your goals.

1. Persuasive is the name of the game when it comes to headlines. You want to grab your reader and hook them in that first three seconds they’re reading. By the time they get to the end of that headline, they need to want to read more. If you can’t do that, your headline has failed. It’s got to be catchy, challenge, entice or exploit some current event. The headline must lead the reader directly into the rest of the text on the page. The hook must make them feel compelled to read the rest of the text on the page.

2. The tone has to be casual, informal and conversational. Just like how you talk to a friend. Be good with grammar, but don’t be conventional about it – for example, you can have some one-sentence paragraphs too.

3. There has to be a section that talks about the advantages of your product and each advantage must be written in brief, preferably formatted in a bullet form.

4. Now this is important: The writing has to be simple – no humungous words, no long sentences, no confusion – everything should be written lucidly in a simple style and the copy must flow logically from one paragraph to the next. The reader should be able to understand everything in one go.

5. The copy should always emphasize on the reader’s wants and desires. So, before writing the copy, put yourself in reader’s shoes and ask what is it you’d like to see written.

6. There has to be a commitment or a promise made early on, preferably before the end of second paragraph.

7. The way the paragraphs flow together should be seamless and most of all logical. If there is any fluff, wandering or digression, clean it up and toss it out. Web visitors have short attention spans and even shorter tolerance for extremely long-winded copy that appears to be imploding.

8. Your claims have to be supported by proof. If you say your product contains a magic ingredient, then there should be a testament by a leading authority certifying the value of the ingredient. If you mention your product can help people achieve something, then it must be backed by testimonials, and so on.

9. Once you reach a point when everything sounds persuasive and is backed by adequate testimonials, you must make an offer. Understand that the buyer is only interested in a good deal – so, if you make him a good offer he cannot refuse, you will strike gold.

10. If there are any questions left in the readers’ mind, any doubts, this is where you quash them. You need a finale, just like in the movies, but in this case it compels the reader to take action. Whether you offer a truckload of extras, promise a secret formula only for buyers or some piece of free software they get in addition to their main order, this is where it’s offered. You want to spice it up to the point where it is irresistible. In some cases, I’ve actually heard of people who bought because the bonus was so good and the product was just okay. That’s the excitement you want to bring to your closing copy.

These principles will get you off to a good start when starting to copy write and build sales letters. Some of the best teachers for good copywriting are in your face as you surf. When you come across a particularly compelling piece of copywriting, bookmark it and study it. The best and brightest are all around you. You simply have to stop and look.

Learn tips for marketing an online business, or how to start a home based internet business. Visit the website marketing tips blog at http://www.nitromarketing.com/blog

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 6% [?]

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Small Business Customer Service Etiquette

Whether you are just getting ready to start a small business or you find that you are picking up steam and the orders are coming in, you’ll find that with a little bit effort, you can easily top bigger businesses in the realm of customer service.

When you think about it, it becomes obvious that bigger businesses can simply not match the personal service that you can offer. It can be easy, however, to fall into the patterns that they have set; after all, the reason those patterns exist is because they are easy! If you are interested in providing customer service that is out of this world, you can see your goals accomplished and more just by remembering a few basic rules.

1. Never duck your customer.

There is nothing more annoying to deal with than someone who does not want to talk with you and will do anything to avoid it. If your customer starts thinking that he or she is getting this kind of treatment from you, you can bet that they won’t be your customer for very long! If you find yourself playing phone tag with a customer, sit down and make it a point to catch their call, even if it requires some creative scheduling on your part. This is essential if you want to stay in business!

2. Be honest about your mistakes.

When a small business makes mistakes, the mistakes are often at a small enough level that the customer knows exactly why they happen and can understand it. Unlike bigger companies, where if you want to explain mistakes you have to track it through several different departments, a smaller business can simply say something like ‘We didn’t get the shipment when we thought we did,’ or ‘I ordered the wrong thing.’ Don’t prevaricate, tell them what you did wrong and how you are going to fix it.

3. Care about feedback

No matter what experience you had with a customer, offer them a chance to say what they think about your business and about the product or service that you provide. Even if they are angry, this can result in good feedback that will tell you about how to improve in the future. You may even find that with a little bit of work, you’ll be able to talk an angry customer into a better frame of mind.

4. Know that your customers are more than just the money they pay you.

As a small business, you have the luxury of treating your customer as a human being, not just as a number. This is something that is all but impossible for large companies, so make sure you capitalize on it. Whether it means that you send them e-holiday cards or you simply remember their name and ask them how it’s going when you contact them on the phone, you’ll find that by treating them as other humans rather than as numbers, you’ll get a lot of repeat business.

