But how will you know if it’s the right thing to do? You could just be wasting your time and money.

It’s a really good idea to clear some space in your diary, and spend a few hours really getting to grips with a few fundamentals. For example:

• What exactly are you offering?
• Who is it aimed at?
• Who are your competitors?
• How are you different?
• Do you have a variety of products that suit different groups of people?
• What are their concerns?
• Where will you find these people?
• What are your key messages?

Once you know all these things, you can start to put together a plan of attack. The most important thing to remember is that your messages and communication channels need to be relevant to your audience. It’s no good having a facebook page just because everyone else seems to. What are you going to say? Are your customers using facebook, and will they find your content interesting while they’re on facebook? Don’t forget, many people use it to ‘escape’ from work, so if your messages are too business-like they may get overlooked.

What about local advertising? Are your customers all local people? Do they read the local paper? Do you have any newsworthy items that could get you some free PR coverage?

Could you do a leaflet drop instead? Are there any other local publications such as community magazines?

Would the trade press be more appropriate? Do you have a national audience in a niche market?

By taking some time to figure this all out, you can save yourself time and money, and generate income a lot more quickly.

So to pick up the story … Firstly, we were told delivery would be ‘about 6 weeks’ – this was in early October. We didn’t have anyone coming to stay for Christmas, we had no particular deadline, so that was fine. We were happy to put it to the backs of our minds and just wait.

Around the 15th December (10 weeks later), we had a call to tell us the table was ready for collection from the warehouse, 20 miles away, Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm. I don’t know about you, but for me, the lead up to any major holiday is frantic, busy and stressful with many clients having urgent deadlines. Last Christmas was no exception and taking half a day to go and collect a table was not an option or a priority. We were also leaving for Cornwall on 21st, so we had no choice but to leave the table in the warehouse.

Lesson 1 – communicate with your customers. If your promised delivery date moves for any reason, let them know. Don’t just leave them wondering.

In the first week of January, they phoned to say ‘your table’s still here – you can collect it Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm’. I told them I was aware of that, but for 2 working people, that’s not very convenient.

Lesson 2 – Think like a customer. Those collection times from a warehouse 20 miles from your home are not very user-friendly. They suit the retailer, not the customer. A weekend or a late night collection would be much more customer-friendly, even if it was just once a month.

Ultimately, Mr B managed to leave work early and collect it today! Almost 4 months after we ordered it. He had a last minute opportunity to go, which meant that he didn’t  have the invoice with him. This apparently was a problem for the warehouse guys, until Mr B got a little bit shirty and asked how many rectangular oak tables they had awaiting collection, and could they not get the details from the office or computer system? Ultimately they tracked it down and it was all loaded into the car. But then they pointed out there was money owing, as we’d only paid a deposit. ‘No problem’ replied Mr B, pulling out his credit card. But no, the warehouse couldn’t take payment. It had to be done at the showroom (a couple of miles away).

Lesson 3 – Don’t make it difficult to pay. If the majority of customers have an outstanding balance to pay on collection, surely the warehouse could be set up to receive outstanding balances?

This whole experience has made me wonder about this company’s cash flow. Because of their poor communication and inflexible collection facilities, they have had to wait an extra month to receive our outstanding balance. Surely that can’t be good for business.

Lesson 4 – Don’t jeopardise your cashflow through shoddy procedures. If the service or product delivery and payment systems are efficient, you will benefit.

We won’t be buying any more furniture from this retailer, or recommending them. What a different story that could have been if they had thought like a customer instead of putting their operational requirements first.

Cynics might say it’s just another public relations gimmick designed to make the business look ‘worthy’.

But my take on it is that it’s another way to help a business clearly define its values and objectives. 
Some of the benefits of defining your operational approach can lead to;

• better employee engagement
• improved customer service
• greater business efficiency

Many large organisations are starting to insist on a CSR policy being submitted as part of a proposal – they want to know that the companies they are sub-contracting have an ethical or sustainable approach … or at least have given these areas due consideration.

If you run a small business, is this important?

Put it this way. While it’s not vital, it’s something that helps to build a picture of your business. Even if you do it for internal purposes, it can make you look at how and why you do some of the things you do.

If you want more information about CSR policies or to look at some examples, there are plenty of articles online, but here is one definition I found:

“CSR is commonly described by its promoters as aligning a company’s activities with the social, economic and environmental expectations of its “stakeholders.”

As a small business (even a one or two person business) you can still give some thought to these areas .

• What efforts do you make to be a considerate business, for example to the environment, the community and the workforce?
• What is your approach to doing business ethically and professionally?
• How do you manage personal development and training within the workforce?
• How (and what) do you recycle?
• How do you conserve energy in the office?
• Where do you get your supplies from, and are they from sustainable sources?
• How do you contribute to the local community?

Finally, we decided to tackle the buying decision head on and go and get a table. Hurrah! 
We went to a warehouse that has been sending us promotional material for 7 years (persistence finally paid off with that one!)  About every 6 months, they have sent a leaflet full of special offers, deals, one day only events etc. so off we went to secure a deal.

