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2 Easy Ways To Get More Referrals For Your Business

Posted on by Nova Blogger

 

Referrals can be one of the best ways to grow a business without having to spend much. In some cases they won’t cost you anything at all. With this low cost source of potential revenue at their disposal, it’s a wonder as to why more businesses aren’t making use of referrals. It may be because many businesses feel uncomfortable asking for them, but the trick is knowing how and when to ask for referrals so that you don’t come across as being pushy or annoying.

Here are two easy ways to get more referrals for your business right away:

 

Existing Clients

You can start by asking for referrals only from your regular clients that are already happy with your service or product. You already have a source of referrals, and they are your existing customers. Treat your existing customers well, give them an experience they can’t forget, and they will talk about your business. There is nothing like happy customers advertising for your business. The word of mouth from a client to a friend or family member is a very effective marketing tool

By creating some kind of loyalty reward program you can stay in touch with your customers and be able to send them thank you and birthday/ Christmas/ gift cards or weekly discount vouchers. This way they become a part of your community, a relationship develops as you learn more about them and how to help them solve their problem, and they learn more about your business.

You can leverage technology to help with this. By using tools like social media or a blog you can continue to build that customer relationship by offering them free solutions and ideas to solve any related problems they might have.

 

New Clients

Make a habit of new asking customers for feedback and reviews on how your product or service has helped them, and keep score. Don’t be afraid to ask them what you need to do in order for them to consider telling someone else about your business.

When new customers buy from you can also send them a thank you email in which you could include a discount gift code. That’s to say you appreciate them for choosing your product or service from the variety of choices they had. You might also consider giving potential customers a free trial of your product or service so as to generate a potential referral.

When you ask your customers for referrals, make sure the process is quick and easy. You should show them how to do it and give them a choice as to how they would like to refer you. For example you can let them know they can also give testimonials as a form of review/referral.

The aim is to create a continuous funnel of customers going through your referral program at all times. Each customer may be at a different stage of their journey with your business, so the programme has to be customised to each customer depending on where they are.

Don’t be afraid to ask them what you need to do in order for them to consider telling someone else about your business. Make it a habit to ask customers for feedback and reviews on how your product or service has helped them, and don’t forget to keep score.

 

In summary in order to increase the number of referral your business gets, it may be worth setting up a formal referral program for both new and existing customers. This would also involve training all relevant staff so that they are aware of how to deal with referrals when they occur.

 

 

Top Tips For Dealing With Customer Complaints

Posted on by Nova Blogger

 

In business having a customer complaint is a common experience, because you can’t please everybody all the time. Regardless of how hard you try, there will be mistakes or you may be faced with a customer who just likes to complain. Depending on how it is managed every customer complaint can end in one of two ways, you will either get an angry customer, or a happy customer. The aim is to minimise the number of complaints and to ensure that the same complaint does not keep happening repeatedly.

What is important is that companies acknowledge these complaints and make sure they are dealt with in a timely and effective manner. Failing to do so may result in a bad reputation for the business, as it shows the customer you don’t care. All businesses must place customer satisfaction first and develop a system for handling customer complaints, in order for long term success.

It is a good idea to set up an in house complaints procedure that can be quickly implemented anytime a complaint is received, and the staff dealing with customers should be properly trained. Make sure that proper records are kept of all customer complaints and their final solutions. Also, with social media becoming increasingly important for unhappy customers to voice their dissatisfaction, it is a good idea to monitor your social channels regularly so you can intervene quickly. Here are some useful tips for dealing with unhappy customers.

Handling The Complaint In A Neutral Way

The first step is to take the complaint in a neutral way. When people complain they are often emotionally charged up, so it is important to let them voice their complaint without responding emotionally. You must remain calm at all times even if the customer becomes angry. You may have a had a similar complaint before, but to the customer it is unique to them, so pay attention to them and listen to their problem in full. Try to place yourself in their shoes and empathise rather than becoming defensive. If the customer is blaming a particular member of staff, get them away from the customer, because it will be easier for the customer to calm down if they aren’t present. Make sure the appropriate staff member handles the complaint because customers hate being passed around from person to person.

