Business Blog | Lilamitre-arte.com

Spring has sprung. The birds are singing as they busily build nests and do their mating dances. Yeah, it won’t be long before the flowers bloom, and grass starts growing. You know what that means…grass needs mowing. When you parked the riding mower last fall, you knew that it would be a miracle if you could get it through another summer. You’re going to need to replace old “Betsy” sooner or later, and start thinking about the features you want the next mower to have.

Well, you haven’t tried starting the old mower, but hey, it’s raining cats and dogs outside. With nothing better to do, you head for the mall and find yourself among a line of shiny lawn mowers with a wide variety of prices and features. What are the advantages of each one compared to the difference in costs?

Yep, not every customer that walks through your door is ready to make a purchase. Maybe they’re still in the “thinking about it” stage. Yeah, when you think long enough, you usually talk yourself into doing it. That’s why it’s important to treat every customer’s question with respect. You never know when a properly answered question will lead to a sale.

Here are some tips to keep in mind for effectively answering customer questions:

1. A Question is the Sign of a Potential Sale.
Yeah, if a customer is taking the time to look you up and ask questions, you’re dealing with a high level of interest. Don’t take it lightly. A prompt and quick response laced with the added benefits of the product will go a long way toward closing a sale.
Read the rest of this entry »

read comments (0)

Let’s be honest… everybody knows that people are in business to make money. Yeah, customer’s know you’ve got our eyes set on making a profit, but they still want to believe that you are in business for more than just their money. Do your customers know that you really care about them? Here are 4 “tried and true” techniques to show them you care.

1. Be Personal
I recently walked into a well-known store and spoke with a salesperson who really seemed to have it going on. I felt pretty good about the interaction, until I walked away and heard him reciting the same spiel he had just used with me moments earlier.

Customers are looking for personal one-on-one recognition. In this automated world, they are used to feeling like just a number, and crave to have real interaction. Take the time to discover their lifestyle before you try to sell them a one-size-fits-all product. Think about the ways the product will benefit THEM.

You’ll find that there are pockets of people with similar interests and needs. Hey, that’s the perfect opportunity to customize your sales campaign to the needs of different market niches.
Read the rest of this entry »

read comments (0)

Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley

Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that question, take a moment and think about the last few times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now that you have really thought about it, is your answer any different?

Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent customer service that it makes such an impression on us that we usually choose to go back? Why – because the occurrences are so few and far between!!!

As a home business owner, it is imperative to my business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority. Remember the saying: “If you don’t take care of your customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have read or heard it somewhere before…..and how true it is.

Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your business:

1) SMILE – Sounds too simple, right? As a customer, would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a scowl that would befit a guard dog?

2) LISTEN – Always be slow to speak and quick to listen. Let customers express themselves without you trying to do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted.

3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY – Yeah, I know – the bottom line is sales, right?

There is a fine line between suggesting products/services and pushing them down a customer’s throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.
Read the rest of this entry »

read comments (0)

Have you ever been invited to a networking breakfast? Or a networking lunch? These may should sort of strange to the person who has never been to one before, but these types of situations are key to moving yourself to talk with others about what you do, how you do it, and what you provide in the form of services and products.

Many areas have their own type of networking events
These include business meetings to talk about the economy, or business meetings to set new ordinances for the local surroundings – everywhere you have people; you have the opportunity to ‘do’ additional networking. The more people you know and talk with the stronger your network of business contacts and customer contact is going to become.

The first step to successful local networking is going to involve doing it
You need to get out there, and be where other business owners are, or at least where large groups of people are going to be found. Next, you need a good opening question. The best question you can ask a person when you are networking is, what do you do? This is not only going to open the door to talking with another person, but also it is going to open the door for that person in turn to ask you what you do – which is just what you want them to ask you!

Networking should be done in conversation when you are in situations where you don’t know someone all that well. Business cards are often given out, and passed around. If you are heading off to a club meeting, or a networking business affair, you should also have marketing materials with you, such as a brochure or some type of printed matter to show and tell others what you do. As others find your materials handed to them, or presented on a table of information, they have something tangible to take with them, read later, and to think about later.
Read the rest of this entry »

read comments (0)