Having settled on a mutually agreeable table we went in search of a salesperson who told us how to care for it and keep it in good condition.  He tried to find us some chairs to go with it (we didn’t like the recommended ones) but with the best will in the world, he never stood a chance with us and our opposing tastes, so we will make do with our existing ones for now.

Failure to deliver

But the disappointment came when it was time to pay. Understandably for him, it was just a transaction and a bit of form filling. But for us, it was a big deal. For years we’d been building up to this moment, but he was completely joyless. He dealt with the tedious practicalities in a manner that suggested he wished he was somewhere else. He processed the credit card, explained it would be 6 weeks before our table arrived and asked how we wanted delivery. And that was pretty much it. No ‘congratulations’ or ‘you’ve made a great choice’ or ‘we look forward to seeing you again when you come to collect it’.  To say it was underwhelming is an understatement! We might as well have just bought a bread bin, such was his lack of enthusiasm. Considering we had just made a major decision that had been years in the making, we left feeling disenchanted.

I have had more enthusiasm from a shop assistant when buying a £15 top. It really makes a difference if someone says “That’s lovely isn’t it? I’ve had my eye on that!” You feel that you’ve made a good choice and that someone is at least interested in what you are buying.

So what can you do to make the buying process more rewarding?

Why does it matter?

On average, it takes 7 exposures to your marketing message for someone to take action. That means they might see your ad in the paper, notice your van driving around, hear someone mention you, pass by your shop, see you on facebook and get a leaflet through the door from you before they actually do business with you.

If they are seeing a different ‘brand’ each time, they won’t be sure it’s you. Don’t forget, a lot of this is subliminal … of course people don’t actually count the number of times they see your logo. But if your product is relevant to them, they will notice it and you want to make sure they know it’s YOU they keep seeing, and not some other, similar business.

The right way to do it

A company that does a fantastic job of presenting themselves consistently is a steam fair that visits our village each year. They have lovely, old-fashioned circus style lettering in distinctive red and yellow colouring. Most of the rides feature the lettering. Their vans are fully branded in the same livery. They even have one with a fairground horse on the top! Last weekend, they were arriving for their annual visit, and there were posters all over the town, stating the location, the times, how to get a money-off voucher. Every approach to the green where they set up had a succession of posters. The local paper had a full page advert. They sent out an update on their facebook page. The vans were driving around.

All this activity used the same logo, the same typeface, the same colour-scheme so you were in no doubt it was them that was coming to town. The result was that all my children could talk about was the fair for days leading up to it. All their friends were going, we bumped into neighbours, friends and colleagues there – it is a popular, anticipated event.

How can you create the same impact?

• Make sure you have a copy of your logo in all the file formats you might need (jpeg, gif, bitmap, png – depending on what you need it for – find out!)
• Always use the same colour-scheme
• Always use the same fonts
• Choose an appropriate style and stick with it

Don’t take a gamble with your brand – take ownership of it!

I can’t help feeling this is deliberate, and it causes me to be suspicious – not a very positive emotion to have between customer and supplier.

A good example of the opposite is the garage where I recently got my car serviced. I was offered 3 options … gold, silver or bronze.  Each option had a fixed price and a list to show you what was included. It even had a recommendation as to when you should choose each option.

Of course in business, it’s not always possible to have a ‘shopping list’ approach to pricing – the cost could depend on the extent of the work involved, but the more straightforward you can make it, the more straightforward the transaction is likely to be.

Have a clear pricing policy, and make it easy for your customers to understand … because if they can’t work it out, they’ll just go somewhere where they can.

This year, we got ahead! We researched online before leaving and set off knowing that we had a plan. We found somewhere that we could stop for lunch, served food all day, was about 10 minutes from the motorway, child-friendly, dog-friendly and with a garden. Perfect!

Feeling very smug, we arrived at the idyllic Crown Inn in Somerset – an ancient country pub surrounded by flowers with a couple of tables occupied by contented customers soaking up the sun.

The kids disappeared into the garden to find a table, hubby went off down a footpath to stretch the dog’s legs while I placed our drinks orders and browsed the menu … home cooked food, with something to suit everyone. Fantastic!

The landlord presented the drinks and I asked if I could leave my card behind the bar as we wanted to eat. “Ah, we don’t do that new-fangled stuff” he said. “It’s cash or cheque only I’m afraid”. With a sinking feeling I opened my purse to reveal £6.20. “Sorry, I’ll have to wait for my husband to come back” I apologised. But when he turfed out his pockets, our pooled resources came to a measly £10.60.

I never carry a cheque book as I never use it. In towns and cities, cards are widely accepted even for just a couple of pounds so I’ve got out of the habit of having much cash either.

It turned out the nearest cashpoint machine was in the next village 10 miles away – our carefully planned stop was turning out to be not quite so perfect after all. Did we down our drinks and set off to find somewhere that would take our card (like a motorway service station … grrr!) Or should we draw straws to see which of us was going to get back into a hot car (broken air-conditioning) and drive off to get cash?