Giving An Apology

The next step is to apologise. Once the customer has aired their complaint, you must give them a sincere apology regardless of your opinion on the matter, with no excuses. Let them know you understand what has happened and ask them what outcome they are seeking. Try to keep them informed as you tackle the issue, so they don’t feel ignored. All complaints regardless of how small, should be dealt with quickly as possible so the customer feels that they are a priority.

Resolving The Problem

The final step is to resolve the problem, this can come in many forms ranging from refunds to compensation. After resolving the issue it is a good idea to contact the customer at a later date to see if they were happy with the outcome.

Sometimes it is not possible to avoid customer complaints, but it is possible to prevent a disgruntled customer from spreading negative comments about your business, by handling the complaint properly.

By taking care of complaints effectively you can improve your company reputation while at the same time retaining your customers. Customers will know that if anything goes wrong with their order, you will take care of it. This will make your business stand out as a customer friendly one, which may in turn lead to referrals from happy customers.

For a business, complaints can provide a great opportunity to learn more about your customer, and to use that information to improve their customer experience. You also have the chance to turn the complaining customer into a loyal customer. Dealing with customer complaints can be challenging, and there will be times that nothing can be done to satisfy an unhappy customer.

 

 

Improving Your Chances Of Success As A Tradesman

Posted on by Nova Blogger

 

You can become a more successful tradesman by improving your interpersonal skills, professional skills, and your business skills. This will allow you to compete more effectively in your chosen market.

Building Trust

When it comes to interpersonal skills, learning how to build trust with your customers is important. Trust is key for your success as a tradesman, it means that your customers will listen to you and take your advice, plus they are more likely to recommend you to their friends and family. Building trust comes from you being reliable and punctual and doing quality work on a consistent basis. Talk to your customers, and get to know them as people. People are more likely to buy services from someone they know and trust.

Skills

Then focus on improving your professional skills as a tradesman. To do so, make sure you get all the necessary qualifications required to perform your trade. Then keep updating your qualifications by going on regular courses. Try to gain work experience in areas that you are newly qualified in, so that you get plenty of practice before doing it alone.

As a tradesman you are running your own business, so if you are looking to become more successful you should start mastering the core business skills that all business owners need. They are accounting, marketing, and administration. Start by dividing your business into these three areas, and then focus on specific things to do in each area that when combined, will improve your overall chances of success.

Accounting

The first business skill to begin with is accounting. It is important to have an understanding of finance and how to use capital in the most effective way. If you have not already done so, it is a good idea to write a business plan, so you can get an overview of your business and its financial landscape. You should also learn about bookkeeping and budgeting to give you a better understanding of how cash flows in to and out of your business, so you become aware of your main sources of income and your major expenses. This knowledge will come in handy when it comes to cutting unnecessary expenses.

Marketing

Next comes marketing. You need a clever marketing strategy that involves both online and offline marketing tactics to increase your brands awareness. The best place to start here is by gaining a better understanding of your existing customers. Keep track of how you acquire new customers so as to understand where your customers are coming from, that way you can focus more of your marketing efforts there.

Partnerships

To increase your potential customer base, consider forming partnerships with other tradesmen in a separate niche so you can both have access to each others customers. Join as many relevant professional organisations as you can and advertise your membership on all your stationery and marketing material so as to improve the professional image of your business.

Administration

Last but not least comes administration. You have to efficiently manage the day to day operation of your business. That means you must have systems in place that deal with everything form taking appointments to sending out client invoices. Technology can be very helpful here – there are plenty of business software suites and apps, both online and offline, available to automate the majority of your administrative tasks. The key is to stay on top of things so your business can run smoothly while you are on site.

In summary, increasing your chances of success as a tradesman comes down to improving upon a variety of skills. With a bit of planning and effort these skills can easily be learnt and put into practice, so as to give your business an advantage in your niche.

