• Take time to research and investigate other cultural, and unique holidays. Anyone remember Seinfeld’s “Festivus”? Invent one of your own, and create a perfect card to send that spells out how much your company appreciates the business.

• Ask your customers what they want. They may prefer a donation to a local non-profit group, or a virtual card that will save the trees, or a donation to a teacher for class supplies. Asking the customer makes the gift even more personal.

• Offer to volunteer at their favorite charity’s fund raiser. I have sat at more registration tables than I can remember, and every time I’ve done this, it’s brought back opportunities that might not have come along. One time, one of our team even drove 60 miles to give blood in a blood drive hosted by a prospective customer. That’ s really going the extra mile. The sad part is we never did get that prospects business…but we had a great feeling of giving.

• Host a client event…in January or February. In Wonderful Wisconsin, these are the dull, dreary days of winter. This is the perfect time to host anything from a hot chocolate and donuts early risers networking time, to a wine and cheese after five networking event. Gracious hospitality and maybe including a little seminar of interest to all, will certainly set the event apart from all the others. Be sure to set up a greeting table with name badges for everyone, and let the big kahuna sit and greet the guests as they enter.

• Bake. Who doesn’t like home-made cookies, or fruit cake, pound cake, or zucchini or banana bread? Take an offering to your favorite customers every now and then. I’m reminded of that commercial that goes “Nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven.” Getting a loaf of fragrant smelling , delicious nut bread allows the “giftee” to share with others on their team.

• Design your own basket, that includes something from your own company’s product mix, wrap it in cellophane, and attach a personal, handwritten card to express your gratitude.

Many, in our industry, are not sure if we need to give our clients gifts. Some would like to know if the competition is giving anything. Well, my thinking tells me that our company should give gifts to the people we care about, the ones who support us all year round. We need to let them know how important they are to us. We need to show them that they are what make our companies successful. I think we need to remember long term customers, especially the ones who pay on time. I also like to remember, at least with a card, former clients that haven’t shopped with us for a while. My mother taught me that the best kind of gift is a thoughtful one. I like to give something that relates to the project we worked on, or something that fits into a customer’s personal collection, or something that will create the feeling of appreciation. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you spread a little holiday cheer around to all those who support your company all year round. Happy Holidays!

Many companies send holiday cards, and while this is traditional, comes at the end of the year, and is reflective of years past when every business did this, now days, cards don’t stand out in the extra volume of holiday greetings. Sending a “We love our customers” card for Valentine’s Day would get a lot more attention. In fact, almost anything sent out, or presented in person, out of season, will get remembered. There’s a certain power that goes with keeping in touch all year round.

While there’s nothing wrong with recognizing all customers in the same way, there are always advantages to showing individualized attention, especially for your best clients. Being unique in what’s given to each of the best client’s, sets your company apart from all the others. I, personally, don’t want to get one more coffee mug with a logo on it…I have my own. Neither do I want another logo’d key chain or umbrella. Thanks very much…I’d rather you sent a donation to a local United Way or some other good charitable organization and let me know about it. It doesn’t even have to be “in my name”. Actually, if the client sits on the board of directors of a non-profit, charitable organization, all the better to arrange a gift to that group. In my humble opinion, holiday (or other time of year) gifting doesn’t have to include marketing tools. The receiver will remember exactly what they got, without the company logo on it…and they just might use it more. If your company has a glut of logo’d candy jars…at least include some fine chocolates in the presentation, and if there’s coffee mugs involved at gift time, try filling them with small packages of herbal tea, fine coffee, or apple cider. Perhaps combine the mug with a nice coaster to protect the desk top it will most likely sit on. Those in our industry that do sublimation can create personalized coasters…with the logo of the company you are gifting.

In one case, the mutual partnership turned into quite a lot of business being written. They always remember who put them together. That in itself, was a gift of sorts, especially since I facilitated the meeting a over lunch, that I made and served.

My husband, Dave, makes a great cup of coffee. Frequently, through-out the year, I invite non-competing clients to join me for breakfast in our conference room. Dave makes the coffee, and Panera Bread and I do the cooking. This works well for “breaking the ice” when connecting clients.

Not only do they get their morning nourishment, they get a great start to their day…and usually with a golden opportunity to work with, or partner with someone of influence for buying their goods and services.

I was reading a Blog recently that described some very well known companies that started,  survived and thrived during economic downturns, including Wrigley Gum, United Parcel Service, Symantec, and Hewlett Packard to name a few.   Anyone studying the “Great Depression” can see that companies that survived, and thrived, got creative, took action, and persevered.   They looked for opportunities for new business.   They were willing to seek out new markets and new ways to do business.

