Over the past couple of days, we have been blogging about the concept of happy customers. More specifically, we have been focusing on the ways in which business owners can make their customers happy. At the end of the day, this should be the mission of every entrepreneur out there. No matter what you sell, your job is to make your customers fall in love.

Our blogs have been examining suggestions made by Brian Honigman on Kissmetrics.com. Relationship-building is a theme throughout his tips. In today’s blog, we’ll conclude our look at his suggestions. As a business owner, implementing these tips will be necessary to help grow your client base. In other words, the more smiles you make, the better business will be. And how can you achieve that?

Follow Through on Your Word – Follow Up on Promises. “Your word is your bond,” insists Honigman. One way to truly disappoint a customer is to not follow through on a promise that you’ve made. How do you expect to build trust if your customers can’t depend on you? Being caught in a lie or not following through on a guarantee is a surefire way to lose business.

“Following up on your promises helps show the transparency of your business, while helping to build a feeling of trust and dependability with your audience,” he writes, “Manage the expectations of your customers to ensure realistic goals are set and can be met. By remaining consistent in your messaging, your customers will learn what they should expect from you in the future.”

Recognize Responsibility – The Customer is Always Right. For some business owners, this is a hard pill to swallow. Nevertheless, Honigman insists that “no matter the circumstance, the customer is always right.” The best way to communicate this is to create a customer policy that puts your buyers in the driver’s seat. Keep in mind that your mission is making them happy. Your rules should all focus on doing just that.

One of the most important ways to pull this off is to have a defined way to deal with unsatisfied customers. In many instances, you may have to go over and beyond the call of duty. Sometimes, simply apologizing isn’t enough. Does your customer deserve something for free? Are you willing to waive shipping charges? Can you reimburse them fully? Be sure to make your policy clear.

Always Say “Thank You” – Kindness and Gratitude will Take You Far. How hard is it to give thanks? You’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs forget about this simple and appropriate courtesy. Honigman reveals that as many as three out of four customers will stick with a company based on a good experience. Clearly, it’s important for your customers to enjoy the time spent shopping at your place of business.

Writes Honigman, “Kindness and gratitude for a customer’s business is an undeniable way to further enchant them for the long term. Craft every thank you sent out from your company to be specific to the customer, relevancy is key. Be as appreciative as possible to your customers for taking the time to go through the process of resolving their issue. Finally, follow up with a good old fashioned ‘Thank you.’”

“Don’t worry, be happy.” Sure, this is a song that most of us would like to forget even exists. But its sentiment remains absolutely relevant after all these years. Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 smash hit had a simple premise that still rings true to this day. It’s all about being happy. And this is exactly what your customers want from you. If you own a business, making customers happy should be first on your everyday to-do list.

On Kissmetrics.com, Brian Honigman writes of a number of ways that business owners can put smiles on the faces of their customers. At the heart of each of his tips is the concept of relationship building. Getting and maintaining a loyal client base is more about communication than it is about advertising. Make your customers feel valued. Then you won’t have to worry about their happiness. Let’s look at a few more ways to do this.

Treat a Customer Like a Valued Partner – Communication is Two Way. Ask for customer feedback and truly pay attention to it. Who better to help you with your business than those who actually buy from you? It’s important to show your clients that their opinions matter to you. Implement some of their ideas and prove that you’ve been listening. Value your customers as partners and they’ll reward you with loyalty.

Build Trust – Alert Customers to Large Scale Changes, Good or Bad. According to Honigman, “it takes 12 positive service experiences to make up for 1 negative experience.” Evidently, trust is a sensitive issue. One of the members of our Synergy staff admitted as much when discussing his neighbourhood car dealership recently. He still is unable to trust it after a bad experience.

“Dealing with them that one time was a nightmare,” he reported, “I’ve only returned once or twice for minor maintenance because they are so close by. Those experiences have been fine but it’s hard to completely remove the bad taste from my mouth.” Be informative when it comes to your customers. Keep them in the know when it comes to changes in your products and services. Eliminate any possibility for a negative experience.

