10 Tips On Impressing Your Customers And Growing Your Business

1. Do not promise what you cannot deliver

2. Do not overextend your resources and get a reputation for poor performance.

3. Do not tell the customer what he or she wants to hear. Tell them what they need to know. They will respect you for it.

4. Network constantly on professional sites such as Linked In. Hit the "Answers" feature and accumulate an "Expert" rating from your peers in your field.

5. Blog like there is no tomorrow. A blog is quite different than a web site. Provide good, solid information free of charge and use blog searches for synergistic businesses to team with. Teaming is an absolute necessity these days.

6. Be prepared to provide information, samples and valuable service gratis as a marketing tool. Introduce yourself and then immediately engage the client with your presentation tools available to bring your expertise to whatever topic they are interested in. Let them take you where they want to go with their concerns and their needs. Apply your presentation tools and expertise dynamically on the fly in a sincere manner to those concerns and needs and you will be in demand for follow up business.

7. Quote and bill what the client can afford and grow with him (in content and resources).

8. Be dedicated to working yourself out of a job with a specific customer and having your client take over by training him. He will remember you and recommend you to 10 others.

9. Remember growth is a function of persistence and foresight. Know where your market is headed and get their first - then write and speak about your success indirectly by helping others. Demonstrate humility and a satisfaction in helping others succeed. They will find ways to give you credit. There are ways of tooting your horn without making peoples' lights go out.

10. Word of mouth advertising from pleased clients is a sure ticket to success.

The State Of Customer Service

This is sarcastic description of an all too typical customer service call by what could be one of YOUR customers. Hopefully your small business doesn't treat customers this way. Do you??

"Thank you for calling .... Customers are Scumbags, our single human is off having a coffee at the moment but your call is important to us.

Please listen to the following menu carefully as number options have changed.

Press one to be given five options none of which meet your requirements.

Press two for a permanent ringing tone.

Press three for the voicemail of the guy that left last week

Press four to have your life placed on hold whilst listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Press five in order to hear your account balance including charges for our shoddy service levels.

Press six for a one in five chance of speaking to someone that knows half of what's needed and will therefore transfer you to the main switchboard number that you just dialed.

Press seven to hear our Chairman's Message of shareholder gains at your expense.

Press eight to be disconnected for absolutely no reason .

Press nine out of sheer and total desperation if you want to.

Press # to replay this menu!"

ARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH!