Your Business Can’t Compete Without This Secret Ingredient…

Posted on October 29th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

HouseRedTrimMy husband and I own a small, home-based construction business.  We know we’ll never be in the same league as the big construction companies like KB Homes or Pulte, but guess what?  We don’t have to, nor do we want to!  We offer something the big boys can’t ever compete with – personal, caring, and responsive customer service. 

Pulte Homes is in the middle of a class-action lawsuit right now because they cared more about their bottom line than about their customers.  The lawsuit claims that Pulte artificially propped up sales and home sale prices in a “house of cards” scheme that eventually caused values in its developments to plunge, according to a report the The Record.  With big business digging themselves into a customer service hole, it’s not too tough for us “little guys” to compete with them.

Here’s an article in the New York Times, “How Can We Compete With the Big Boys?” that drives home the secret ingredient that all small businesses need to thrive in any economy.  http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/how-can-we-compete-with-the-big-boys/

No matter how good your marketing and sales are, if your customers aren’t happy, your business won’t survive for long…

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How is your business growing?

Posted on April 24th, 2009 by Sandy Reed

women-in-business-clip-art-001I read a quote by Jim Rohn recently reminding me that there is always a planting season and a harvest season.  We have been spending thousands of marketing dollars sending direct mail in the last few months, and not seeing the results we had hoped for…  In the past our direct mailing of an introductory letter and full color brochure has kept a steady flow of new customers calling us for remodels, additions, and new homes.

  Although the calls are starting to come again, they aren’t from new customers.  They are from customers we have been cultivating relationships with over the last year.  In other words, we planted the seeds of how we can help them, and now we are beginning to reap the harvest.

Now, more than ever, it’s important for all you business owners to cultivate your own customer relationships - to give them all the help they need to make an informed decision about what you can offer them to solve whatever problem they may have or how you can make their life more comfortable, peaceful, fun, whatever…

You can never know your customers too well.  Go out of your way to talk to them and find out what they need, provide it, and your business will reap the harvest.

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The Business of Health and Healing

Posted on October 3rd, 2008 by Sandy Reed

Well, here we are at the end of another quick week.  For me this has been an exceptionally busy one.  My husband, Bill, had his gall bladder removed last Friday, September 26, which also happens to be my birthday.  It was the first time I’ve spent my birthday in the waiting room of a hospital…  Not that I’m complaining.  I was glad to be there and see him come through with flying colors.  Bill is home recuperating slowly, and thankfully, nicely.

Any of you who have experienced the politics and systems of hospitals will identify with the truth of this statement, “you don’t go into the hospital to rest and recuperate.”  From our experiences, you go into the hospital to get done what you have to get done and get out as soon as possible.  With the noise and interruptions all night long, restful sleep is not to be found.  Not only is it cost prohibitive to stay in the hospital, it is also downright exhausting!

Even though Bill had a rather large incision, he insisted on coming home after three days.  He couldn’t take the lack of sleep any longer!  Even having the ability to administer his own drugs every 20 minutes didn’t help much.

I don’t know about you, but I would think at the price of a hospital stay, they could be a little more “hospitable” and at least ensure you get to sleep through the night, unless there are extinuating circumstances…  I would certainly choose a hospital that I knew realized the value of deep sleep, which helps your body heal itself more quickly, and helps your total outlook on life.

What do you think?

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Did You Hear What They Said? 3 Tips to Make Sure…

Posted on July 24th, 2008 by Sandra Reed

It’s no secret that the world is full of diverse and unique beings.  My husband, who is left handed, never fails to amaze me in his method of solving problems.  Since I’m right handed, we always go through two different thought processes to reach the same conclusion.  He, of course, loves to remind me that he is in his “right mind”.

Not only do we think differently, we hear differently.  People tend to hear other people based on their perceptions and what they have lived through.  What we hear is what we expect to hear much of the time.  Sometimes the customers we’re talking to aren’t telling us the whole story, so it’s even harder to get a clear picture of how we can best serve them.

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Challenging Customers – Love Them or Leave Them?

Posted on February 27th, 2008 by Sandra Reed

My husband and I have been blessed with many wonderful customers over our 25+ years owning and operating a residential construction business.  In fact, I could count on one hand the challenging ones.

One customer in particular caused me many sleepless nights and more than a little stress for a few weeks.  The relationship started out on a positive note, but quickly turned south when it became clear that their expectations and ours could never meet at a place of compromise.

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Winning Customer Relationships – 5 Tips to Success

Posted on February 25th, 2008 by Sandra Reed

Here are 5 tips to help you build a better customer relationship that will keep them coming back again and again.

  1. Where are you mentally? Before you meet with your client in person or by telephone, evaluate where you are physically and emotionally. Are you ready to approach this conversation with an open mind and the intention to look for how this interaction can benefit both of you? If not, take the time to check in with yourself.  What you can do first that will put you in the right frame of mind to have an enjoyable, and productive, conversation?  Maybe you can go for a walk, have lunch at your favorite bistro, or just take a quick break in the fresh air. 

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Surviving Technology – 5 Tips to Keep Your Customers from Firing You…

Posted on February 14th, 2008 by Sandra Reed

As a business owner, how you perceive your customers trickles down into all aspects of your business.  How you feel about them, talk about them, and serve them provides a filter that your employees and service providers see through, and that your customers can perceive right away.  This is a filter that your customers are intuitively aware of in their interactions with you.  They will be attracted to you, or not, based on how you feel about serving them.

When you’re starting out in a new business, you may be looking for ways to best utilize your time, since it may be just you juggling all aspects of the business.  Utilizing the latest technology is one way you can potentially alleviate some of the stress of being the only person answering the phone.  As a small business, you may be competing with many larger companies, so customer service is especially critical.  One major advantage of being small is that you get to interact with your customers on a more personal level, and this is where you can shine.     

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