Yes, times are tough right now.   Some days, I hear from industry friends who are discouraged with this year’s projected bottom line, and who are wondering  how long it will be, if ever, before things get back to “normal”?     Things are “different” all over…in every industry.   I just heard from a friend in a totally different line of work about how, recently, they’ve had to go collect receipts from their customer’s right before payday so they can make payroll.   This is their kind of creative financing.

Staying afloat during hard times is a challenge, and right now, we’re all using creative skills to find ways to connect with prospects, and to romance and retain our existing clients.  This might be a good way to reinvent our companies for a good future.   I think that we just need to “hang in there”.  Better times are coming!   And, yes, one way or another, we’ll get through it all!

• Determine your company’s real niche. With the intense kind of competition out there, becoming “the expert” in the arena you want to serve will put your company above others in the field. Then promote your expertise, and/or years of experience, everywhere.

• Create your company’s brand to make it stand out from the crowd. Find ways to be “unforgettable”. Put your name, logo and tag line on everything you publish, including your company’s letterhead, marketing materials, your web site, the labels that go on your products, and anything and everything your company uses for promotion.

• Don’t spend money to make money. There are so many places to market a business at no cost, or low cost. Create a Facebook page, get into the “twitterverse”, become part of a LinkedIn group, and start a Blog. Yes, all these take time. Get up an hour earlier and work on making and keeping the company visible.

• When using paid advertising, negotiate a better price .This expert said that even the media are hard hit during this economic crisis and they may be willing to barter and/or negotiate a lesser cost to get, and tokeep business. Their suggestion is if you’re going to use paid advertising, ask for a discount, or a bigger discount that your company currently gets.

• Use free PR every where you can. Press releases can be sent to local newspapers and magazines, group/organization newsletter editors, every radio and television station in the area, and to the companies who help support your business (and who produce their own monthly newsletter) like your insurance company. Create a press kit that includes your company’s history, pictures that speak to what your company does, pictures and blurb about key personnel, products your company is known for, and anything about your company that would interest the public. Send the kit along with the first press release.

• Donations. While this suggestion is not entirely free, it gets its money’s worth in exposure. Team up with a local charity that needs your kinds of products. Those of us in the awards industry get asked on a daily basis to contribute or donate awards for charitable events. Pick and choose the ones you prefer to support, and then partner with them. Ask them to promote your company in all of their event promotional materials, signs, banners, program books and the like.

• Learn where to find your customers. Where do they “hang out”? Are they all on Facebook now? Are they in a golf league? Are they volunteering for a local organization? Are they even from your company’s home based, local area? Where ever your company’s target customers are “hanging out”, make it a point to hang out there too.

• Offer a free seminar or class. Put together a brief outline on how to create a successful recognition program and share it with your clients.

• Offer free samples, when possible. If your company offers medals and neck ribbons…give one to the buyer to take back to committee.

• Send an engraved invitation. About five years ago, my husband, Dave, and I wanted to meet with a new prospect in the accounting field. We saw that they used products that we carried and we wanted to be able to introduce our company, and ourselves, to them. Phone calls didn’t work. Letters didn’t get us an appointment. Sending our catalog didn’t help in getting in the door….so we hand delivered an engraved invitation with a card that said, “We thought it might take an engraved invitation to join us for coffee and …” Guess what…we heard from them the day they received it. And, since I don’t want to keep you guessing further…yes…we did get their business, and they got ours. We’ve been partnering back and forth since then.

And, since we tossed out some things to do, here are some don’ts”

• Don’t ever use the words “We’re too busy!”   Customers don’t care if you’re busy…they care that their orders can be placed and will be produced in time for their events.
• Don’t let the showroom or the displays get dusty, or out of date.  Our customers expect the best, from the minute they enter our place of business to the delivery of finished product.  If there’s no time for cleaning during the work week then either clean, dust, polish on the week end, or hire someone to do the job.  Customers and prospects should always feel comfortable in the company showroom.

We all know that keeping customers satisfied and happy, during a hectic busy season, is sometimes challenging.  We, also, know that the best form of marketing ever invented is as simple as making sure clients have a memorable experience with the company so they want to come back to your business, year after year, after year.

