Business Builder Plan Blog

When a new employee joins your team, it is important to correctly welcome them to your company. Having good relationship with your employees from the start will build your company loyalty, and having a low company turn-around is one of the things that can help you to build a successful business. You can help to put your best foot forward by offering your employees a few gifts when they join your team. Here are some important ideas for gifts that you should always offer.

One of the most important gifts you can give to a new employee is promotional umbrellas. Although promotional umbrellas can be given to your potential clients at events like conferences and fairs, you should also order some for your employees. Why? Well, your employees are the most likely to actually carry the umbrella, especially when on business trips promoting your products or services and when traveling to and from work.

Everyone in marketing faces it at one time or another – reluctance to pick up the phone and make calls. Logically, it makes no sense to feel that way. We believe in our product or service. We have a script that’s either been given to us or one that we’ve carefully written out. We have a list of prospects that are at least somewhat targeted. We know that when someone says “No”, it’s not directed at us. And still… the phone weighs a ton.

OK. You decide that the pain of being broke is greater than the pain of “cold” calling, so you commit to making calls each and every day. Or at least commit to try. Or try at least some days each week. For a while anyway…

Supposedly we live in an age when it is easier to communicate than ever before.

The sad fact is that due to the fact that we live in an over informed society, we are now turning away from the downpour of information that is vainly trying to attract our attention.

The problem is so huge, so vast, that it is difficult to know where to start.

However, let’s look at just one small area, an area that affects us all, “Customer Services”.

When it comes to complaining you must first bypass “Customer Services” – a service which is actually a cunning modern day ploy NOT to serve customers!

Last year, I took the commuter rail into Boston to go to a conference. This is a trip which was very familiar to me as I used to take this train when I worked in the city, but this time it was different. Unlike my past trips, I was excited and looking forward to my day. I was going to the Great Places to Work Conference which was full of business leaders who loved where they worked and did all they could to create organizations where going to work is an extremely positive experience.

If I see one more PowerPoint presentation …

We’ve all said it.

We’ve all heard it.

What was once a revolutionary tool for enhancing the rote presentation has become a threat in the corporate marketplace. Personally, I want to run for cover anytime I see a junior executive in command of a clicker and a projector in the boardroom.

A large part of my business is working with clients to create compelling presentations with visual impact – without losing their audience. This process generally begins with my clients sharing their presentation outline with me and we begin to work together to see what’s essential and what’s best left for another form of communication.

Making a great first impression often begins with your business card. Your business card is typically the first of your marketing materials that a new client will see. It should clearly tell your client who you are and what you do at first glance.

A business card is a convenient way to introduce yourself at networking events, and it’s key to passing your contact information along when you meet someone.

Important elements to include when designing your business card include:

- Your contact information, including your business mailing address. Including a mailing address greatly increases your credibility and makes you look much more established! If you’re concerned about privacy, a Post Office box or mailbox is a great way to go.

Many businesses, corporates and professionals go in search of the holy grail of marketing; a holy grail that will deliver more revenue, clients, profits and growth.

In my quest to find the holy grail of marketing, I travelled from Subiaco in Western Australia to the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Grounds in Victoria on the last Saturday in September.

For marketers there’s a saying that half of your marketing efforts are wasted, but working out which half is a real challenge.

What took me to the MCG? I was in search of the holy grail of marketing. This quest took me to a mega sporting event, in fact a hallmark event. A hallmark event refers to an event that becomes so identified with the spirit or the ethos of a town, city or region that it becomes synonymous with the name of the place and gains widespread recognition.

Back when her unpopular TV show, “The Apprentice,” was on the air, Martha Stewart’s company lost 40% of its value. As the face (and name) of the company, people were clearly turned off by the experience of her in the “you’re fired” role.

Until then, we’d seen Martha striving for perfection in cooking, home decorating, entertaining, gardening and many other domestically oriented areas, all while cooing her catchphrase, “It’s a good thing.” We’d heard rumors she was a little testy behind the scenes, but who cares? I’d be cranky too if it meant my pies would turn out perfectly.

The bottom line in marketing terms was that her brand got dented in this experience, although I suspect it will rebound. Why? Because she has built…

The key to a consistent income in selling is the development of clientele. The salesperson who carefully develops positive relationships with his customers builds a strong foundation for his future. When enough customers are firmly established, you can expect repeat business and an assured income that provides a firm foundation for your livelihood. That’s what professionals call a “customer base”.

The salesperson can go back to these customers with new products or services with the knowledge that they will get a favorable reception. It’s also likely that the positive attitudes that have been established will make it easier to get referrals.

The building of relationships with customers is the key to keeping them, getting repeat business from them, and acquiring referrals. It can be the difference between worrying about your next meal and having a reliable income base.