A small business cannot afford to lose customers. By putting a little work into customer service, you’ll find yourself quickly building a growing and loyal base of customers.

68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service! Discover how to give great customer service – learn the keys to good customer service at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 13% [?]

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4 Steps To Excellent Customer Support

When you are looking for a way to really shine and to make sure that you get a great reputation in your industry to boot, you’ll find that your customer service is something that can kick you up above the rest! When you are thinking about ways to improve, think about how you treat your customers and how they react to you. While small businesses typically do a lot better than large businesses because the interaction is a great deal more personal, take a look below for some great ways to keep your customers coming back for more.

1. Keep notes!

As a small business you have the advantage of personal contact with your customers, use this advantage to its fullest extent by making personal notes about each of your customers, such as if they have children, are they members of large families, you can write as many notes as you want, but of course do not pry too much into anyone’s personal business. The more you know about your customer the more they will be comfortable with you. We all want to do business with people we like.

2. Do better than they expect

In the event you get e-mails querying various different products and what’s best for the customer in any given situation, you should not just reply with ‘product X’. While this can be considered standard customer service, it fails to go beyond the norm. Instead reply by explaining why product X would work best for the customer in his or her situation and provide them with additional options so that they know you have them covered. This way you exceed expectations and they will be grateful that you have their best interests at heart.

3. Be prompt

Doing so shows respect. No matter what your obligations are, show up on time and get things taken care of. This way you show respect for other people’s time, and by valuing time they will see that you will not waste it. This way you make the right impression which better enables you to do more business with them in the future, plus by taking care of them they will recommend you to others.

4. Be generous

While of course you shouldn’t be so generous that you are going under, think about how much things really cost you. If someone has a question, or if they only need a very small problem taken care of, think about what you really want to charge them for it. If you can give something away, do so, and you’ll soon see that there is a great deal of return in very simply being nice! Once again, no big business can compete with you in this fashion.

Did you know? FACT: 68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service. Find out how to give great customer service – get effective customer service tips at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 13% [?]

No tag for this post.

Many small business owners do not know where to start when it comes to customer service. While you may have no direct experience with customer support, or maybe some, the best thing you can do for your small business is provide excellent customer service, and being a small business owner your ability to provide customer support is far easier than that of a big company. When it comes to providing excellent customer support you need to remember a few things.

The first thing to remember is to treat people how you like to be treated yourself. You know what it’s like when you call a big company with a service issue, you get put on hold and after some time you get the feeling that the individual you are dealing with does not really like their job. As a small business owner you will not have that problem.

You’ll soon discover that one of the things that is typically seen as a mark against small business, that is, the smallness of your organization is actually one of your great strengths when it comes to customer service. While you’ll never get to hide behind the blanket of ‘company policy’ you will actually be able to offer the person on the other end of the line real solutions that have all been approved by the company CEO, that is, you! You’ll find that when a customer can constantly deal with a single person, or even a very small group of people that he or she will start enjoying the personal attention and the ability to really communicate with the people who are doing the work.

Customer service is not as difficult as many people would have you believe. A lot of customer service involves simply communicating with your customers about where there orders are and when they will be delivered, or often times they may want to make some late changes, or add more to their order. All of this in general is positive. In actual fact you will find the majority of customer service issues are positive, and very few people get mean. When dealing with your customers, be adaptable and listen to their needs. Always try and remember your customer’s details, this way you will keep them happy.

Never give up on providing your customers with good service; sure you may not be able to do this around the clock, as you may not have the resources to do so. However when the doors are open you need to provide the best service you can, and when you do your customers will thank you for it by doing more business with you.

68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service! Discover how to give great customer service – learn the keys to good customer service at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 5% [?]

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Communicate With Your Customers Effectively

In your quest to become the ‘biggest’ of small businesses, the way to success is banking on the things you, as a small business can offer that your larger competitors can’t touch. Rather than try to come off as a larger company than you are in reality, be honest. Tell customers about the special things you can do for them by virtue of being a small business. This, of course would be the ability to focus on a very narrow sector of the market – because if there’s one thing small businesses don’t usually do as well as the large players, it’s being able to give customers the variety a big business can. You also can provide personalized, friendly customer service; this is what will really make you stand out. Read on for some tips that will help you do just that!

First of all, get your business set up to make it easy for your customers to communicate with you. With big businesses, customers are often frustrated by how long it can take, and how difficult it is to be able to talk to someone outside of the customer service phone bank. Make yourself available to your customers on a regular basis, as much time as you can possibly spare. This will make your customers trust you, which will build loyalty in your business.

When you are working with email, the response turnaround is expected to be very high, if not instantaneous. People are fairly immune to the positive effects of autoresponders at this point, so think about how often you can check your email. Check it at least twice a day, if not more, and make sure that you respond promptly and enthusiastically to anything that you find in there. Having a good response time for personal email is a good way to make sure that your reputation for customer service is high.

Similarly, put your phone number out there, and then answer it when it rings! Make sure that people are aware that this is a line that runs directly to you, and then prove it to them by responding to it in a prompt manner. Having a phone number out there for your customers is ideal because it allows them to immediately place you in their heads as a real person, something that can be a little difficult to do if all they are getting is email. A phone number helps them associate you and your voice with the work that is being done.

Last, but most certainly not least is to follow up with your customers. Give them a call in a few weeks and inquire how your product or service is performing. Be certain to ask if there’s anything else you can do for them; every customer appreciates this little bit of extra personalized service. This also lets you evaluate how your product or service is doing by your customers, and ensures that your customer will be left with a good impression of you, your company and your product.

Communication is key to a small business. Don’t neglect this; a small business succeeds or fails based on customer service, so be sure to ingrain this idea into your corporate culture.

Did you know? FACT: 68% of people will quit doing business with companies that have poor customer service. Find out how to give great customer service – get effective customer service tips at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Give-Great-Customer-Service

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 4% [?]

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10 Ways to Own a Successful Home Business

When you own a home business that is profitable and successful, it is a wonderful thing. Many people, however, struggle to make this a reality. Below are 10 good tips to get your started on the road to home business success.

1. Do Research: Many people get enamored of the web-based business industry but fail to research each opportunity well. As in the real world, some opportunities sell well and others do not. In order to determine which types of business are viable, it is important to look at product trend, marketing reports and the like in order to get enough information to make a determined decision. While you may need to pay a small subscription fee in order to obtain unbiased information, it will pay for itself many times over in time and money savings.

2. Look at the product thread: When you pick a product, look at its follow up possibilities. Is it a one-hit wonder or are there a number of items that will either go with it or complement it for continuous sales. For instance, if you were selling Proactol which is a natural fat binder used in weight loss products as well as eliminating constipation and cleaning the colon, there is also Isabgul which is also a natural laxative. This can be offered for people who don’t want to lose weight and just want to eliminate constipation.

3. Presentation: Your presentation must be unique. This is not to say that your website must sport a jazzy design – far from it, in fact, a simple website with user-friendly navigation will work wonders. Now, about the presentation: Let’s assume once again that you are selling Proactol. The focus of your presentation must be to hammer home the advantage of FDA approval for Proactol over other natural herbal colon cleansers, which are not backed by any regulatory seals.

4. The power of good copywriting: Words are power on the Internet. While you want your site to be easy to navigate, you want your words to grab your readers and impact the message you are trying to convey in a sincere, truthful and clear manner. Enticing the reader to take action at the end, you let your word make the case for why they should buy. In this area, avoid doing the writing yourself. This is the job for an expert so outsource it to a professional and reap the rewards of an excellent presentation.

5. Payment system: Tie-up with a reputed merchant banker who offers you a variety of payment options. Also, build in a PayPal ordering procedure, as many freelance professionals prefer to pay via PayPal.

6. Promoting and traffic building: There are many methods available for ramping up the traffic to your website once you are ready to receive visitors. Placing keywords in your content is a strategic method of gaining exposure in search engines. You an also offer a free newsletter or other freebies; advertise on search engines using Pay-Per-Click advertising, setup and post to a blog and get affiliate marketers to sell your products. In the new Web 2.0 world, you can also join a number of highly active social networking sites and attract visitors to your site through your social site. This is the new viral marketing model of today.

7. Updates: When people subscribe to any of your freebies or buy your products, always update them (by sending them an e-mail) about what’s happening on your website.

8. Tracking: Once the ball starts rolling, always keep track of your visitors and find out where they come from. If they are concentrated in a certain geographical location, then you can build your advertisement campaign around that.

9. Webhost: Always choose a reputed webhost who employs the latest technology and has redundant space and power capacities.

10. Interest: Finally, always choose a product that you will be interested to work with and promote. There’s no point selling guitars if you’re not interested in – if you promote a product you have a keen interest in, you will get a nice psychological boost every time a check comes in.

These tips will go a long way towards making you happy and prosperous in your online business pursuits.

Marketing on the internet is not as difficult as you may think. Find legitimate ways to make money online, or how to increase your website traffic at http://www.nitromarketing.com/blog

- Kale McClelland

Popularity: 4% [?]

No tag for this post.
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