Then Tim, the landlord said “Never mind, just send me a cheque when you get home”. We were complete strangers, evidently passing through and unlikely to return – what trust! At first, we felt quite uncomfortable about the idea, but he was very relaxed and insisted that it was no problem.

So in the end, that’s what we did. We enjoyed a delicious meal in the garden, and met up with another family who had returned to the village for a holiday, having moved to France. They said it was their favourite pub in the world and they always came back at least once a year. I can understand why. As soon as we arrived in Cornwall, we took out some cash, wrote a thank you note and posted it off to Tim.

We’ve told lots of people the story, as it’s unusual to come across such good, customer-focused service. If you can surprise your customers in a good way, they will be compelled to talk about it (especially in the instant world of facebook and social media).

So if you’re looking for a genuinely warm welcome, and a truly genial host en route to the West Country, try the Crown Inn, Churchill, Somerset BS25 5PP.

http://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54737/

As a rule of thumb, people have to see or hear about your company or your offer 7 times before they will act upon it, so if your ad counts as one of those times, where are they going to see the other 6?

It’s a bit like getting dressed, but only putting a shirt on. It’s simply not a complete outfit! You need the core basics, and perhaps some accessories. View your marketing like getting dressed, and you’re more likely to get noticed.

For instance, your basics could be an advert in a publication, a facebook page and a website.

Your accessories could be an email marketing campaign, a telephone sales blitz and a leaflet drop.

Which ones you use (and when) will depend on the type of business, what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to.

Think of your basics as your constants – things that are always there. You need to be easy to find when someone is looking for you, with up to date information (no offers or ‘news’ items that are 2 years out of date!)

Your accessories are things you can add which add sparkle to those basics – maybe you do them less often, but make them appealing to your customers.

For example, I recently visited a restaurant that was giving out vouchers to people who came in that were local residents. They are offering 10% discount on meals costing £30 or more and a free bottle of wine to parties of 8 or more. This is a really good basic idea, but if I was that restaurant, I’d also be asking people to sign up for my email newsletter, or join my facebook page for up to date offers, invites to special events, letting me know when the menu changes etc. They could also advertise in the local community magazine or do a leaflet drop in the area. The voucher is a step in the right direction, but a few more steps would make it even more successful. They’re kind of half-dressed at the moment.

The key thing to remember is getting the message out there in several different ways to give your customers more opportunities to see, and more importantly, to NOTICE you.

After I’d had it 2 years, it suddenly went ‘ping’, spraying beads all over the floor making it completely unfixable. I left what I could find in a saucer and debated whether to get another one – while I was debating, my lovely husband ordered one which arrived by post.

Delighted, I started wearing it straight away – but this one didn’t even last 6 months. More beads scattered all over the floor but I felt 6 months was a pretty short shelf life so it was probably worth trying to get a refund or replacement. The online retailer wouldn’t help as the original receipt wasn’t available (we did have the statement) so I decided that I had nothing to lose by sending it back to the manufacturer explaining what had happened.

After a few weeks, I forgot all about it but one day a guy arrived at the front door with a plain envelope which he asked me to sign for. All very strange, but when I opened it, inside was my watch together with a statement.

It turns out, it had gone to a repair centre and they had fixed the strap, keeping the original face. But I had to puzzle this out for myself by studying the one-liner on the statement. There was no letter, no branding on the envelope, no compliment slip.

What a difference it would have made if they had said “Sorry to hear about your watch, but great news – we’ve repaired it free of charge! Do let us know if you experience any further problems. Thank you for buying one of our watches. I’ve enclosed our latest brochure, and don’t forget you can check out our latest range on our website.”

Instead of leaving a customer a bit bemused, they could have made a new friend and advocate. I could have passed the brochure on to the next person who asked where I got it from, I could have ‘liked’ them on facebook and all my friends would have seen that too.

Next time you get an opportunity to make a good impression, make sure you do!

I started using the system because it was recommended to me by Lisa from In a Pickle (a very efficient lady so if it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me!)

So why not encourage their customers to do more of this – and reward them for their efforts?

They have launched a referral system that benefits not just the person doing the referrals, but also the new customer by giving each of them money off their monthly bill. To go out and acquire these new customers themselves would cost them a lot of money. But to use their existing customers as a salesforce – well that’s just simple but brilliant!

The system is Kashflow, and here’s their blurb.

KashFlow is an easy to use accounting programme designed especially for entrepreneurs and small/medium size businesses.
It allows businesses to create and manage sales invoices and purchase receipts easily. No accounting knowledge is required and is accessible anywhere in the world via an online connection.

KashFlow are so proud about their software they offer a free 60 day trial to all users, no obligation to buy what so ever!
After the 60 day trial is over you will receive a £1 a month discount at £14.99. The normal price is £15.99 a month, that’s £12 a year saving!

There is no obligation to pay what so ever and you are able to cancel at any time. What more can you ask for?
Visit KashFlow.com today and start your Free Trial Now!
http://www.KashFlow.com/?code=AFF2102269

So two things:

Firstly, if you give Kashflow a go we could both benefit. Click here to take the trial!
Secondly, could something like this work for your business? Give it some thought.