 

 

 

How To Provide Your Salon’s Customers With Excellent Customer Service

Posted on by Nova Blogger

Customer service is the process of taking care of potential, new, and existing customers before during and after a transaction is made. The aim is to provide an experience that exceeds customer expectations and leads to a satisfied customer. When done properly, customer service is mutually beneficial, providing the customer with a service that meets their needs, and your salon with repeat business. Good customer service will mean an increase in customer loyalty which may result in your customers spending more money, more often with your salon. It is also important for your salons reputation, as a happy customer will spread a positive message about you to others.

Providing excellent customer service means becoming more focused on the customer as a human being rather than as a profit centre, your main aim should be to build good customer relationships. This means you need to understand their needs and wants, treat them respectfully and go out of your way to help them, so you can develop a strong rapport with your customers.

Here are a few tips to help your salon provide the best service to your customers:

Salon Design

To begin with, your salon’s design should be appealing and the services you offer should be relevant to your target markets needs. There should be a formal system in place to deal with all the stages of interaction with your customers, and all your staff must be familiar with it. Also, you must take care of your staff as they are the face of your business. They must be properly trained and given the necessary tools they need to perform their duties.

Staff

Staff should conduct themselves in a friendly but professional manner at all times. They should always be polite to the customers, greeting them with a warm friendly smile. Using first names and remembering facts about their life, such as their birthdays, vacations stories or kids name will make your clients feel special and important.

Keeping The Customer Updated

Customers should not be kept waiting at any time. If you feel you will be running late, give them a call so they can make any adjustments to their schedules, it will be appreciated. It is important to ask clients questions about the service you are about to perform, so as to make sure you are on the same page, for example when it comes to new hair styles or hair colouring.

You can use technology to help you provide a better service, for example sending out automatic texts or emails a few days before their appointment, to remind customers and give them a chance to reschedule if it is no longer appropriate. You can also use the internet to send them information about how to take care of their hair after their visit, and to set up an opt in newsletter that informs them of new trends in the industry, combined with a loyalty discount programme for frequent salon visits.

Handling Complaints

You should listen to customers opinions and suggestions for improving your salon and their experience. It is also important to have a process in place for handling complaints, which must be dealt with quickly so as to avoid any further grievances.

Ultimately as a salon you are in the business of serving customers, so by providing excellent customer service should be your main goal. Good customer service takes time and requires constant monitoring in order to keep the standards consistent. The success of your business depends on how your customers feel when they leave your salon, because it is the customer experience that separates your salon from your competitors.

A regular review of your customer service procedures is essential to maintain and improve existing standards. Remember it costs more to get a new client than to keep an existing one, so make customer service the focus of your salon business to keep clients coming back.

4 Reasons to Adapt your Shop

Posted on by Nova Blogger

Adaptation is necessary for all businesses in order to stay ahead of the evolving markets and ensure a steady income even during the worst of economic times. During the recession a number of shops closed due to the fact that they did not adapt their business strategies quickly enough – however under the circumstances even those who did struggled. So here Nova Insurance looks at four methods for adapting your shop in order to keep afloat even during the worst economic times: Continue reading “4 Reasons to Adapt your Shop”

UK Shop Owners advised to adapt for the Future

Posted on by Nova Blogger

The past few years have been extremely difficult for shop owners in the UK as the high street has seen a marked decline in the number of people visiting on a regular basis. There are a number of factors which have contributed to this, including the fact that the recession means that most people have less disposable income and online shopping has increased in popularity. Continue reading “UK Shop Owners advised to adapt for the Future”

4 Ways to Protect your Shop for the Future

Posted on by Nova Blogger

The high street has gone through a rough time during the past few years, especially as the recession has led to a large percentage of the UK having less disposable income. Add to this the fact that internet shopping has also grown in popularity and you can see why many shop owners are concerned for the future. However, with a bit of business knowledge and some hard work your shop can thrive even during these difficult times. It’s just about knowing how to retain your current customers and attract new ones… Continue reading “4 Ways to Protect your Shop for the Future”

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