• Make a list of all upcoming business, and call each contact…one or two per day.  These calls don’t have to take more than a few minutes, and they provide an opportunity to remind the contact of their upcoming order anniversary.
• Write a letter, or send a handwritten note, postcard, or “Send Out Card” to special clients.   This gives the chance to say thank you for past business, and to give them updates on new products and services.  It’s also an opportunity to offer them special “good customer” offers.
• Find an article of interest to your clients and either scan and email it, or fax it, with a personal note.
• Take time to review your company’s printed materials to make sure they are current, relevant, accurate, and that they deliver the message you want your customers and prospects to know.
• Say thank you to current customers, when they give you the sale, when you deliver the order, and about two weeks later in a follow up call.  This gives an opportunity to ask for referrals.
• Everyone wants to be a winner.  Give customers a chance to win a free lunch, compliments of your business.  Partner with a local restaurant.  Set a “fish bowl” on the counter and collect business cards from everyone who visits your place of business.  If you have a good relationship with the restaurant, ask if they’ll let you put a “fish bowl” at their check out station. This requires very little time on your part, but could bring you lots of hot prospects for the future.
• Keep all business communications focused on the word “You”…meaning the customer.  This marketing tip works year round.
• Give a special thank you gift to extra special customers.  We use the “Thank You” pens to show how much we appreciate a good client.  This is a very cost effective way to make someone happy…and then there’s an extra benefit…I’m particularly happy when I see a customer using the pen at another time.
• Connect people.  Many of you will remember that I practice “networking” all the time.  Introducing people to each other, even in your store’s showroom, is a powerful way to encourage more business, as well as customer loyalty.  If the introduction results in new business for the clients, you could find even more business arriving at your door.
• There’s an old saying, “It’s not who you know, but who knows you.”  If you’ve done your  pre-marketing marketing, by attending chamber of commerce meetings, if you’re visible in community activities, if you’re always working at “making business friends”…your pre-marketing can help to keep customers coming in when things slow down.  When you’re out doing your pre-marketing, get personal.  In order for your company’s name to be the first people think of when they need its products and services, you must build personal relationships.
• Spotlight a customer of the month.   Put up a “bulletin board” and feature pictures of that customer’s business, their corporate history, special awards and recognition, and hopefully, a testimonial about how much they enjoy doing business with your company.
• Make sure all team members are fully trained in customer service.  Give them all the authority it takes to make a customer happy.
• Join a leads club.   If you can’t get out to their meetings…start your own leads club in your own space.  This not only gets people in your door it lets them see what they can refer you for.
• Volunteer.   Yes, this takes time, but it’s time well spent.  Not only will you get noticed within the community, you will get a very satisfied feeling of being needed and appreciated, along with knowing you did something helpful.
• Create a place for customers to sit and wait.   Hopefully they won’t have to sit and wait for their orders to be finished, but rather to sit and wait in comfort, and maybe get acquainted, as the line of people at the counter are taken care of.

We had a week like that recently, when even though our team maintained enthusiastic, positive attitudes, and smiley faces, some of our outbound calls led to no results, since many hearty folk seemed to be on winter break getting away from  the land of the frozen tundra,  and those who stayed in town were cranky because they had to navigate icy/slushy roads, grey skies, and the promise of more weather to come. 

One could expect that a week that began and ended with these conditions could lead to major week end burn out…and it might have, except for the “customer” who walked into our store at 5:00 PM on Friday, carrying a florists box with a lovely arrangement of flowers for our team.  He said it was in appreciation for going the extra mile.  This is the kind of customer that people in service will run the extra mile for.  This is the kind of customer that everyone wants to serve. 

Not only did this customer’s gift make our team feel special…it led to a great week’s ending with our staff now looking forward to the coming work week. 

What wonderful things happen when we say “Thank You!”    The words alone speak volumes…and when accompanied by a gift, (small or large) the impact can change attitudes and feelings about any situation. 

Our client knows how much we appreciated that gesture…because we demonstrated by our actions how much it meant.   The gesture reinforced our thinking that we have to say thank you to our customers…all the time…if not with a “gift”…at least with our words and actions.   They need to know how much they are appreciated.   They need to know that we value them and their business. 

If you’re one of our customers, please know that you are the most important part of our doing business.   We sincerely thank you for choosing our company.   To you, we give a bouquet of promises…to always be ready to help you, to go the extra mile every time, to listen to you, to work in concert with your ideas, to show our appreciation in the work we perform for you, and to always let you know how important you are to us.   Thank You!

And, to our customer who gave us a wonderful, surprise week ending….THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

The idea for the Oscar ws developed in 1927, when then MGM President, Louis B. Mayer suggested that the newly formed Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences should create a special film award for the people who make movies.   Each year, since then, the most  outstanding examples in every category, are honored with this famous,award. 

While some may watch the televised awards ceremony to see what the nominee’s are wearing,it’s exciting to see the tributes to good work.