Be Transparent – Honesty is Crucial When it comes to Mistakes. A recent episode of “The Simpsons” makes a strong point about being honest in business. At a car dealership, Marge Simpson speaks with a salesman about a car she is interested in buying. The salesman spikes the price by $4000 when he realizes that she is shopping without her husband.

Meanwhile, Marge shows that she is a lot more business-savvy than she is being credited for. For every lie the salesman makes, she is able to call him on it by viewing his company website and Facebook profile on her smart phone. The scene is a lot funnier than this description, of course. The message, however is clear. As Honigman points out, “Being transparent in the digital age is a must.”

In tomorrow’s blog, we’ll conclude our look at Honigman’s list of tips. You’ll notice that they focus primarily on your relationships with your customers over the products and services that you offer. This is where most entrepreneurs go wrong. They concentrate on what they’re selling and not how they’re selling it. It starts with a smile. Keep one on your face and make it contagious!

Putting smiles on faces – when it’s all said and done, this is truly the mission of every business owner. You can come up with the most elaborate marketing strategies in the world, you can spend tons of cash and you can offer the best products in your industry – but if you don’t put smiles on faces, none of it matters. Making your customers happy is job #1.

Any business owner will tell you that it’s easier to advertise to current customers than it is to ones you’ve never had. The best way to get new customers into your store is to have your current customers bring them in. And what’s the best way to do that? On Kissmetrics.com, Brian Honigman writes that it’s all about nurturing relationships. It’s about truly communicating with those who support your business.

This is especially true during an era when people regularly communicate with each other through social media. The last thing you want is for your customers to relay bad experiences they’ve had with your company through their Facebook and Twitter profiles. So what can you do to ensure your customers are happy? Honigman lists a number of important methods.

Treat your Customers Right – Genuinely Interact. According to Honigman, “Happy customers who get their issue resolved tell 4 to 6 people about their experience.” You want word-of-mouth promotion? Then be sure not to act as a “nameless of faceless business”. Instead, drum up genuine conversations and take interests in the people who visit your store. Remember names and begin to treat your clients like friends.

Don’t Come on Too Strong – Respect Your Customers. Remember that the key here is to develop strong relationships. So, like any other relationship, you don’t want to be too forceful during your interactions. You’ll have to go through some “getting to know each other” stages. Honigman reminds us that more than half of the customers who have bad experiences with companies tell others about them. Let’s avoid that.

Always Listen – Hear What Your Customers are Saying. Don’t forget that communication is a two-way street. You shouldn’t assume that you need to do all of the talking. Be sure to listen attentively to what your customers are saying, especially when it comes to their concerns. You’re the person who should be able to address such concerns and solve their problems. You can only do so if you are truly listening.

Continue to Satisfy – Offer Ongoing Support and Specials. Customer service over products and services – this is what customers want the most. Believe it or not, consumers want to enjoy their buying experiences no matter what products they are buying. This gives you great opportunities to grow your client base. Honigman suggests that you respond quickly and enthusiastically to customer questions.

You may also want to prepare yourself to offer special discounts and bonuses to provide further incentives to your client base to keep visiting you. If you want your clients to buy more from you, it’s important that they are able to enjoy doing so. Never lose sight of the fact that your job is satisfying the needs of your target market. It’s all about customer satisfaction.

Be sure to check out tomorrow’s blog as we continue to explore ways to make your customers happy.

On About.com, Darrell Zahorsky offers up a number of tips for business owners who are looking to increase sales and drum up more business this summer. The bottom line is that no business can survive without proper marketing. So it’s important to never rest on your laurels by simply assuming that business will remain strong without concerted efforts to improve it.

In yesterday’s blog, we began taking a look at Zahorsky’s tips. At Synergy Marketing, we believe strongly in promoting your business without going over budget. This is why our fantastic promotional gifts have worked so well for entrepreneurs across Canada. They are both cost-conscious and highly effective. In today’s blog, we’ll conclude our look at Zahorsky’s marketing suggestions.

Sharpen Selling Skills. “A high return area for business improvement is the sales function,” writes Zahorsky, “Whether you’re selling to big companies or managing a sales team, never forget to focus on sales improvement.” It’s also important, of course, to hire competent sales staff. Be mindful of the attitudes your new hires present. A focused, energetic and friendly attitude will go a long way in building your business image.

Find Best Practices. The whole “energetic and friendly” thing should not be overlooked. Your business will be judged heavily by its customer service. Be sure to maintain a good approach when it comes to handling customers. Stick to your best practices and don’t attempt to reinvent the wheel, as they say. You also don’t want to waste money and time training those who don’t share your views.

Motivate Staff. Speaking of training, you want a staff of talented and motivated individuals who never feel as if they are unappreciated. Learn what motivates your team, says Zahorsky, and constantly come up with ways to keep them energized. When you have a happy team, you have a productive team. We love keeping the energy up in the Synergy Marketing offices!

We play music. We share jokes during morning meetings. We even have our pets run around the office now and again. Keeping the atmosphere light and the overall working environment enjoyable is a big part of what makes our sales staff so successful. Consider ways to make your work place a fun place to be for the people who work for you. This type of marketing will pay dividends for years to come.

Know Your Limits. When you’re really great at something, feel free to exploit it. But when you know you’re not an expert in a particular field, don’t pretend that you are. It’s okay. Knowing your limitations will help you to better manage your business. Put the right people in the right places to do the right jobs. Managing your team well will help it to become a very successful one.

Take a Break. “Running a small business is hard work,” reminds Zahorsky, “Sometimes the best way to improve your business and re-ignite your passion is to take a vacation.” It’s true. Taking breaks is actually an important part of marketing your business. Don’t burn yourself out. Give yourself opportunities to get recharged and rejuvenated from time to time. And the summer is the perfect time to do that!

For many business owners in Canada, the summer season represents the slowing down of sales. During these slow seasons, it’s important to remember that opportunities are presenting themselves. Marketing your business is a year-round job. But as the warm weather approaches, there should be some added effort being put towards drawing attention to your business.

Sometimes, it’s best to just keep it simple. There are some go-to advertising ideas that can help entrepreneurs during any time of the year. But with the summer about to officially get started, it’s a great time to put these ideas into practice. On About.com, Darrell Zahorsky shares some tips on how to help boost business. These simple tips are great reminders for those concerned about the slowing of sales in the coming months.

Keep Score. “It’s amazing how few small businesses have any idea of the daily, weekly, and monthly numbers and financial trends in the organization,” writes Zarhorsky. Are you on top of your books? Be sure to stay mindful of what you’re spending and what you’re making. It’s a simple must-do no matter what type of business you run. Don’t lose sight of the profits you need to make to be successful.

Set Goals. It’s hard to achieve a target if you haven’t set it. Some business owners tend to get complacent during the everyday opening and closing of their stores. Effort must be placed on doing a little more business each and every day. So keep score. Set your goals and work towards surpassing them. Make a game of it if you have to. But never settle for the same old-same old when it comes to sales.

Use High Impact Marketing. At Synergy Marketing, we pride ourselves on providing the best promo products in the business. We are especially proud because we know that our products help business owners gain customer loyalty and generate bigger buzzes for their brands without them having to spend an arm and a leg. Zahorsky agrees that low budget, high impact marketing is the way to go.

Traditional advertising methods tend to cost too much money for most business owners. Print ads, radio spots and TV commercials are all very pricey ventures. As well, they don’t make personal connections with your target market. Promo gifts, on the other hand, are useful items that are impactful on a daily basis. They show your customers you care and always remind them of where to shop.

Master Business Presentations. Are you an expert in your field? If so, it’s time to show that off! According to Zarhorsky, “A powerful business presentation can help improve your small business by leaps and bounds. Learning the essentials of a knockout business presentation can reap many rewards.” You may even want to create a video to post to YouTube demonstrating your expertise.

Monitor Trends. It’s so important to keep up with the times. As mentioned earlier, many business owners get complacent in their roles, assuming no additional efforts need to be made when it comes to marketing their businesses. However, staying current is key. Set up your profiles on Facebook and Twitter if you haven’t already. Social media sites are arguably the most popular ways to communicate with your audience these days.

Be sure to check out tomorrow’s blog for some more great marketing tips!

Tonight’s the night that hockey fans have been waiting for since the beginning of the year – literally. The NHL got off to a late start thanks to a lockout. When play began in January instead of the usual October, hockey fans were treated to a shortened-season that brought about a lot of excitement. And it has all come down to this: The Stanley Cup Finals!

This year, it’s two Original Six teams going head-to-head. The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Boston Bruins to battle it out for all the marbles. Being the best, as you can imagine, takes quite a lot of hard work. Both teams, of course, had to win three series each in order to make it to tonight’s final for the “holy grail” of hockey. Toronto Maple Leafs fans know this all too well.

The Leafs took the Bruins into overtime in Game 7 before losing their opening series. The definition of a heartbreaker, the game saw the Leafs winning 4-1 with under ten minutes to go in the third period. But let’s not rub salt in what is likely still a sore wound for Leafs fans. Back to the point – hard work and dedication are what champions are made of. This goes for your business as well.

Being dedicated, however, is a lot more than showing up on time for work every day. To be the best, you have to take steps to getting your business ahead of its competition. Like the Bruins and the Blackhawks, defeating your opponents requires some strategic thinking. On Entrepreneur.com, Tim Berry provides some tips for business owners who are looking to become champions in their fields.

Do a sales forecast. “Break your sales into components, such as specific products, groups of products, channels or buyers,” writes Berry. It’s important to project your estimated sales so that you can track your results based on your expectations. Once you do this, it will lead to better planning for the sale of products and services in the future. Planning – like practice – makes perfect.

If you’re a startup company, estimate startup costs. Take note of all of your expenses including those that you incur before your first day of business, says Berry. This includes legal expenses, renovations and repairs, developing prototypes, equipment, inventory and even the cash you have in the bank. You must constantly be aware of how much you’re spending to best determine how much you need to make back.

Estimate your expense budget. Berry calls it a “burn rate”. In other words, it’s important to be on top of things that are bound to burn your money. We’re talking about such things as rent, payroll, utilities and marketing expenses. Being mindful of all of these things is what will best help you develop a sound sales forecast that will give you something to track.

Write a To-Do List. When you plan for success, you’re most likely to achieve it. When you write your plan out, you’re more likely to stick to it. Plan out and write down milestones such as dates, deadlines, business activities and how much they’re going to cost. Outlining your “concrete specifics” is bound to keep you on track. Plan to be a champion in your field, and you may just reach the finals after all!

How can you stand out from your competition? Each and every day, our Synergy sales reps ask this question to their clients. Being extraordinary means doing things to be successful that your competition won’t do. What makes your company special? Have you ever stopped to think why your customers come to you and no one else for your products?

Or…do they visit your competition from time to time? How can you be sure to secure their loyalty? Knowing the answers to these questions is bound to propel you and your company to greater heights. As Anne Mueller points out on OpenForum.com, being average in today’s business world is simply not good enough. It’s all about growth and expansion. It’s all about being better than the rest.

Sounds a little easier said than done, right? Mueller lists a number of ways that being different, and therefore, more noticeable can be achieved. Her tips include doing the opposite of what your competition is doing and going that extra mile to ensure that you provide superior customer experiences to anyone else in your industry. These ideas were outlined in yesterday’s blog. In today’s blog, we’ll focus on a few more ways to be unique.

Do the unexpected, the new, the different. It’s important to have products that “provide a combination of desirability plus difference (to) have the potential for huge success.” She makes note of Apple products such as the iPhone which can be described as both “pretty and useful.” People don’t just desire the technology, she points out, they also enjoy having a product that is “beautiful to hold”.

The concept isn’t all that difficult. Consider selling something that is normal or well-known. You could assume that the public’s familiarity with the product is a reason that it is able to “sell itself”. However, it’s important to never take anything for granted. Put a spin on the so-called normal and do something unexpected with your product. “You might find a surprising hit,” says Mueller.

Dominate the field. We all want to be the best at what we do, don’t we? There is a way to achieve this. It all comes down to having a “never say die” attitude. In other words, quitters never win. There is a long list of entrepreneurs who have come and gone, simply because they have given up on their dreams. Finding running a business too hard, they eventually pack things up and leave the industry open for domination by others.

“The secret of being more successful than everybody else is not quitting when everybody else does,” insists Mueller, “That’s how you go from mildly successful to wildly successful, and that’s how you dominate your field no matter what it is.” Domination means putting out one idea after the other. There never really is any end-all, be-all. To be successful, you have to continually top yourself.

This may involve some failures. But what better way is there to learn? Making mistakes is perhaps, the best way to understand how to make advances in your marketplace. Concludes Mueller: “If you want to be successful, dominate yourself first. No self-doubt, no delusions, no indecision, no hesitation. Then take your idea, make it better, take it further, build it higher, and show everybody else how it’s done.”

If you are a successful business owner, it’s probably a safe bet to say that you are someone who took chances. The entrepreneurial spirit is one that encourages risk-taking in order to stand out from the crowd. Getting a business started is no easy feat. But making a business a stand-out success is another thing altogether. To do so, being completely unique is practically mandatory.

On OpenForum.com, Anne Mueller writes that “growing richer than everybody else means building a business that is not just okay, average or even mildly successful. It means building a business that is wildly successful. Doing that means going a bit beyond the ordinary.” She then goes on to offer up a number of tips that can help business owners achieve the extraordinary.

Start by setting your own standards. Mueller insists that business owners stop basing their standards on what everyone else is doing. She challenges entrepreneurs by getting them to ask themselves if others are as successful as they want to be. The bottom line is that no one else’s success should be the benchmark for your own. To truly grow your brand, you need to work towards achievements far and above the norm.

Do the opposite of everybody else. Mueller takes it one step further by insisting that company owners go against the grain to be unique. Trends are bound to phase out. Try not to jump on and off bandwagons. Instead, begin your own trend by figuring out what people are not doing. What needs of your target market are not being met? How can you fulfill them in ways that your competition is not?

Do things better than everybody else. If doing things differently isn’t necessarily for you, then it’s time to focus on simply doing things better. That includes making vast improvements in all areas of your business. There is likely to be room for improvement in customer service, design, testing, product quality, pricing, accessibility for your customers as well as providing feedback, guarantees and follow-ups.

Average is the enemy. “If you want to be more successful, be the one who sets the bar high. Then make sure you reach the bar every single time,” writes Mueller. Have you been settling for your current rate of success for too long? It’s important to not rest on your laurels. Strive to be the best in your industry by improving upon areas where you think you are already excelling.

Take it further than everybody else. Going that extra mile is what will truly get you noticed and remembered, says Mueller. That doesn’t mean that you should take things too far. Be smart about each move you make by always keeping the customer in mind. Perhaps, a publicity stunt is in order. Just be sure to not offend or injure anyone in the process!

When athletes take things further than anyone else, they end up in the Hall of Fame, reminds Mueller. It’s time to push the boundaries and take your business further than the status quo, she continues. “If you’re an artist, you break through old barriers and establish new schools of thought and expression,” she writes, “Good things, big things can happen when you take it further (whatever it is) than everybody else.”

In yesterday’s blog, we began taking a look at a Dane Carlson article from his Business Opportunities Blog. In it, he reiterates one of the most tried-and-true pieces of marketing advice we’ve ever blogged about. And that is finding inexpensive ways to market your business will go a long way in helping it to grow. Yesterday, we examined a number of ways that business owners could utilize the internet to advertise themselves.

But even in today’s internet-crazy society, there are still plenty of offline ideas that can be just as rewarding. Naturally, handing out promotional gifts to your customers is one of the top ways that Synergy Marketing believes in. They have been well known to build customer loyalty and garner referrals. Today, we’ll look at a few other ideas outlined by Carlson that will build your brand’s buzz.

Cross promotion. Not that you should be contacting your competitors to join forces, but making friends with other business owners is a great way to grow your client base. Come up with a bonus package that you can put together with another business that will add value to your customer’s experiences with either brand. The “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” policy has often worked wonders.

Tell your story. “Write an article about yourself and your business,” suggests Carlson, “Add a funny or intriguing story about how you got started in the business, or let the readers know why the business is so important to you. Be sure your article solves a problem. Write at least two paragraphs about a problem, and one or two paragraphs on how your business can solve the problem.”

Perhaps, you’re concerned about your writing skills. After all, you started a business and your expertise likely lies elsewhere. No problem. As Carlson points out, there are a number of freelance writers out there. You may even want to contact Synergy Marketing to ask about their blogger! The more people know about the real you, the more they will like you. Get a good write-up on you and you’ll see!

Make a Video. Okay, yes we did say that today’s blog would be about offline ideas. But it’s important to note the popularity of such websites as YouTube. Carlson advises that you make a video where you are telling jokes, doing bad impressions or singing a song. Upload it to YouTube and see how many hits it gets. Now you may be wondering how such a video could ever help you increase business.

Yesterday’s blog highlighted the importance of communication with your clients. People need more than to simply like a company. They need to like what the company is all about. A company with a personable, friendly, creative and approachable owner is one that is bound to gain fans. Naturally, you should plug your business in your video. It’s all about generating interest in your brand.

Some of your videos should showcase your expertise. Feel free to discuss your knowledge of your field and why you chose to open your business. You may also want to film demonstrations of how useful your products are. As always, the staff at Synergy Marketing is only too happy to help you to advertise your brand. To get help in picking out the perfect promo gift for you, call 1-877-748-9884.

It’s all about bringing your company more business. This is the basic premise behind all that Synergy Marketing does. Our promotional products work to give your customers great impressions about you. They also work to give your customers reminders of where to shop. In addition, they work to generate more referrals for your brand. Our experience has proven that promo gifts have always been successful in doing all of the above.

It can be quite overwhelming to get all caught up in advertising. Of course, it’s important for you to promote your business. And it’s just as important to not blow your budget while doing so. Our promotional gifts are far less expensive than traditional modes of advertising. But they work best when coupled with other marketing strategies. On his Business Opportunites Blog, Dane Carlson writes about ways you can boost business.

Create a 90-day plan. This is the best way to start, writes Carlson. During this time, business owners should have patience with their new ideas, but also be sure to track their progress. There are simple and cost-effective ways to get your company noticed more often and by more people. Don’t worry about the competition for now, he says, let’s just focus on you.

Find more places to sell online. There are plenty of websites that are well known for their abilities to sell to the general public. Is there any reason why you shouldn’t be taking advantage of them? “If you haven’t already done so, sell your product on eBay,” writes Carlson. You can also place ads on Craigslist and Kijiji. Synergy Marketing employs this practice itself.

Build a larger internet presence. If you haven’t yet, it’s time you create profiles on Facebook and Twitter. Yes, there are still a few old-school thinking people out there who oppose social media. But if you’re a business owner, you really aren’t giving yourself much of a choice. It’s important to connect with your audience. Social networking gives you the opportunity to engage in conversations with potential buyers.

This is important. In today’s social media-crazed world, people don’t just want to be spoken to. They want to be included in the conversation. That means giving them opportunities to share their views. Doing so on Facebook and Twitter will give you the chance grow your customer base as your own perspectives can help you to develop a bigger fan base.

Stay in touch with your customers. Keeping with the theme of communication, Carlson insists that you put an effort into developing your client relationships through writing. “Design an e-zine, and email it to your current customers,” he writes, “Place advertisements for other local businesses, do it for free for awhile, until the e-zine starts gaining popularity and then you can charge for the advertising spaces!”

You’ll notice that many of Carlson’s tips have a lot do with having a strong online presence. These days, most consumers will locate their favourite places to shop on the internet before actually paying them a visit in person. In tomorrow’s blog, we’ll take a look at a few more of Carlson’s business-growth tips that focus on some offline marketing ideas. Be sure to check it out!